I don't know if you're familiar with Watership Down by Richard Adams, the tale of a bunch of rabbits making an epic trek to a new home. It's an excellent version of the hero's quest, despite - or because of - the lapine protagonists. It would undoubtedly be Yo's favourite book.

Interspersed with the ongoing adventure story are telling of rabbit myth, of the legends of their great king El Ahrairah, a trickster with echoes of Br'er Rabbit and Bugs Bunny and some Native American/African spirits like Anansi. These charming and usually funny stories conclude with one deadly serious one though.

The last El Ahrairah story is where his tricks earn him the utter emnity of terrible gods - like dog and cat and man - and man sends the white blight into the warrens and the rabbits begin to die. When his tricks fail El Ahrairah makes a pact with the Black Rabbit (death), his life for his people; because every trickster eventually pays for his licence and the best of them transcend into godhood.

In a splendid epilogue set years after, the young hero rabbit of the main story is very old and listens to the does telling the kittens a story about the great adventure. None of the young rabbits remember it personally now. It's become legend. And in the stories the hero who led them through the danger and brought them safe to their promised land through cunning and sacrifice is El Ahrairah.

I mention this because CSFB! is also gradually transitioning from trickster to leader too, motivated by a care for his people; and kings die for their subjects.