The history of Waterfall dictated the rabbits of the time had a sort of “deal” with man; one rabbit a day in exchange for protection and food. For a time this did well for them, for Cowslip and his rabbits, but rise for want of freedom soon came to light when an unknown buck came to the territory with his rabbits and their mission; to find a new home. This Hazel character spoke of a place of peace, tranquility and of no death to fall upon a rabbit outside of old age and Inle coming for them to join their warren. At the time the chief of Waterfall, originally named Shining Wire, did not agree with the nonsense and folly that was being said to his warren--to his rabbits. Cowslip refused for a long time in the ideals of Watership Down, but uproar of some rabbits fighting back against the deal and their original way of life sent the warren into a tizzy with a new found vigor for survival--to live and not just be fodder later.

 

     Over time this way of thinking was showing among the generations, especially when the man no longer came for their part of the deal or to surrender food to the rabbits of Shining Wire. As Cowslip grew older, he’d notice that no matter how many gave their lives for food and protection, man no longer came (the land was abandoned after the man moved away). It was during the reign of Cowslips son did things begin to change, over time the new chief would go out with a group of rabbits to disable the wire traps of man that were too close to the warren and left them around the more wooded areas where the Elil lingered most. Another form of life soon began developing for Shining Wire, after a few changes to the way they lived and relearning the ways of El-ahrairah. They began to cultivate the land, learning of the many thriving and hardy plants that surrounded their warren. Eventually they were even able to build some trust with Redstone, renamed Cobblestone at a later date, and had trenches dug out for their land, which led to the much easier protection of their home. It was the decision of Cowslips’ most recent descendant to rename the Shining Wire; it became Waterfall.