"Did you see his body? No. Did anyone? No. Nothing could kill him. He made rabbits bigger than they've ever been—braver, more skillful, more cunning. I know we paid for it. Some gave their lives. It was worth it, to feel we were Efrafans. For the first time ever, rabbits didn't go scurrying away. The elil feared us. And that was on account of Woundwort—him and no one but him. We weren't good enough for the General. Depend upon it, he's gone to start another warren somewhere else. But no Efrafan officer will ever forget him."

Groundsel, one of the Efrafan officers who stays at Hazel's burrow, says these words in praise of Woundwort. Although it seems almost certain that the dog has killed Woundwort, these words are a double-edged sword. They show the inspiration that a great leader can have and the faith that his subjects may have in his abilities. However, Groundsel's quote also demonstrates the danger of a totalitarian regime. He claims that it has been worth the sacrifice, but does he really mean that? It has been worth it for him, certainly, as he is one of the few rabbits who has had privileges, but what about the others? Has it been worth it for the majority of the Efrafan rabbits who have been unable to go out to feed when they want to and who have lived their lives under someone else's control? Clearly not. This quotation shows the danger of indoctrination and demonstrates just how seductive power and glory can be. Certainly Woundwort felt that it was worth it, but Hazel and his rabbits do not think so.

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