Introduction[]
You see, in the Redwall series, they have said many times that hares have served badgers for as long as anyone could remember, but why? Hares aren't low-class beasts, so why would they serve anyone? That's what I'm about to find out!
The Facts[]
In Redwall, there are dozens of cases in the books in which hares befriend/serve badgers. Here are a few of the examples
Lord Brocktree -between Dotti and Brocktree
The Long Patrol -between The Long Patrol and Cregga
Triss -between Sagaxus and Bescarum
Loamhedge - between Lonna and The Long Patrol (in the epilogue)
Mariel of Redwall -between Rawnblade Widestripe and The Long Patrol
There are many more examples, but I just picked these.
The Science[]
In the Webster Dictionary, "mutualism" is described as "any organism relationship in which each individual benefits from the activity of the other". This, in many cases, applies to the hares and the badgers, they both benefit from each other. In the real world, like between the muskrat and the beaver, the badger and the hare can seem highly unlikely, but is possible. Now, please, consider the following: A group of hares are always attacked by a rival group. They need some big, strong, animal to help defend their territory. A badger appears, eating some of the berries on their territory. Instead of chasing him out, they welcome him, and allow him to live there. They even invite him to sleep in their den. In return for their kindness, the badger defends their territory, chasing out the rival group. The badger lives there and raises a family there alongside the hares. Soon, after his death, the badger's son lives there and defends there territory until his son does the same after him. The cycle repeats many, many, many times.
How This Applies[]
In the Redwall world, this would make sense. I mean, if Redwall was a post-apocalyptic world in which hares, before they evolved into humanoids, befriended badgers, and then they all learned how to forge weapons and had wars...until eventually, they themselves had a nuclear holocaust in which the ones that didn't die were mutated into terrible, hideous, creatures...(Okay, I'm gettin' a little creepy here now) But anyway, it's just an essay...a Redwall essay! Thanks for reading!
References[]
- Google.com
- Wikipedia.org
- my ol' noggin'