Watership DownBy Richard Adams

Name___________________________________________________

PART I – The JourneyChapter 1 – The Notice Board

1. Define the following Lapine terms:outskirters :

owsla:

elil:

2. Fiver and Hazel are brothers, but they are very different. Describe each rabbit and the ways they are different.

3. Where did Fiver get his name?

4. Where is Fiver when he first alerts Hazel to the impending danger? Who or what do you think is the source of this danger? What was the omen the rabbits found?

Chapter 2 – The Chief Rabbit

1. Define the following Lapine term from this chapter:ni-Frith:

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2. Describe Thlayli. In what sense is Thlayli’s name a pun.

2. What special qualities does The Threarah possess which helps him to win the position as Chief Rabbit?

3. What is Fiver’s gift?

4. Why won’t the Chief listen to Fiver? How come Hazel believes him?

Chapter 3 – Hazel’s Decision

1. For what reasons does Bigwig leave the Owsla to join Hazel and the others when they leave the warren?

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2. Define the following Lapine vocabulary words from this chapter:Frithrah:

fu Inle:

3. What do you learn about Bigwig’s personality from: a. the fact he was going to leave the warren over his encounter with the chief?

b. his comment “Then you’ll be leaving the warren?” to Fiver and Hazel?

c. Hazel’s private thoughts about Bigwig?

4. What plan of action do Hazel, Fiver, Bigwig, and Dandelion decide on?

Chapter 4 – The Departure

1. Critics believe that one of the themes of this book is that man, like other animals, has natural instincts that should be recognized and developed. Find a passage in this chapter that illustrates this idea.

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2. Describe Pipkin and Hawkbit. Why does Dandelion persuade only one additional rabbit to join Hazel and the others?

3. Why is Hazel happy to see that Buckthorn is joining the group? What does Hazel know about Speedwell and Acorn?

4. Describe Silver. Why does he decide to join the group?

5. Who is Holly? How does Holly respond when Bigwig and Silver refuse to be arrested for dissension?

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6. The following characters are leaving the warren: Pipkin, Hawkbit, Dandelion, Silver, Hazel, Fiver, Blackberry, Holly, and Bigwig. Does the author reveal anything about any of these characters?

Chapter 5 – In the Woods

1. Throughout this story, the reader learns about the natural behaviors, thoughts, and feelings of rabbits. For example, in this chapter, the reader learns that rabbits avoid “close woodland, where the ground is shady, damp and grassless” because rabbits “feel menaced by the undergrowth.”(Pg. 37) Find another example of natural rabbit behavior in this chapter.

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2. Why did Lockley say that young rabbits must move out and find a suitable environment to survive?

3. What is the difficulty rabbits face with braving the unknown for too long?

4. Which rabbit is showing himself to be the leader? Give an example.

5. Who is El-ahrairah and why does Dandelion compare Hazel to him?

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6. Why is it dangerous for rabbits to become so tired that they become “tharn”?

7. List two special abilities Dandelion possesses.

Chapter 6 – The story of the Blessing of El-ahrairah

1. A myth is a story through which a culture, in this case the rabbit culture, accounts for the origins of behaviors and natural phenomena in supernatural terms. A myth is different from a legend because there is less or no historical basis for a myth. A mythology is the group of myths shared, usually through oral storytelling, by members of a

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specific group. What aspect of rabbit behavior, appearance, or culture does the myth of the Blessing of El-ahrairah explain?

2. What is the meaning of the phrase, “Prince with a thousand Enemies?”

Chapter 7 – The Lendri and the River

1. For what reasons is Hazel worried that Bigwig will be troublesome?

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2. One of the themes in this book is that good leadership needs many different qualities. What leadership skills does Hazel learn from The Threarah and then use himself to calm and control Bigwig?

3. How do rabbits feel about swimming?

4. What is a “lendri”?

5. Define a plover.

Chapter 8 – The Crossing

1. Why is Hazel reluctant to cross the river even after Bigwig alerts him to the loose dog in the woods?

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2. In the first few chapters, the author is developing the characters. The incidents so far help the reader to understand specific character traits for each character, which will add believability(verisimilitude) and understanding to the events that follow. For example, the reader learns in this chapter that Pipkin is the most “panic-stricken and helpless” rabbit in the group.(Pg. 50) What character traits are revealed about Bigwig, Hazel, and Blackberry in this chapter?

Chapter 9 – The Crow and the Beanfield

1. What is a hrududu? Why does Hazel want to move the group into the bean field before a hrududu arrives?

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2. Describe the strategy Bigwig and the others use to fight the crow who is attacking Fiver.

Chapter 10 – The Road and the Common

1. One of the themes in this story is that man needs to remain close to nature so as not to lose instincts and other natural abilities. For example, in Chapter 4, Adams describes the telepathic feeling running though the rabbits that lets them know when to begin a journey. Find

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the passage in this chapter that describes the way the rabbits live and also supports the above theme.

2. Why does Hazel tell Fiver, “…I’d rather succeed in doing what we can than fail to do what we can’t”? (Pg. 66)

3. In this novel, Fiver frequently foreshadows future events. What prediction does he make in this chapter?

Chapter 11 – Hard Going

1. An allegory is defined as a story that represents abstract ideas or moral qualities and has both a literal level and a symbolic level of meaning. Many critics believe this novel is an allegory discussing concepts such as morality, justice, honor, and family. In this chapter,

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the smaller rabbits want to know who is the Chief Rabbit. The author is identifying characteristics he believes are important in a leader. Compare Hazel and Bigwig and determine which rabbit, in your opinion, would make the best Chief Rabbit. Cite incidents from the story to support your selection.

2. For what reason does Blackberry declare that Hazel is the Chief Rabbit?

Chapter 12 – The Stranger in the Field

1. How do Bigwig and Hazel feel about the men who are living in the nearby farm?

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2. In what ways is Cowslip different from the rabbits in Hazel’s group? How does Hazel feel about these differences?

3. Define the following Lapine term from this chapter:hrair:

4. For what reasons are Hazel and the others tempted to accept Cowslip’s invitation to become part of this new warren?

5. Fiver is the only rabbit who does not want to accept Cowslip’s offer. For what reasons does Hazel decide to ignore Fiver’s opinion?

Chapter 13 – Hospitality

1. List three ways the construction and location of Cowslip’s warren surprises Hazel and the others.

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2. Who is the Chief Rabbit of Cowslip’s burrow?

3. What evidence is there in Cowslip’s warren that the rabbits living there have a more developed artistic and cultural life than rabbits from other warrens? How do you account for this difference?

4. Strawberry pleasantly guides Hazel around the warren. In what way does Strawberry’s behavior puzzle Hazel? Why do you think Strawberry behaves in this way?

5. What type of question did Hazel ask the new rabbits which was never answered? Why do you think this was so?

Chapter 14 – “Like Trees in November”

1. Define the following Lapine terms:silflay:

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flayrah:

2. Hazel and Blackberry are surprised when Cowslip begins to laugh because they want to go outside to eat instead of eating the food available in the burrow. Why do you suppose Cowslip reacts in this way?

3. The title of this chapter is “Like Trees in November.” Pipkin uses this phrase when he is talking about how sad Cowslip and the other new rabbits seem, even though they are so big and strong. What do you think is the significance of this phrase? What literary term is used in the title?

4. What new behavior or skill does Cowslip teach Hazel concerning lettuce?

5. Adams often uses interesting metaphors to help describe how one of the characters is feeling. Find an example of a metaphor in this chapter describing how Fiver feels and explain the metaphor.

6. Adams adds believability to his story about a group of rabbits by giving the rabbits a culture complete with rabbit proverbs and rabbit mythology. Find an example of a proverb in this chapter.

Chapter 15 – The Story of the King’s Lettuce

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1. What are the details of the bargain El-ahrairah makes with Prince Rainbow?

2. How do Rabscuttle and then El-ahrairah gain admittance to King Darzin’s gated city?

Chapter 16 – Silverweed

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1. Cowslip and the others seem to be unimpressed by Dandelion’s story, but Buckthorn cannot understand why the new rabbits react in this way. He believes that rabbits will always need the kind of tricks described in the story. Why do you think Cowslip and the others react in this way to Dandelion’s story? What do Cowslip think rabbits need more than tricks?

2. Fiver says Silverweed “smells like barley rained down and left to rot in the fields. He smells like a wounded mole that can’t get underground.”(Pg. 115) What does this description reveal about Silverweed’s character?

3. Why do you suppose Fiver becomes agitated after listening to Silverweed’s poem?

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Chapter 17 – The Shining Wire

1. The quotations at the beginning of the chapters foreshadow the events that are in the chapters. What event does the quotation by W.H. Auden at the beginning of this chapter foreshadow?

2. What is the meaning of the following rabbit proverb:“My heart had joined the Thousand, for my friend stopped running today”(Pg. 126)?

3. How do Cowslip and the others react when Fiver tells them that Bigwig is caught in a snare?

4. Why do Cowslip and the others pretend that they do not know the farmer is feeding them so he can harvest their meat and skins?

5. In what way does Cowslip deceive Hazel and the others?

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6. What is the white blindness? Why does Buckthorn believe Strawberry might be infected with it?PART II – On Watership DownChapter 18 – Watership Down

1. Find a passage in this chapter that illustrates the peaceful beauty Adams sees at Watership Down.

2. In what way does Bigwig’s near-death in the snare help to strengthen the group?

3. Adams explains some differences in the way both the rabbits and humanity perceive the natural world. List two of them.

4. What important discovery does Hawkbit make on Watership Down? Why are Hazel and Dandelion pleased with Watership Down when they reach the top of the hill?

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Chapter 19 – Fear in the Dark

1. One of the themes of this novel is that mankind is intruding on and destroying nature. Cite an incident from this chapter supporting this idea.

2. Another theme in Watership down is that animals must adapt to survive. In what ways does Blackberry suggest the group adapt or change to improve the quality of life?

3. List two things Hazel learned from the warren of the Shining Wire that he wants to incorporate in the new warren at Watership Down.

4. Who arrives at the end of this chapter? What can you infer from his arrival?

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Chapter 20 – A Honeycomb and a Mouse

1. Find an example of rabbit humor in this chapter.

2. Why do Hazel and the others refer to the new great burrow as the Honeycomb?

3. Why do you suppose Hazel decides to help the mouse escape the attacking bird?

4. Did Holly give any clues as to why he and the other rabbit left the old warren? What do you think happened?

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Chapter 21 – “For El-ahrairah to Cry”

1. State a theme for this novel based on the following quotation:“There’s terrible evil in the world,” [said Fiver.]“It comes from men,” said Holly. “All other elil do what they have to do and Frith moves them as he moves us. They live on the earth and they need food. Men will never rest till they’ve spoiled the earth and destroyed the animals.”(Pg. 163)

2. How do the men destroy the warren at Sandleford?

3. Why does Toadflax believe the men decided to destroy Sandleford? What is the real reason?

4. Why does Holly try to find Bigwig? For what reasons do Cowslip and the other rabbits from the Warren of the Shining Wire attack Holly?

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5. In what sense is Pimpernel’s death ironic?

Chapter 22 – The Story of the Trial of El-ahrairah

1. Why do you suppose Adams compares rabbits to humans in this novel, as in the paragraph below? What literary term is used in the second sentence?

“Rabbits (says Mr. Lockley) are like human beings in many ways. One of these is certainly their staunch ability to withstand disaster and to let the stream of their life carry them along, past reaches of terror and loss. They have a certain quality which it would not be accurate to describe as callousness or indifference. It is, rather, a blessedly circumscribed imagination and an intuitive feeling that Life is Now.” (Pg. 173)

2. Why does Hazel want to hear the story of the trial of El-ahrairah?

3. How did Hazel help the mouse? How did the mouse return the favor?

4. Why is cleaning dirt out of wounds so important?

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5. What creature does Hazel especially wish to help?

Chapter 23 – Kehaar

1. Find an example of a rabbit proverb in this chapter.

2. Describe Kehaar. How does Hazel convince Kehaar that the rabbits truly want to help him?

3. Why does Bigwig decide to spend time with Kehaar? What information about Kehaar’s life does Bigwig share with the other rabbits?

4. Why does Hazel want Kehaar’s help?

5. For what reasons do Hazel and the others have trouble understanding Kehaar’s speech?

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6. Describe the two locations Kehaar finds that contain does. Which rabbits are selected to fetch does for the warren? Why does Hazel believe some does may be willing to travel to Watership Down?

Chapter 24 – Nuthanger Farm

1. Why does Hazel decide to go to the Nuthanger Farm?

2. The rabbits at the farm are kept in cages. In what ways does this captivity retard the rabbit’s natural abilities?

3. Under what circumstances does Hazel believe cats are dangerous to rabbits?

4. How do Hazel and Pipkin outsmart the cat?

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Chapter 25 – The Raid

1. Why does Fiver want Hazel to stay home from the raid? How does Hazel respond to Fiver’s warning?

2. How does Hazel get hurt during the raid?

3. What indications are there that Holly and the others are unsuccessful at getting does from the other warren?

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Chapter 26 – Fiver Beyond

1. How does Fiver discover that Hazel is still alive?

Chapter 27 – “You Can’t Imagine It Unless You’ve Been There”

1. What price do the rabbits of Efrafa pay for their safety?

2. What is a Mark Captain?

3. In what ways does life in Efrafa change the natural behaviors of the rabbits?

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4. Why do the Owslafa, or special guards, attack Blackavar?

5. Describe General Woundwort. What is his reaction to Holly’s request for does?

6. Find a passage in this chapter illustrating the idea that animals, who live free in nature, are superior to man.

7. Holly believes that Lord Frith sent a Messenger to save them from the Efrafan Owsla. Describe this messenger.

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Chapter 28 – At the Foot of the Hill

1. How does Kehaar help Hazel to recover from his injuries?

2. List one important way human relationships are different from rabbit relationships.

3. Why do Hazel and the others decide to try again to get does from Efrafa? What three tricks must they accomplish? How does Fiver feel about the plan?

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Chapter 29 – Return and Departure1. Holly does not want to return to Efrafa. He says that the Efrafan Owsla are better at patrolling and tracking than he is. What does Hazel say to persuade Holly and the others to go on the raid?

2. How do Bigwig, Blackberry, and Kehaar help persuade the other rabbits to support Hazel’s plan?

3. Bluebell, the warren jester, says in the meeting:“I think I shall have to come, just to satisfy my curiosity. I’ve been opening and shutting my mouth like a baby bird to know

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about this plan and no one puts anything in. I suppose Bigwig’s going to dress up as a hrududu and drive all the does across the field.”(Pg. 267)

Hazel becomes angry and tells Bluebell to shut up. Why do you suppose Hazel reacts this way to Bluebell’s joke?

PART III – EfrafaChapter 30 – A New Journey

1. In this chapter, Bigwig acts strangely:“Throughout the morning Bigwig had seemed unlike himself – silent and preoccupied, with little attention for what was going on around him.”(Pg. 274)

Why do you suppose Bigwig is behaving in this way?

2. How does Kehaar help the rabbits in this chapter?

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

1. Who is the Black Rabbit of Inlé? In what sense is he a protector for the rabbits?

2. Why do you think Bigwig insists that Dandelion tell this specific story?

3. In all of the other myths in this book about El-ahrairah, he is able to trick the other rabbits. Why do you suppose the Black Rabbit wins all of the contests El-ahrairah proposes to free his people from King Darzin’s trap?

4. Why does the Black Rabbit finally decide to save El-ahrairah’s people?

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5. When El-ahrairah returns to his warren, he discovers that all of the rabbits are well; however, the younger rabbits do not even remember the battle with King Darzin. Elahrairah is talking to Lord Frith, who asks him if he is angry that the young do not remember the battle and El-ahrairah’s sacrifice for his people. El-ahrairah says:

“I am not angry. But I have learned that with creatures one loves, suffering is not the only thing for which one may pity them. A rabbit who does not know when a gift has made him safe is poorer than a slug, even though he may think otherwise himself.”(Pg. 291)

What lesson about life does this mythological tale teach?

Chapter 32 – Across the Iron Road

1. Why does Bigwig decide to chase the Fox? Who cries out as if being killed by the fox?

Chapter 33 – The Great River

1. Sometimes in this story, the author alludes to a well-known historical or mythological person or event to help explain the way the rabbits feel. For example, in Chapter 22, Adams refers to Odysseus when he is trying to explain to the reader how the group of rabbits react to death.Find an example of an allusion in this chapter.

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2. Kehaar wants Hazel to hurry up and find the does because he wants to fly to the big water. Hazel agrees that they must start and says, “The trouble is, I can see how to start but not how to finish.”(Pg. 309) How does Blackberry solve Hazel’s problem of how to escape from Efrafa after they find the females?

Chapter 34 – General Woundwort

1. How does General Woundwort become the Chief Rabbit at Efrafa?

2. What steps does General Woundwort take to satisfy his desire for more power?

3. What measures does General Woundwort take to ensure the warren is safely concealed from dangerous intruders?

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4. In what way is Captain Mallow connected to Bigwig?

5. How does the reader know that the stranger rabbit who asks to join the Efrafa warren is really Bigwig in disguise?

6. What is the location of Thlayli’s mark?

Chapter 35 – Groping

1. How do the guards prevent the rabbits from running away?

2. Why is Blackavar standing outside the warren, but not feeding? How does Bigwig feel about Blackavar?

3. Why does Bigwig decide to talk to Hyzenthlay about the plan to steal does from the warren?

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4. In what way are Hyzenthlay and Fiver similar?

5. Whom do Hyzenthlay and Bigwig tell about the plan to escape from the warren?

Chapter 36 – Approaching Thunder

1. What two things does Bigwig want from Kehaar?

Chapter 37 – The Thunder Builds Up

1. Woundwort questions Bigwig about Mallow’s death. He also asks Bigwig why he was feeding near a bird. How does Bigwig explain these two actions to Woundwort?

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2. Describe the clever trick Bigwig uses to communicate with Kehaar.

Chapter 38 – The Thunder Breaks

1. The titles of the last two chapters and this one all refer to thunder. Find a passage in this chapter illustrating that these chapter titles also refer to Bigwig.

2. List two ways Kehaar helps Bigwig and the others escape from General Woundwort and Efrafa.

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3. Cite incidents from this chapter to prove the following statement. General Woundwort is a clever leader who is especially difficult to defeat because he does not always behave like a rabbit.

4. In your opinion, how do you think General Woundwort will react now that the does have been successfully removed from his warren? What action, if any, do you think he will take?

PART IV – Hazel-rahChapter 39 – The Bridges

1. Find an example of a rabbit proverb in this chapter.

2. For what reasons is Hazel reluctant to believe Kehaar when the bird tells him it is safe for the rabbits to swim to shore? How does Kehaar finally convince them?

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Chapter 40 – The Way Back

1. Find an example of a rabbit proverb in this chapter.

2. Why does Blackavar resist the idea of stopping for a few days for the does to make some scrapes and rest? Why does Hazel ignore Blackavar’s advice?

3. Blackavar’s warning turns out to be accurate when a fox grabs an unsuspecting doe. Bigwig tries to talk to Blackavar to tell him that he is

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sorry for not listening to Blackavar’s advice, but Blackavar cannot remember giving any advice on the subject. Why does Blackavar respond to Bigwig in this way?

4. Hazel ignores Blackavar’s advice and stays in the fox’s area. What second piece of Blackavar’s advice does Hazel ignore? What do you think might be the consequences of Hazel’s decision?

Chapter 41 – The Story of Rowsby Woof and the Fairy Wogdog

1. Rowsby Woof is a dog that belongs to a farmer with a large vegetable garden. One day Rowsby Woof chases the rabbits away from the garden, annoying El-ahrairah. How does El-ahrairah plan to get even with the dog?

2. How does El-ahrairah convince Rowsby Woof to leave the farmhouse unguarded?

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3. Rowsby Woof and the farmer return to the farmhouse before El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle can get outside. They are trapped in the farmhouse with the dog and the man. How does El-ahrairah trick Rowsby Woof into letting them escape?

Chapter 42 – News at Sunset

1. How does the mouse Hazel rescued from the bird in Chapter 20 repay Hazel’s good deed? State a theme for this story based on the friendship between Hazel and this mouse and between the rabbits and Kehaar.

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2. What precautions do Hazel and the others take to protect the warren from Campion and Woundwort?

3. For what reasons does Hazel decide to try to talk to Woundwort?

Chapter 43 – The Great Patrol

1. General Woundwort is determined to find Bigwig, kill him, and return the stolen does to Efrafa. Why does he only take about 26 rabbits with him to Watership Down?

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2. What is Hazel’s plan to unite the two warrens? How does Woundwort react to Hazel’s plan?

Chapter 44 – A Message from El-ahrairah

1. For what reasons does Woundwort reject Campion’s suggestion that they starve the rabbits in the warren?

2. Describe the reception Bigwig has in mind for the Efrafans when they manage to dig into the Honeycomb.

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3. Fiver goes into a trance. At almost the same time, Hazel has a vision of a jay talking to him in the woods:

“If I were you, I shouldn’t wait until ni-Frith. I should go now. In fact, I thinkyou’ll have to. There’s a large dog loose in the wood. There’s a large dog loosein the wood.”(Pg. 436)

Hazel believes this vision is a message from El-ahrairah. What do you think El-ahrairah is telling Hazel to do?

Chapter 45 – Nuthanger Farm Again

1. Why do you think Hazel wants the dog to chase Dandelion?

2. In what way does Hazel’s plan go wrong?

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Chapter 46 – Bigwig Stands His Ground

1. What is the Slack Run? How does Bigwig use the idea of the Slack Run to trick General Woundwort?

2. Bigwig manages to hurt Woundwort. How does the location of the wound help to save Bigwig’s life?

Chapter 47 – The Sky Suspended

1. General Woundwort uses his great weight to force Bigwig back into the burrows. Bigwig resists, but is losing the contest. What happens to Woundwort that forces him to retreat out of the burrow?

2. For what reasons is Vervain afraid when he enters the Honeycomb to kill Fiver?

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3. How does General Woundwort react when the farm dog bursts onto the scene? How do his troops behave?

Chapter 48 – Dea ex Machina

1. How does Lucy save Hazel’s life?

2. In what way is Hazel’s rescue the fulfillment of a prophecy?

Chapter 49 – Hazel Comes Home

1. What happens to Vervain and to General Woundwort?

2. In what ways does Hazel help Bigwig to recover from his wounds?

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Chapter 50 – And Last

1. Find a passage in this chapter that discusses the differences between rabbits and man.

2. One of the themes of this novel is that man and animals must remain true to their natures. Cite an incident from this chapter to support this idea.

3. How does Hazel treat the Efrafan rabbits that surrender after Bigwig defeats General Woundwort?

4. Who is in charge of Efrafa now that Woundwort is gone? What evidence is there that his leadership is different from Woundwort’s?Epilogue

1. How does Hazel die?

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2. This novel is anthropomorphic in that the rabbits have many human characteristics. In addition, the rabbits stay true to their animal natures. Keeping these ideas in mind, compare the role of the does in Efrafa’s society with the role of the does at Watership Down. In your opinion, is Adams making a statement about the role of women in human society? Cite incidents from the story to support your answer.

3. An epic is defined as a long, narrative work that celebrates the deeds of legendary heroes, and a fantasy is defined as a work of fiction that does not represent the real world. Cite incidents from Watership Down to prove that it is an epic fantasy.

The Archetypal Heroic Journey/QuestI. Departure Watership DownCall to Adventure:

Aid:

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Crossing the Threshold:

II. InitiationRoad of Trials:

Test:

Ultimate Boon/Magic Elixir:

Supreme Ordeal:

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Expansion of Consciousness:

III. The ReturnHero Returns from Kingdom of Adventure:

Master of Two Worlds:

Freedom to Live or Return “Home”:

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