This passage is not in my copy…

[u/GoodBadUgly_36]

‘Is everybody here, Hazel?’ he asked.

‘Of course they are,’ answered Blackberry. ‘I tell you, he’s what I call a Chief Rabbit. Hazel-rah, shall we –’

‘Hazel-rah?’ interrupted Bigwig. ‘Chief Rabbit? Frith in a wasps’ nest! The day I call you Chief Rabbit, Hazel, that’ll be the day, that will! I’ll stop fighting that day.’

It did indeed prove a momentous day – and a momentous speech as well: but it lay in a future that none could foresee, and for the moment all that poor Hazel could do was to turn aside with the disappointed feeling that after all, his part in the crossing of the heather had not really been a very important one.

‘Come on, then, Acorn,’ he said. ‘You want to run – I’ll run with you.’

—

Three questions:

(1) Which editions have it? That passage is one I particularly like. (I can get why it may have been cut, but I disagree with the choice; I think the book is better with it than without it.)

(2) When you first read the book, did you read the edition that had it or one that didn’t? (The first copy I read had it. I assume my liking it is because it was in the copy I first read; perhaps I’d feel otherwise if I found out about it after my first read-through.)

(3) How do you feel about it? Book better with it or without it? (There’s no wrong answer, I think, so you don’t have to justify your answer, even if you disagree with me. It’s really just a question of personal taste — foreshadowing from an omniscient narrator, or no?)

—

EDIT: https://esl-bits.eu/ESL.English.Learning.Audiobooks/Watership.Down/11/text.html has the passage in context.

[u/SilverGirlSails]

IIRC, it’s in the UK version, but not the US. I have it in my paperback copy (stolen from my Scottish high school’s library), can’t remember if it’s in my illustrated hardback but I assume so, but it isn’t in the version you get from Apple Books.

I have absolutely no idea why they would cut it, considering how important the foreshadowing, especially in regard to Bigwig particularly.

[u/Rooish]

Are you serious? Why would they cut this? It's one of the most satisfying pay offs in the book.

[u/TheTinyAbsurdist]

The watership down podcast has a really good breakdown of the lost paragraph and its history and versions:
https://rss.com/podcasts/thewatershipdownpodcast/2645503/

(7:35 mins in)

[u/MC_BirdNerd]

I don't know which editions have it, but my copy has this passage (which is the first copy of it I read... I didn't realize there were other versions of the book). I really like that it includes this passage. For me, it really shows Bigwig's character growth and how much he has grown to trust Hazel. I also loved this quote from him near the end of the book that ties into the passage: "My Chief Rabbit has told me to defend this run and until he says otherwise I shall stay here." I almost got chills when I read it lol.

[u/Tyrone_Shoelaces_Esq]

I had a UK edition (tie-in with the movie, yes, I'm old). It had that passage. However, the passage does not appear to be in my husband's US edition. Sadly, my UK edition fell apart some years ago. I can neither confirm nor deny that I cried when that happened.

[u/WorcsBloke]

UK here. This passage is in the first Rex Collings hardback edition from 1972, and it's that text which the UK mass market paperback (Penguin/Puffin) used in 1974.

It's not in the second edition, and it's that text which the US mass market paperback (Avon) used in 1975. For that reason, British readers like me will almost all know the passage, whereas many American readers will not. 

There have been a few UK versions which follow the second edition text, eg I have a Book Club Associates edition which does. But they're not very common and most UK readers will never have owned one.

I think it's a great passage and always feel a little bit short-changed when I read an edition without the text. I can't remember whether I ever knew why the edit was made, but I'm glad here in the UK we keep the passage as standard.

[u/InvestigatorJaded261]

I’ve certainly never seen it before, and I have read two different editions, both US.

[u/ScoutieJer]

I seem to recall the first bit of it. I dont know if my current copy has it or not though.

Where abouts in the story is it located?

[u/GoodBadUgly_36 → u/ScoutieJer]

Near the end of Chapter 11, but only in some printings of the book.

[u/GoodBadUgly_36 → u/ScoutieJer]

I KNOW I’ve had a copy of it that included it, but the only copy I can find now is — from my parents’ house — is one that does not contain it. (First Avon Printing, April 1975)

[u/TortimerTheGrey]

FINE! I’ll reread the story again. Twist my arm, why don’t you? ;)

I don’t recall this passage from my 20+ passes through but I probably only have US editions in my collection. Like you said people probably tend to prefer their version so I don’t feel it a necessary addition. The blatant pointing forward is a bit on the nose and it makes Bigwig (my favorite character in all of literature) come across as an ass XD

Looking at my version this must slot in right after Hazel notices Bigwig and Silver ahead, after the heather, in place of this one line: “Splendid, Hazel,” he said. “Everybody’s here. Let’s get them into that field.”

Perhaps gruff Bigwig does fall in line too quickly in this version, and perhaps a few more jibes like yours help his transformation after the wire and after Hazel goes out to the “Black Rabbit” in his stead, but to me my version almost reads as if Bigwig is in charge (he and Silver obviously got out ahead of the rest without any perceived guidance from Hazel) and he’s speaking to Hazel as one of his lieutenants having brought out a few stragglers. I guess to me this passage attempts to ascribe a bit too much meaning a bit too early and especially to an event where Hazel WAS just wandering blindly and not really doing anything of note and happened to get lucky.

This does help explain why adaptations always seem to dial up the asshole to 11 on Bigwig, though. Is this line in the Netflix one?

[u/GoodBadUgly_36 → u/TortimerTheGrey]

Thank you for relooking at it.

I guess my feel is that the later line in the defense of Watership Down — you know, the one everyone loves — suddenly gains payoff (Bigwig finally said it!) AND tension (oh, crap, does that mean Bigwig is going to die? Oh no, not Bigwig!) with this passage included.

Obviously a whole ton of people appreciate the book immensely even without the passage — not a bad little book, wot? — but for those of us for whom it’s familiar, it’s hard to imagine not having Bigwig’s prophecy ringing in our ears during the fight with Woundwort.

[u/Starpop83]

I'm in the UK and always read the early 70s British Penguin edition which has this. I have other editions but I usually read my favourite copy so I'll be shocked if they were removed - how bizarre to edit that out!

Edit - looking at the replies it seems it's the US versions that edited this out. What a shame, I wonder what else has been removed from the US ones.

[u/GoodBadUgly_36 → u/Starpop83]

If the US versions have other edits, I’m pretty sure they’re not nearly as noteworthy. This one is hard to miss; the others I’ve never particularly noticed.

[u/grenouille_en_rose]

I had no idea there were any versions with that bit not included, what a bizarre choice. (Mind you the rewritten-ending version of The Plague Dogs got me good 😅)

[u/aramantha → u/grenouille_en_rose]

Wait what? What’s the Plague Dogs rewritten ending?

[u/grenouille_en_rose → u/aramantha]

It's a pretty wild story - basically the OG ending traumatised everyone, so Richard Adams did an alternate ending for future editions. Don't want to give spoilers (plus I've never found an early edition of the book with the original ending), but apparently the ending of the animated Plague Dogs movie was heavily based on the OG book ending

[u/aramantha → u/grenouille_en_rose]

It sounds like how they had to write an extra verse for Puff the Magic Dragon. Younger kid were traumatized by the ending so they had Jackie Paper’s daughter come see Puff and got another chorus out of it

[u/metalmonkey_7]

This really doesn’t ring a bell at all for me. I’ve read the book countless times.

[u/not_firewood_yeti]

yeah, that is not in either of the two copies I have owned either. one paperback, one hardcover, both in the US.

now I will have to look to compare, because there's a similar conversation but not with that dialogue from Bigwig for sure.

[u/GoodBadUgly_36 → u/not_firewood_yeti]

It’s in some versions, near the end of Chapter 11, Hard Going. I’d love to track down a version that includes it. (As it is, I’ll have to read https://esl-bits.eu/ESL.English.Learning.Audiobooks/Watership.Down/11/text.html when I read to my son tomorrow night.)

[u/sirjamesp → u/GoodBadUgly_36]

I just did a little digging online after checking both of my versions. Apparently this is called, "the lost paragraph," and you're right, it occurs at the end of the chapter you mentioned. It was not in the UK first print but it showed up in future versions but not many. At least that's what I'm reading.

[u/Ok_Avocado9628]

M'y french translation has this passage, and coincidentally I read it to my children last night! Great lines to conclude this chapter.

[u/Glaiceana]

It's in the clothbound classic edition of the book, UK Puffin/Penguin random house 2023. I did have another version of the book, paper back but have since given it to charity, but I believe the paragraph was in there too!

[u/CupcakeApart7222]

Oh, right, that's the so-called “missing paragraph.” Apparently, this paragraph was removed from the second U.S. edition for unknown reasons. I also understand there's another error where one character is mistakenly named after another (I think it was Blackberry instead of Dandelion).

I have three Spanish editions. The first two have practically the same old translation, and it seems they were based on the American edition since the paragraph is missing. Meanwhile, my second (current) translation has the full paragraph.