Hrair — 'The Thousand'-to mean, collectively, all the enemies (or elil, as they call them) of rabbits-fox, stoat, weasel, cat, owl, man, etc. There were probably more than five rabbits in the litter when Fiver was born, but his name, Hrairoo, means 'Little Thousand' — i.e., the little one of a lot or, as they say of pigs, 'the runt.'
2
Nearly all warrens have an Owsla, or group of strong or clever rabbits-second-year or older-surrounding the Chief Rabbit and his doe and exercising authority. Owslas vary. In one warren, the Owsla may be the band of a warlord: in another, it may consist largely of clever patrollers or garden-raiders. Sometimes a good storyteller may find a place; or a seer, or intuitive rabbit. In the Sandleford warren at this time, the Owsla was rather military in character (though, as will be seen later, not so military as some).
3
The stresses are the same as in the phrase 'Never say die.'
4
Stinking-the word for the smell of a fox.
5
Tractor-or any motor.
6
Hoi, hoi, the stinking Thousand, We meet them even when we stop to pass our droppings.'
7
Song of the Blackbird.
8
Go above ground to feed.
9
Bigwig's word was hlessil, which I have rendered in various places in the story as wanderers, scratchers, vagabonds. A hlessi is a rabbit living in the open, without a hole. Solitary bucks and unmated rabbits who are wandering do this for quite long periods, especially in summer. Bucks do not usually dig much in any case, although they will scratch shallow shelters or make use of existing holes where these are available. Real digging is done for the most part by does preparing for litters.
10
Zorn means «finished» or 'destroyed,' in the sense of some terrible catastrophe.
11
The first syllable is stressed and not the second, as in the word 'Majesty.'
12
Hyzenthlay: 'Shine-Dew-Fur'-fur-shining-like-dew.
13
Bob-stones is a traditional game of rabbits. It is played with small stones, fragments of sticks or the like. Fundamentally it is a very simple kind of gambling, on the lines of 'Odds or Evens.' A «cast» of stones on the ground is covered by the player's front paw. The opponent must then hazard some sort of surmise about its nature-e.g., one or two, light or dark, rough or smooth.
14
Thethuthinnang: 'Movement of Leaves.' The first and last syllables are stressed, as in the phrase 'Once in a way.'
15
Marli-a doe. Tharn-stupefied, distraught. In this particular context, the nearest translation might be 'the
