31: Chapter 31. The Story of El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit of Inlé The opening quotation, from the poem 'Prospice' by Robert Browning, is on the theme of almost looking forward to death as a way of facing it. The story opens with the fairly predictable premise of King Darzin learning of how he was fooled into giving away his lettuces by El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle. There is an escalation, starting with the capture of Rabscuttle by Darzin. The rescue of Rabscuttle provokes Darzin into all out war against El-ahrairah's people. Their attack on the burrows is easily repelled. So the conflict quickly settles into a siege. Eventually the siege drives El-ahrairah to such despair that he cries to Frith that he would drive a bargain with anyone just to save them. Even Death itself. El-ahrairah decides to go to the Black Rabbit and offer him his life in exchange for those of his people. He decides to take Rabscuttle with him as a Messenger. Their journey to the realm of the Black Rabbit is explained in mystical terms, has no one can know how it was undertaken. Eventually they came to a "high place" with no grass. At last they reach a burrow tunnelled into the rock itself. They are about to enter this tunnel, when they realise that what they thought was part of the rock is actually the Black Rabbit of Inlè. The Black Rabbit asks them what they are doing there, as they are alive. When El-ahrairah explains that he has come to trade his life for those of his people, the Black Rabbit replies that there are no bargains to be had with him. The Black Rabbit makes it clear that they are his guests and offers to "entertain" them. First El-ahrairah dices with death, or at least the rabbit equivalent, in a game of Bobstones. Of course, he loses. And the price of that loss is for the Owsla take away his tail and whiskers painfully. The next day they go to see the Black Rabbit again as if nothing has happened. He repeats that they are free to go at anytime. He says that if they are going to stay then they should both tell a story. Of course this becomes a competition, with El-ahrairah proposing the same stakes as before. Only this time he will pay with his ears. This time he is mutilated while in a deep sleep, and when he wakes his ears are gone. A weeping Rabscuttle begs for them to leave, but El-ahrairah again refuses, telling him to fetch two dock leaves switch to replace his ears. El-ahrairah realises that the Black Rabbits Owsla can only hurt him with his consent and has no power to make him leave. He comes across a place guarded by Owsla who try to turn him away with fear. They point out in particular nearby burrow in which is kept the "white-blindness", or myxomatosis. Without giving himself time to think, El-ahrairah jumps into that Burrow in an attempt to catch the disease, so he can take it back and infect King Darzin's troops. He begins to make his way out of the Warren and is met by the Black Rabbit who delivers the final blow by pointing out that the White Blindness is transmitted by fleas that live in rabbit's ears, which El-ahrairah no longer has. El-ahrairah is finally defeated and knows it. The Black Rabbit acknowledges the courage of El-ahrairah, as well as the fact that he is a nuisance, and sends his terrible Owsla to frighten away the troops of King Darzin. We are told that the journey of El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle back to their own Warren takes three months, yet the Warren that El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle arrive back at is larger than they remember. All the rabbits who fought King Darzin's troops are old and the young rabbits of the Warren know little of the fighting that took place and care even less. In fact some of them view it with contempt. El-ahrairah is joined by Lord Frith himself.Frith gives El-ahrairah a new tail, whiskers and ears lit by a little starlight. Just as Frith is about to reward Rabscuttle as well, the story is interrupted by Pipkin, who has spotted a fox.