An unnamed glanbrin (referred to as "the glanbrin") helped El-ahrairah find his way to the Ilips through Dark Country in the chapter "The Sense of Smell" from Tales from Watership Down.
Personality[]
The glanbrin was patient and sympathetic.
Tales from Watership Down[]
The Sense of Smell[]
El-ahrairah reached the border of Dark Country, which was completely dark with twilight. He lost direction and He sat in the dark and eventually asked a nearby creature for help. El-ahrairah introduced himself as someone from the land of daylight and was lost due to the unfamiliar smells and darkness,
The unnamed glanbrin introduces himself as well. He reveals that glanbrins like him don't have eyes (or at least small, hard, and sunken into the head), eat roots, and are more significant than a rabbit. He gets startled by the idea that El-ahrairah wants to meet the Ilips as they are flesh-eaters with evil magic and spells. Although the glanbin is finally convinced to lead the prince to them, he asks why can't he smell his way there. Finally, El-ahrairah gives in and admits he has no sense of smell. As they set out, the glanbrin talks about glanbrin customs, realizing their ways of life were very similar to his rabbits. He also revealed once he had a doe named Flairgold, a well-liked glanbin, with plans to raise a litter. Unfortunately, a hulking, great glanbrin named Shindyke defeated him, took her away, and left him heartbroken. El-ahrairah was sorry for the heartbroken glanbrin, knowing how this happens in his warren too.
Two days had passed since the journey started, yet the glanbrin remained sympathetic and patient despite the rabbit prince being covered in cuts and bruises. They both end where piles of stone scattered, the farthest place he dared to go. El-ahrairah must continue his journey alone, using the wind for direction. However, the glanbrin chooses to wait in the same spot for two days incase he changes his mind, but believes in him.
El-ahrairah on his way back while riding on the back of an Ilip explained that his glanbrin friend was waiting for him at the place of stone and asked to stop by there first. The rabbit prince tells the Ilip to put him off at a distance to explain to his friend so he can take them both. At first, the glanbrin was terrified of the idea, but they all eventually settled out. El-ahrairah tells the story of the glanbrin’s doe, and the Ilip was guided by the glanbrin to his burrow. When Shindyke, the great buck who took Flairgold, smelled the Ilip, he ran as fast as possible. The glanbrin explains everything to her. Flairgold says she hated Shindyke but had no choice. Goodbyes were told, and off they went.
Non-rabbit characters |
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Cross-media Bob (dog) • Cemetery Owl • Crows • Fox • Hawks • Kehaar (seagull) • Lendri (weasel) • Tab (cat) • Unnamed Mouse • Yona (hedgehog)Humans Doctor • Lucy • Mr. Cane • Mrs. Cane Folklore Lord Frith • Prince Rainbow Books only Introduced in Watership DownDoctor (human) • Hawock (pheasant) • King Darzin (beaver) • Rowsby Woof (dog) Introduced in Tales from Watership Down Flairgold (glanbrin) • King of Tomorrow (deer) • King of Yesterday (bison) • Old Brock (badger) • Shindyke (glanbrin) • Unnamed Glanbrin • Zhuron (illip) Bark (badger) • Calohki (puffin) • Duster (dog) • Frost (lamb) • Gluk (gull) • Hannah (mouse) • Hyacinth (pig) • Katerina (gull) • Owls • Puffins • Ruffle (moorhen) • Skree (hawk) • Slate (turtle) • Tabitha (cat) • Tassel (squirrel) • Weasel |