Властелин колец: Две башни
The Road to Isengard
TheycameswiftlyfromtheNorth,walkinglikewadingheronsintheirgait,butnotintheirspeed;fortheirlegsintheirlongpacesbeatquickerthantheheron’swings.Theriderscriedaloudinwonder,andsomesettheirhandsupontheirsword-hilts.
’Youneednoweapons,’saidGandalf.’Thesearebutherdsmen.Theyarenotenemies,indeedtheyarenotconcernedwithusatall.’
Soitseemedtobe;forashespokethetallcreatures,withoutaglanceattheriders,strodeintothewoodandvanished.
’Herdsmen!’saidThéoden.’Wherearetheirflocks?Whatarethey,Gandalf?Foritisplainthattoyou,atanyrate,theyarenotstrange.’
’Theyaretheshepherdsofthetrees,’answeredGandalf.’Isitsolongsinceyoulistenedtotalesbythefireside?Therearechildreninyourlandwho,outofthetwistedthreadsofstory,couldpicktheanswertoyourquestion.YouhaveseenEnts,OKing,EntsoutofFangornForest,whichinyourtongueyoucalltheEntwood.Didyouthinkthatthenamewasgivenonlyinidlefancy?Nay,Théoden,itisotherwise:tothemyouarebutthepassingtale;alltheyearsfromEorltheYoungtoThéodentheOldareoflittlecounttothem;andallthedeedsofyourhousebutasmallmatter.’
Thekingwassilent.’Ents!’hesaidatlength.’OutoftheshadowsoflegendIbeginalittletounderstandthemarvelofthetrees,Ithink.Ihavelivedtoseestrangedays.Longwehavetendedourbeastsandourfields,builtourhouses,wroughtourtools,orriddenawaytohelpinthewarsofMinasTirith.
