43: Chapter 41. The Story of Rowsby Woof and the Fairy Wogdog Scripted by John Ruths and Newell Fisher The pre-chapter quote is a Psalm of David and is about delivering him from his enemies and their actions against David. It's interesting that Richard Adams choose a psalm snippet that contains the word "dog" and this makes it quite fitting. And then the chapter opens with "Now came the dog days—day after day of hot, still summer". It's almost as if there is a theme here... Then comes a section of the main narrative that has a feeling of relief and bliss that you'd expect all WD rabbits to have due to the success of the mission at Efrafa. The warren is now 26 rabbits made up of 16 bucks and 10 does.   The two bards of the warren, Dandelion and Bluebell, discuss the idea of a story.  That story is, of course, 'Rowsby Woof and the Fairy Wogdog.' Dandelion starts to tell the story. It's another story of El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle; it also sounds like it's a cold-weather story and that food was scarce. There is a man with a garden bigger than any other around. The man also had a dog named Rowsby Woof who sounds possibly like a sheepdog.  Dandelion describes RW as a subservient dog, to the man, who not only won't let any animal ever get a vegetable but also that he'll kill any intruders that he can get to.   El-ahrairah comments that they'll just have to watch and wait for a chance to get some food. The following afternoon, Rabscuttle notices a bag fall off a hrududu as it passes by.  He's disappointed to see that it contains meat. They then find a discarded tyre.  Rabscuttle nibbles off a bit of rubber as instructed by El-ahrairah.  After El-ahrairah spends the night nibbling at it, ir looks like a dog's nose. They try to transfer as many smells into the piece of rubber as they can. They also dig up the meat that sounds like linked sausages and drag it through a part of the garden.   The rabbits move to the front of the man's house.  El-ahrairah role plays the Fairy Wogdog. RW smells the rubber nose and all the smells it has picked up and this stimulates his suspension of disbelief.  The Fairy Wogdog is a messenger of Queen Dripslobber and it turns out that the queen has heard of RW.   The Fairy Wogdog offers the sausages to RW who hesitates as it would mean that he'd have to essentially leave his post.  However, when the Fairy Wogdog threatens to leave, RW is ready to do anything. RW goes after the sausages that the rabbits had hidden earlier. He then comes back and is told to await the return Fairy Wogdog; and that this will lead to a meeting with the Queen, who is sort of like a dog El-ahrairah.  The Fairy Wogdog tells RW of a particular crossroads.  In other words, they trick RW into leaving the house undefended again.  The rabbits now get into the farmhouse and have their fill of flayrah.  In the meantime, poor old RW is waiting at the crossroads for a meeting with the Queen that will never happen.  RW hears footsteps, however, they are those of his returning master who, of course, is wondering what his dog is doing here and away from his home. Man and dog get back to the house. The rabbits will slip away in a small hole above a drain that they've been using for access but the man has plugged it more securely.  El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle are trapped! The Fairy Wogdog talks to RW from behind some items.  El-ahrairah spins yet another yarn, this one involving a plot by the great rat spirit being aided by his rat goblins.  They will attempt to slay RW's master via a spell. To break it, RW must apparently run barking around the house four times.  To get out, RW has to raise enough of a ruckus for his master to let him out.  This happens.  In the ensuing chaos, El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle naturally get away.   

42: Chapter 40. The Way Back Scripted by John Ruths and Newell Fisher A late promotion to the podcast's Owsla. Welcome to the Owsla Nati Plavin. Please consider yourself very much a part of the inaugural membership. Chapter 40. The Way Back The pre-chapter quote is from English poet Walter de la Mare. Most of Adams' selected quotes have an element of foreshadowing and this one certainly has.  It's all about a grinning wolf being outside of the door of Dame Hickory. This Chapter open with the sad news that the Efrafan doe Thrayonlosa, has died in the night. She's the rabbit who, beside Speedwell, was wounded when the boat hit the first of the two bridges in Chapter 39.  As is the case with many animals, Thrayonlosa went to be by herself as she died. In his notes on this chapter, John Ruths told me about a cat he once lived with who did this, having first been very affectionate. It is such a poignant behaviour among animals. Hazel consults with Blackberry and determines that it is time to continue to head towards WD, as the other does are getting preoccupied with the body of Thrayonlossa.  This is also the moment when Kehaar announces that he will soon depart for the "Peeg Vater." When Kehaar flies away, it's very nice that he makes it a point to swoop down over the rabbits. Then Hazel and Bigwig see a man in his garden looking at them.  Knowing that it'll be tough keeping their rabbits away from it, they decide to leave. Adams uses this chapter to tell us more about Blackavar. who is proving himself to Hazel and the group.  He's a Wide Patrol veteran and seems quite comfortable out in the wilderness.  They are now close to a copse near Caesar's Belt, west of where they crosses it on the way to Efrafa. Blackavar and our trusty Dandelion come back from a sort of mini patrol.  Blackavar argues against the idea of stopping here, stating that this area is fox country. Bigwig and Blackavar argue but Blackavar is on the defensive.  Bigwig is being a bit petty towards him.   And then, just as Hazel and Bigwig are talking about how well things are going, a fox appears out of nowhere and quickly swoops off with a doe.  When I recorded Episode 29, on death in WD, I completely missed the death of this doe, even though the place where it happens is the last location marked on the map at the front of the book. So the revised book death-toll, including Woundwort, is 12, with 2 being killed by a fox rather than one. So Blackavar's warning was not heeded and a doe paid with her life.  Hazel suggests that the matter of the loss of the doe is closed and accepts equal responsibility as Bigwig. However, this is soon interrupted by other visitors: Four large rabbits and we already know that they're Efrafans. Campion, probably General Woundwort's most capable and trusted subordinate, has managed to catch up with and intercept the group.  Hazel points out that Campion really has no chance of success and is badly outnumbered. Campion himself seems to realize that he's acted rashly. Campion's common sense wins out and the small Efrafan group departs.  The movement of the group continues and soon they know they're close to WD.  Buckthorn is the first WD rabbit to see members of the group and happily greets Hazel-rah and Dandelion.  We also learn that Clover will "kindle" meaning that she's pregnant.  It is Strawberry who delivers this news so this may mean that he is the father.  We learn that a total of 20 rabbits have returned from this expedition, those being all 11 WD bucks who set off, the 8 surviving Efrafan does and the Efrafan buck Blackavar. The chapter closes with an account of Campion and his wide-patrol.  Yes, they departed when Hazel told them to, but they also shadowed the large group heading toward WD. They'll return to Efrafa with this knowledge and the pre-chapter quote now takes on a deeper and more foreboding meaning.

35: Chapter 35. Groping 

Scripted by John Ruths and Newell Fisher. 

The pre-chapter quote is interesting and taken from a much longer Samuel Johnson quote that is really a prayer. Later on, Bigwig does hear from a supernatural voice that is either El-ahrairah or, possibly, Frith. This chapter opens with Bigwig and some on-the-job training being administered by Chervil and Avens. Even burying hraka is mandatory. Hraka is typically buried by rabbits being punished. You can always find those and this comment by Chervil gives you an idea of just what this place is like. From Avens he also hears an account, from an Efrafan point of view, of the escape of a group of "hlessil". We know these rabbits to have been Holly and his fellow emissaries. Avens also lets Bigwig know that the General is likely to want to take him out on Wide Patrol in person before too long. And good luck to him. He soon encounters Blackavar for the first time and we also see the word "Owslafa", a word meaning an elite section of an Owsla. Bigwig's logic tells him that this must be some scarred veteran which has earned him an escort. How wrong he is. The escort is simply because poor Blackavar is basically just a prisoner and no more. Blackberry had advised Bigwig to be on the lookout for any signs of disaffection and soon he encounters some of the insurgency, or discontented does, in this mark. We learn that Owsla members can have does whenever they like. It seems that issues of consent do not matter when it comes to the Owsla. Bigwig decides that if he escapes, Blackavar will come along. He notices that among a group of does, one of them has the attention of the others. She is reciting a very depressing poem about never being to be go outside, choosing a mate, or feeling the wind blow again. We are introduced to Hyzenthlay at last. The doe who explained Efrafa to Holly before he escaped. We learn, from Marjoram, what happened with Blackavar that got his ears all torn up as they are. Marjoram doesn't even seem to realise that Bigwig is a newcomer. This could work to his advantage. He also learns, from Captain Campion, that the Efrafans, indeed, do not like to go beyond the Iron Road and that he will be going on Wide Patrol as soon as his Mark are off Dawn and Evening silflay. Bigwig feigns enthusiasm. Soon Bigwig thinks about sharing some information with Hyzelthlay. He has her summoned to his burrow, on a pretext of wanting to mate with her. She's naturally hesitant to trust Bigwig. We soon learn that she has visions like Fiver's. It is because of this ability that she soon knows to trust Bigwig. Soon we learn that the violent escape attempt that earned Blackavar his punishment ties right in with Hyzenthlay and their recent attempts to leave Efrafa. The does who asked to leave Efrafa were split up between marks. But Hyzenthlay and Thethutinnang, the two main ringleaders, were kept together, which made little sense. But in Efrafa that doesn't matter, as long as the order was fulfilled. Bigwig and Hyzenthlay begin to plan their future escape. Hyzenthlay and Thethuthinnang will select the does who will escape, while Bigwig will focus on the actual mechanics of that escape. Bigwig explains that the best time for the escape to happen would be at sunset and that this should happen as soon as possible. He also tells Hyzenthlay about Kehaar. Their Mark is due to lose evening silflay in a couple of days time. This gives the plan far more urgency. Bigwig decides that they must therefore escape on the following evening. And that Blackavar will be coming with them. It's clear that Bigwig has serendipitously happened upon someone he can work with. Once Hyzenthlay departs, Bigwig manages to doze and has some menacing dreams before drifting off into a deep sleep. Vocab: Owslafa: An elite section of an Owsla, as opposed to simply the Captain, or captains. A term we only encounter in Efrafa. Thethuthinnang: Movement-of-leaves. A name for a doe.