Rabbits have complex social lives. Each warren is led by a chief who commands lieutenants. Rabbits fear foxes, large birds, cats, and dogs, but their worst enemy is man. Life consists of eating, playing, sleeping, and telling stories in the comfort of the warren.
Hazel's friend Fiver has always had visions. Born the fifth of a litter, he is smaller than most, but his ability to uncannily predict dangers is appreciated by Hazel. When Fiver has a vision of a catastrophe about to strike the warren, he and Hazel try to warn the chief, but the chief doesn't believe in the solution they are proposing, which is to abandon the warren and immediately move somewhere. Dejected, Fiver announces he will be leaving regardless of the chief's decision. Hazel decides to join him, and together they recruit others and depart that very night.
Traveling through the countryside, Hazel leads the rabbits across a river and to a new land, where they are welcomed by other rabbits that appear well fed. Soon, however, they discover these rabbit harbor the dark secret that the man who feeds them well also often captures one or two of them, and they are never seen again. Hazel and the rabbits depart, not without learning of a good way to design a warren.
Having finally located the perfect spot, the rabbits soon realize they will need female rabbits if they want their new warren to survive. With the help of a seagull, they soon learn the existence of another warren a few miles away that might be willing to help them. However, this warren is led with military precision, and the rabbits are lucky to escape with their lives. Hazel and his friends design a plan to free and abscond with females, but end up being chased back to their own warren, where they are besieged. Fortunately, Hazel, Fiver and the others survive the assault and defeat the opposing forces.
First told as a story for the author's daughter, Watership Down develops the society and culture of the rabbits and shares some of their founding myths and folk history. They display courage and dedication in escaping their conditions and finding a new home. In the process they build a new society where they are more free, and yet at the same time more invested in the survival of their community. Fans of allegory will appreciate the details that make the rabbits seem bigger than life and will cheer as obstacles are overcome.
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