34 'Watership Down' Quotes From Richard Adams' Symbolic Tale

Published in 1972, 'Watership Down' is a classic book by author Richard Adams.

This novel features many characters from Woundwort, Bigwig, Hazel, Holly, Fiver, and many more. In the book, these rabbits abandon their doomed warren and face dangers in search of a new home.

This classic book symbolizes and is a metaphor for how humankind often destroys animals' environments. The main theme of the book revolves around home and belonging, as the rabbits are in search of a home where they can be free from fear and oppression. This book was even banned in some countries as its presentation of animals and humans as equal and on the same level was a controversial claim.

If you have already checked out these [Peter Rabbit quotes] and ['Lord Of The Rings' quotes], now is the time to dive into these amazing quotes from 'Watership Down'! Will you find your favorite quote, or a quote said by your favorite character here?
 

Are you a fan of the 'Watership Down' characters? Did you find the story of the rabbits trying to escape their warren and find a new home truly adventurous? Then you will enjoy the set of quotes we have listed down for sure!

1. “To come to the end of a time of anxiety and fear! To feel the cloud that hung over us lift and disperse—the cloud that dulled the heart and made happiness no more than a memory! This at least is one joy that must have been known by almost every living creature.”

-Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

2. “We all have to meet our match sometime or other.”

-Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

3. “A rabbit has two ears; a rabbit has two eyes, two nostrils. Our two warrens ought to be like that. They ought to be together—not fighting.”

-Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

4. “El-ahrairah, your people cannot rule the world, for I will not have it so. All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.”

-Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

5. “My Chief Rabbit has told me to stay and defend this run, and until he says otherwise, I shall stay here.”

-Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

6. “There is nothing that cuts you down to size like coming to some strange and marvelous place where no one even stops to notice that you stare about you.”

― Richard Adams, Watership Down.

7. "Can you run? I think not."

― Richard Adams, Watership Down.

8. "I think we ought to do all we can do to make these creatures friendly. It might turn out to be well worth the trouble."

-Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

9. "They forgot the ways of the wild rabbits."

-Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

10. "But even to themselves they pretended that all was well, for the food was good, they were protected, they had nothing to fear but the one fear; and that struck here and there, never enough at a time to drive them away."

-Richard Adams, Watership Down.

11. “For the first time, Hazel began to realize how much they had left behind. The holes and tunnels of an old warren become smooth, reassuring and comfortable with use.

-Richard Adams, Watership Down.

12. "We could put Fiver and Pipkin on it and make it float again. It might go across the river. Can you understand?”

-Richard Adams, Watership Down.

13. "Men will never rest till they've spoiled the earth and destroyed the animals."

-Holly, Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

14. "You know how you let yourself think that everything will be all right if you can only get to a certain place or do a certain thing. But when you get there you find it's not that simple."

-Holly, Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

The 'Watership Down' book has taught us a lot about the struggle of animals, including some sad quotes about death. This book is filled with mysteries and adventure, if you have read the book and want to go through some of the famous quotes again then you are at the right place!

15. "Some say that the Black Rabbit hates us and wants our destruction. But the truth is — or so they taught me — that he, too, serves Lord Frith and does no more than his appointed task."

— From 'The Story Of El Ahrairah And The Black Rabbit Of Inlé" in Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

16.  "Rabbits need dignity and above all the will to accept their fate."

- Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

17. "The truth is, you're just a silly show-off."

- Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

18. "They'd altered what rabbits do naturally because they thought they could do better."

- Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

Look up your favorite quotes from these much-loved characters in the classical novel and share them with your friends. Which is your favorite Fiver quote?

19. "You are closer to death than I."

-Fiver, Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

20. 'If they have to fight, they fight; and if they have to kill they kill. But they don't sit down and set their wits to work to devise ways of spoiling other creatures' lives and hurting them. They have dignity and animality.”

-Hazel, Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

21. "Hazel, look... the field... it's covered with blood!"

-Fiver, Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

22. "You pay for it! The food, the warren... but no one must ever ask where anyone was or speak of the wires! The whole place is snared! Everywhere, every day!"

-Fiver, Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

This classic novel underlines many important factors like fear, oppression and justice. If you are a fan of the book, you will certainly enjoy the compilation of the famous quotes from the book that we have made just for you! Which is your favorite quote from author Richard Adams?

24. "You can nearly always find someone to punish if you try hard enough."

- Captain Chervil, Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

25. "That settles it. I won't go without him."

-Bigwig, Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

26. "Come back, you fools! Dogs aren't dangerous! Come back and fight!"

- Woundwort, Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

27.  “There's terrible evil in the world."

- Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

28. "My heart has joined the Thousand, for my friend stopped running today."

-Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

29. “The rabbits mingled naturally. They did not talk for talking's sake, in the artificial manner that human beings - and sometimes even their dogs and cats - do.

- Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

30. "They want to be natural, the anti-social little beasts. They just don't realize that everyone's good depends on everyone's cooperation."

- Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

31. "You can't call your life your own: and in return you have safety, if it's worth having at the price you pay."

- Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

32. “Bigwig: I told you once that I was trying to impress you... I hope I have.

Gen. Woundwort: And I told you I would kill you myself! There's no white bird here, Bigwig.”

- Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

33: "Hazel: Go... now... or we'll kill you!

Capt. Holly: It's you who'll be killed!”

- Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

34: “Dandelion: If we meet again, Hazel-rah, we'll have the making of the best story ever!

Hazel: And you'll be the one to tell it!”

- Richard Adams, 'Watership Down'.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 'Watership Down' quotes by the author Richard Adams, then why not take a look at these 'The Little Prince' quotes, or classic literature quotes for more?