In the wood

All the rabbits were crouched down in some hastily dug scrapes, to shelter from the heavy rain. At that moment, thunder was heard, at which the rain fell even harder.

"Just a little rain, he says. Never hurts anyone, he says.", sighed Hawkbit

"Hey, it cant last that much longer. As soon as it lets up, we'll be on our way.", replied Hazel

"Anyways, its better than being in the Sandleford Warren, so be quiet.", continued Bigwig

"I dont know. At least that place had a ceiling.", snorted Hawkbit

*************

Back on the down

By now it was early evening. The rain was still falling as heavy as before. The normally red sky had been replaced with dark black stormclouds.

"kuuuyahh!", mumbled Kehaar, as he flew over the down, carrying Violet's kitten

"What is it?", asked Primrose, running out into the rain

"What happened?", she continued

Kehaar swooped low over her head, and dropped the kitten onto her soft fur, knocking her to the ground.

"Who's this Kehaar?", asked Primrose

"Is new rabbit, yah. From old warren.", replied Kehaar, landing

"Why'd you bring her back here. She's better off with her mother.", replied Primrose

"Is sad. She stop running. Big man-thing get her. Now little one got no-one.", sniffed Kehaar

"That's terrible!", replied Primrose

"Yah!", agreed Kehaar before bursting into an ear-piercing cry, which rang across the down

"Here, what's going on. I just got the little one's to sleep!", spoke Dandelion, appearing from the entrance to the warren

"There's another one to join them. Her mother stopped running, so I guess it's up to us to take care of her.", whispered Primrose, obviously not realising that if the kitten was able to sleep through being dropped a short distance from the air, and through Kehaar's shrill crying, it wouldn't be woken by her talking.

"What's she called Kehaar.", asked Dandelion

Kehaar's crying suddenly stopped, and a confused expression appeared on his face.

"Ahhh, gahh....", he grumbled to himself

"You don't know?", asked Primrose

"Hayzel no say. He just say 'bring her home' is all.", replied Kehaar

"Well, I suppose we can find out when the rest get back. Where are they all anyway?", she asked

"They all in wood just outside of old home. I no think they go far in this weather.", replied Kehaar

"Yes, it is pretty bad. Let's get her inside before the Black Rabbit comes for her.", finished Primrose

As everyone entered the warren, Primrose turned to the stormy sky

"Frith, watch over them.", she whispered

*************

The Following Morning, in the wood

Hazel awoke, and looked up at the morning sky. It was still dark and grey, with the rain still pouring. As he watched, he felt a cold chill reaching up from his toes. He looked down, to realise he was standing in about an inch of water.

"Everyone, wake up!", he shouted

"What is it?", asked Bigwig

"Look at the ground. There's a flood. We have to get moving!", replied Hazel

"But it's still raining.", replied Holly

"We have to get across that river before it gets too dangerous. We all know how badly Sandleford flooded that one season, and how many of us stopped running. We'd better get to safety before it gets to that stage.", decided Hazel

"He's right you know. Sandleford's terrible for flooding.", continued Pimpernel

"Where's Hannah?", shouted Fiver suddenly

Everyone looked around in panic.

"Frith no! The water... it must have swept her away in the night!", shouted Bigwig

"Be quiet, you old fool. I'm right here. Stayed here all night!", shouted Hannah, appearing from the little nest she'd made in Bigwig's mane.

"Right then, we're all here. Let's get moving then.", finished Hazel

*************

Back on the Down, early morning

"Ayeeee!", came Kehaar's screech from outside

"What is it Kehaar?", asked Pipkin, running out

"Is land. Turned to Peeg Vater!", squawked Kehaar, flapping in the direction of the bottom of the hill

Pipkin looked over the edge of the down, and gasped at the shallow water below.

"A Flood. Haven't seen one of those in ages, eh Primrose. Remember it hit Redstone a good few seasons back. Lost many that time, but we knew what to do, oh yes. I could tell you stories...", started Captain Broom, as he emerged from the warren with Primrose and Dandelion

"Is it getting nearer?", asked Pipkin

"We're safe up here. The water could never reach the top of the down. That's one of the reasons Fiver knew this was such a safe place when we first came.", replied Dandelion

"What about the others though. They're not up here!", sighed Primrose

"Hey, Hazel's with them. He always thinks of something. They'll be fine.", replied Dandelion

"Perhaps you could go see if you can find them, Kehaar.", suggested Pipkin

"Yah! I find them!", he replied, taking off across the down

"Now lets get out of this rain!", finished Dandelion, heading back inside

*************

At the river

The Watership rabbits emerged from the wood, walking ankle deep in water, to where the river was flowing. By now, it was a raging torrent of water.

"By Frith! There's no way we can ever swim that!", shouted Bigwig

"No you're right. But look at the banks. This rivers about to burst. We need to get to higher ground before that happens.", replied Hazel

"Well, what do you suggest then?", asked Hawkbit

Hazel looked around then set his eyes upon 2 trees hanging over the river from either side.

"There. We can get across using them.", he shouted

"What do you mean?", asked Gooseberry

"We climb up one tree, jump across to the other, and follow that back down to the ground.", he replied

"I'm not normally one to argue Hazel...", started Hawkbit, at which everyone rolled their eyes

"...But I think I should point out the obvious. Rabbits cant climb trees!", he continued

"Elahrairah never feared to learn new things. It was what made him so cunning. We all follow in his footsteps.", replied Hazel

"Anyway, Hannah's an expert at tree-climbing. She can show us!", continued Bigwig

"A mouse that knows how to climb trees?", questioned Bluebella

"It's a long story! Come on lads, what are we waiting for.", he shouted

Soon, somewhere in the first tree

"Good, now put your front left paw on that branch there.... that's it!", spoke Hannah, overseeing Bigwig who was leading, precariously balanced on the branches

"I must say, I dont feel particularly safe up here.", spoke Hawkbit

"You think you'd feel any safer down there? Keep moving!", shouted Holly, pushing him

"Yarggh!!", shouted Fiver, losing his foothold briefly

"You have to watch Fiver. The rain's made everything slippery.", spoke Hannah

"How far are we?", asked Hazel

Hannah disappeared into the leaves for a few minutes, before reappearing

"We're almost at the jump now! I'm trying to get us as close as possible to the other tree!", she spoke

"Right then, we...argggh!", Shouted Bigwig, as the branch he put his right foot on snapped

"You have to be careful Bigwig. The branches become weaker and more dangerous the further out we go.", she spoke

"Oh marvellous. I notice you never mentioned that BEFORE we came up!", snarled Hawkbit

The rabbits slowly inched their way to the gap. Hannah easily jumped it, checked around, before returning

"Try and land on that patch of leaves there. There's a strong branch supporting it!", she spoke

Bigwig jumped and landed. He wobbled for a second, before regaining his balance.

"This isn't really too difficult once you get used to it. We should do this more often, lads!", he spoke

"Oh yes! We make friends with Badgers, allow ourselves to be chased by dogs and now you think we should live in the trees too. Are you even sure Frith will let us into the rabbit land beyond life when we stop running?", sighed Hawkbit, as he timidly leapt across the gap

Soon nearly everyone was across onto the second tree. Bigwig had already continued moving

"And best of all I havent seen any danger ye... ARGGHH!", spoke Fiver, as he jumped, and the branch broke beneath him

"Fiver!", shouted Hazel, as Fiver clung onto a branch below with only his front paws

"We've got to help him. How do we get down there?", shouted Bigwig

"There's not enough time!", shouted Hannah, as the branch Fiver was clinging to began to buckle

"Keyaar!!", came Kehaar's shrill cry as he came flying along the bank of the river

After looking for a minute, he flew underneath Fiver's dangling back paws to give him support. Fiver pushed off Kehaar's back as hard as he could, forcing himself onto the branch, and disorientating Kehaar.

"Bluergh!!", shouted Kehaar, shaking his head to regain his balance, before landing on the branch next to Fiver

"Oh, thank Frith!", shouted Bigwig

"What you doin up here? Rabbits no meant for trees!", shouted Kehaar

"er... we didn't have much choice. Unless you know another way across the river.", replied Holly, struggling to keep his balance as a huge gust of wind shook the branches

"You no know about bridge. Is upstream!", asked Kehaar

"Oh of course we did. We just... you know... felt like taking the scenic route. Hazel always says 'Why take the easy route, when you can chance fate'?", snorted Hawkbit

"Leave it Hawkbit. Hazel didn't know about the bridge either!", shouted Holly, hitting Hawkbit again, and nearly knocking him out of the tree

"Look, we're nearly across now, so let's stop arguing and get down from here. Hannah lead the way!", interrupted Hazel

*************

On the outskirts of the Down

"Gooseberry, Bluebella, Pimpernel. There it is, Watership Down!", spoke Hazel, pointing at the hill in the distance, before continuing wading through the now knee-deep water

"Trust me! It looks a bit more spectacular in the sunlight.", whispered Bigwig, as they followed

"What was that?", shouted Fiver, turning to look behind him

"What is it?", asked Bigwig

"I heard a noise. Like something breaking.", replied Fiver

"I never heard anything.", spoke Pimpernel

"Do you know what it is?", asked Hazel

Fiver closed his eyes tightly for a few seconds

"The River. It's burst. A wall of water is heading this way.", he eventually shouted

"Do we have time to get back to the Down?", asked Hazel

"I dont think so.... I dont know!", sighed Fiver

"Well, I'm not going to risk it. There's a smaller hill, we can climb to be safe.", decided Hazel

"You're not going to take a risk? Okay, who are you, and what have you done with the real Hazel?", scoffed Hawkbit

"The only safe place is the down! We have to get back there.", pointed out Fiver

"Vater getting close Hayzel. Can see it!", shouted Kehaar from the air

"Well, lets get up here to safety for now. This rain's gone on for nearly 2 days solid now. It cant be much longer before we see Frith again.", replied Hazel, before they ran for the hill

At that moment, they all heard the roaring sound of the storm surge.

"Come on!", shouted Bigwig, as they ran up the hill

As the front runners reached the summit, Hazel turned round, just in time to see Fiver stumble near the base of the hill

"Fiver!", he shouted, grabbing him as the water rushed past

The force of the water tried to pull Fiver away, however Hazel refused to let go. His hind legs scraped across the hill.

"Grab him lads!!", shouted Bigwig, grabbing hold of Hazel

"Let me go, or the Black Rabbit will take you too!", spluttered Fiver

"The Black Rabbit isn't taking anyone, or I'm sure you'd have seen it!", groaned Hazel, struggling to keep a grip on Fiver against the water

"Heave everyone!", shouted Bigwig. Everyone grabbed on. Even Hawkbit, reluctantly, joined on the end.

Hazel clenched his teeth as the Watership rabbits pulled on his hind legs, and the water pulled on his front. Just as it felt they were about to break, they finally managed to pull Fiver from the water

"Garrkkk!", shouted Hazel, as they all went flying back onto the hill, and crashed into a heap

"Thank you everyone!", choked Fiver

"What do we do now?", asked Bigwig, trying to regain his breath

"Look. The rain's almost stopped. I cant see the water rising much higher now. We just have to wait here until the water subsides.", replied Hazel

"If we have to wait here, do you think.... you could all get off me!", mumbled Hawkbit, from the bottom of the pile of rabbits

"Fly back to the down, and tell them where we are!", Hazel shouted to Kehaar, at which he screeched then swooped back to the down

*************

The next day

It was a beautiful morning. Frith was high in the sky, warming everything his light touched. Although it had fallen, the floodwater was still lying on the ground

"I'm starving!", moaned Hawkbit, as the rabbits sat lazing in the sun on the small hill

"He's right. We haven't eaten in days.", continued Bigwig

Hazel munched painfully on the grass

"We can eat it, but it's so wet, that it isn't very nice.", he spoke

"I suppose it's better than nothing!", grumbled Hawkbit

He grabbed a mouthful of grass, chewed it for a second, then spat it out

"Then again, I've suddenly remembered, I'm not really hungry!", he muttered

"Here's Kehaar. Let's see what he has to say!", shouted Holly, pointing at the sky

"He's carrying something!", continued Bigwig

Kehaar dropped two carrots on the ground, before crashing down himself

"What's all this?", asked Bigwig

"At farm. Barn flooded. Food all washed out, so I bring it. I go get more now! Yah!", replied Kehaar

"But where did you come up with the idea in the first place?", asked Hazel

"Hey, I just smaaaart gull!!", squawked Kehaar

Everybody looked at him dubiously

"Okay, was Blackberry's plan!", he finally admitted

"Blackberry! You mean she's up!", shouted Hazel

"Yah! She up, full of life again. Is old Blackberry back!", replied Kehaar

"That's wonderful news!", shouted Bigwig cheerfully

"Soon forgot about Campion, didn't she!", scoffed Hawkbit

"None of us have forgotten about him, but that doesnt mean you need to keep reminding her.", shouted Bigwig, smacking Hawkbit's left ear

"I dont understand. What brought all this on?", asked Fiver

"She take to new baby like her own. Say she feel connected somehow.", replied Kehaar

"Probably because Campion and Violet both ended up being squ...", started Hawkbit, before Holly jumped on him, covering his mouth

"Shut it! Just shut it!!", he shouted

"You really need to learn when to keep your mouth shut!", whispered Hazel, as Gooseberry tried with difficulty to hold back the tears

"I forgot he was there, okay.", mumbled Hawkbit

"I go get food now. You be back on down by next moon, yah!", finished Kehaar, before taking off again into the morning sky

"Okay, lets all eat what's here, whilst we're waiting.", decided Hazel

"Apart from you Hawkbit.", continued Bigwig, pushing Hawkbit back

"Why not?", he asked

"Well, you said before you weren't hungry. So you don't need any Flayrah, do you!", laughed Bigwig

"And what am I supposed to do while you all scoff your faces!", asked Hawkbit

"Why dont you go and climb a tree.", suggested Hannah

At that, everyone began to laugh, under the morning sun.