Tales From Watership Down Read online

  Cautiously and gently El-ahrairah led the Second Cow into the ravine, which broke up before them as they went on. After a day and a night they climbed slowly up what had become the grassy edge of the further side, all twined now with ground ivy and dotted with blue bugle, and there waiting for them was the white bull.

  Now began a happy time, while El-ahrairah remained with his friends on the great plain. He stayed for the whole winter and the following summer, and as it came on to autumn the Second Cow bore a beautiful calf, whom she named Whitethorn.

  Whitethorn and El-ahrairah became great friends, and in the evenings El-ahrairah used to tell her stories about his warren and about his adventures in the days before he had set out on his search. One day, as he was telling Whitethorn of the trick he had played on the dog Rowsby Woof, the yellowhammer flew down to the juniper and sang:

  "Summer spent and almost gone,

  El-ahrairah must journey on."

  "Ah! Little bird!" said El-ahrairah. "Don't tell me to leave my friends! I'm so happy here."

  But the yellowhammer only sang:

  "Winter comes with snow and sleet,

  Winter freezes to his seat.

  Now, before the first frost's here,

  El-ahrairah must persevere."

  So El-ahrairah went sadly to his friends and told them that the time had come for him to set out once more, to search for the Third Cow.

  "Have a care, El-ahrairah," said the white bull. "Take great care: for by all I ever heard, the Third Cow is like no other. The Third Cow lives at the end of the world and is able to swallow up the world and all that is in it. Why face such frightful danger? Stay here with us and be happy."

  El-ahrairah was sorely tempted, but although he thought for a long time, he could only conclude that the yellowhammer had told the truth and the time had indeed come for him to set out to find the Third Cow.

  "Then take Whitethorn with you," said the Second Cow. "She will be your comrade and your guardian and keep you company. Only, I beg you, look after her well. She is very dear to us, but there is nothing I would not do for you, my dear rabbit friend."

  So the two set out together; and as I was always told, this was the hardest part of al El-ahrairah's wanderings, for the way lay over great mountains and through thrilling regions of thick-ribbed ice. Winter came on, and often they were starved with hunger and cold. If he could not have pressed up against Whitethorn, El-ahrairah would have frozen to death. Even the little bird was forced to leave them, for the bitter nights were more than he could endure.

  It was many months before the end of that winter, but at last Whitethorn and El-ahrairah, thin as weasels, came slowly down out of the lower hills and found themselves in the land of the Third Cow.

  Now, the Third Cow is herself the end of the world. In that land there is nothing that is not the Third Cow--horns and hooves and tail and ears. They could have traveled on and on and still have found themselves nowhere but upon the body of the Third Cow, for it fills the world and is the world. For many days they sought the Cow's head, and at last they found it--a great, staring form of eyes and nostrils and a huge mouth that gaped like a cave. And the Cow spoke to them with the voice of a cave.

  "What do you want, El-ahrairah? What are you seeking?"

  "I am seeking for my youth," answered El-ahrairah.

  "I have swallowed it up," replied the Third Cow. "I have swallowed it as I swallow all that is in the world. My name is Time, and no creature escapes me." And with this she yawned and swallowed half the day.

  In the silence El-ahrairah turned to Whitethorn, who stood shivering beside him.

  "I am going to find my youth."

  "Don't go, El-ahrairah," Pleaded Whitethorn. "You will be lost: I know it! Stay with me. Let us go back to my kind father and mother and live in the green meadow."

  El-ahrairah said no more. As the Third Cow's mouth opened in a vast snore, he plunged forward and disappeard into the red cavern.

  No one knows all that befell El-ahrairah in the heart and stomach of the Third Cow, for it has never been told and never will be. There are no words in which to speak of the dark adventures, formless as dreams, which fell upon him, for he was among everything past: all that the Third Cow had ever swallowed over the long years. What dangers did he overcome? What dreadful creatures did he meet and delude? What did he find to eat? We shall never know. He himself became a dream, a wandering fragment of the past. And whether he could even remember who he had once been the story never tells. The Third Cow is beyond and beyond the reach of any rabbit's understanding.

  At last, when he was worn out and exhausted with long stumbling in the entrails of the Cow, he came to a slope that led downward into a faint, dim light. And here lay a lake--a lucent lake of golden milk. This place was nothing less than the udder of the Third Cow, whose milk contains all the blessings of the years and the warmth of all the suns that have ever shone. It is the lake of youth.

  El-ahrairah stood gazing at that wonderful lake, and as he gazed he grew faint with wonder. His paws slipped, and all of a sudden he fell head over ears into the golden milk.

  He struggled and paddled helplessly, for he could not find a way out. Little by little he felt his strength going from him. He was sinking; he was drowning. He gave himself up for lost.

  At the very last, he felt himself drawn downward into a smooth tube and thence into a warm, wet mouth. The next moment he lay spluttering and choking in the open air, on patch of warm grass, and Whitethorn was bending over him. Near them rose the curve of the Cow's udder. Whitethorn had suckled him out by one of the Cow's teats.

  A glow of youth and strength filled El-ahrairah. He danced on the grass. He capered on the stones. He sang to Whitethorn without knowing what he was singing. Whitethron sang with him, and together, still singing, they turned for home.

  The way back was short, for now it was summer and they could travel three times as fast, knowing that all the adventure was blessedly over. All I know of El-ahrairah's return is one strange thing. When he came to the place where the First Cow's enchanted wood had stood, it was no longer there. It had vanished from under the Down as mysteriously as it had appeared, and no one has seen it again, from that day to this. All that was to be seen was the yellowhammer on the thorn, who sang:

  "El-ahrairah has found in truth

  His secret of eternal youth."

  *

  "Well," said Bigwig, "those were certainly no ordinary cows. It was stupid of me to think they might have been, considering they were an adventure of El-ahrairah. What about Whitethorn? Does she stay the same age too?"

  "The stories don't tell any more about her," said Dandelion, "but I'm sure El-ahrairah would never forget a friend who'd meant so much to him."

  3

  The Story of King Fur-Rocious

  Think where man's glory most begins and ends

  And say my glory was I had such friends.

  W. B. YEATS, "The Municipal Gallery Revisited"

  The rain was falling across Watership Down in long, billowing clouds, drenching the turf and the beech trees of the hanger. Hazel and several other rabbits were sitting snugly underground in the Honeycomb, some grooming themselves, others chatting of sunny days to come. Kehaar had arrived from the south a few days before and was sitting halfway down his run in quiet contentment.

  "Who'll tell a story?" asked Bigwig, rolling over on the floor. "Dandelion?"

  "Let someone else for a change," answered Dandelion.

  "Bluebell, tell us that one you told me last year: about Elahrairah and the war with King Fur-Rocious. They haven't heard it, I know."

  "That was the only time Elahrairah ever went to war," said Bluebell. "The first and the last."

  "Did he win?" asked Silver.

  "Oh, yes, of course; but it was how he did it that was so clever. If he hadn't, we wouldn't be here."

  *

  As we all know (Bluebell continued), rabbits never really go to war; and certainly Elahrairah had no need
to, living his happy life on the downs, until one day, as he was basking in the sun, he got a sudden shock. Rabscuttle came tearing over the grass, and it was plain that he was bringing important news.

  "Master!" panted Rabscuttle. "There are thousands of rabbits--stranger rabbits--coming. Enough to eat up the whole Down and turn us out of burrow and home. There's only one thing for it. We must run while there's still time."

  "I never run," answered Elahrairah lazily. "I must see these stranger rabbits for myself. Let them come."

  In a few moments he saw them, all right, coming up the Down in hordes. Elahrairah had never seen so many rabbits in his life. They covered all the grass. In the middle was a huge rabbit, as big as a here, who came up to Elahrairah and bared his teeth.

  "You're Elahrairah, aren't you?" said the gigantic rabbit. "You'd better get out of here while you can. This is my Down now, and my rabbits are going to live here."

  Elahrairah looked the rabbit over. "Who are you," he asked, "and what's your name?"

  "I'm King Fur-Rocious," replied the rabbit, "and I'm not only lord of rabbits but of rats and weasels and stoats as well. You must hand over all your rabbits to me."

  Elahrairah could see that if he tried to fight King Fur-Rocious he would have no hope at all, so he simply turned round and went away, to give himself a chance to think what was best to be done. But he hadn't gone very far when there was a pattering noise, and Rabscuttle came rushing after him.

  "Oh, master!" cried Rabscuttle. "That wretched King Fur-Rocious! He's taken your favorite doe, Nur-Rama, and says he means to keep her for himself."

  "What?" cried Elahrairah. "Nur-Rama? I'll take him to pieces, you see if I don't!"

  "I can't imagine how," replied Rabscuttle. "His rabbits are all over the Down, and he's even got rats and weasels that he's holding as prisoners. I'm afraid it's a bad lookout for us, Elahrairah."

  At this, Elahrairah's heart sank, for it was not at all like Rabscuttle to talk like this. He decided that the best thing he could do was to go and petition Prince Rainbow, who had told him a long time ago that he and his people were free to live on the Down and keep it for their own.

  He reached Prince Rainbow soon after ni-Frith, and told him his sorry story.

  "I cannot help you, Elahrairah, I am afraid," said Prince Rainbow, when he had heard all he had to say. "You will have to defeat this King Fur-Rocious yourself. There's no other way."

  "But how?" asked Elahrairah. "He has more rabbits than there are daisies on the Down, and in fact I believe they'll soon have eaten all the grass."

  "I'll give you a word of advice, Elahrairah," said Prince Rainbow. "A tyrant is usually hated by many different kinds of people. This Fur-Rocious no doubt has other enemies, not merely rabbits. You will need friends and allies."

  On hearing this, Elahrairah didn't feel much confidence, but he was so angry about his beautiful doe Nur-Rama that he felt ready to do his best to beat King Fur-Rocious to pieces or die in the attempt. So off he set to make his way back to the Down.

  Now, as he was marching along, he met a cat lying in the sun. The cat seemed quite harmless for a change, and Elahrairah was just passing it by when the cat said, "Where are you going, Elahrairah?"

  "I'm going to beat the daylights out of that rotten King Fur-Rocious," said Elahrairah, "and make him give me back my doe."

  "Well, I'll come with you," said the cat. "I've heard of King Fur-Rocious that he often drowns kittens."

  "Jump into my ear, then," said Elahrairah. And the cat jumped into Elahrairah's ear and went to sleep, while he still went marching along.

  A little further on, he met some ants.

  "Where are you going, Elahrairah?" asked the ants.

  "I'm going to beat the guts out of that dirty King Fur-Rocious," answered Elahrairah, "and make him give me back my doe."

  "We'll come with you," said the ants. "That King Fur-Rocious isn't fit to live. His rabbits dig up ants' nests for no reason at all."

  "Well, then, jump into my ear," said Elahrairah. "On we go!"

  So the ants jumped into Elahrairah's ear.

  After a while, he met a couple of big, black crows.

  "Where are you going, Elahrairah?" asked the crows.

  "I'm going to tackle that disgusting King Fur-Rocious," said Elahrairah, "and make him give me back my doe."

  "We'll come with you," said the crows. "We've heard nothing but ill of King Fur-Rocious. He's a bully and a tyrant."

  "Well, jump into my ear," said Elahrairah. "I can do with the likes of you."

  Then, further on, Elahrairah came to a stream.

  "Hullo, Elahrairah!" said the stream. "Where are you going? You do look fierce."

  "No fiercer than I feel," said Elahrairah. "I'm going to knock the blazes out of that stinking King Fur-Rocious and make him give me back my doe Nur-Rama."

  "I'll come with you," said the stream. "I've heard of King Fur-Rocious, and I don't like the sound of him at all. He thinks too much of himself."

  "Well, jump into my ear," said Elahrairah. "No, the other one. I'm sure I'll be glad of you."

  Soon after this, Elahrairah got back to the Down, and there was King Fur-Rocious, surrounded by his heavy rabbits and eating Elahrairah's grass for all he was worth.

  "Ah, Elahrairah!" said King Fur-Rocious, with his mouth full. "I saw you off this morning, didn't I? What brings you here again?"

  "You contemptible, stinking rabbit," said Elahrairah. "Give me back my doe Nur-Rama and get off my Down!"

  "Seize this insolent animal!" cried the King. "Seize him, and shut him up for the night with the Rabid Rats! And we shall see what's left of him in the morning!"

  So they shut Elahrairah up with the Rabid Rats.

  As soon as it was dark, Elahrairah sang:

  "Come out, pussy, from my ear.

  There are rats in plenty here.

  Chase them round until they fly.

  Chew their necks until they die."

  Out came the pussycat in a moment. The rats ran in all directions, but she was among them in a flash and chewed them up in hundreds until there wasn't one left alive. Then she went back into Elahrairah's ear, and Elahrairah went to sleep.

  When morning came, King Fur-Rocious said to his rabbits, "Go and fetch the carcass of that insolent Elahrairah and throw it out on the grass."

  But when they went in, they found Elahrairah sitting among the dead rats, singing. "Where's that loathsome King?" said Elahrairah. "Tell him to give me back my doe."

  "You shan't have her," said the King. "Take him and shut him up with the Wildcat Weasels! Then we shall see what becomes of his insolent demands."

  So Elahrairah was shut up with the Wildcat Weasels.

  In the middle of the night, Elahrairah sang:

  "Come out, crows, by one and two,

  Teach those weasels what to do.

  Peck those weasels on the head.

  Peck them till they fall down dead."

  Out came the crows from Elahrairah's ear and pecked the Wildcat Weasels all to pieces. Then they went back into his ear, and Elahrairah went to sleep.

  In the morning, the King said, "Well, those Wildcat Weasels will have finished Elahrairah good and proper by now. You had better go and chuck out his body."

  But the tough rabbits found Elahrairah dancing all over dead weasels and demanding his beautiful doe.

  "I will not tolerate this insolence!" cried King Fur-Rocious. "We'll make sure of that rabbit tonight. Take him and shut him up with the Savage Stoats!"

  They shut Elahrairah up with the Savage Stoats, and in the middle of the night, he sang:

  "Ants, ants, come out of my ear.

  All the Savage Stoats are here.

  Sting their tails and sting their heads.

  Turn them into starks and deads!"

  Out came the swarm of ants from Elahrairah's ear. They crawled all over the Savage Stoats; they burrowed into their brains and stung them so fiercely that they all fell down and died.

&nb
sp; Next morning, as before, King Fur-Rocious sent for Elahrairah's body. But Elahrairah came himself and said, "You sniveling ruin of a grimy King, give me back my doe!"

  "I can't think how this wretched Elahrairah manages all this," thought the King. "I must find out at all costs."

  "You're to tie that rabbit up beside my sleeping place tonight," he said to his followers. "Then I'll see what he's up to and put an end to his tricks for good and all."

  So that night Elahrairah was tied up beside King Fur-Rocious's sleeping place. In the middle of the night, he sang:

  "Come out, stream, come out of my ear.

  Flow all round this stinker here.

  Pour yourself upon his head.

  Drown the blighter till he's dead."

  Out came the stream, pouring out of Elahrairah's ear. It flooded the whole place. It flooded the King up to his neck. The King became terrified.

  "Take her; take your doe!" he cried. "Go away, Elahrairah! Only leave me in peace!"

  "No, you go!" commanded Elahrairah. "Release my doe. Then take your disgusting followers and leave my Down forever!"

  That morning Elahrairah was reunited with Nur-Rama, and on the Down was left neither hide nor hair of King Fur-Rocious and his followers. That was the only war that Elahrairah ever fought, and that is how he won it.

  There was a scuffle from up one of the runs, and in a moment Buckthorn came down, his fur glistening with raindrops.

  "Hazel-rah, it's cleared up beautifully!" he said. "The rain's stopped, and it's going to be a fine evening."

  A few moments later there was no one left in the Honeycomb except for Bluebell, washing his back and recovering his breath after telling his story.

  4

  The Fox in the Water

  Den Brer Fox know dat he bin swop off mighty bad.

  JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS, Uncle Remus

  "Foxes," said Dandelion, moving a little further into the evening sunshine and nibbling a sprig of burnet, "foxes are bad, I've always understood, if they take to living near you. We've never been troubled by a fox while we've been here thank Frith, and I hope it stays that way."

  "But they've got such a strong smell," said Bigwig, "and besides, you can very often catch a glimpse of them, however cunning they are, because of the color."