Властелин колец: Братство кольца
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony
Assoonashisbackwasturned,adarkfigureclimbedquicklyinoverthegateandmeltedintotheshadowsofthevillagestreet.
Thehobbitsrodeonupagentleslope,passingafewdetachedhouses,anddrewupoutsidetheinn.Thehouseslookedlargeandstrangetothem.Samstaredupattheinnwithitsthreestoreysandmanywindows,andfelthisheartsink.Hehadimaginedhimselfmeetinggiantstallerthantrees,andothercreaturesevenmoreterrifying,sometimeorotherinthecourseofhisjourney;butatthemomenthewasfindinghisfirstsightofMenandtheirtallhousesquiteenough,indeedtoomuchforthedarkendofatiringday.Hepicturedblackhorsesstandingallsaddledintheshadowsoftheinn-yard,andBlackRiderspeeringoutofdarkupperwindows.
‘Wesurelyaren’tgoingtostayhereforthenight,arewe,sir?’heexclaimed.‘Iftherearehobbit-folkintheseparts,whydon’twelookforsomethatwouldbewillingtotakeusin?Itwouldbemorehomelike.’
‘What’swrongwiththeinn?’saidFrodo.‘TomBombadilrecommendedit.Iexpectit’shomelikeenoughinside.’
Evenfromtheoutsidetheinnlookedapleasanthousetofamiliareyes.IthadafrontontheRoad,andtwowingsrunningbackonlandpartlycutoutofthelowerslopesofthehill,sothatattherearthesecond-floorwindowswerelevelwiththeground.Therewasawidearchleadingtoacourtyardbetweenthetwowings,andontheleftunderthearchtherewasalargedoorwayreachedbyafewbroadsteps.Thedoorwasopenandlightstreamedoutofit.
