Post 9 ; Chapters 39-42

The boat passing under one of the bridges

Chapter 39: The Bridges

The boat floats down the river, and the rabbits are unknowing where they will end up next. However, they are still happy to get away from Woundwort and Efrafa. Keharr shows up and warns the group that their boat won't fit under a bridge they are approaching. They just barely manage to squeeze under the bridge, but one of the does gets injured. Soon after they approach another bridge. To avoid what happened before, Keharr suggests the rabbits jump off the boat and swim under the bridge. Hazel, Pipkin and Blackavar jump off into the river and swim to the land. They reach the land and tell the others it's okay to jump. They all eventually get off the boat and onto dry land. They find a well-hidden wooded area and sleep for the night.

Chapter 40: The Way Back

The next morning, the doe who was injured from the bridge dies. Keharr announces that there's nothing left he can do for the rabbits, so he says his farewells and flies away. Blackavar proves to be very useful, as he knows the area around their setting after being part of Efrafa for so long. He eventually leads them to a place called Caesar's Belt. Fiver feels uneasy again about their surroundings, and Blackavar agrees; he says that they are in fox territory. Bigwig starts to get a negative opinion on Blackavar because he feels that he is somewhat of a showoff. Nonetheless, the group digs holes to sleep in and rest for the next several days. On the second day, a fox snatches a doe who was feeding. Bigwig apologizes to Blackavar, realizing that he was right about the foxes nearby. The group heads on back to Honeycomb, where they are ambushed by four rabbits led by Campion, who has found them. Campion claims to have a patrol group nearby that will report them to Woundwort, but the group doesn't believe him. They call the bluff, and Campion lets them pass. They eventually reach Honeycomb again, greeted by Strawberry and Buckthorn. The patrol sees the warren and goes back to report the news.

Efrafa patrol spotting the Honeycomb warren

Chapter 41: The Story of Rowsby Wolf and the Fairy Wogdog

The group reunites in Honeycomb, with the count being 16 bucks and 10 does. Dandelion tells them a story about El-ahrairah, who played a trick on a dog, Rowsby Woof, to get more food. This story explains more how the rabbits have to use smartness and trickery to defend themselves from Woundwort in the future.

Chapter 42: News at Sunset

After Dandelion's story, the mouse that Hazel saved brings some news. He says that there are a group of rabbits who may be friends of Hazel. Holly and Blackavar check, and find out that they are from Efrafa, and meet with Campion. Hazel tells the group to fill up the holes so the other rabbits would have to dig to get them out. In the meantime, Hazel tries to talk to Woundwort to find out if they could agree to some sort of peace treaty between the two sides.

Hazel negotiating with Woundwort and his patrols for peace

Questions/Comments

I wonder why Keharr didn't warn the rabbits to jump off the boat before the first bridge. Surely he could have known if the bridge was too low for them to fit; maybe he realized his mistake after the doe got injured from the bridge.

Why did Keharr leave so suddenly? He said that he doesn't have anything else to do to help the rabbits, but I can't help but think that he could been helpful if Woundwort or his patrols attacked the group again. I have a feeling that we haven't seen the last of Keharr in this story.

It was weird to see Campion and his guards let the group pass without fighting. I would think that they would have liked to prevent the group from getting any farther away from Efrafa. Maybe Woundwort has his own secret plan of his own for the group.

I will state that Hazel is easily the bravest rabbit out of the group. Bigwig may have gone undercover in Efrafa, but going up solo to Woundwort and try to negotiate a peace treaty is pretty ballsy. If I were a member of the group I would tell Hazel to stay far away from Woundwort and be prepared to fight in the bear future.

That's all for this week; chapters 43-50 will be posted on Tuesday-Thursday. Almost done with this project; it has been hard work, but sort of fun as well!

Post 8 ; Chapters 36-38

The suspicious captain, Chervil

Chapter 36: Approaching Thunder

Outside of Efrafa warren, Bigwig tells Keharr that the others have to be ready at sunset. Keharr is also told that he has to attack the sentries if it comes to that. Bigwig then tells Hyzenthlay about the plan, and she tells her friend about the plan as well. The plan seems to be going well until Chervil sees Bigwig with Keharr, and tells Woundwort about it. Woundwort demands a talk with Bigwig about the issue.

Chapter 37: The Thunder Builds Up

Woundwort is suspicious of Bigwig because he says that one of the patrols saw him running away from the fox. Bigwig says that it was intentional of him to lead the fox to Woundwort's patrol. He also denies knowing the group of rabbits that escaped from Efrafa earlier. Also, he tells Woundwort that he was talking to the bird (Keharr) to try and impress Chervil. Woundwort believes him, and invites him on a Wide Patrol in a few days. He also tells Bigwig to watch out for Hyzenthlay because he is suspicious of her. After a few days the main group realizes that things aren't going accordingly to plan. Bigwig is also worried because he had told Hyzenthlay to be ready, and that they would be caught. He manages to tell Keharr indirectly to come back tonight. Lastly, he tells Blackavar to be ready to leave because he plans to take him.

Keharr attacks Woundwort just after the flash of lightning


Chapter 38: The Thunder Breaks

In the afternoon, Bigwig is woken up by Hyzenthlay because she says that one of the does was arrested for spilling the plan. He tells her to gather up the others quickly while he gets Blackavar. When he reaches Blackavar, he attacks fights one of the guards to get him free. He and the others start running off, and the rest of the patrols in Efrafa hear and spot them escaping. Woundwort gets wind of the escape, and eventually catches up to them. Outside, it is raining heavily, and Bigwig is wondering where Keharr is. Woundwort spots them and starts to attack. Just as that happens, a flash of lightning happens, freezing everyone, and gives time for Keharr to come in and attack. Some of the group appears, and helps them get down to the boat at the river. At the riverbank, the boat is waiting for them to leave, but some of the does won't go on until Bigwig tells them to. They all eventually get on board, and Hazel chews the rope, letting the boat free as they drift away from the danger of Woundwort and Efrafa.

Woundwort just barely misses the group escaping on the river

Questions/Comments

I wonder how Bigwig so easily tricked Chervil and Woundwort? If I were in their situation, I would think something is going on if I saw Bigwig talking to a huge bird. I would think something is obviously going on that Woundwort should have been more aware of. A rare mistake by him in my opinion.

Woundwort should have been even more aware after one of the does leaked the plan. That definitely should have set off a bad feeling about Bigwig, but instead interrogated the doe rather than question Bigwig. Maybe Woundwort isn't aware and smart as I thought he was before.

I now realize what the boat was for- a quick escape if the group was in danger. I feel silly how I wondered before how the rabbits would use the boat; it was obvious they were counting on the river's strong current to  drift them far away.

Lastly, I can't help but think that Bigwig and the others' escape was too easy. I think that they will run into Woundwort and his forces again in the future. Woundwort has a better understanding on how the group thinks and plans their actions out, and he will surely be looking for revenge after getting tricked.

Post 7 ; Chapters 31-35

The Black Rabbit of Inlé, as portrayed in the story

Chapter 31: The Story of El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit of Inlé 

Dandelion tells the story about El-ahrairah. From this story, the rabbits can determine that the story reassures them that nothing can hurt them if 'their time has not come'. In the story, El-ahrairah sacrificed his whiskers, tail, and ears in an attempt to trick the Black Rabbit, which are coincidentally the parts used by rabbits to survive. The Black Rabbit is described as being the grim reaper of rabbits; his job is to take rabbits away and make sure they die at their predetermined time. Just as Dandelion finishes up his story, Pipkin alerts the group that a fox is approaching them.

Chapter 32: Across the Iron Road

Hazel gets the group a good distance away from the fox. Surprisingly, Bigwig runs out and tries to distract the fox, and acts like he is wounded so the group can get away. Hazel gets mad because he knows they were far away and that they could have easily gotten away without anyone risking their lives. Bigwig leads the fox into a brush, where he ran into several rabbits he didn't know. They try to stop him but he knocks one of them down and gets away. The group hears a screech from a distance, presumably the fox getting the rabbit that Bigwig knocked down. Later Bigwig tells Hazel that he was practicing to fool the fox so that he wasn't worried about Efrafa. The next morning, the group crosses a railroad. Keharr tells the group that Woundwort's patrol squad will find them if they can't find a place to hide. He suggests for the group to hide in the woods because he knows that the squad patrols around the railroad. When they reach inside the woods, Keharr tells them that they are now safe. Feeling safe, the group decides to sleep. Keharr agrees to help keep watch.

The fox in the animated series version of 'Watership Down'

Chapter 33: The Great River

After the rest, the group finds a large river with a bridge. They are reluctant to cross the bridge but Fiver and his instincts reassure them that it is safe. Being reassured, the group takes a rest. Later, Blackberry and Hazel try to figure out the rest of their plan. They meet with Keharr and a few others at a boat that they found. Keharr explains what it does, and they realize that it could become a vital part of their plan. Bigwig heads back off to Efrafa to carry out the plan.

Chapter 34: General Woundwort

Back at Efrafa, part of Woundwort's past is described. He witnessed his father die from a gun, and was raised by a human, but never was able to be tamed. He escaped from his hutch and met up with a new warren of rabbits. Eventually he became the chief rabbit of that warren, and took some of his followers to Efrafa, where he developed more skills at controlling large amounts of rabbits. He eventually had to make his patrol squad because there were too many rabbits to watch for. In the mean time, he is worried about Efrafa's reputation after the group managed to escape from him. He also found out that the fox killed one of his officers. Meanwhile, Bigwig asks Captain Campion to ask Woundwort to join Efrafa as an officer.  Woundwort agrees to make him an officer, but leaves a painful mark in Bigwig's leg, indicating he is now part of Efrafa.

Captain Campion of the Efrafa warren

Chapter 35: Groping

In Efrafa, Bigwig learns how their system operates and realizes that the plan will be much harder to pull off than expected. He meets Blackavar, who was caught trying to escape once before, and is used as an example to the other rabbits what would happen to them if they tried to escape. Bigwig meets Hyzenthlay, who is aware of his plans to take does with him. She tells him that they must leave sometime in the next two days because of the shortage of officers. They agree to try and leave tomorrow night.

Questions/Comments

Trying to add more to the questions/comments section. I feel that there's not enough here to balance out the actual summary of the book. Please let me know if I should add more or if this is fine!

I'm starting to think that the story of the Black Rabbit of Inlé is foreshadowing future events in the story. It is apparently the Grim Reaper of rabbits; maybe a main character (or even more characters) will end up dying in this story? The events leading up to this critical part of the story seem to indicate to me that the group will have to fight Woundwort and his forces. They are in dangerous territory right now with Bigwig going undercover in Efrafa.

I wonder what plans the group has for the boat? I wouldn't think that rabbits would be smart to capably start up and control a boat; I don't even think I could do that! Nonetheless, it seems that this boat will come into play later on in this story. I'm curious to find out what it's for.

It was interesting to learn about Woundwort's heavy past. It seems like he had to go through a lot in his life that probably traumatized him like seeing his father get shot. His anger and grief built up inside of him, and caused hum to become controlling and violent. Seeing Woundwort's character development like this was very interesting because it shed a little light on why he is so bad.

I wonder how Bigwig will get Hyzenthlay and the other does out of the warren? Apparently they will leave during the night when there will be fewer patrols out. But I can't see Woundwort letting them escape so easily; I think that he will stop their plan easily because of his experience and awareness with handling other rabbits.

Hyzenthlay

Post 6 ; Chapters 26-30

The powerful, violent authoritarian tyrant, General Woundwort

Chapter 26: Fiver Beyond

Fiver has a dream that Hazel is still alive even after getting shot. He asks Blackberry to take him to the spot where Hazel was shot, even though Blackberry is sure that he is dead. They follow a trail of blood where Hazel was shot and follow it. They eventually reach the drain and see that Hazel is still barely alive.

Chapter 27: "You Can't Imagine it Unless You've Been There"

Even though Honeycomb now has one new buck and two does, Holly says their trip was unsuccessful because Hazel is dead (or so they think). He tells them a story of where he went while the others went to the barn. He was warned not to go to Efrafa, but went anyway. There, he realized that in exchange, the rabbits who lived there are controlled by officials and the tyrant leader, General Woundwort. The rabbits there are bitten to leave a mark to indicate they are part of Efrafa. Holly noticed the warren was overcrowded, so he asked Woundwort if some of them could go to Honeycomb. Woundwort refused, and said they were actually prisoners, not guests. Holly realizes he may become a prisoner, so he makes a plan with a few others to escape. While the guards were eating, they ran, and eventually outrun the guards, and credits Lord Frith for saving them.

Chapter 28: At the Foot of the Hill

Blackberry returns to the group to say that Hazel is still alive. Keharr comes down and uses his long beak to peck out the bullets in Hazel's leg. Hazel recovers after a few days and admits his plan to the barn was a mistake but is reconciled by Holly. They realize that they have to go to Efrafa to get more does, but Holly says they will have to use trickery to do so. Hazel wants to make a plan to go to Efrafa, but Holly keeps insisting it is futile. Meanwhile, Fiver feels that while Efrafa is very dangerous, he feels like their goal can be done.

Chapter 29: Return and Departure

The next morning, Hazel comes up with a plan to go to get more does from Efrafa, but Holly keeps insisting it is suicide. Several others volunteer including Keharr, while Blackberry thinks their plan is better than they thought originally. Holly thinks that pulling the plot off is more difficult than tricking Woundwort's guards. The group sorts out who is going and who is not, and set off to Efrafa.

Chapter 30: A New Journey

The group heads out the Efrafa, and the group listens to Hazel and Fiver without hesitation, showing off how good their leadership has become. When they are near Efrafa, Hazel reveals that they will not go directly at Efrafa, but rather surround Efrafa in a circular fashion and come at it then. Keharr will provide valuable scouting of the area from the air, and there's a bridge nearby that can provide cover. The group decides to find a hiding spot for now. Bigwig insists of Dandelion telling more stories about El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit of Inlé, a new folk story.

The Black Rabbit of Inlé

Questions/Comments

I wonder how Hazel was able to survive the gun shot for several hours, at the least? I would imagine that a bullet hitting an animal such as a rabbit would kill it easily. To me it seems like fate that Hazel survived from the wound and will have a major role in the next bunch of chapters.

At first impression, Woundwort is definitely a bad character. He rules his warren with an iron fist and is clearly controlling of all the rabbits in Efrafa. I don't want to spoil anything because I've seen the movie before, but he will have a major defining role from here on out, and in a bad way.

I noticed that Fiver doesn't have a bad feeling about Efrafa, even though it is clearly dangerous. I think it's because Fiver feels that Efrafa is their final destination; several chapters ago, he had a vision of their home being on a bunch of hills, which perfectly describes how Efrafa looks. 

I wonder how the group will be able to pull off their plan? Efrafa is well protected with Woundwort's guards, and they are all ferocious and merciless. The plan must be flawless to pull this off; I suspect that there will be several casualties in the next coming chapters.



That's all for this week; will have chapters 31-45 next week, update 3x/week as usual.

Post 5 ; Chapters 21-25

Rabbits trying to escape from the gas in Sandleford warren

Chapter 21: From El-ahrairah to Cry

Captain Holly explains what happened to the Sandleford warren. The day Hazel's group left, men came to the warren, and started plugging the holes with sticks that released gas, which killed many rabbits. Bluebell then describes in great detail how horrible it was inside the warren, with many rabbits trying to escape, but would just run into each other. The few that got out of the warren were shot nearly after they came out. Captain Holly was outside, watching from a distance because he had errands to run. He escaped, along with a few others who were injured. They eventually reached Cowslip's warren, where one of them was killed by Cowslip's group, leaving only Holly and Bluebell. Holly attacked Cowslip, but was told where Hazel's group went. That is when the group found Holly badly injured.

Chapter 22: The Story of the Blessing of El-ahrairah

Holly and Bluebell rest for awhile and their wounds heal quickly. Hazel explains that he saved the mouse because it couldn't hurt to become friends who were enemies with their enemies. Some of the other rabbits still think it's a dumb idea. Hawkbit says that he was talking with another mouse, and told him where a good place to eat was. After eating, the group listens to another story about El-ahrairah from Bluebell. The story foreshadows that the group led by Hazel may have unnatural abilities, and may talk to other animals into doing unnatural things as well.

Hazel finds Keharr injured

Chapter 23: Keharr

Bigwig comes across an injured gull in a hollow. It can barely speak, and Bigwig doesn't understand what he is saying. He gets Hazel, and they eventually figure out that the gull is starving. They get some bugs and worms to feed to the gull, who happily eats all of it. The next day, the gull is somewhat recovered, so Bigwig and Hazel try to convince it to try to help their group, but the gull refuses. After a few days, the gull, whose name is Keharr, is fully recovered and Bigwig has become friends with him. Hazel says that he wanted a bird as a companion because Keharr could fly and find female rabbits for the group so the group can become bigger. Keharr comes back after several days, and says he found a few in a farm at the bottom of the hill. It will take a few days for the group to reach there, so only a few will go on the trip.

Chapter 24: Nuthanger Farm

The group reaches the farm, where they meet a rabbit named Boxwood, who tells them there are some does in the farm. Hazel tells Fiver to keep lookout for a cat that is nearby. Inside the farm, there are two bucks and two does in cages. Hazel tells them about his plan, and they are interested in joining. As that happened, Fiver notices the cat coming, so Hazel tells the rabbits he will let them out later. Hazel and Fiver run under a bank to spend the night there.

Chapter 25: The Raid

The next day, Hazel doesn't want to tell what he did in the farm, but Fiver pressures him to say so. Fiver gets  angry because he thinks Hazel wants to become a showoff. They get several members to come along with them back to the farm. Before they reach there, Fiver warns of danger so Hazel promises to be careful. When the group reaches the farm, Bigwig attacks the cat and scares it off, but suffers some scratches. Blackberry chews through the leather hatches on the cages, but they are not reluctant to go with the group. Two of the rabbits, Boxwood and Clover, eventually go, leaving the other two behind, having to leave quickly because they hear dogs barking. Just as Blackberry starts working on the other hatch, a truck pulls over and a few men come out with guns. While the rabbits run away, Hazel distracts them so they can get away. As Hazel is running away, he is shot in the leg, and crawls into a drain hole, unconscious. The group notices, and some of them go back to tell the others. Fiver realizes that this is the event that was making him feel uneasy earlier. The group notices that they have no does with them, which was their goal in the first place.

Questions/Comments

I've watched the movie of this book several times, and I've always wondered why didn't Captain Holly try to save some of the rabbits from Sandleford? His efforts would probably have been futile, but he is part of the Owsla, and I would think that out of anyone, he would be brave enough to risk his life for the others.

 I wondered why the group put a lot of trust in Keharr. While Bigwig became friends with him, the group has only knew him for a few days, and Keharr has an unusual personality, as well. He said he would look for more does, but could have easily just flown away and never return.

Lastly, I always thought it was weird that the rabbits in the farm agreed so quickly to join Hazel's group. They barely even knew him, but were convinced very easily to go along. The life in the farm must have been very bad for them if that is the case.

That's all for tonight ; updating chapters 26-30 tomorrow.

Post 4 ; Chapters 16-20

Bigwig nearly choking to death from the trap

Chapter 16: Silverweed

Hazel and the group think Dandelion's story about El-ahrairah would be received well with Cowslip and his group, but he is not amused, and that he thinks El-ahrairah doesn't mean much. Silverweed, who is part of Cowslip's group, starts telling a story about life that makes Fiver very uneasy. Fiver thinks Silverweed's voice smells like "barley rained down and left to rot in the fields." At the end of the poem Fiver becomes hysterical and runs out of the warren. Bigwig and Hazel follow him, and surprise him when they think that he hurt the group's chances of gaining trust with Cowslip.

Chapter 17: The Shining Wire

The next morning, Fiver tells Hazel that he is leaving. Later, Bigwig gets stuck in a copper wire designed to catch animals, and is found by Fiver and Hazel. Fiver gets help, while Hazel tells Bigwig to try and get the peg in the ground out that the wire is attached to. Bigwig is seemingly choked to death before Fiver comes with help. They get the peg out but they thing Bigwig is dead. He suddenly coughs blood and gets up, and says he will kill Cowslip. Fiver says that he has finally pieced everything about the warren together: it was once very large, but most of the rabbits were killed by hunters and other predators. The traps are there to trap more rabbits, which the rabbits in the warren apparently knew about. The rabbits pretend that everything is okay, but  Fiver convinces his group that they must leave, saying that Cowslip's warren is a death bed waiting to happen. They bring along Strawberry, who begs them to take him with them.

Chapter 18: Watership Down

The group walks for miles before reaching a place called Watership Down (hence the name of the book). After seeing what happened at Cowslip's warren, the group now completely trusts Fiver's instincts on where to go. They go to a barn at night but are attacked by rats. They then decide to find old rabbit holes to sleep in for the night.

Chapter 19: Fear in the Dark

The next day, the group decides to make better rabbit holes for more safety. As the group works on the project, they hear a terrible scream. They hide because the screams sound like a predator, but it then calls for Bigwig. Coming from a hedgeline, Hazel sees that the screams are coming from Captain Holly, one of the Owsla from the Sandleford warren. They see that he is in terrible shape and looks like he will collapse at any time. He was with Bluebell, one of his friends from the warren as well.

The group finds Captain Holly wounded

Chapter 20: A Honeycomb and a Mouse

The group knows they are in danger because Holly's blood will attract predators. They take him and Bluebell to their new warren to recover. The next day, the group starts working on the warren to make it look like Cowslip's because of its size, which will be named Honeycomb. Hazel brings in a small mouse that he saved from a hawk. The other rabbits don't like the idea of other animals in their warren, but the mouse promises to repay Hazel for saving his life. Later, Captain Holly comes into Honeycomb, and says that he will tell a story that will strike fear into everyone's heart.

Questions/Comments

I thought it was too long before the group realizes that Cowslip and his warren was a bad place. If the group had waited any longer, a member of the group would certainly have been killed. I think that Cowslip always intended to kill one of the rabbits but they left before he could come through with his plan.

The group should definitely name Fiver the leader of the group in my opinion. Hazel does a better job at directing the group on what to do and where to go, but Fiver's instincts and ability to know what the future holds for them is more important in the group's goal to survive. In the wild, animals rely on their instincts to survive, and if the group listens to Fiver, they will succeed with their journey.

It turns out that Fiver was right all along about Sandleford; Captain Holly and Bluebell may be the only survivors from whatever happened there.

I wonder what role the mouse Hazel saved will have? I have the feeling from reading that this mouse will have a major role in one of the most important events in this story. I learned from watching a lot of movies that these type of characters will be part of something, and that I wished that I watched them more closely earlier on.

That's all for now; will post chapters 21-25, tomorrow 4.21.

Post 3 ; Chapters 11-15

Cowslip, as depicted in the movie

Chapter 11: Hard Going

The group reaches a large hollow where they can rest for a while, but is a terrain that is hard to get through. Hawkbit, Speedwell and Acorn are still upset at how Bigwig has treated them for doubting their plans. They wanted to know who the Chief Rabbit actually is. Hazel doesn't truly know who he really is, and says that he wanted them to follow the group because  of their free will, not because they were forced to. He promises he will find a better place to live soon. Hazel leads the group through the tough terrain in the night, where finally in the morning, they come across a field that is perfect for them. Blackberry has much praise for Hazel, calling him a 'Chief Rabbit' for his leadership.

Chapter 12: The Stranger in the Field

The group relaxes lazily in the fields, but Hazel tries to dig some holes in the ground to protect them from possible rain. Blackberry comes across a man-made track in the ground, and is confused because there are no traces of people anywhere nearby. Near the end of the day, Hazel and Blackberry see an unusually big, old rabbit looking at them. They find out that his name is Cowslip, and he invites the group to stay in at his warren. While Cowslip goes back to his warren, the group reconciles and discuss what they should do. They decide to go to investigate Cowslip, but Fiver's intuition tells him to stay away; however, no one listens to him.

Chapter 13: Hospitality

Cowslip's warren strangely stands out a lot in the open field. The group meets up with more rabbits in the warren, including Strawberry and his doe Nildro-hain. Strawberry tells Hazel they never need to deal with enemies because the people living nearby shoots them. The warren is filled with many strange constructions. Hazel tries to investigate deeper but Strawberry changes the subject and distracts him by saying that a rabbit living here is missing.

Chapter 14: Like Trees in November

Hazel tells Cowslip that his group wants to eat outside. When he insists on this request, Cowslip laughs at him. This laughter is unknown to the rabbits, and Hazel and Bigwig leave, both confused on what that was. Pipkin says that while Cowslip is weird, he has been nice to them, so they go back to the warren and go to sleep. In the morning, the rain has stopped, and Strawberry announces that they have to get the new food outside before other animals do. The food turns out to be carrots and other vegetables, and the group doesn't hesitate to eat it.  Despite this free food, Hazel notices that Fiver is very unhappy. Fiver thinks that the warren is "unnatural" and won't be part of anything they do with the warren and Cowslip. Hazel and Bigwig both force Fiver to come in the warren with them. That night, Cowslip asks the group to tell him stories about their travels. Hazel tells about their old home Sandleford, while Dandelion retells the story about El-ahrairah. The group also notices that Cowslip still hasn't answered any of their questions.

Chapter 15: The Story of the King's Lettuce

Dandelion tells his story about El-ahrairah. When El-ahrairah's people were desperate for food, he convinced Prince Rainbow, to let his people free if he could King Darzin's lettuce, who was a ruler of a large kingdom and has many lettuce patches. With his friend Rabscuttle, El-ahrairah pulls of the heist. And from that day on, rabbits could not be kept out of vegetable gardens because they had tricks for getting the lettuce.

Questions/Comments

I thought that Hazel is clearly the leader of the group at this point. He shows great leadership and keeps the group from panicking. He also gains the three rabbits' trust, who before doubted his plans but now see that he is correct. 

Cowslip is clearly a weird character. He certainly comes off as someone who you are not sure if they are good or bad. While he lets the group stay in his warren, he leaves many questions unanswered. He doesn't want the group to investigate his warren, and Fiver has a very bad feeling about him and his warren.

I wonder why the group is so easily trustworthy of Cowslip? They don't even know him and they would rather stay with him, rather than trust Fiver's instincts that there's something wrong here. If I were a member in the group, I'd try to get away from Cowslip as soon as possible.

That's all for this week; will update 3x this upcoming week 4.16 to 4.21 chapters 16-33...

Post 2 ; Chapters 6-10

An art depiction of El-ahrairah

Chapter 6: The Story of the Blessing of El-ahrairah

Dandelion goes into deeper detail with the story about El-ahrairah, who is described as being part of some sort of creation myth. Basically, El-ahrairah is some sort of guardian to animals when they need guidance when they experience troubles in their lives, and encourages them to continue on through those struggles because that is how they continue to grow. El-ahrairah also helps to explain the mores of rabbit culture by teaching them tricks and outsmarting their enemies.

Chapter 7: The Lendri and the River

After Dandelion is finished telling her story, the rabbits smell a badger nearby, which are dangerous to rabbits. The group, led by Bigwig, gets away from the scent of the badger and come across a river. The river's currents are very strong, but some of the rabbits are too tired to make the swim. Hazel thanks Bigwig for getting the group away from the badger, and feels safer because of him.

Chapter 8: The Crossing

The group waits at the river for a long time, unsure whether to cross it or go further upstream. The rabbits are split on each scenario. Hazel asks Bigwig to swim across and see how far the woods goes on for. Bigwig does so, and says that the distance is very short. However, Fiver and Pipkin are still too tired to swim across, so they find a wooden plank big enough for them to ride on. Bigwig manages to push the plank across the river, and the other rabbits are unsure of how he did it. They make note of it so they can use it again at a later time.

Chapter 9: The Crow and the Beanfield

Sleeping in a hedgerow, the group still feels uneasy about the surroundings. Hazel explores the unfamiliar plants, and realizes they will be good cover to hide from predators. Bigwig and Silver are apparently familiar with their surroundings so they continue on further. However they are attacked by a crow, and Hazel comes over to help. They work together and fight off the crow, who flies off. Bigwig says that crows are actually cowards and go for only helpless animals. The group then goes on forward to a nearby bean field to rest.

Chapter 10: The Road and the Common

After rest, the group comes across something they haven' seen before, which is actually a highway. Bigwig says neither the road nor hrududil (cars) are dangerous but Hazel doesn't really believe that. After crossing the road, the group ends up in a place called Newton Common, an area barren of protection and shelter for rabbits. When the group sees this, some members including Hawkbit, Speedwell, and Acorn become skeptical and want to go back, partly because of the Bigwig is treating them, and that Hazel doesn't know where he's taking them. Bigwig shows up and scolds the three of them. While Bigwig is busy, Fiver brings Hazel to the top of a hill. Fiver is in another trance, and says that a group of hills is their final destination. In the far distance, they can see a line of hills, possibly the destination.

Questions/Comments

I thought the creation story involving El-ahrairah was very interesting. It ties in with what is happening with the group's struggles going forward, such as crossing the river and getting away from Captain Holly. The group needed to use their cleverness and outsmart their enemies to get where they are now.

I wondered why it was Hawkbit, Speedwell and Acorn who wanted to turn back? They aren't really main characters in this story so far, so maybe the author thought the more important characters are the only ones who believe Fiver's predictions about the warren.

Lastly, I thought that the character development was important and noticeable during these chapters. For example, Bigwig showed that he was sort of an indispensable character, as he fought off the crow and got the weaker rabbits across the river. On the other hand, there were weaker characters such as Fiver who couldn't cross the river and needs constant protection from the stronger rabbits.

That's all for now; I'll write about chapters 11-15 tomorrow.

Post 1 ; Chapters 1-5

Cover of the book Watership Down, by Richard Adams

This is my first blog using blogger.com, so I am still getting used to using this site. This book has 50 chapters and 478 pages.

Chapter 1: The Notice Board

This novel's plot is about a group of rabbits displaced from their original home looking for a new place to live. The main character/protagonist is Fiver, a 'runty' rabbit who has the ability to sense when danger will happen in the future. The rabbits are put in ranks, and the highest class are known as the 'Owsla'. 

Fiver is collecting cowslip for the Owsla in the outside fields with his brother Hazel. He feels that there is some sort of danger that will impact everyone. The two rabbits come across a sign that they can't read. The sign actually says that the rabbit warren that they live in will be destroyed by the housing development for more houses. At this point, Fiver panics, as he sees the whole field as being covered in blood. Hazel calms him down and says it is only the reflection of the sun.

Chapter 2: The Chief Rabbit

Fiver has recurring nightmares of their home, Sandleford, being in grave danger, and tells Hazel about it. Fiver wants to tell the Chief Rabbit, Threarah, of his visions because he thinks that the colony is in danger. They first talk with Bigwig, one of Threarah's bodyguards, and convince him to speak with him.  Apparently, Fiver has been correct with his prophecies in the past, and Hazel mentions them to the Threarah. In the end, Threarah is not amused, and tells them to leave his burrow.

This is the first instance of foreshadowing; Fiver senses danger from the sign he was unable to read. And he was correct to be worried; the sign was a symbol of things to come for Sandleford. Also, there is some backtracking here to an untold event, as Fiver is revealed to have been right about his prophecies in the past.

Chapter 3: Hazel's Decision

After this event, Fiver and Hazel decide they will leave the warren and will bring anyone else who wants to come. Two other rabbits, Blackberry and Dandelion, decide to go with them. Bigwig tells them that he will try to find more bucks because the Owlsa are becoming discontented. Hazel warns of Captain Holly of the Owlsa police. The group decides to leave at around moon-rise and try to get more rabbits to come with them.

Chapter 4: The Departure

The group convinces more rabbits to join: Pipkin, Hawkbit, Buckthorn, Acorn, and Speedwell. Bigwig brings along Silver, who recently became part of the Owlsa. When the group starts to head out, they are confronted by Captain Holly and his two guards. They announce that Bigwig and Silver are both under arrest because Holly thinks they are planning to overthrow Threarah. They fight for a little while, before Hazel tells Holly to back off, or he will die. Holly and the guards run off, but the group knows that they will be back. The group knows that they will be harshly punished if they are caught again, so they set out and leave.

Chapter 5: In the Woods

The group heads out into the forest throughout the night. As the night goes on, the weaker rabbits are unable to keep up, so Hazel decides the group should take a break. While resting, Dandelion tells them a story of El-ahrairah, a rabbit folk hero that was known for performing many exploits by using a lot of trickery, skill and intelligence. The character of El-ahrairah becomes more important as the story progresses.

Questions/Comments

I wonder what political system is run in Sandleford; to me it seems that the high-ranked members have total control over what everyone else does; maybe socialism? Not sure though.

I noticed that the characteristics of the main characters progresses through the first several chapters. Hazel shows good leadership skills leading the group and standing up to Captain Holly. Fiver is described as sort of a weakling and it shows in the beginning. Threarah is calm and understanding on the surface, but isn't afraid to get aggressive and doesn't show mercy when he orders the arrests of Silver and Bigwig.

That's all for chapters 1-5; I'll try and get 6-10 up tomorrow for post #2!