Watership Down (1978) · 58 quotes
2nd most-quoted character in Watership Down (1978): in 20 of its 58 quotes
Most scenes with: Hazel (9), Kehaar (5), Blackberry (4)
Bigwig Hazel? It is Hazel, isn't it?
It is.
Bigwig What are you doing here?
Bigwig We? You mean he wants to see him, too?
Yes.
I must.
Look, Bigwig, when have I EVER asked to see the chief rabbit before?
Bigwig Oh, all right. Wait here. [goes into warren, speaks to Chief Rabbit for a moment, comes back up] Come along, then. Though I'll probably get my ears chewed off for this...
Bigwig There's a dog loose in the woods!
Well, that does it!
What's happening back home, I wonder? Think, when we lived in our own burrows? Dry, soft, warm bodies...
It keeps getting worse and worse wherever we go. Where ARE we going?
It won't be much longer, then we can all rest.
How MUCH longer?
We never should have left.
Suppose Fiver's all wrong?
We want to go back and find out.
Go back? After all we've been through?
Bigwig And probably get killed for wounding Captain Holly? An Owsla officer? Talk sense, for Frith's sake!
Bigwig! Listen, you're in a snare! A snare! And what did they tell you in Owsla? Think!
Bigwig No good biting wire...
You pay for it! The food, the warren! But no one must ever ask where anyone was or speak of the wires! The whole placed is snared! Everywhere, every day!
They left Bigwig to die!
Silver's right!
Let's drive them out, take their warren and live there ourselves!
Yes!
Back to the warren!
Yes! Yes! Yes, back to the warren!
Embleer Frith, you fools! That warren's nothing but a death hole! Yes, let's help ourselves to a roof of bones!
Bigwig I'll kill them.
KAH, KAH!
Bigwig, I've got an idea. See if you can find some worms--
Bigwig Worms? What for, for Frith's sake?
Well if he's hurt, maybe we ought to help him.
Bigwig A bird? What for?
PISS OFF!!! What for help me?
What home? This hole? Where are mates? Where are chicks? Mate make eggs, mate sit on eggs, hatch eggs, many eggs. We feed chicks. Egg robbers come, we fight.
YAAAAAAAAAH, YAAAAAAAAAAH!!! KAH, KAH, KAH, KAH, KAH, KAH, KAH!!! YOU STUPID BUNNIES! You got no mates! Where are mates?! WHERE ARE CHICKS?! Plenty trouble for you! You need MATES!
Bigwig It's working, Hazel.
You got no brains! You no plan! You need mates for plan! Listen - I got plan for you. Wing better. I go fly; fly for you. I find mates.
What a splendid idea, Kehaar!
How clever of you to think of it. You very fine bird.
Did you find anything on your flight?
Efrafa.
Can you guide us there?
Many rabbits. Too many rabbits.
A lot of us wouldn't be enough to fight one of their wide patrols.
Bigwig What do you mean?
You see this? They did it to me. It's an identification mark. Tells you when you can be above ground.
Bigwig What do you mean? Who's to stop you?
Their Owsla. Their chief is called Woundwort. General Woundwort. I don't think even you'd match up to him, Bigwig. Under him are his captains, each one in charge of a Mark. If you're found above ground at the wrong time, they take you before the Council for punishment.
Bigwig Some of them must get away.
They caught one trying to run away when I was there. Blackavar was his name. When they'd finished with him, both his ears were ripped to shreds...worse than this one of mine. He was lucky not to have been killed. There was another one, a doe, Hyzenthlay. I couldn't have escaped without her help.
Why didn't she go with you?
She wouldn't go without the others.
Then there are some that might be persuaded to leave?
Oh, yes. But you'd never get them out of Efrafa.
Well, you got out.
Only because Lord Frith sent one of his great messengers. [a flashback shows Holly running away from two Efrafans, the Efrafans are run over by a train and Holly rolls down a steep slope] I didn't see what happened to them. It must have cut them down.
Well, it's not going to be easy, but I'm afraid we don't have much choice. We'll start off as soon as I'm fit to travel.
I don't like this idea of yours at all, Hazel.
Holly, I want you to stay here. You're known to them and it could be dangerous for you.
I've been in Efrafa, and I tell you you're making a bad mistake that might very well get you all killed.
Bigwig Hyzenthlay.
Sir?
Bigwig I'd like to talk with you.
I'm in the Mark and under your orders, sir.
Bigwig Do you remember a pale grey rabbit called Holly you helped escape some while ago?
You've made a mistake, sir.
Bigwig Listen, Hyzenthlay. Listen carefully. I'm from a warren where life is free. Where you can do is as you wish. I've come to bring you all out of Efrafa.
You might be a spy, sent by the Council.
Bigwig You know I'm not. Will you join us? And persuade your friends as well, trust me. My friends are not far away.
Bigwig We can escape Efrafa. Believe me.
Yes... I think I do.
Bigwig Aren't you going to silflay?
I don't silflay at this time, sir.
Tell him why you're here, Blackavar.
I've come here for the Mark to... [Chervil swipes at him to make him speak up, and he does] I... I've come here for the Mark to see me. I... I've been punished for trying to leave the warren. [Chervil glares] The Council were merciful... [Chervil threatens him again, and Blackavar cowers] The Council were merciful.
He keeps trying to run away. Captain Campion caught him this time. The Council ripped his ears and says he has to show himself every morning early silflay as an example to the others. If you ask me, he won't last much longer. He'll meet a blacker rabbit than himself one of these nights.
Bigwig That doe over there...what's her name?
Fancy her, do you? She's called Hyzenthlay. But I'd look elsewhere if I were you; she's a troublemaker. The Council's got their eye on her.
Bigwig Listen carefully.
Bigwig Shhhh!
Sometimes I can tell when things are true. Sometimes... I can see it... The high down with trees, and... [shakes head] I've become foolish.
Bigwig You'll have to meet this friend of mine. He talks just like that.
Bigwig, you traitorous...! [to a subordinate] Captain, get this miserable group back to their Marks. I'll settle you myself, Bigwig. There's no need to take you back.
Bigwig Come on and try, you cracked-brain slave driver!
KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!! KAH, KAH, KAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!! [swoops down and attacks Woundwort]
Get away! Blast you! Get away, you damn white bird!
Bigwig I told you once that I was trying to impress you... I hope I have.
And I told you I would kill you myself! There's no white bird here, Bigwig!
Why throw your life away?
Bigwig Hraka, ... sir!
Come out!
Bigwig My chief has told me to defend this run.
Bigwig But I'm in a mist! Everything's bad! Oh, I have got a funny feeling in my foot!
Now, Walnut. It is Walnut, isn't it?
No, sir. Hazel.
Hazel. I knew your mother well. And your friend?
My brother, sir. Fiver.
Your brother. Now, do tell me how I can help you.
Well, he says there's a bad danger coming to our warren.
A bad danger? How very upsetting. Now, what sort of danger, I wonder?
I don't know, but it's bad! It's so bad!
Well, now. What ought we to do?
Go away! All of us! Now!
Now? In May? The mating season? And where would we go to?
He's had these feelings before, and he's been right again and again.
I shall have to consider this very carefully. Perhaps we'll discuss it later, in the summer.
It's been good of you to come, Walnut.
Bigwig! [Bigwig doesn't respond and tries to ignore the Chief Rabbit.] Bigwig!
Bigwig Sir?
What was that all about?
Bigwig Well, sir--
Your duty as an officer is to protect this burrow.
Bigwig Yes, sir.
Those two lunatics have better be watched.
Bigwig Yes, sir.
Bigwig There's a dog loose in the wood!
Well, that does it!
A dog?
Bigwig Come on. What do you think will happen when he picks up our scent? Those that can swim, swim. The others will have to make out the best they can.
That's not good enough. We all got into this together, we'll all get out of it together.
Bigwig They need to rest, Hazel.
Something up ahead. [sniffs and sees a bean field nearby]
A warm, friendly burrow, perhaps?
No, no, no, not a burrow. A field. A great field of scented plants that will cover us sight and sound until we're rested.
You're beginning to sound like a chief, Hazel. Hazel-rah!
Bigwig Hazel-rah? That'll be the day I call him chief, that will.
Bigwig It's set.
When?
Bigwig Get them to the near hind mark at sunset, just before early silflay.
Suppose something happens?
Bigwig Nothing will happen. We can do it.
Yes. I think we can. Sometimes I can tell when things are true. Sometimes... I can see it. The high down with trees, and... [shakes head] I've become foolish.
Bigwig You'll have to meet this friend of mine. He talks just like that.
We'll be ready.
Bigwig Sunset, then. And a bird will fight for us.
A bird?
Bigwig Even Woundwort won't expect that.
