"Would you like to hear a story or two?" asked Vilthuril.

The small audience of kittens had gathered around the storyteller eagerly. Their parents recently left their warren to help teach Hickory and Marigold's group how to relearn the ways of the rabbit, not to mention helping Juniper's group get settled into their new home at Redstone and allowing her to teach them how to create their own underground garden of healing herbs and plants to save for any sick or injured rabbit. Instantly, Juniper and her band fell in love with Redstone the first time they laid eyes on it. Most of the inhabitants of Watership Down remained behind to look after the kittens or to keep a sharp look out for enemies. Pipkin wanted to stay behind, the terrible experience in Thinial had left him badly shaken and frightened. Lily offered to stay beside him in the warren, until he is ready to recover. Bigwig understood this before he left to begin training their guests for their new life. Kehaar joined Hazel's group in order to keep watch for either elil, Cowslip, Flyairth or Efrafan wide patrols. Hannah returned to Nuthanger Farm to take a well-long break from her adventures.

Pipkin just recently awoken from an awful nightmare where he was buried alive by the Thinial Owsla. An alarmed Lily came rushing into her burrow and never ceased licking his head to stroke him comfortingly. The other kittens were severely warned never to tease one of their playmates ever after hearing the details of what occurred in Thinial, even Basil and Sandwort had been warned the most. To cheer him up, Vilthuril offered to tell him a story. This aroused the attention of everyone else in the burrow. If there's one thing that can make a rabbit happy, it's listening to a fascinating story of El-ahrairah.

"I think a story is a great idea," Lily agreed, hoping it will help ease Pipkin's mind.

Not speaking a word, Pipkin nodded gradually.

"Who will tell the story?"

"I will! My first one will be the Sense of Smell." A doe named Trefoil volunteered to tell it. She was one of Hyzenthlay's friends who escaped from Efrafa with her and the does, her fur the color of egg yolk with a few dark orange patches on her body and amber eyes. Trefoil cleared her throat dramatically to begin her taleā€¦

There was a time when rabbits had no sense of smell. Because of this, it was a terrible disadvantage. The rabbits could not pick out their food in the grass, whether it was good for them or not. Worst of all, they could not smell their enemies coming, and this meant many rabbits fell victim to foxes, stoats and hawks.

El-ahrairah spoke to an old wise rabbit in his warren, his name was Heartsease. The old buck recalled how the warren gave shelter to a wounded swallow after being attacked by an owl. He pitied the warren because the rabbits had no sense of smell, and the swallow explained the path to find the sense of smell lay through a land of perpetual darkness, where it was guarded by a band of fierce and dangerous creatures known as the Ilips, who dwell in a cave. The rabbit prince thanked Heartsease, then went to see Prince Rainbow for advice, telling him of his plans to go to this mystery land to find the sense of smell.

Prince Rainbow warned him not to go through with him, because that mystery land was full of perpetual darkness and a place no rabbit had dared set foot in. Even Prince Rainbow himself had never been there, nor did he intend to do it, so he tried to warn El-ahrairah not to attempt such a quest. But El-ahrairah valiantly declared he is doing it for his people, refusing to watch another day go by of his people hunted down. Begrudgingly touched by the rabbit prince's determination and love for his people, Prince Rainbow realized there was no point in talking him out of it. Even if the Ilips learned a rabbit with no sense of smell had entered their territory, it would be worse for El-ahrairah. And so, Prince Rainbow gifted him an astral collar for him to wear round his neck, one of his gifts from Lord Frith, so it would help the rabbit prince in his quest.

After thanking Prince Rainbow, El-ahrairah firmly ordered a reluctant Rabscuttle to take charge of his warren until his return and immediately set off on his journey. Prince Rainbow had given him instructions on how to find the border of the land of perpetual darkness. By twilight, he reached his goal. He could not tell which way to go, and the worst of it was he found no sense of direction. For all he knew, he could be going round in circles. El-ahrairah heard other creatures stalking in shadows around him and, as far as he could tell, these strange creatures seemed to figure out what he's doing. At last, he sat down and waited for the creature to come for him.

"I'm lost and confused; can you help me?" the rabbit prince asked to seemingly nobody in particular.

The creature paused, then it approached him. It spoke in a strange but slightly understandable language. "Why are you lost? Where did you come from and where are you going?"

"I've come from a land where they have daylight and I'm lost because I can't see," explained El-ahrairah. "And I'm not used to this darkness here."

"But you can't smell your way? I can."

El-ahrairah was careful not to tell him the truth, remembering Prince Rainbow's warning. "I'm afraid the smells are all different here, so it confuses me."

"Well, you don't seem fierce to me," replied the creature. "But you don't know what sort of creature I am?" It sat down beside him, not in the least threatening manner. "I'm a glanbrin, the name's Gale. Are there many of you from where you live?"

El-ahrairah almost jumped in surprise. An actual glanbrin was sitting right close to him. Part of him wanted to be afraid, but another part of him grew fascinated. "Yes, I'm a rabbit. What do you look like?"

"You seem to be very much the same sort of animal as I am. You eat grass and plants like I do, right? I can see you nodding, so I'll take that as a yes. But grass won't grow in the dark, my people only eat roots. But I believe you and I are very much alike."

This Gale seemed like a friendly sort of creature who displayed no intention of harming him, that El-ahrairah took an instant liking to him. He wanted to share his secret of his quest to him, hoping Gale can help him, but he refrained from mentioning it.

"So, why did you come here?"

"I want to talk to the Ilips."

The rabbit prince could hear the glanbrin become startled and jump in terror as Gale protested strongly, "Are you insane?! Nobody ever goes anywhere near the Ilips! They'll kill you! They're flesh eaters, very fierce and possess evil magic. The Ilips are most feared by all creatures in this country. Why do you want to talk those ugly monsters? You might as well jump into the Black River while you're at it."

Taking a chance, El-ahrairah decided to tell the glanbrin the reason why he had come to the Dark Country and what he meant to do for his people's safety. Gale heard him out in patient silence.

"I've heard of you, Prince with a Thousand Enemies," the glanbrin spoke admiringly, "the tales of your daring adventures have reached the corners of the Dark Country. Although I'm not sure if the Ilips will spare your life just because you're a cunning trickster. What you're trying to do is impossible. You should go home."

"Can you at least guide me to the Ilips, please?" asked El-ahrairah. "I'm not giving up on my people."

Since there was no talking him out of it, Gale agreed to help him and undertook to guide El-ahrairah as near to the Ilips' territory as he himself dared to go. Thanks to Gal's incredible eyesight and sense of smell, he guided the rabbit prince within the darkness and kept him out of harm's way if any elil showed up. It was two hours long. Gale kept him entertained by telling El-ahrairah about the customs and way of life his people did. It seemed to El-ahrairah that it didn't differ much from those of his own people.

As for how Gale met and found El-ahrairah, the glanbrin had chosen a mate in the beautiful Flairgold, a doe much admired by everyone. She picked Gale due to his kindness and honesty. The two planned to dig a burrow together and raise a litter. But along came a rival glanbrin, the hulking bully named Shindyke. He meant to fight Gale and take Flairgold for himself. They fought violently, but the bully won the battle, sneering at Gale for being weak and puny. Shindyke took Flairgold away to be his mate. Gale just wandered away in disgrace, heartbroken. El-ahrairah felt sorry for Gale, wishing if only he had been there to teach Shindyke a lesson.

Two hours passed quickly, and the two friends entered a part of the Dark Country where stones lay scurried about. Gale felt torn about going back to his home and leaving El-ahrairah on his own to the deadly Ilips. El-ahrairah told him to go back if he wanted to, but Gale had a change of heart. He wanted so badly to aide El-ahrairah in his plan to find the Ilips. And so, the rabbit prince agreed to let Gale accompany him, much to the glanbrin's relief. Venturing further along, Gale introduced him to a bunch of briars to eat, some kind of wild carrot as El-ahrairah found out when he ate it. Briars were often found in multiple parts of the Dark Country, some of which having grown near Gale's home.

All of a sudden, another creature pounced upon them out of nowhere. It was far bigger than El-ahrairah and Gale, holding them down with its enormous soft paws. The two friends felt those retractable claws on their hides, neither dared to breathe when they felt the creature's hot breath on their faces. When the creature spoke, it called out to its partner, "I've got them here, Zhuron!"

A few more of the creatures like the one who attacked them approached. In a few moments, the friends were surrounded by, from what Gale whispered to El-ahrairah, the horrid Ilips.

Zhuron, the leader, leaned forward to sniff at them. "One is a glanbrin, but the other smells like no glanbrin I've ever seen." He spoke in a gruff voice. "Who the hell are you and what are you doing in our territory?"

"Sir..." El-ahrairah spoke calmly and tensely, "I am a rabbit who has come from Frith's country, and I am looking for the Ilips."

"Well, you found us. We, the Ilips, kill all strangers. Didn't that glanbrin beside you tell you that?" Then Zhuron gazed at the astral collar round the rabbit's neck, placing his muzzle down to his neck and sniffed at the collar. His head drew back with a start. "This is the astral collar of Prince Rainbow! Why did you get it? Did you steal it?"

"No, sir. It was given to me before I set out to our country: a gift from Prince Rainbow, a token of friendship to keep me safe among your people," replied El-ahrairah. "If you don't believe me, then ask Lord Frith yourself. Prince Rainbow is his messenger after all. And Gale is accompanying me to see you because he just received a horrible beating from a brute."

There was silence for a moment while the Ilips whispered amongst each other. At last, El-ahrairah and Gale were released from under the Ilip's paws, the same one who attacked them earlier asked, "Why have you come here and what do you want with us?"

"My people, who are called rabbits, have no sense of smell," explained El-ahrairah. "This makes their lives miserable and dangerous, suffering under elil attacks. I learned your people alone have the power to confer this gift, and I have come to ask you to bestow it on my people."

"You're the chief of your rabbit people?" asked Zhuron.

"I am."

"You don't lack courage?"

"No, I don't."

"It's true that for many years, we were the guardians of the sense of smell. But we had no use for it, because no other creatures seemed to lack it. The smell became a burden to us, and at last we gave it away with our magic."

El-ahrairah was bitterly mortified. To have accomplished such a long journey, being spared by the Ilips, only to learn they no longer possessed what he was seeking. This was all for nothing. It was grievous indeed.

Gale felt sorry for his friend, then questioned the Ilip with a hard voice as he struggled to keep himself still from scratching the beast's eyes out, "To WHOM did you give it to?"

"To the King of Yesterday," responded Zhuron.

"Where is he and where can my friend find him?"

Zhuron conversed with his two comrades for a second to confer with them. "It would be too far for him to walk. He would lose his way and starve to death. He may come with me, for I will carry him on my back." The last of his sentence was muttered, "Although, this is the first time I've given a ride to a glanbrin."

"You know I can still hear you, right?" Gale's eyebrows scorned in irritation.

"I should get you back home, Gale. The rest of my journey might be more dangerous and I will be returning to the country of the sun soon afterward," said El-ahrairah. "You're more used to the dark than me."

Full of gratitude, El-ahrairah prostrated himself before Zhuron and thanked him. Then he aided Gale to climb on. It was roughly furry, and they had no difficulty in holding on. They set off once again, which seemed very fast when riding on the back of an Ilip. Traveling by incredible speed, it seemed no distance at all to the place where El-ahrairah first met Gale. His home was quite close by, and Gale guided the Ilip there with his directions.

The glanbrins scurried for their burrows when an Ilip approached their home, but they stopped when they heard Gale's voice shout, "Don't run away! He won't hurt us!"

When Shindyke heard his rival's voice, he came out of his burrow when he assumed the little pipsqueak came back for another duel or brought something lame back to show off and look important. Imagine his terror when he came face-to-face with an Ilip, baring his great teeth at the puny little brute. Gale plopped down on the ground, then gave his bully a huge verbal lashing for his rotten treatment toward him and for stealing away a wonderful doe who hated his guts every day. Flairgold admitted she did indeed hate Shindyke, but she was given no choice after he bullied her into this relationship. Fortunately, she never made commitment to his courting and the brute often beat her when she refused his sexual advances. Even El-ahrairah unleashed his temper as he chewed him out for his bullying and cruelty.

Not the least intimidated, Shindyke tried to fight back a second time, but this time, Gale won the battle by slitting his throat. Even Zhuron was impressed by Gale's courage. The glanbrin thanked El-ahrairah for his moral support with sincerity and mutual gratitude, and wished the rabbit prince good luck in his quest. Saying goodbye to Gale and Flairgold, El-ahrairah set out once more on Zhuron's back, where the Ilip carried him to the exit of the forest.

"The King's court is just beyond our wood to that field over yonder," Zhuron told him, allowing the rabbit prince to dismount. "Good luck, Prince with a Thousand Enemies." And with that, he left.

El-ahrairah was glad to finally be out of the Dark Country, but he surely will miss Gale and Zhuron very much. He bounded forward, crossing a rough field full of weeds and a hawthorn hedge, leading him to a golden gate confronted by a creature half the size of himself, but appeared more like a large rat. The animal examined him, then greeted him politely.

"Good day, I've come to see the King of Yesterday," said El-ahrairah.

"I can take you to him," offered the creature. "Are you an English rabbit? I take it by your nodding that I'm right. I always thought they'd never come. I'm a potoroo, by the way. We'll find His Majesty in the big courtyard."

They ventured down the field together and crawled through a gap in the hedge to the bank of a glistening river. El-ahrairah took a nice long drink from the cool water to quench his thirst, then he munched on some grass to satisfy his hunger. Both tasted delicious. The potoroo conversed to a heron, wading in the shallows of the river, then the bird itself stared intently at El-ahrairah for a second. At first, the rabbit prince assumed this bird might tell him to go away with those scrutiny eyes, but to his relief, the heron welcomed him and resumed back to its wading.

And so, El-ahrairah and the potoroo continued on their way. Their path led them to a shrubbery full of yew and laurel, beyond it stood some old sheds, forming three sides of some kind of courtyard. The ground was of trodden, signs of animals nearby. To the rabbit prince's surprise, there in the center of the area stood a great Oregon bison, surrounded by number of animals, all species unknown to El-ahrairah, who grew frightened by this giant beast and turned to bolt.

"Wait! You needn't be afraid," assured the potoroo. "This is the King. He won't hurt you. Go on."

Trembling, El-ahrairah stood frozen on the ground as the great beast nuzzled him gently, assessing his scent with his huge nostrils. The King spoke in a very deep but friendly voice, "Don't be scared. Please stand up and tell me who you are."

"My name is El-ahrairah, an English rabbit."

"What? You mean they're not all gone?"

The rabbit raised a puzzled eyebrow. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Are your people extinct?"

"Certainly not, Your Majesty. We're numerous, multiplied for seasons. I've made a long journey to come before you and beg a great favor for my people."

"But I'm the King of Yesterday. Did you know this when you came here?"

"I have heard your name, Your Majesty, but I don't understand the meaning."

The King of Yesterday explained, gesturing his huge head to the animals around them, "Every creature in my kingdom is extinct, my friend. How did you get here if you are not extinct?"

"An Ilip brought me on his back through the forest of darkness, but I couldn't have made it through with a glanbrin's assistance."

"But the Ilips didn't kill you, then? You must have magic upon you?"

El-ahrairah nodded, showing the astral collar round his neck for the King to see. "Yes, sort of. I have the blessing and protection of Prince Rainbow. As you can see, I'm wearing this collar as proof of it. May I be so bold to ask you if you don't mind, what sort of creature are you, Your Majesty?"

"I am an Oregon bison and I rule this country, appointed by Lord Frith. When you just arrived, I was about to talk a nice walk. Come with me and we can chat."

The two set off from the courtyard into the fields beyond, full of hundreds of animals, all a different species, even birds were flying overhead. To El-ahrairah, it seemed like a blooming, magnificent field. He paused to admire a Guadalupe Flicker's black spotted body, told this bird is a part of the woodpecker family. The rabbit prince also met a visiting lion, tiger, grizzly bear and jaguar, whom came for important business, but needed to wait a moment as the King was eager to hear what El-ahrairah had to say.

"So, none of your kind are extinct?" asked a jaguar.

"No, and I'm glad my kind is not," El-ahrairah told her, "for I recall Lord Frith's promise to me long ago that although my kind have many enemies, they should never be destroyed as long as we are cunning and full of tricks."

"It is because of the humans that every one of my subjects has been destroyed," the King explained, slightly grim as his face scorned at the humans' cruelty toward nature, "some of my visitors, like my grizzly friend here, the men deliberately shot, trapped or poisoned them just to keep off their territory or for sport. But many others vanished to escape them because men destroyed their habitants and they couldn't adapt themselves to live elsewhere to be safe from the humans."

El-ahrairah nuzzled his head against the bear's front left arm affectionately, sharing his sympathy for the grizzly bear, who gave his small head a friendly lick. After saying goodbye, the rabbit prince followed the King to a grand forest, where several finches, honeycreepers, Molokai, macaws living in peace within the trees, acknowledging their allegiance to His Majesty and greeted El-ahrairah. Approaching the distant part of the river, he met strange-looking fish: New Zealand Grayling, Thicktail Chub, Blackfin Cisco and others, all of whom had become extinct.

Feeling his time meeting these fascinating creatures had come to past, El-ahrairah had decided to get straight to the point. He calmly explained to the King of the great favor he begged for - his people's lack of the sense of smell. He needed it so his people can sniff out enemies or more will die, and find the right food to eat. Other animals overheard this, suddenly felt themselves on his side and eager to help the poor rabbit.

The King listened patiently to his story, then he said, "My good friend, you are a brave and worthy English rabbit, how gladly I would grant your request. Alas, I cannot! In this kingdom, we no longer are the guardians of the sense of smell. It's true, the Ilips gave it to us many years ago, but here in the Land of Yesterday, we were never able to put it to any use. Until a gazelle came to visit us from the King of Tomorrow, requesting us to lend them the sense of smell. And so, we gave it to their King. Perhaps if you go there, the King of Tomorrow will give you what you want."

This did not dishearten El-ahrairah, doing his best not to explode with frustration if anyone else sent him elsewhere and this quest will take forever to find what he needs. "Is it far?"

"Not entirely. The journey would take you just before Frith descends into the horizon. However, I know someone who can help you get there quicker" The Bison King made a strange deep bellowing sound, summoning a heavy-muzzled gray Kenai wolf to step forward. The wolf was glad enough to carry the rabbit prince to his destination, feeling it a great honor.

El-ahrairah humbly thanked the King of Yesterday for showing him his land and meeting his people, then climbed upon the wolf's back and the great canine lunged forward to start their journey, nearly startling the rabbit prince at the wolf's sudden movements. They traveled a long way as the rabbit gazed at the passing beauty of the countryside, but shuddered when they passed a few human villages. The wolf explained how his people come from a place called Kenai Peninsula, in a bitterly cold country very far away, where they lived in a grand pack and hunted moose for food. Sadly, the humans drove them out and killed them all, all because the wolves often attacked livestock, except lone wolves do that and the Kenai wolf felt his people suffered a great injustice to this crime.

As sunset was about to start the end of the day, the wolf allowed El-ahrairah to dismount for they have neared the border to the Land of Tomorrow and the Kenai wolf is extinct, so he could not enter. El-ahrairah sympathetically bid farewell to the wolf before he departed. The rabbit prince passed the border, noticing multiple creatures he recognized along the way, telling him he knew he was in the right place - raccoons, chipmunks and groundhogs. Lucky for him, all were friendly and helpful whenever he asked for the whereabouts of the King. In the distance, an alarming clamor frightened him, as though some animals were engaged in a fierce bloody combat.

"Oh, don't worry about it," assured a koala bear, perched in a tree. "It's only the crowd getting for a meeting at the King's court. Noisy lot, aren't they? Whenever you visit, you get used to it."

El-ahrairah went onward a bit until he came upon a great silver ornamental gate, set in a hedge of copper-leaved prunus in beautiful white bloom. As he peered through the bars of the garden beyond, an attractive peacock came up and asked him what he wanted. El-ahrairah told him that he had made a long and dangerous journey to seek an audience with the King. The peacock agreed, but warned him it will get harder to speak to the King. A thousand creatures all tried doing that today, but failed due to the Queen's delivery of an upcoming newborn and this often worried the soon-to-be father.

The peacock swung open one of the gates and El-ahrairah found himself entering a wonderous garden and field. He passed several animals, birds and reptiles, all chattering amongst each other and determined to speak to the King of Tomorrow. This disheartened El-ahrairah's spirit, for he couldn't imagine how he'll be able to manage to see the King in a competition this throng like this. But he wouldn't give up, no matter what. Using his small size, El-ahrairah made his way underneath or through them to the further side.

Making his way to a long grassy field, which slopped smoothly down to a flat lawn at the bottom, where a few animals were already gathered together on the slope, and the rabbit prince met a bobcat, asking her if something huge is going to happen. The bobcat explained the King will be coming soon, just after he makes sure his beloved Queen gives birth. Many animals came to see that he will hear their requests, either a serious matter, a petty feud, or quarrel over land territory. Other creatures have been coming here for days and still can't get a hearing, mostly because of petty nonsense.

The slop was filling up fast like a landslide, and El-ahrairah's heart sank. He would never be able to beg the King with these animals all contending. The rabbit prince almost felt like giving up, but as if he could hear Rabscuttle's voice in his head chastising him for thinking such foolish thoughts, ordering him to keep moving forward and don't quit for your people's sake. El-ahrairah frowned in determination. He racked his brain, trying to come up with a trick to help him.

His answer came when he noticed far away at the top of the slop was an ornamental basin, oval-shaped and twice as long as himself, raised upon a stone plinth above the surrounding grassland. He examined it, climbing up an old log to peer inside. The basin was full of some strange water, but it was a silver shining fluid he had never seen before, not transparent like normal water, the smooth surface shining and reflecting in the setting sun overhead, and he can still see his reflection. He asked one of the wild cats what it is, and the wild cat explained it is a quicksilver given to the King and Queen some time ago as a present. It was put here so that everyone can admire it.

Thanking the wild cat, El-ahrairah came up with a clever trick. He moved like lightening, leaping into the basin's pool. The quicksilver did not react like normal water did, for it was thicker and buoyant. Try as he would, he could not get beneath the surface, rolling about and struggling. This caught the attention of the animals as they gathered round the edge of the pool to criticize him for his stupidity and he's got no business to do this.

Of course, El-ahrairah clambered out with difficulty, surprised to find himself not soaked with this stuff. He made a mad dash toward the slop, seeing it had cleared out because of his commotion. Some of the animals tried to hold him back, but he struggled and clawed himself free. Upon passing the foot of the slope, El-ahrairah found himself face-to-face with the King of Tomorrow, a magnificent stag with smooth fur and antlers like a superb crown. The King silenced the protesting assembly with a stomp of his black hooves. Walking to the center of the lawn, the King gazed down at the glittering silver rabbit in front of him.

"Why have you caused such a trifle? Do you know it could get you into trouble?" scolded the stag, in a deep smooth voice.

"Don't be hard on him, my love," spoke a soothing gentle voice, and just behind the stag lay a beautiful female deer, who lay in a nest of leaves and flowers to tenderly lick a baby fawn, recently born. "He probably had a reason for it."

"Why have you come here and what sort of animal are you?"

"I apologize for my actions, Your Majesty," replied El-ahrairah. "I'm an English rabbit. I have come very far to petition for your royal bounty." And so, he told his story to the King, out loud for all creatures to hear, about his people's lack of sense of smell. Not only did it hinder them in feeding and finding their way about, but it left them in great danger from their enemies, whom they could not smell coming and many rabbits lost their lives to elil. He told of his adventure in the Dark Country, his encounter with the glanbrin and Ilips, his meeting the King of Yesterday and he came here on the back of a Kenai wolf to see His Majesty and grant him this power to help him and his people.

The King listened to him with great patience, in the manner of one who was never hurried and was always obeyed. "I do have this power, but I have never used it. This would be to assume the power of Lord Frith to confer upon a whole species a faculty they lack."

Suddenly recalling the animals of yesterday and their suffering at the hands of wicked humans, El-ahrairah cried loudly to the King, "Your Majesty, please give us this sense. I promise you and every creature here that my people shall become the greatest scourge and tribulation against the human race in the world. We will destroy their green-stuff, burrow under their fences, spoil their crops, harass them day and night!"

A great cheer broke out among the subjects, now siding themselves with this daring rabbit as they all pleaded for the King to give him the sense of smell. They wanted his people to become the humans' worst enemy, just as much as the humans are their enemies. Even the Queen voiced her agreement with them. This babel continued for a while, until the King silenced the audience with a stern gaze.

"I have heard rumors that rabbits have been tamed by humans as their pets long ago. I was not sure their kind can be a nuisance to humans if they sided with them, until I met you," he said, contemplating his decision and knew El-ahrairah was not a rabbit to break a promise, "Then be it so. take my blessing to your people, and with it the sense of smell, to be theirs forever."

The King lowered his head, pressed his nuzzle against El-ahrairah's forehead and his antlers magically enclosed the rabbit prince like an invincible palisade. In that instance, El-ahrairah took a deep breath and exhaled from his nostrils, feeling his sense of smell for the first time. He could smell the grass, the crowd of animals and the King's warm breath. Overcome with joy and gratitude, the rabbit prince thanked the King as the animals either applauded or cheered to wish him luck.

A golden eagle carried him home and, after a long flight, he set him down in his own meadow. The first ones to greet him were Rabscuttle and his Owsla, then emerged the entire inhabitants of his warren, exclaiming how they can smell so many different scents, thanks to the King's blessing. Rabscuttle decided everyone should celebrate by stealing those tasty cabbages in the farmer's kitchen garden downhill. And so, the rabbits dug up a tunnel under the fence, eager to cause mischief to the humans and steal those cabbages for a delicious feast.

"So, all of you who've been listening to this story, just remember when you are older and whenever you steal flayrah from men, you're not only stuffing your bellies, you're fulfilling the solemn promise of El-ahrairah to the King of Tomorrow," Trefoil concluded the end of the tale.

"That was an excellent story, Trefoil," Lily complimented sincerely. "But there's one thing I still don't get - what does a glanbrin and an Ilip look like?"

"Oh, a glanbrin is a rabbit-like creature, larger than our kind and have no eyes," Trefoil explained. "As for the Ilips, I have no idea. Probably some sort of elil. Anyway, who wants to be next to tell another story?"

"I do!" Haystack volunteered to tell the next tale. "I pick the story of the Three Cows. Dandelion told me all about it, and I think it's perfect for our next story." She stood on a high rock platform to begin the second tale.

All animals grow weaker as the seasons pass, and El-ahrairah found out himself when his hearing grew less keen and his stiff paws were no longer swift or agile for him to escape elil that his Owsla intervened more than once to save him. Rabscuttle felt his age catching up to him as well, but he did not what to do if he could not lead his Owsla against elil or enemy rabbits. One day, a yellowhammer approached El-ahrairah, who was feeing outside his burrow, that he will not grow old unless the secret he is looking for will be found amongst the Three Cows. Some sort of magic to eternal youth. According to the little bird, the first cow is located within an enchanted wood just under a high down in the neighborhood.

And so, El-ahrairah set off on another quest to seek eternal youth, leaving Rabscuttle in charge when he left, although he never heard of any wood located near the high hills. Thanks to the yellowhammer's directions, he found the foot of the enchanted wood on the far side of the meadow. In front of the outskirts sat the biggest brown and white cow he had ever seen, most likely one of the Three Cows he had been told of. The First Cow was so large that her size blocked the wood's entrance. She never ate nor drank, obviously she is a cow of sorcery and she must be a guardian of the wood. It is sacred by Lord Frith, according to the Cow, and nobody dared go in. Thick thorns and briers were tangled and twisted so that no one, not even a beetle, could possibly get through. When El-ahrairah tried asking politely to let him pass, the Cow firmly replied, "There is no way through."

Then, El-ahrairah came up with a trick to get her to move. He told the cow there were two badgers who evidently intend to get in by digging up a tunnel to get under the thorns and briers, and it would not take them long to get where they are. Irritated, the Cow left to deal with the matter as she rounded the corner. As soon as the Cow had gone, El-ahrairah did not lose a moment to dash through the open gap and found himself in a strange wood like he had never known. It was full of odd sounds, frightening enough to scare off any intruder, while others sounded like birds who sang beautifully. There is no track nor path for him to follow. He could smell water, finding a stream where he drank from. Noticing at the lower down the course of the stream, El-ahrairah saw a faint glow of bright light and decided to follow the rushing water, feeling sure it must run out of the wood.

After two hours, he stumbled upon a marshy area where the stream ran out of the wood to a smooth green meadow, where El-ahrairah devoured some moon daisies, orchid, burnet and buttercups. He met no other animals, other than a great and noble white bull. His eyes were blue like the sky, his curved horns were pure silver and his soft coat as shite as the clouds. He was so handsome and strong. El-ahrairah greeted him politely, for the bull was friendly and kind, but he looked so lonely and downhearted.

"I had a mate once, whom they call the Second Cow," explained the white bull, "but I can never reach her for she is surrounded by a great expanse of sharp rocks and pointed boulders, which cut or bruised my legs and hooves. Not to mention a huge black bull is holding her captive. I have lived here for months, but I can find no way to pass the cruel ravine nor find a way to get rid of that horrid beast."

Pitying the white bull, El-ahrairah demanded he'd be shown the way to the ravine so he can figure out a plan to help him and the Second Cow. The white bull agreed, leading him to the edge of the ravine where a large mass of sharp and thick stones. The other side of the ravine appeared bare and dismal, no grass and no water. No animal can cross it, but it was the only way to the Second Cow. A rabbit like El-ahrairah could manage it due to his small size. Telling the white bull to wait patiently, El-ahrairah climbed down a small landslide of old fallen rocks to inside the ravine, slipping in and out of the pointed boulders and between the razor-sharp rocks. It was hard going for a rabbit, a few times he had to stop and make sure which path is safe to cross. Some of the stones cut his paws or scrapped his sides, but it never stopped him. However, these stones gave him an idea on how to get rid of this mystery bull if he ever crossed paths with this beast.

At last, El-ahrairah came onto the dry flat land beyond the stones. The first creature he met was the Second Cow herself, except she appeared grey and gaunt and thin (except the poor creature is pregnant) with an air of lonely sorrow, which made him pity her at once. He greeted her cheerfully, but when she responded back to him, the Second Cow barely answered him. He asked why she's so unhappy, so she told him her sad tale: The Second Cow used to be a happy and content animal with her family living in this field, until a wicked black bull began attacking everyone one at a time. It was like no other bull she had ever seen. He was bigger than most bulls with a body very muscular, great horns resembled the devil's horns sharp enough to slice flesh, fur as black as midnight, and blazing red eyes. The black bull had slaughtered everyone in her family, but he spared her life because she was beautiful and tried to force her to be his mate. Whenever she refused, the black bull forbade her from drinking or eating, leaving the Second Cow to starve. When she gave in, he allowed her to eat or drink only a small portion of dry grass or puddles of water.

In that moment, the black bull came out of nowhere. He grew angry at this puny intruder trespassing on his land. A furious El-ahrairah told him off this was never his land and he had no right to force the Second Cow to be his mate after the foul way he treated her. The rabbit prince saw sharp rocks springing out of the ground round his form. He knew then the secret to the black bull's enchantment. The deadly impassible ravine was the black bull's power and reflection of his stone-cold heart, purposely preventing the Second Cow from escaping his grasp and to make sure the white bull will never liberate the damsel in distress. The black bull charged forward, aiming his wicked horns directly down at the rabbit, who lunged sideways to avoid impalement. Some of rocks burst from the dry earth, trying to impale the shocked El-ahrairah, but he was quick and he dodged the oncoming sharp rocks, taunting the black bull how he could not catch a rabbit because his plump body made him slow and lazy.

His teasing provoked the black bull, determined to kill the little pipsqueak. Feigning fear at being cornered at the ravine, El-ahrairah waited for the black bull to come at him. The black bull grew closer and closer, just as he prepared to impale and knock the trespasser over the edge, the brave rabbit leapt over his enormous head, making a jump so high and so incredible that no rabbit ever dared tried. The black bull lost his footing on the ledge, his weight caused the earth to crumble and he tumbled down into the ravine where a pained bellow of agony reached the ears of El-ahrairah and the Second Cow not long after. The two of them peered down into the abyss, and there lay the black bull impaled by his own sharp rocks and his skull crushed by the thick boulders. Immediately, his body vanished and the ravine crumbled away to nothingness. Everything before them was replaced by a shallow pond, grass twined by ivy and blue bugle and marigold, all life seemed to have returned.

"You have killed him! You have saved me!" cried the Second Cow, her appearance suddenly transformed the second her captor had been destroyed. Her grey fur changed to a glimmering golden shade, her golden horns curved like a crown and her once gloomy frown replaced by a beautiful smile.

Racing over the great plain, the while bull happily and romantically embraced the Second Cow upon reunion. El-ahrairah remained with them for a while, witnessing the birth of their firstborn calf. A female calf whom they named Whitethorn. She inherited her father's white fur and blue eyes, and took after her mother's golden horns. The two became close friends, often telling her tales of his previous adventures. All of a sudden, the yellowhammer flew out of nowhere, warning El-ahrairah he had stayed too long and he must resume his journey to find the Third Cow. El-ahrairah was sad to leave his new friends, whom warned him the Third Cow is like no other cow anybody ever seen, who is able to swallow up the world and all that is in it.

Whitethorn offered to go with her friends to keep him company and his guardian. Her parents agreed, yet they told her to be careful and El-ahrairah to look after her. The two comrades set out together, though this part of the country was the hardest part on El-ahrairah's wanderings. In the distant, they can see great mountains and regions of icy waters. The weather had grown colder them more they advanced further on. If it was not for Whitethorn's warm body, El-ahrairah might have frozen to death. Winter was coming, and nature around them got colder by the second. They started to believe they would never find the Third Cow, that is until they entered the Land of the Third Cow.

The Third Cow herself was the end of the world, where in this land there is nothing that is not the Third Cow. Horns and hooves and tail and ears, the entire body of the Cow filled out to the world's edge. The two friends could have found her bottom first if they did and travel for days finding the Cow's head, but they did find her face first. They stared at her great head as her eyes stared down at them and huge mouth that gaped like a cave. Whenever she spoke to them, her voice was like a giant speaking inside a cave.

"I have come to seek for my youth," explained El-ahrairah.

"I have swallowed it up," replied the gigantic Cow. "As a result, I swallow all that is in the world. My name is Time, and no creature escapes me." And when she yawned, she swallowed half the day.

Refusing to give up, El-ahrairah turned to Whitethorn, who shivered at the sight of Time. "I'm going to find my youth inside Time. Wait for me outside, please."

"Don't go, my friend! You'll be lost forever!" pleaded Whitethorn. "Who knows what will happen if you go inside that thing!"

El-ahrairah gently assured her that he will be fine and he will find a way out. He timed it perfectly. As the Third Cow's mouth opened in a vast snore, he plunged forward into the mouth, being sucked in by the air of the snore and disappeared beyond the red cavern. Now no one knows what befall El-ahrairah in the body of the Third Cow, for it has never been told and never will be so not to frighten storytellers or his audience. It seemed like another world to El-ahrairah: all that the Cow had swallowed over these long years, strange creatures he met and what food he ate to survive within this dreadful world. The Third Cow was beyond the reach of any rabbit's understanding. It felt like forever to him searching for the secret to his youth, until he found the entrails of the Cow, where a slope led downward into a faint light. Here lay a lake - a magnificent lake of golden milk. This was the udder of the Third Cow, where its stored milk contained all the blessings of the years and the warmth of all the suns that have ever shone. This was the lake of youth.

El-ahrairah stood at the lake's edge, gazing at his reflection on the milk's surface and he prepared to lean in for a drink. His paws slipped, making him fell right into the golden milk. He paddled helplessly, trying to stay afloat. The rabbit felt his strength leaving him, sinking to the bottom. Suddenly he felt himself drawn downward into a tube, traveling rapidly into a warm wet mouth, his rear end stuck on the mouth of Whitethorn, who somehow sensed her friend was in danger and rescued him by suckling at one of the Cow's teats, finding the milk very sweet to taste. She spat El-ahrairah's bottom off her lips, watching the rabbit splutter and choke for air in the open atmosphere.

Then a glow of youth and renewed strength surrounded El-ahrairah, who danced on the grass in celebration of his success. Whitethorn danced alongside him, glad to have saved him and he found what he is looking for. They left the Land of the Third Cow, knowing their adventure was finally over. First, he returned Whitethorn to her parents, then passed the enchanted wood where the First Cow once stood, except she was no longer there. She had vanished mysteriously and nobody has seen her since. Upon his return to the warren, his friend Rabscuttle took a whiff and tasted the remaining golden milk droplets off his fur, suddenly making him feel like his younger self again.

"And even though El-ahrairah never saw Whitethorn again, neither of them would ever forget one another and some say she might or might not stay the same age for drinking the golden milk," Haystack announced, finishing her story.

"Thank you, Haystack," Hyzenthlay praised warmly, "that was a very good story."

"Yes, and it appears to have made Pipkin feel a lot better." This was true as Lily gazed down at her son, little Pipkin had this huge grin plastered on his face.

"Oh, I'm feeling much better now, mother," said Pipkin. "I feel like going outside to play!"

The second he said those words, all of the kittens rushed outside to play or frolic in the grass. Some of the does left with them, just to keep an eye on them or to relax under the warm sun's heat. Before leaving the Honeycomb, Hyzenthlay turned to Haystack.

"You know, I've never heard you tell a story before. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to become like Dandelion." Hyzenthlay raised a suspicious playful eyebrow.

Haystack's cheeks turned a shade of red. "Why would you think that?"

"Oh, come on. You didn't think I'd notice the signs, Haystack. You're smitten with him, aren't you?"

"WHAT?! Me? Crushing on Dandelion?! That's crazy!"

Hyzenthlay only chuckled at her reaction. "It's okay. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. Your secret's safe with me."