Watership Down Page 18

  " 'I'll come, said Hufsa. 'Let's go tomorrow night. For he thought that that would give him time to tell Prince Rainbow.

  " 'No, said El-ahrairah, 'I'm going now. At once.

  "He wondered whether Hufsa would try to turn him against this idea, but when he looked at him he could see that Hufsa was thinking that this would be the end of El-ahrairah and that he himself would be made king of the rabbits.

  "They set out together in the moonlight.

  "They had gone a good way along the hedge when they came upon an old box lying in the ditch. Sitting on top of the box was Yona the hedgehog. His prickles were stuck all over with dog-rose petals and he was making an extraordinary squeaking, grunting noise and waving his black paws. They stopped and looked at him.

  " 'Whatever are you doing, Yona? asked Hufsa in astonishment.

  " 'Singing to the moon, answered Yona. 'All hedgehogs have to sing to the moon to make the slugs come. Surely you know that?

  " 'O Slug-a-Moon, O Slug-a-Moon,

  O grant thy faithful hedgehog's boon!

  " 'What a frightful noise! said El-ahrairah and indeed it was. 'Let's get on quickly before he brings all the elil round us. And on they went.

  "After a time they drew near the pond on the edge of the wood. As they approached it they heard a squawking and splashing and then they saw Hawock the pheasant scuttering about in the water, with his long tail feathers floating out behind him.

  " 'Whatever has happened? said Hufsa. 'Hawock, have you been shot?

  " 'No, no, replied Hawock. 'I always go swimming in the full moon. It makes my tail grow longer and, besides, my head wouldn't stay red, white and green without swimming. But you must know that, Hufsa, surely? Everyone knows that.

  " 'The truth is, he doesn't like other animals to catch him at it, whispered El-ahrairah. 'Let's go on.

  "A little further on they came to an old well by a big oak tree. The farmer had filled it up long ago, but the mouth looked very deep and black in the moonlight.

  " 'Let's have a rest, said El-ahrairah, 'just for a short time.

  "As he spoke, a most curious-looking creature came out of the grass. It looked something like a rabbit, but even in the moonlight they could see that it had a red tail and long green ears. In its mouth it was carrying the end of one of the white sticks that men burn. It was Rabscuttle, but not even Hufsa could recognize him. He had found some sheep-dip powder at the farm and sat in it to make his tail red. His ears were festooned with trails of bryony and the white stick was making him feel ill.

  " 'Frith preserve us! said El-ahrairah. 'What can it be? Let's only hope it isn't one of the Thousand! He leaped up, ready to run. 'Who are you? he asked, trembling.

  "Rabscuttle spat out the white stick.

  " 'So! he said commandingly. 'So you have seen me, El-ahrairah! Many rabbits live out their lives and die, but few see me. Few or none! I am one of the rabbit messengers of Lord Frith, who go about the earth secretly by day and return nightly to his golden palace! He is even now awaiting me on the other side of the world and I must go to him swiftly, through the heart of the earth! Farewell, El-ahrairah!

  "The strange rabbit leaped over the edge of the well and disappeared into the darkness below.

  " 'We have seen what we should not! said El-ahrairah in an awe-stricken voice. 'How dreadful is this place! Let us go quickly!

  "They hurried on and presently they came to Prince Rainbow's field of carrots. How many they stole I cannot say; but of course, as you know, El-ahrairah is a great prince and no doubt he used powers unknown to you and me. But my grandfather always said that before morning the field was stripped bare. The carrots were hidden down a deep hole in the bank beside the wood and El-ahrairah and Hufsa made their way home. El-ahrairah collected two or three followers and stayed underground with them all day, but Hufsa went out in the afternoon without saying where he was going.

  "That evening, as El-ahrairah and his people began to silflay under a fine red sky, Prince Rainbow came over the fields. Behind him were two great black dogs.

  " 'El-ahrairah, he said, 'you are under arrest.

  " 'What for? asked El-ahrairah.

  " 'You know very well what for, said Prince Rainbow. 'Let me have no more of your tricks and insolence, El-ahrairah. Where are the carrots?

  " 'If I am under arrest, said El-ahrairah, 'may I be told what for? It is not fair to tell me I am under arrest and then to ask me questions.

  " 'Come, come, El-ahrairah, said Prince Rainbow, 'you are merely wasting time. Tell me where the carrots are and I will only send you to the great North and not kill you.

  " 'Prince Rainbow, said El-ahrairah, 'for the third time, may I know for what I am under arrest?

  " 'Very well, said Prince Rainbow, 'if this is the way you want to die, El-ahrairah, you shall have the full process of law. You are under arrest for stealing my carrots. Are you seriously asking for a trial? I warn you that I have direct evidence and it will go ill with you.

  "By this time all El-ahrairah's people were crowding round, as near as they dared for the dogs. Only Rabscuttle was nowhere to be seen. He had spent the whole day moving the carrots to another secret hole and he was now hiding because he could not get his tail white again.

  " 'Yes, I would like a trial, said El-ahrairah, 'and I would like to be judged by a jury of animals. For it is not right, Prince Rainbow, that you should both accuse me and be the judge as well.

  " 'A jury of animals you shall have, said Prince Rainbow. 'A jury of elil, El-ahrairah. For a jury of rabbits would refuse to convict you, in spite of the evidence.

  "To everyone's surprise, El-ahrairah immediately replied that he would be content with a jury of elil: and Prince Rainbow said that he would bring them that night. El-ahrairah was sent down his hole and the dogs were put on guard outside. None of his people was allowed to see him, although many tried.

  "Up and down the hedges and copses the news spread that El-ahrairah was on trial for his life and that Prince Rainbow was going to bring him before a jury of elil. Animals came crowding in. Fu Inlé, Prince Rainbow returned with the elil-two badgers, two foxes, two stoats, an owl and a cat. El-ahrairah was brought up and placed between the dogs. The elil sat staring at him and their eyes glittered in the moon. They licked their lips: and the dogs muttered that they had been promised the task of carrying out the sentence. There were a great many animals-rabbits and others-and every one of them felt sure that this time it was all up with El-ahrairah.

  " 'Now, said Prince Rainbow, 'let us begin. It will not take long. Where is Hufsa?

  "Then Hufsa came out, bowing and bobbing his head, and he told the elil that El-ahrairah had come the night before, when he was quietly chewing pellets, and terrified him into going with him to steal Prince Rainbow's carrots. He had wanted to refuse, but he had been too much frightened. The carrots were hidden in a hole that he could show them. He had been forced to do what he did, but the next day he had gone as quickly as possible to tell Prince Rainbow, whose loyal servant he was.

  " 'We will recover the carrots later, said Prince Rainbow. 'Now, El-ahrairah, have you any evidence to call or anything to say? Make haste.

  " 'I would like to ask the witness some questions, said El-ahrairah; and the elil agreed that this was only fair.

  " 'Now, Hufsa, said El-ahrairah, 'can we hear a little more about this journey that you and I are supposed to have made? For really I can remember nothing about it at all. You say we went out of the hole and set off in the night. What happened then?

  " 'Why, El-ahrairah, said Hufsa, 'you can't possibly have forgotten. We came along by the ditch, and don't you remember that we saw a hedgehog sitting on a box singing a song to the moon?

  " 'A hedgehog doing what? said one of the badgers.

  " 'Singing a song to the moon, said Hufsa eagerly. They do that, you know, to make the slugs come. He had rose petals stuck all over him and he was waving his paws and-

  " 'Now, steady, steady, said El-ahrairah kindly, 'I wouldn't
like you to say anything you don't mean. Poor fellow, he added to the jury, 'he really believes these things he says, you know. He doesn't mean any harm, but-

  " 'But he was, shouted Hufsa. 'He was singing, "O Slug-a-Moon! O Slug-a-Moon! O grant-"

  " 'What the hedgehog sang is not evidence, said El-ahrairah. 'Really, one is inclined to wonder what is. Well, all right. We saw a hedgehog covered with roses, singing a song on a box. What happened then?

  " 'Well, said Hufsa, 'then we went on and came to the pond, where we saw a pheasant.

  " 'Pheasant, eh? said one of the foxes. 'I wish I'd seen it. What was it doing?

  " 'It was swimming round and round in the water, said Hufsa.

  " 'Wounded, eh? said the fox.

  " 'No, no, said Hufsa. 'They all do that, to make their tails grow longer. I'm surprised you don't know.

  " 'To make what? said the fox.

  " 'To make their tails grow longer, said Hufsa sulkily. 'He said so himself.

  " 'You've only had this stuff for a very short time, said El-ahrairah to the elil. 'It takes a bit of getting used to. Look at me. I've been forced to live with it for the last two months, day in and day out. I've been as kind and understanding as I can, but apparently just to my own harm.

  "A silence fell. El-ahrairah, with an air of fatherly patience, turned back to the witness.

  " 'My memory is so bad, he said. 'Do go on.

  " 'Well, El-ahrairah, said Hufsa, 'you're pretending very cleverly, but even you won't be able to say you've forgotten what happened next. A huge, terrifying rabbit, with a red tail and green ears, came out of the grass. He had a white stick in his mouth and he plunged into the ground down a great hole. He told us he was going through the middle of the earth to see Lord Frith on the other side.

  "This time not one of the elil said a word. They were staring at Hufsa and shaking their heads.

  " 'They're all mad, you know, whispered one of the stoats, 'nasty little beasts. They'll say anything when they're cornered. But this one is the worst I've ever heard. How much longer have we got to stay here? I'm hungry.

  "Now El-ahrairah had known beforehand that while elil detest all rabbits, they would dislike most the one who looked the biggest fool. That was why he had agreed to a jury of elil. A jury of rabbits might have tried, to get to the bottom of Hufsa's story; but not the elil, for they hated and despised the witness and wanted to be off hunting as soon as they could.

  " 'So it comes to this, said El-ahrairah. 'We saw a hedgehog covered with roses, singing a song: and then we saw a perfectly healthy pheasant swimming round and round the pond: and then we saw a rabbit with a red tail, green ears and a white stick, and he jumped straight down a deep well. Is that right?

  " 'Yes, said Hufsa.

  " 'And then we stole the carrots?

  " 'Yes.

  " 'Were they purple with green spots?

  " 'Were what purple with green spots?

  " 'The carrots.

  " 'Well, you know they weren't, El-ahrairah. They were the ordinary color. They're down the hole! shouted Hufsa desperately. 'Down the hole! Go and look!

  "The court adjourned while Hufsa led Prince Rainbow to the hole. They found no carrots and returned.

  " 'I've been underground all day, said El-ahrairah, 'and I can prove it. I ought to have been asleep, but it's very difficult when m'learned friend-well, never mind. I simply mean that obviously I couldn't have been out moving carrots or anything else. If there ever were any carrots, he added. 'But I've nothing more to say.

  " 'Prince Rainbow, said the cat, 'I hate all rabbits. But I don't see how we can possibly say that it's been proved that that rabbit took your carrots. The witness is obviously out of his mind-mad as the mist and snow-and the prisoner will have to be released. They all agreed.

  " 'You had better go quickly, said Prince Rainbow to El-ahrairah. 'Go down your hole, El-ahrairah, before I hurt you myself.

  " 'I will, my lord, said El-ahrairah. 'But may I beg you to remove that rabbit you sent among us, for he troubles us with his foolishness?

  "So Hufsa went away with Prince Rainbow and El-ahrairah's people were left in peace, apart from indigestion brought on by eating too many carrots. But it was a long time before Rabscuttle could get his tail white again, so my grandfather always said."

  23. Kehaar

  The wing trails like a banner in defeat,

  No more to use the sky for ever but live with

  famine and pain a few days.

  He is strong and pain is worse to the strong

  incapacity is worse.

  No one but death the redeemer will humble that head,

  The intrepid readiness, the terrible eyes.

  Robinson Jeffers, Hurt Hawks

  Human beings say, "It never rains but it pours." This is not very apt, for it frequently does rain without pouring. The rabbits' proverb is better expressed. They say, "One cloud feels lonely": and indeed it is true that the appearance of a single cloud often means that the sky will soon be overcast. However that may be, the very next day provided a dramatic second opportunity to put Hazel's idea into practice.

  It was early morning and the rabbits were beginning to silflay, coming up into clear gray silence. The air was still chilly. There was a good deal of dew and no wind. Five or six wild duck flew overhead in a swiftly moving V, intent on some far-off destination. The sound made by their wings came down distinctly, diminishing as they went away southward. The silence returned. With the melting of the last of the twilight there grew a kind of expectancy and tension, as though it were thawing snow about to slide from a sloping roof. Then the whole down and all below it, earth and air, gave way to the sunrise. As a bull, with a slight but irresistible movement, tosses its head from the grasp of a man who is leaning over the stall and idly holding its horn, so the sun entered the world in smooth, gigantic power. Nothing interrupted or obscured its coming. Without a sound, the leaves shone and the grass coruscated along the miles of the escarpment.

  Outside the wood, Bigwig and Silver combed their ears, sniffed the air and hopped away, following their own long shadows to the grass of the gallop. As they moved over the short turf-nibbling, sitting up and looking round them-they approached a little hollow, no more than three feet across. Before they reached the edge Bigwig, who was ahead of Silver, checked and crouched, staring. Although he could not see into the hollow, he knew that there was some creature in it-something fairly big. Peering through the blades of grass round his head, he could see the curve of a white back. Whatever the creature was, it was nearly as big as himself. He waited, stock still, for some little time, but it did not move.

  "What has a white back, Silver?" whispered Bigwig.

  Silver considered. "A cat?"

  "No cats here."

  "How do you know?"

  At that moment they both heard a low, breathy hissing from the hollow. It lasted for a few moments. Then there was silence once more.

  Bigwig and Silver had a good opinion of themselves. Apart from Holly, they were the only survivors of the Sandleford Owsla and they knew that their comrades looked up to them. The encounter with the rats in the barn had been no joke and had proved their worth. Bigwig, who was generous and honest, had never for a moment resented Hazel's courage on the night when his own superstitious fear had got the better of him. But the idea of going back to the Honeycomb and reporting that he had glimpsed an unknown creature in the grass and left it alone was more than he could swallow. He turned his head and looked at Silver. Seeing that he was game, he took a final look at the strange white back and then went straight up to the edge of the hollow. Silver followed.

  It was no cat. The creature in the hollow was a bird-a big bird, nearly a foot long. Neither of them had ever seen a bird like it before. The white part of its back, which they had glimpsed through the grass, was in fact only the shoulders and neck. The lower back was light gray and so were the wings, which tapered to long, black-tipped primaries folded together over the tail. The head was ve
ry dark brown-almost black-in such sharp contrast to the white neck that the bird looked as though it were wearing a kind of hood. The one dark red leg that they could see ended in a webbed foot and three powerful, taloned toes. The beak, hooked slightly downward at the end, was strong and sharp. As they stared, it opened, disclosing a red mouth and throat. The bird hissed savagely and tried to strike, but still it did not move.

  "It's hurt," said Bigwig.

  "Yes, you can tell that," replied Silver. "But it's not wounded anywhere that I can see. I'll go round-"

  "Look out!" said Bigwig. "He'll have you!"

  Silver, as he started to move round the hollow, had come closer to the bird's head. He jumped back just in time to avoid a quick, darting blow of the beak.

  "That would have broken your foot," said Bigwig.

  As they squatted, looking at the bird-for they both sensed intuitively that it would not rise-it suddenly burst into loud, raucous cries-"Yark! Yark! Yark!" — a tremendous sound at close quarters-that split the morning and carried far across the down. Bigwig and Silver turned and ran.

  They collected themselves sufficiently to pull up short of the wood and make a more dignified approach to the bank. Hazel came to meet them in the grass. There was no mistaking their wide eyes and dilated nostrils.

  "Elil?" asked Hazel.

  "Well, I'm blessed if I know, to tell you the truth," replied Bigwig. "There's a great bird out there, like nothing I've ever seen."

  "How big? As big as a pheasant?"

  "Not quite so big," admitted Bigwig, "but bigger than a wood pigeon: and a lot fiercer."

  "Is that what cried?"

  "Yes. It startled me, all right. We were actually beside it. But for some reason or other it can't move."