Властелин колец: Братство кольца
Fog on the Barrow-Downs
ThoughFrodolookedabouthimoneverysidehesawnosignofthegreatstonesstandinglikeagate,andbeforelongtheycametothenortherngapandrodeswiftlythrough,andthelandfellawaybeforethem.ItwasamerryjourneywithTomBombadiltrottinggailybesidethem,orbeforethem,onFattyLumpkin,whocouldmovemuchfasterthanhisgirthpromised.Tomsangmostofthetime,butitwaschieflynonsense,orelseperhapsastrangelanguageunknowntothehobbits,anancientlanguagewhosewordsweremainlythoseofwonderanddelight.
Theywentforwardsteadily,buttheysoonsawthattheRoadwasfurtherawaythantheyhadimagined.Evenwithoutafog,theirsleepatmid-daywouldhavepreventedthemfromreachingituntilafternightfallonthedaybefore.Thedarklinetheyhadseenwasnotalineoftreesbutalineofbushesgrowingontheedgeofadeepdikewithasteepwallonthefurtherside.Tomsaidthatithadoncebeentheboundaryofakingdom,butaverylongtimeago.Heseemedtoremembersomethingsadaboutit,andwouldnotsaymuch.
Theyclimbeddownandoutofthedikeandthroughagapinthewall,andthenTomturnedduenorth,fortheyhadbeenbearingsomewhattothewest.Thelandwasnowopenandfairlylevel,andtheyquickenedtheirpace,butthesunwasalreadysinkinglowwhenatlasttheysawalineoftalltreesahead,andtheyknewthattheyhadcomebacktotheRoadaftermanyunexpectedadventures.Theygallopedtheirponiesoverthelastfurlongs,andhaltedunderthelongshadowsofthetrees.
