their origins.
So the farm rabbits (completely domesticated) were slow, skittish and unable
to deal with the immediate needs of survival. The Efrafa does had spent
their entire lives under the thumb of the Owsla, all their movements and
actions completely controlled. They were trained to be completely obedient
(which was a surprise to Hazel's group who were much less formal - and a
surprise to the Efrafans who were shocked that and underling would speak out
to a superior).
In general the does in the book had the deck stacked against them (they
weren't very interesting characters) - but there was nothing to indicate
that does were generally like that. In both cases (the farm and Efrafa)
there were does that had more spirit than others.
The Black rabbit was never really seen by the group until Hazel meets him in
the epilog (where he's much less threatening than believed). He does
feature prominently in one of the stories Dandelion tells of El-hairara and
Rabscuctle - but he's much more of a god figure than a character. In the
book the rabbits have two "gods": Frith (the sun), representing life and
creation and The Black Rabbit of Inle ("Inle" is the moon) representing
death.
The trip to the farm (made against Fiver's explicit warning) was more of a
lark. Hazel had already sent a delegation to Efrafa and, at the time, there
was no reason to think that it wouldn't succeed (remember they only knew
Efrara from Keehar's description). Hazel was feeling left out and ansty so
he decided to try and free the farm does out of pride and jealousy.
While doing this the farmers came up in a car and scattered the rabbits.
Hazel attempted to draw them off but didn't realize that the farmer had a
gun. He was shot and thought dead. Fiver later followed a vision and found
that Hazel was nearly dead, but had escaped by going to ground in a drainage
pipe.
The mission to Efrafa was simply to get the does - there were no females in
the warren. (Fiver was the first notice this and bring the general feelings
to the fore). Hazel did get two does from Nuthanger Farm but they were both
skittish and weak and may not have survived the winter or been captured by
Elil. In any case two does could not sustain the warren (especially after
the fights that would break out among the dozen or so males).
"The right thing to do" never really entered into things - well, except for
Bigwigs personally promise to bring Blackavar with them.
Later however, after the battle (and after the presumed death of General
Woundwort) the new leadership of Efrafa was much more "rabbitlike" and the
two warrens worked together to create a third warren made from members of
both.
Jeeze I do love this story. ;^) As aside there's also a sequel of sorts
that came out fairly recently. It's called "Tales from Watership Down" and
is mostly more Lapine folklore. It's much shorter - just a collection of
short stories, but very good.
Jim Davis
_____
From: dana tierney [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2004 9:13 PM
To: CF-Community
Subject: Re: urgent watership down questions
I have read it, just not cover to cover in the last six months. And I
agree,it's a wonderful book. The reason I can't find it is that I was trying
to convice my kids to read it and they buried it somewhere. I may have to
plain old assign it as homework.
The rabbit names help out with the NPC list, thank you. I also have included
the seagull and the Black Rabbit of Death. I have the does as lacking common
sense and having no knowledge of danger or predators.
Just for fun, Doe1 says things like
Oh no I just couldn't
You want me to what?
Nice does don't do this
I don't think we should be doing this
What would my mother say?
This is all too much for me
I just don't know
I was thinking of making a couple of the other does very fearful... does
this fit with what you remember? Maybe one of them could say things like
What is that strange animal I smell?
Let's go into the light
What do you mean, get under cover?
OK so,,, the trip to the farm was to liberate does, correct? I had forgotten
that Hazel was almost killed. Was it the cat? I remember there was one
there.
What was the reasoning for liberating rabbits from Efrafra? The right thing
to do or more does?
I'd love a copy of the ebook. Want to try emailing it?
Dana
>One of my all time favorite books - ever.
>
>
>
>I know you're on a deadline but READ IT. READ IT NOW. NOW! I read it at
>least twice a year and can breeze through it in a few days - you read the
>last few hundred pages in a sitting - you just have to.
>
>
>
>There were quite a few rabbits and several journeys. Lemme see. from
memory
>(so I may be wrong):
>
>
>
>When leaving the Sandleford Warren there was Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig, Silver
>(another young member of the Owsla brought by Bigwig), Dandelion (very
fast,
>teller of stories), Pipkin (very small, friend of Fiver), Blackberry (very
>intelligent, conferred often with Fiver), Speedwell, Hawkbit and Buckthorn
>(I remember them called "decent enough rank and filers"). I think that was
>it. but I could be wrong.
>
>
>
>Along the way they picked up Strawberry from the "warren of bones".
>
>
>
>Bluebell (a jokester and Holly's closest friend) and Holly (former leader
of
>the Sandleford Owsla) came later after the disaster at Sandleford.
>
>
>
>That's the main group. they got a few more from Nuthanger farm (Boxwood
and.
>somebody else) - this is where Hazel was almost killed.
>
>
>
>The final "big" trip was to Efrafa - a completely militaristic warren.
>There they liberated many rabbits (about 10 or 12) and only some had names.
>and although I can remember the name I can't honestly remember how to spell
>any of them.
>
>
>
>I do have an ebook of this if that would help you in the short term, but
>READ IT. Most of the rabbit names are contained the glossary at the end.
>
>
>
>As an aside this is one of the all-time great adventure stories: we need a
>long, epic live-action version (using computer generated rabbits) - Peter
>Jackson doing anything after "King Kong"?
>
>
>
>If you need more I can look it up in my (completely overused) copy.
>
>
>
>Jim Davis
>
>
>
> _____
>
>From: dana tierney [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>Sent: Thursday, April 22, 2004 5:53 PM
>To: CF-Community
>Subject: urgent watership down questions
>
>
>
>I know, how urgent could a question be about a book that's been out for
>years?
>
>Well -- I am on deadline with this game design project based on Watership
>Down and arg, questions have arisen that I don't know the answer to. And my
>copy of the book is not to be found.
>
>So can anyone please tell me
>
>How many rabbits were travelling together? There was Hazel, Bigwig, Fiver
..
>and? anyone? I can't remember but if there were others I need to make NPCs
>for them so any details you can remember would help me.
>
>How many does did they rescue? I thought they rescued them from a farm but
a
>synopsis of the film I found on Google seems to be saying that they were in
>a warren. Is this a difference between the book and the movie?
>
>What was the name of the General? He was at the warren right?
>
>Weren't there two other warrens after they escaped from the one they came
>from... one where men were setting traps and one that was all militaristic?
>
>Not finding this on Google, at least in the first three screens of
>"watership down" or "synopsis watership down" so please refrain from
>suggesting that.
>
>Thanks...
>
>Dana
>
> _____
_____
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