Watership Down

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Long ago, the great Frith made the world.

He made all the stars...

and the world lived among the stars.

Frith made all the animals and birds...

and, at first, made them all the same.

Now, among the animals was El-ahrairah,

the Prince of Rabbits.

He had many friends...

and they all ate grass together.

After a time,

the rabbits wandered everywhere...

multiplying and eating as they went.

Then, Frith said to El-ahrairah:

"Prince Rabbit, if you cannot

control your people...

"I shall find ways to control them."

El-ahrairah would not listen,

and said to Frith:

"My people are the strongest

in the world."

This angered Frith, so he determined

to get the better of El-ahrairah.

He gave a present

to every animal and bird...

making each one different from the rest.

When the fox came,

and others like the dog and cat...

the hawk and weasel...

to them, Frith gave a desire to hunt

and slay the children of El-ahrairah.

El-ahrairah knew that Frith was

too clever for him, and he was frightened.

He had never before seen

the Black Rabbit of Death.

"My friend," said Frith,

"have you seen El-ahrairah?

"For I wish to give him a gift."

"No, I have not seen him."

So, Frith said,

"Come out, and I will bless you instead."

"No, I cannot. I am busy.

The fox and weasel are coming.

"If you want to bless me,

you will have to bless my bottom."

"Very well. Be it so."

And El-ahrairah's tail grew shining white,

and it flashed like a star.

And his back legs grew long and powerful.

He tore across the hill

faster than any creature in the world.

"All the world will be your enemy,

Prince with a Thousand Enemies.

"And whenever they catch you,

they will kill you.

"But first, they must catch you...

"digger, listener, runner.

"Prince with the swift warning.

"Be cunning and full of tricks...

"and your people

will never be destroyed."

Along the edge of that wood, there.

Enjoyed many a game pie from it, too.

You can't hold back progress.

Shame, though.

It's gone 8:
00, and I told Elizabeth

we'd go into Newbury this evening.

Old sun sets so late in summer,

it's morning before...

I think it's safe now, Fiver.

There's still something strange

about the warren this evening.

Is it dangerous?

It's not exactly danger. It's...

I don't know. Something oppressive.

Like thunder.

It seems safe enough now, though.

Come on, see if you can find me

a coltsfoot. If you can't, no one can.

- What's going on?

- It's only that runt, Fiver.

Jumping at bluebottles again.

- Come on. Hurry up.

- Fiver found it, Toadflax.

And we'll eat it.

Coltsfoot are for Owsla. You know that.

Tell you the truth,

I'm getting sick and tired of it.

Sometimes I feel like

clearing out of the warren altogether.

Never mind. Let's forget it,

and try to enjoy the evening.

Hazel?

Hazel, this is where it comes from.

I know now that terrible thing is coming.

- What do you mean?

- Look.

The field! The field!

- It's covered with blood!

- Blood? Don't be silly.

All right, Fiver. It's getting dark.

- We should get back to the burrow.

- Back to the burrow?

It'll come there. Don't think it won't.

It's all around us.

Now, stop it, Fiver.

We've got to go away from here. All of us.

- Go away? What, the whole warren?

- Yes, before it's too late.

You're being silly.

They'll think you're out of your mind.

You must listen to me, Hazel.

Something very bad is going to happen.

We'd better try and see the Chief Rabbit.

You can tell him about it.

I don't expect he'll like the idea at all.

We've got to go away from the warren!

All of us!

- Go away?

- Yes, before it's too late.

Is something wrong?

- What's the matter?

- Is there danger?

Come on. Let's find out what's happened.

- Hazel? It is Hazel, isn't it?

- It is.

- What are you doing here?

- We want to see the Chief Rabbit, Bigwig.

"We"? You mean

he wants to see him, too?

- Yes.

- I must.

- What's it all about?

- Bigwig? What do they want?

- They want to see the Chief Rabbit.

- What for?

- I have to...

- Send them away.

I'll take care of it, Holly.

Look, Bigwig, when have I ever asked

to see the Chief Rabbit before?

All right.

Wait here.

Excuse me, sir. These two outskirts

have asked to see you.

Is it all right if I bring them down?

Come on, then, though I'll probably get

my ears chewed off for this.

Now, Walnut.

- It is Walnut, isn't it?

- No, sir. Hazel.

I knew your mother well. And your friend?

- My brother, sir. Fiver.

- Your brother.

Now, do tell me how I can help you.

Well, he says there's a bad danger

coming to our warren.

A bad danger.

How very upsetting.

Now, what sort of danger, I wonder?

I don't know. But it's bad. It's so bad.

Well, now. What ought we to do?

- Go away. All of us. Now.

- Now? In May?

The mating season?

And where would we go to?

He's had these feelings before,

and he's been right again and again.

I shall have to consider this very carefully.

Perhaps we'll discuss it later,

in the summer.

We can't wait!

It's been good of you to come, Walnut.

Bigwig!

- Bigwig.

- Sir?

- What was that all about?

- Well, sir...

Your duty as an officer is

to protect this burrow.

- Yes, sir.

- Those two lunatics...

Yes, sir.

- Who's that?

- It's me.

- Dandelion?

- No, Blackberry.

Dandelion told me

you were leaving the warren tonight.

- If it's true, I'd like to come along.

- We'd like to come along, too.

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