Властелин колец: Братство кольца
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony
They’vearighttolive,sameasotherfolk,’hesaidloudly.Thelocalinhabitantsdidnotlookpleasedattheprospect.
Thehobbitsdidnotpaymuchattentiontoallthis,asitdidnotatthemomentseemtoconcernhobbits.BigFolkcouldhardlybegforlodgingsinhobbit-holes.TheyweremoreinterestedinSamandPippin,whowerenowfeelingquiteathome,andwerechattinggailyabouteventsintheShire.PippinrousedagooddealoflaughterwithanaccountofthecollapseoftheroofoftheTownHoleinMichelDelving:WillWhitfoot,theMayor,andthefattesthobbitintheWestfarthing,hadbeenburiedinchalk,andcameoutlikeafloureddumpling.ButtherewereseveralquestionsaskedthatmadeFrodoalittleuneasy.OneoftheBree-landers,whoseemedtohavebeenintheShireseveraltimes,wantedtoknowwheretheUnderhillslivedandwhotheywererelatedto.
SuddenlyFrodonoticedthatastrange-lookingweather-beatenman,sittingintheshadowsnearthewall,wasalsolisteningintentlytothehobbit-talk.Hehadatalltankardinfrontofhim,andwassmokingalong-stemmedpipecuriouslycarved.Hislegswerestretchedoutbeforehim,showinghighbootsofsuppleleatherthatfittedhimwell,buthadseenmuchwearandwerenowcakedwithmud.Atravel-stainedcloakofheavydark-greenclothwasdrawncloseabouthim,andinspiteoftheheatoftheroomheworeahoodthatovershadowedhisface;butthegleamofhiseyescouldbeseenashewatchedthehobbits.
‘Whoisthat?’Frodoasked,whenhegotachancetowhispertoMr.Butterbur.
