he was still thinking about what Nelthilta had said, or for some other reason, he did not make a particularly thorough search for the thorn: which was perhaps as well, for there was no thorn there.
'Oh, confound it!' he said, looking up, 'There's that dratted white bird again. What's it keep coming here for?'
'Why does it worry you?' asked Bigwig. 'It's not doing any harm - only looking for snails.'
'Anything out of the ordinary is a possible source of danger,' replied Chervil, quoting Woundwort. 'And you keep away from it today, Thlayli, d'you see? That's an order.'
'Oh, very well,' said Bigwig. 'But surely you know how to get rid of them? I thought all rabbits knew that.'
'Don't be ridiculous. You're not suggesting attacking a bird that size, with a beak as thick as my front paw?'
'No, no - it's a sort of charm-thing that my mother taught me. You know, like "Ladybird, ladybird, fly away home." That works and so does this: or it always used to with my mother.'
'The ladybird thing only works because all ladybirds crawl to the top of the stem and then fly.'
'Well, all right,' said Bigwig, 'have it your own way. But you don't like the bird and I've offered to get rid of it for you. We had a lot of these charms and sayings in my old warren. I only wish we'd had one to get rid of men.'
'Well, what is the charm?' said Chervil.
'You say,
O fly away, great bird so white,
And don't come back until tonight.
'Of course, you have to use hedgerow talk. No use expecting them to understand Lapine. Let's have a go, anyway. If it doesn't work, we're none the worse and if it does, the Mark will think it was you who drove the bird away. Where's it got to? I can hardly see anything in this light. Oh, there it is, look, behind those thistles. Well, you run like this. Now you have to hop to this side, then to the other side, scratch with your legs - that's right, splendid - cock your ears and then go straight on until - ah! Here we are; now then:
O fly away, great bird so white,
And don't come back until tonight
'There you are, you see. It did work. I think there's more than we know to some of these old rhymes and spells. Of course, it might have been just going to fly away anyway. But you must admit it's gone.'
'Probably all that prancing about as we came up to it,' said Chervil sourly. 'We must have looked completely mad. What on earth will the Mark think? Anyway, now we're out here, we may as well go round the sentries.'
'I'll stop and feed, if you don't mind,' said Bigwig. 'I didn't get much last night, you know.'
Bigwig's luck was not altogether out. Later that morning, quite unexpectedly, he came upon a chance to talk to Blackavar alone. He had been through the sweltering burrows, finding everywhere quick breathing and feverish pukes: and he was just wondering whether he could not plausibly go and press Chervil to ask the Council's permission for the Mark to spend part of the day in the bushes above ground - for that might very well bring some sort of opportunity with it - when he began to feel the need to pass hraka. No rabbit passes hraka underground: and like schoolchildren, who know that they cannot very well be refused a request to go to the lavatory - as long as it is not too soon after the last time - the Efrafan rabbits used to slip into the ditch for a breath of air and a change of scene. Although they were not supposed to be allowed to go more often than was necessary, some of the Owsla were easier than others. As Bigwig approached the hole that led into the ditch, he found two or three young bucks loitering in the run and as usual, set himself to act his part as convincingly as he could.
'Why are you hanging about here?' he asked.
'The prisoner's escort are up at the hole and they turned us back sir,' answered one. 'They're not letting anyone out for the moment.'
'Not to pass hraka?' said Bigwig.
'No, sir.'
Indignant, Bigwig made his way to the mouth of the hole. Here he found Blackavar's escort talking to the sentry on duty.
'I'm afraid you can't go out for the moment, sir,' said Bartsia. 'The prisoner's in the ditch, but he won't be long.'
'Neither shall I,' said Bigwig. 'Just get out of the way, will you?' He pushed Bartsia to one side and hopped into the ditch.
The day had become even more lowering and overcast. Blackavar was squatting a little way off, under an overhanging plume of cow-parsley. The flies were walking on his shreds of ears, but he seemed not to notice them. Bigwig went along the ditch and squatted beside him.
'Blackavar, listen,' he said quickly. 'This is the truth, by Frith and the Black Rabbit. I am a secret enemy of Efrafa. No one knows this but you and a few of the Mark does. I'm going to escape with them tonight and I'm going to take you as well. Don't do anything yet. When the time comes I'll be there to tell you. Just brace up and get yourself ready.'
Without waiting for an answer, he moved away as though to find a better spot. Even so, he was back at the hole before Blackavar, who evidently meant to stay outside for as long as the escort - clearly in no hurry themselves - would allow.