Tales from Amy's Garden

Fiver: There's something very queer about the warren this evening
Hazel: Is it dangerous?
Fiver: It's not exactly danger, it's... oh, I don't know. Something oppressive... like thunder.
Bigwig: I know. It is very quiet but the air is heavy and it feels like something is going to burst out. Everyone in the garden is upset and on edge.
Hazel: Why is that?
Bigwig: Well the lady in the cottage has gotten very mean. She is trying to start fights. She got the crusty old badger to fight with that gay blue jay and he got so insulted that he flew away and he won’t come back.
Fiver: Well you know that gay blue jays are very sensititive. They like to sing and show off but if someone yells at them they get all pouty and fly away.
Bigwig: Oh I know that. But the lady is even being mean to us rabbits.
Hazel: What do you mean?
Bigwig: Well she keeps making fun of our religion and saying things that are mean. Just because we share carrots and have a little ceremony when we pray to the big bunny in the sky is no reason to mock us.
Hazel: That’s terrible. Just because she has no religion and sleeps in on Sunday and reads that communist newspaper with that old garden man is no reason to make fun of our religion.
Bigwig: She reminds me of General Woundwort.
Fiver: Yes she kind of looks like him.
Bigwig: I don’t mean that. I mean that she wants to take over and yell at everyone and cause trouble.
Hazel: Well we can’t have that.
Fiver: Well what are we going to do?
Hazel: I think we might have to move the warren. I didn’t want to do it but it might be time.
Bigwig: I will get Strawberry and we will scout out a new route.
Hazel: Yes I think it’s time.
(Watership Down, 1972)