Властелин колец: Братство кольца
A Long-expected Party
Foritis,ofcourse,alsothebirthdayofmyheirandnephew,Frodo.Hecomesofageandintohisinheritancetoday.Someperfunctoryclappingbytheelders;andsomeloudshoutsof’Frodo!Frodo!JollyoldFrodo,’fromthejuniors.TheSackville-Bagginsesscowled,andwonderedwhatwasmeantby’comingintohisinheritance’.Togetherwescoreonehundredandforty-four.Yournumberswerechosentofitthisremarkabletotal:OneGross,ifImayusetheexpression.Nocheers.Thiswasridiculous.Manyofhisguests,andespeciallytheSackville-Bagginses,wereinsulted,feelingsuretheyhadonlybeenaskedtofilluptherequirednumber,likegoodsinapackage.’OneGross,indeed!Vulgarexpression.’
Itisalso,ifImaybeallowedtorefertoancienthistory,theanniversaryofmyarrivalbybarrelatEsgarothontheLongLake;thoughthefactthatitwasmybirthdayslippedmymemoryonthatoccasion.Iwasonlyfifty-onethen,andbirthdaysdidnotseemsoimportant.Thebanquetwasverysplendid,however,thoughIhadabadcoldatthetime,Iremember,andcouldonlysay’thagyouverybuch’.Inowrepeatitmorecorrectly:Thankyouverymuchforcomingtomylittleparty.Obstinatesilence.Theyallfearedthatasongorsomepoetrywasnowimminent;andtheyweregettingbored.Whycouldn’thestoptalkingandletthemdrinkhishealth?ButBilbodidnotsingorrecite.Hepausedforamoment.
Thirdlyandfinally,hesaid,IwishtomakeanANNOUNCEMENT.Hespokethislastwordsoloudlyandsuddenlythateveryonesatupwhostillcould.Iregrettoannouncethat—though,asIsaid,eleventy-oneyearsisfartooshortatimetospendamongyou—thisistheEND.Iamgoing.IamleavingNOW.GOOD-BYE!
Hesteppeddownandvanished.Therewasablindingflashoflight,andtheguestsallblinked.
