Властелин колец: Две башни

           Thencarefullyandsolemnly,hestalkeddownfromsteptostep,andreachedtheflooroftheForest.

           Atoncehesetoffwithlongdeliberatestridesthroughthetrees,deeperanddeeperintothewood,neverfarfromthestream,climbingsteadilyuptowardstheslopesofthemountains.Manyofthetreesseemedasleep,orasunawareofhimasofanyothercreaturethatmerelypassedby;butsomequivered,andsomeraiseduptheirbranchesabovehisheadasheapproached.Allthewhile,ashewalked,hetalkedtohimselfinalongrunningstreamofmusicalsounds.

           Thehobbitsweresilentforsometime.Theyfelt,oddlyenough,safeandcomfortable,andtheyhadagreatdealtothinkandwonderabout.AtlastPippinventuredtospeakagain.

           ’Please,Treebeard,’hesaid,’couldIaskyousomething?WhydidCelebornwarnusagainstyourforest?Hetoldusnottoriskgettingentangledinit.’

           ’Hmm,didhenow?’rumbledTreebeard.’AndImighthavesaidmuchthesame,ifyouhadbeengoingtheotherway.DonotriskgettingentangledinthewoodsofLaurelindórenan!ThatiswhattheElvesusedtocallit,butnowtheymakethenameshorter:Lothlórientheycallit.Perhapstheyareright:maybeitisfading;notgrowing.LandoftheValleyofSingingGold,thatwasit,onceuponatime.NowitistheDreamflower.Ahwell!Butitisaqueerplace,andnotforjustanyonetoventurein.Iamsurprisedthatyouevergotout,butmuchmoresurprisedthatyouevergotin:thathasnothappenedtostrangersformanyayear.Itisaqueerland.

           ’Andsoisthis.