Властелин колец: Братство кольца
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony
StrangeasNewsfromBreewasstillasayingintheEastfarthing,descendingfromthosedays,whennewsfromNorth,South,andEastcouldbeheardintheinn,andwhentheShire-hobbitsusedtogomoreoftentohearit.ButtheNorthernLandshadlongbeendesolate,andtheNorthRoadwasnowseldomused:itwasgrass-grown,andtheBree-folkcalledittheGreenway.
TheInnofBreewasstillthere,however,andtheinnkeeperwasanimportantperson.Hishousewasameetingplacefortheidle,talkative,andinquisitiveamongtheinhabitants,largeandsmall,ofthefourvillages;andaresortofRangersandotherwanderers,andforsuchtravellers(mostlydwarves)asstilljourneyedontheEastRoad,toandfromtheMountains.
Itwasdark,andwhitestarswereshining,whenFrodoandhiscompanionscameatlasttotheGreenway-crossinganddrewnearthevillage.TheycametotheWest-gateandfounditshut;butatthedoorofthelodgebeyondit,therewasamansitting.Hejumpedupandfetchedalanternandlookedoverthegateattheminsurprise.
‘Whatdoyouwant,andwheredoyoucomefrom?’heaskedgruffly.
‘Wearemakingfortheinnhere,’answeredFrodo.‘Wearejourneyingeastandcannotgofurthertonight.’
‘Hobbits!Fourhobbits!Andwhat’smore,outoftheShirebytheirtalk,’saidthegatekeeper,softlyasifspeakingtohimself.Hestaredatthemdarklyforamoment,andthenslowlyopenedthegateandletthemridethrough.
‘Wedon’toftenseeShire-folkridingontheRoadatnight,’hewenton,astheyhaltedamomentbyhisdoor.
