Властелин колец: Братство кольца
Fog on the Barrow-Downs
See,heretheycomeagain,bringingalltheirburdens!’
Merry,Sam,andPippinnowclothedthemselvesinsparegarmentsfromtheirpacks;andtheysoonfelttoohot,fortheywereobligedtoputonsomeofthethickerandwarmerthingsthattheyhadbroughtagainsttheoncomingofwinter.
‘Wheredoesthatotheroldanimal,thatFattyLumpkin,comefrom?’askedFrodo.
‘He’smine,’saidTom.‘Myfour-leggedfriend;thoughIseldomridehim,andhewandersoftenfar,freeuponthehillsides.Whenyourponiesstayedwithme,theygottoknowmyLumpkin;andtheysmelthiminthenight,andquicklyrantomeethim.Ithoughthe’dlookforthemandwithhiswordsofwisdomtakealltheirfearaway.Butnow,myjollyLumpkin,oldTom’sgoingtoride.Hey!he’scomingwithyou,justtosetyouontheroad;soheneedsapony.Foryoucannoteasilytalktohobbitsthatareriding,whenyou’reonyourownlegstryingtotrotbesidethem.’
Thehobbitsweredelightedtohearthis,andthankedTommanytimes;buthelaughed,andsaidthattheyweresogoodatlosingthemselvesthathewouldnotfeelhappytillhehadseenthemsafeoverthebordersofhisland.‘I’vegotthingstodo,’hesaid:‘mymakingandmysinging,mytalkingandmywalking,andmywatchingofthecountry.Tomcan’tbealwaysneartoopendoorsandwillow-cracks.Tomhashishousetomind,andGoldberryiswaiting.’
Itwasstillfairlyearlybythesun,somethingbetweennineandten,andthehobbitsturnedtheirmindstofood.
