- "Our very lives. Naturally you wouldn't be aware of this, Blackberry, but there have been reports of a vicious, bloodthirsty warren nearby called... Efrafa."
- — Bigwig
Strawberry Fayre is the fourth episode of Season 1.
Plot[]
Bigwig is seen training his Owsla, Dandelion, Hawkbit and Pipkin. Free from Cowslip's warren, Strawberry begins to settle in at the Down, when Hazel starts coughing, Strawberry tells him he has a nasty cough and Hazel tells him he's been digging, Hazel tells Strawberry he's supposed to be training with Bigwig, Strawberry said he offered but Bigwig said he suited wasn't for Owsla.
Hawkbit goes first.
Meanwhile, Bigwig's training his Owsla and Pipkin's falling behind. Bigwig gets mad at his Owsla after Dandelion and Hawkbit start goofing around. He yells at them and they instantly listen in fear. Bigwig sees Pipkin falling behind. Strawberry says leaving Cowslip's warren was the best decision of his life. When Strawberry talks about sleeping, Blackberry tells him that isn't very productive, confusing Strawberry.
The meeting Hazel has called ends in arguing.
Blackberry says he can help by digging. Hazel tries to get everyone to dig but Bigwig objects, saying that it's doe's work. Everyone agrees, angering Blackberry as she is the only doe and asks if they think she should dig the whole warren by herself. Kehaar notices the meeting and asks about it, everyone argues over digging. Bigwig tells Blackberry they have to worry for their lives instead of digging as he heard of a bloodthirsty, vicious warren nearby called Efrafa. When Hazel asks from who and Bigwig says Strawberry. Strawberry says they're very vicious. Hazel asks if he seen them, Strawberry replies saying he didn't.
Bigwig tells Hazel if he wants to hide, that's fine, but his focus is Owsla exercises. Bigwig says they must be prepared for an attack at any moment, Kehaar agrees. Hazel tells Bigwig they have no evidence of the warren existing and Bigwig tells him to take all the diggers he wants and that he's going on solitary patrol. Blackberry tells everyone to start digging after Bigwig leaves to find Efrafa.
Kehaar tells Bigwig he's going with him but Bigwig tells him to not be ridiculous. Fiver starts having a bad feeling and tells Bigwig to be careful. Later, Bigwig sees Efrafa! He investigates further. Two rabbits, Campion and Vervain, talk about Hazel and his groups scent, Campion says he lost their scent, Vervain orders the patrol to spread out and look for any sign of the outsiders. Bigwig follows the patrol.
Everyone is digging, Blackberry says they're making good progress and thanks everyone but Strawberry as he's lying around. Strawberry annoys Blackberry after he says he'll help Hazel and Hawkbit dig a tunnel as he "needs the air". Strawberry notices that Hawkbit and Hazel are looking at him and says they're filthy, Hawkbit asks if he's ready to help digging, Strawberry says he's as ready as could be, but then makes an excuse saying he wants to eat some clover as he hasn't eat all day.
Meanwhile, Campion is telling Vervain they'll track the outsiders back to their warren once they get their scent. Bigwig is caught after exiting his hiding, Bigwig runs away.
Vervain growls.
Hannah calls flying fun and Kehaar attempts to be serious, saying it's military exercise. Bigwig is still being chased. He evades them successfully, Campion gets taken away by the stream.
Meanwhile, Hazel and Hawkbit are digging, Hawkbit says he bets Strawberry is lost in a field of clovers sarcastically. Strawberry is woken up by Bigwig, asking what he's doing. Strawberry says he was guarding the clover, Bigwig yells at him. Later at the warren, Hazel is told the Efrafans aren't like them, they consider all outsiders a threat and that they won't rest until they've killed them all, Strawberry agrees.
Dandelion joyfully agrees.
Bigwig says he needs every rabbit in his Owsla to protect themselves from Efrafa and to do such the digging must stop. Dandelion joyfully agrees with it. Blackberry gets mad, Bigwig says there is a threat and they must prepare to get struck from anywhere! And he jinxes himself as Hannah drops an acorn on his head.
Hazel and Hawkbit help Bigwig up after Hannah then lands on him. Bigwig asks the meaning of this, Kehaar says it's military exercise and that Bigwig must be proud. Bigwig says he certainly isn't. Hazel says they don't have to fight over digging and Owsla, as they can form two parties, one for Owsla, another for digging, Bigwig agrees. Hazel decides who goes where, Dandelion, Hawkbit and Pipkin with Bigwig, Fiver, Blackberry and himself with Blackberry.
Fiver points out he forgot Strawberry, Hazel says Strawberry can join the Owsla, too. Bigwig takes Dandelion, Hawkbit, Strawberry and Pipkin near Efrafa. Strawberry senses Efrafa twice, annoying Bigwig, Bigwig yells at Strawberry to return to the Down. Strawberry was right, as Campion, Vervain and some other Efrafan Owsla come from behind a tire.
Strawberry talks to a frog about his troubles. The frog tells him to change after Strawberry thinks Hazel will banish him from Watership Down warren, Strawberry agrees. Strawberry starts to try and prove himself, the frog tells him good luck.
Meanwhile, Bigwig can smell Efrafa, Dandelion asks if they're on it's trail, Bigwig says no and that he's afraid that they've been on their patrol and for some time. Pipkin suggests returning to Watership Down warren but Bigwig denies, saying that they have to lead them further away from the warren to prevent an attack.
Meanwhile, Fiver says he sees a black cloud, Hazel tells him he always sees those and asks what bad luck are they in for now. Fiver says he sees a real black cloud. It turns out that it's starting to storm.
Red fails to catch Hawkbit.
Campion sees Bigwig's patrol and with his own patrol, starts chasing it. Hawkbit is chased by Red who fails to catch him as he runs under a fence. Dandelion manages to make two Efrafans bump into each other. Pipkin makes the patrol chase him, Bigwig orders Hawkbit and Dandelion to return to the warren as he saves Pipkin. Blackberry tells Hazel and Fiver to stop digging as she doesn't like the look of the storm clouds the three return into the warren.
Strawberry comes back to the Down, calling for Hazel and Fiver, saying he has come back to dig. He says he will be the best digger they ever seen. Strawberry started to dig. Meanwhile, Vervain, Campion and the other Efrafans nearly catch Pipkin. Kehaar and Hannah manage to save him in time, Bigwig leads Pipkin away. Hannah asks if Bigwig liked the surprise, Bigwig tells them they did good work.
Kehaar asks Strawberry what he's doing, Strawberry says he's digging his heart out. Strawberry gets stuck as it's raining. He thankfully gets recused. Strawberry apologizes for causing trouble, Hazel accepts his apology and tells Strawberry he'd never send him away. Bigwig returns and says they encountered Efrafa. Bigwig says everyone needs to dig, Blackberry asks who will do the extra digging, Bigwig replies he and his Owsla will.
Hazel says he thought digging was "does work", Bigwig says it's defensive digging and yells for his Owsla who end up digging without arguing despite his Owsla hating digging.
Characters[]
- Hazel
- Fiver
- Bigwig
- Pipkin
- Blackberry
- Dandelion
- Hawkbit
- Kehaar
- Hannah
- Vervain
- Campion
- Red
- Cowslip (mentioned)
- General Woundwort (mentioned)
Locations[]
- Watership Down Warren
- The forest
- Efrafa
- Warren of the Shining Wires (mentioned)
Goofs[]
- Strawberry's left paw disappears while he tells Hazel about leaving Cowslip's warren.
- When talking to Bigwig, Blackberry's cheek is filled in her muzzle's colour.
Trivia[]
- This marks the first appearance of Campion, Vervain and Red and Efrafa in general.