Watership Down

by Richard Adams

“Now, El-ahrairah was among the animals in those days and he had many wives. He had so many wives that there was no counting them, and the wives had so many young that even Frith could not count them, and they ate the grass and the dandelions and the lettuces and the clover, and El-ahrairah was the father of them all.” (Bigwig growled appreciatively.) “And after a time,” went on Dandelion, “after a time the grass began to grow thin and the rabbits wandered everywhere, multiplying and eating as they went. “Then Frith said to El-ahrairah, ‘Prince Rabbit, if you cannot control your people, I shall find ways to control them. So mark what I say.’ But El-ahrairah would not listen and he said to Frith, ‘My people are the strongest in the world, for they breed faster and eat more than any of the other people. And this shows how much they love Lord Frith, for of all the animals they are the most responsive to his warmth and brightness. You must realize, my lord, how important they are and not hinder them in their beautiful lives.’