Властелин колец: Братство кольца
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony
Merrystarted,noticingthestrangerforthefirsttime.‘Goon!’saidFrodo.‘ThisisafriendofGandalf’s.Iwillexplainlater.’
‘ItseemedtomakeoffuptheRoad,eastward,’continuedMerry.‘Itriedtofollow.Ofcourse,itvanishedalmostatonce;butIwentroundthecornerandonasfarasthelasthouseontheRoad.’
StriderlookedatMerrywithwonder.‘Youhaveastoutheart,’hesaid;‘butitwasfoolish.’
‘Idon’tknow,’saidMerry.‘Neitherbravenorsilly,Ithink.Icouldhardlyhelpmyself.Iseemedtobedrawnsomehow.Anyway,Iwent,andsuddenlyIheardvoicesbythehedge.
Onewasmuttering;andtheotherwaswhispering,orhissing.Icouldn’thearawordthatwassaid.Ididnotcreepanycloser,becauseIbegantotrembleallover.ThenIfeltterrified,andIturnedback,andwasjustgoingtobolthome,whensomethingcamebehindmeandI...Ifellover.’
‘Ifoundhim,sir,’putinNob.‘Mr.Butterbursentmeoutwithalantern.IwentdowntoWest-gate,andthenbackuptowardsSouth-gate.JustnighBillFerny’shouseIthoughtIcouldseesomethingintheRoad.Icouldn’tsweartoit,butitlookedtomeasiftwomenwasstoopingoversomething,liftingit.Igaveashout,butwhenIgotuptothespottherewasnosignsofthem,andonlyMr.Brandybucklyingbytheroadside.Heseemedtobeasleep."IthoughtIhadfallenintodeepwater,"hesaystome,whenIshookhim.Veryqueerhewas,andassoonasIhadrousedhim,hegotupandranbackherelikeahare.’
