I read the first American edition in 1974, as did my husband. We had a liter box trained pet rabbit at the time. Nasturtium would nip us when she wanted attention, and liked to sleep on our lap or on the back of the couch near our head. We had to lock her out of the bedroom at night, or she would jump on the bed and wake us. She loved peanut butter and came begging when she smelled it, and would chew electric cords and upholstery when she had no apple tree sticks to nibble.
Years later we passed our first edition copy on to our elementary school aged son, who became even a bigger fan than his parents! The book shows the wear of many readings.
Consequently, as a family we regard the passing of Richard Adams with sadness and also much appreciation for sharing the stories he told his girls with the rest of us.
In the late 1990s I worked on a crayon tinted and embroidered quilt based on Watership Down, featuring the characters. It has been languishing in my UFO pile.
The rabbits are from Bunnies & More by Darcy Ashton. My son helped me decide which bunny pattern to use with which Watership Down character.
