Властелин колец: Братство кольца
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony
‘Imustgoandbarthedoorsquick,butI’llseeyourfriendisletinwhenhecomes.I’dbettersendNobtolookforhim.Goodnighttoyouall!’AtlastMr.Butterburwentout,withanotherdoubtfullookatStriderandashakeofhishead.Hisfootstepsretreateddownthepassage.
‘Well?’saidStrider.‘Whenareyougoingtoopenthatletter?’Frodolookedcarefullyatthesealbeforehebrokeit.ItseemedcertainlytobeGandalf’s.Inside,writteninthewizard’sstrongbutgracefulscript,wasthefollowingmessage:
THEPRANCINGPONY,BREE.Midyear’sDay,ShireYear,1418.
DearFrodo,
Badnewshasreachedmehere.Imustgooffatonce.YouhadbetterleaveBagEndsoon,andgetoutoftheShirebeforetheendofJulyatlatest.IwillreturnassoonasIcan;andIwillfollowyou,ifIfindthatyouaregone.Leaveamessageformehere,ifyoupassthroughBree.Youcantrustthelandlord(Butterbur).YoumaymeetafriendofmineontheRoad:aMan,lean,dark,tall,bysomecalledStrider.Heknowsourbusinessandwillhelpyou.MakeforRivendell.ThereIhopewemaymeetagain.IfIdonotcome,Elrondwilladviseyou.
Yoursinhaste
GANDALF.
PS.DoNOTuseItagain,notforanyreasonwhatever!Donottravelbynight!
PPS.MakesurethatitistherealStrider.Therearemanystrangemenontheroads.HistruenameisAragorn.
Allthatisgolddoesnotglitter,
Notallthosewhowanderarelost;
Theoldthatisstrongdoesnotwither,
Deeprootsarenotreachedbythefrost.
