Captain CampionSir, the wide patrol has picked up the scent of a large band of rabbits near the down. Unfortunately, sir, they lost them.
Tell them not to return until they're located. Leave one alive for questioning.
Voiced by Lee Ingleby
Watership Down · 22 quotes
Tied for 6th most-quoted character in Watership Down: in 4 of its 22 quotes
Most scenes with: General Woundwort (4), Sergeant Sainfoin (2)
Scenes with Captain Campion 4
Captain CampionI've called you here to invite you to voice any concerns you may have.
[the rabbits are all silent, and then Sainfoin speaks up]
I... I feel like by sending us to search for the outsiders, we're risking lives. These are the rabbits who have a bird under their control. I mean, who knows what other kind of elil they might have power over?
Are you really concerned about the lives of your bucks, or are you concerned about your own life? Are you afraid, sergeant?
Maybe... maybe I am afraid.
[pushes Sainfoin to the ground; lividly] YOU DISGUST ME! IF YOU EXPIRE SERVING THIS WARREN, YOU SHOULD CONSIDER YOURSELF FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE GLORY OF SUCH A DEATH! Those of you not loyal to me invite outsiders to steal our does. Men to kill us and the elil to bring the white blindness. Those of you not loyal to me, hate Efrafa. Are you loyal, sergeant?
Yes, sir.
And what about you, Campion?
Captain CampionI am, general.
Good, I don't care if it takes one Frith or a thousand, you will find the outsiders who stole our does. And when you do, we will DESTROY THEIR WARREN AND LEAVE NO TRACE OF THEM ON THIS EARTH! And to those of you who tremble in the wake of birds, or foxes or any of the thousand enemies of rabbits, I say this: In Efrafa, we run from no Elil! We are the Elil!
Hazel, we rally up anyone at silflay and take them down into the honeycomb at once.
Alright, Holly, go. Bigwig, go and tell Strawberry to collapse all the entrances for the wood run and the big root.
Wait, where are you going?
I'm going to buy us some time.
Hazel, no--!
Bigwig, go.
Is there anything I can do, Hazel?
Have you been able to make any sense of your visions? The hrududu, the ropes?
No, I don't know what any of it means.
Don't worry. Get back to the warren with the others and try to keep everyone calm.
[Hazel leaves to try to reason with Woundwort]
Did Thlayli send you?
I am a friend of Thlayli, yes.
Ha! He's some chief rabbit. Sending you out here instead of coming himself. [darkly] We are going to destroy you.
I imagine you planned to take our warren by surprise, attack us at dawn, when we moved out to silflay. But you approached downwind and up here on the Downs, the wind is changeable. That’s what gave you away.
An inconvenience, nothing more. By closing off some of your tunnels, you're merely delaying the inevitable.
You should know that you won’t find it easy. You will leave with far fewer bucks. We should come to better terms. If we start a new warren in the belt of woods halfway between our two homes, we could share resources. Rabbits have enough enemies as it is, without fighting between us. You'd be seen as a leader of vision. You'd be seen as a leader of genius.
Captain CampionIt, er, might be worth considering, sir.
It amuses me that you feel you're in a position to strike a deal. Let's see if you feel the same way after three days without food.
Very well.
Tell your chief rabbit that I look forward to seeing him again. [Hazel leaves] Each of you take your bucks and cover one of the entrances. Nothing leaves this warren and lives.
The men say they heard a noise, a great wailing. You don't think that bird's back?
If you mention that bird one more time, I will destroy you. Campion, prepare to follow me in, but not too close, in case we're ambushed.
Captain CampionI will not.
You dare disobey me? What kind of a soldier are you?
Captain CampionI'd rather be a good rabbit than a good soldier, sir.
Orchis, finish him. Sainfoin, come with me.
OCaptain Orchis
That's under the command of Captain Campion to join my Battalion.
Captain CampionAll bucks under my command are dismissed.
OCaptain Orchis
Leave here and you'll be hunted down. [chucking] You'll be dead!
Captain Campion[threateningly] My rank equal you may be, Orchis, but my equal in combat you are not. I strongly advise you to step away from me.
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