warren - where rabbits live together in the ground
roar - sound like a lion makes
thunder - sound like large animals running past
scream - high pitched sound that sounds angry or scared
hop - to jump (in humans - on one leg)
poke your head out - look out briefly from somewhere
twitching - quick movements like a rabbits nose or ears
crouch - when somebody or an animal moves their body down, or down flat to the ground
beast - an animal
whine - high pitched sound like a car engine when going fast, a dog 'crying'.
slip back in - move quickly into a place
hum - sound similar to that the bees make
beyond - further away than
generation - referring to people or animals, the sons, then sons of sons etc.
mutter - talk quietly
unfamiliar - something you have not seen before
tremble - shake, often with fear
whistle - sound made with lips, often with a tune
uneasy - a little frightened
giggle - a laugh like a little girl's
glance - look quickly
to fade - sound getting quieter
The warren of rabbits
lived in an area of land just beyond
the loud roar of
the motorway. For many generations,
they had been safe here. No farmer came with his gun. No dog ran through their
fields. The cars never stopped. They only screamed past like angry birds in the sky, never touching the
earth.
On this
warm morning, Blackberry sat near the entrance to the main tunnel. His ears
twitched as he listened to the thundering
road.
'It's a
good place,' he said aloud, mostly to himself.
'It's a
noisy place,' muttered Hazel, hopping beside him.
'But yes. Safe.'
Then, the
sound changed. Not louder, not quieter — but an unfamiliar sound. A car, one of the bright red ones, slowed. It
stopped just on the edge of the road.
Blackberry
stood still. Hazel froze. Around them, other rabbits poked their heads out of holes.
'What's
happening?' asked Fiver, his voice sharp with fear.
'They
never stop,' said Dandelion. 'Never.'
The car
doors opened. A man stepped out first. Then a small girl followed. She was no
taller than a young tree and held the man's hand. Together, they walked to the
edge of the grass.
'What are
they doing?' asked Clover, her nose twitching rapidly.
'Something's
wrong,' Fiver whispered. 'Something's very wrong.'
'Do they
carry guns?' asked a young buck. 'Are they here to kill us?'
'No one
brings guns here,' said Hazel, though his voice trembled slightly. 'No one ever has.'
The
rabbits watched as the little girl crouched behind a bush and did something strange. The man
looked away, whistling softly.
'She's…
she's weeing,' said Blackberry slowly. 'She's just doing a wee!'
There was
a long silence among the rabbits.
'A wee?'
asked Dandelion, confused. 'They stopped a roaring metal beast for a wee?'
'It seems
so,' said Blackberry, almost laughing. 'They aren't here for us.'
'But why
would humans stop here?' Clover still looked uneasy. 'It's not a good place for them.'
'Maybe,'
said Hazel, his ears lowering, 'they aren't so different from us. When you have
to go, you have to go.'
There was
a soft giggle from the girl as she
ran back to the car. The man helped her in. The doors closed. With a low whine, the red car drove away, joining the stream
of others.
The noise
returned to normal. Familiar. Safe.
'They're
gone,' said Fiver, breathing out deeply.
'Still,'
said Hazel, glancing at the place
where the car had stopped, 'it's a reminder. Safety is never certain.'
'But we
are still here,' said Blackberry. 'And they are not.'
The
rabbits slipped back
into the warren, one by one, the grass still warm above. The road sang its
usual tune again, and the silence of danger faded into the hum of safety.
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