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When El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle reach their home warren after their journey home from the abode of the Black Rabbit of Inle, they have an encounter with Lord Frith, who has some gifts for them (end of chapter 31):

I have brought a few trifles for you [El-ahrairah]. A pair of ears, a tail, and some whiskers...Ah, there is Rabscuttle coming back. Good, I have something for him, too.

But before we hear what Rabscuttle's gift was Hazel and the other rabbits listening to the story are interrupted by the approach of a fox.

Rabscuttle's gift seems important, but if there were any insights to be gleaned about its nature in either Watership Down or Tales From Watership Down, I missed them. Did I miss something?

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  • 2
    I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because Watership Down is not a work of Science Fiction of Fantasy, and as such is off-topic.
    – Dr R Dizzle
    Commented Aug 20, 2015 at 14:21
  • 2
    related meta discussion: Are anthropomorphic animals by themselves enough to deem a work fantasy?
    – phantom42
    Commented Aug 20, 2015 at 14:23
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    @DrRDizzle the book isnt off topic, and even if the book is off topic, look at the question hes asking about the mythical god character aka a fantastical element of the story.
    – Himarm
    Commented Aug 20, 2015 at 14:39
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    @phantom42 one of the rabbits goes into trances and sees the future, which is a major plot point in the book, seeing the future is a fantasy element, and again as its central to the story, aka they act on these visions, this book is fantasy. we have 2 magic rabbits, end of story, gg...
    – Himarm
    Commented Aug 20, 2015 at 14:47
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    @Richard From the article you link to "I’m a fantasist."—Richard Adams. Moreover, the portions of Watership Down featuring El-ahrairah, Rabscuttle, the Black Rabbit of Inle, and Lord Frith—precisely the subjects of the question—are prima facie fantasy.
    – Lexible
    Commented Aug 20, 2015 at 16:40

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I've checked in Watership Down and Tales From Watership Down, as well as a few fan sites and as far as I can tell the story of El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit of Inlé is left unfinished (the storyteller, Dandelion, is interrupted by the appearance of a fox). We never get to know what Lord Frith gave to Rabscuttle.

So the only answer is that no, you didn't miss anything.

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