A Quiz on "Watership Down"

Answer: Silver

Silver was apparently upset about the teasing he had received from the other Owsla. They felt he was only accepted because he is the Chief Rabbit's nephew, but he proves his worth time and time again throughout the story.

Answer: Speedwell, Acorn, and Hawkbit

Bigwig convinces them to stay by chewing them out and knocking them around a little. When Hazel eventually leads them to safety, they all take back what they said and apologize for doubting him.

Answer: She had told some of the does that they were leaving today and they might tell someone their secret.

The first attempt fails because Woundwort wants to talk to Bigwig and they miss their chance to escape. Hyzenthlay, who helped Bigwig orchestrate the plan, had told the does that they were leaving today and she was worried that Nelthilta and some of the others would ruin their escape by blabbing about it to the wrong people. Nelthilta in fact does just that and she is caught right before they leave the next day, almost ruining their escape.

Answer: He left three rabbits at intervals along the way to guide the runaway Efrafans.

He left Blackberry, Bluebell, and Fiver to guide any rabbits that had strayed from the group. They were probably chosen because they appeared to be the least nervous about being around Efrafa (especially Fiver) and would not panic and run away.

Answer: Blackberry; Fiver

Bigwig, choking on his own blood, gasps that they have to dig in order to loosen the snare. Blackberry thinks quickly and figures out that the wire is attached to a peg in the ground. Hazel, Silver, Buckthorn, and Pipkin all take turns trying to dig the peg out, but it was Fiver who finished the job. Blackberry, Bigwig, and Fiver help Hazel the most throughout the story.

They kind of act as his advisors or his seconds-in-command.

Answer: His doe, Nildro-hain, had been killed by a snare earlier.

Strawberry befriended Hazel when they first meet but he had deceived them about the safety of the warren, and Hazel at first wouldn't let him come with him. But once he learned that Nildro-hain had been killed he immediately allowed Strawberry to come with them.

Answer: Fiver eerily moaning as he begins to black out from a vision.

Fiver's moaning did not sound like an ordinary rabbit, and the Efrafans begin to wonder if they have some other kind of animal fighting for them down in the warren. They then remember how Kehaar had swooped down and attacked them to cover Bigwig's escape.

This takes most of the fight out of them and a few are too scared to continue trying to dig into the Honeycomb, until General Woundwort himself starts digging and yelling at them. His wrath scares them even more than the noise and they continue. Fortunately, Fiver's vision of a dog loose in the warren gives Hazel the idea to let loose the dog at a farm nearby to scare the Efrafans away.

Answer: Pimpernel and Bluebell

Pimpernel and Bluebell were both extremely poisoned by the gas the men used to kill the rabbits. Bluebell had recovered but Pimpernel was still weak when they came upon Cowslip's Warren. When Cowslip heard that they knew Hazel and Bigwig, he tried to kill the three of them. Bluebell and Holly escaped but poor Pimpernel was killed. Bluebell and Holly both survive the journey and somehow manage to find Hazel and his companions.

Answer: honeycomb

Strawberry wants to show his worth to his new friends, so he offers his expertise on constructing a new warren. He also goes to Efrafa with Holly, Silver, and Buckthorn to ask them if they can take some of their does back to Watership, seeming as they didn't have a single female to mate with.

Answer: Bluebell

Bluebell adds a lot of comic relief to the story, although occasionally he gets on one of the character's nerves. He did not leave Sandleford Warren with the original group, but left with Holly after the warren was destroyed. On a personal note, he and Blackberry are my favorite characters in the story. Bluebell is also a talented story teller, but not quite as good as Dandelion.

Answer: Blackberry

Blackberry saves the group on several occasions. One time is when they are blocked by a stream with a dog coming after them. He figures out that a piece of wood floats, much to the confusion of Hazel and the others, and is able to ferry Pipkin and Fiver across while the others swim.

Another time is when he quickly figures out how the snare works and saves Bigwig's life. Also, in the end he is the one who comes up with the entire plan to get the does out of Efrafa and thinks of the idea of using a boat to escape General Woundwort as well.

He acts as a kind of second-in-command to Hazel throughout the story and, as stated above, is my favorite character (along with Bluebell).

Answer: A train cuts the patrol off.

Holly, Silver, Strawberry, and Buckthorn were selected to go on the patrol and only Silver returned unharmed. Buckthorn had a scratch on his face, Holly was limping, and Strawberry became ill from the shock of the experience. We later find out that the Captain of the patrol was killed by the train.

Answer: He tells them stories about El-ahrairah.

Apparently the story had something to do with El-ahrairah tricking a fox, but we only hear a few lines from it. It is stated a few times in the book that Bluebell was second only to Dandelion at telling stories, and since Dandelion had left with Hazel and Blackberry to attract the dog it fell on him to tell one.

Answer: Pipkin

Pipkin, always faithful to his friends, wanted to face death by staying and hopelessly trying to protect his best friend. Bigwig and Holly don't let him, but luckily General Woundwort thinks Fiver is dead. I always liked this part because earlier in the book Pipkin mentions how he isn't brave, but here he is willing to face certain death for one of his companions. Well, that's it. I hope you liked my quiz.

Answer: Guessing if the stones are round or square.

Bob-stones is a sort of gambling game the rabbits play. The question was a little picky, but I thought it was interesting that Adams came up with the idea that even wild animals get bored and come up with ways to entertain themselves. Bob-stones is discussed in chapter 31, in case you wanted to look it up.