Властелин колец: Братство кольца
A Long-expected Party
ForDORABAGGINSinmemoryofaLONGcorrespondence,withlovefromBilbo,onalargewaste-paperbasket.DorawasDrogo’ssisterandtheeldestsurvivingfemalerelativeofBilboandFrodo;shewasninety-nine,andhadwrittenreamsofgoodadviceformorethanhalfacentury.
ForMILOBURROWS,hopingitwillbeuseful,fromB.B.,onagoldpenandink-bottle.Miloneveransweredletters.
ForANGELICA’Suse,fromUncleBilbo,onaroundconvexmirror.ShewasayoungBaggins,andtooobviouslyconsideredherfaceshapely.
ForthecollectionofHUGOBRACEGIRDLE,fromacontributor,onan(empty)book-case.Hugowasagreatborrowerofbooks,andworsethanusualatreturningthem.
ForLOBELIASACKVILLE-BAGGINS,asaPRESENT,onacaseofsilverspoons.Bilbobelievedthatshehadacquiredagoodmanyofhisspoons,whilehewasawayonhisformerjourney.Lobeliaknewthatquitewell.Whenshearrivedlaterintheday,shetookthepointatonce,butshealsotookthespoons.
Thisisonlyasmallselectionoftheassembledpresents.Bilbo’sresidencehadgotratherclutteredupwiththingsinthecourseofhislonglife.Itwasatendencyofhobbit-holestogetclutteredup:forwhichthecustomofgivingsomanybirthday-presentswaslargelyresponsible.Not,ofcourse,thatthebirthday-presentswerealwaysnew,therewereoneortwooldmathomsofforgottenusesthathadcirculatedallaroundthedistrict;butBilbohadusuallygivennewpresents,andkeptthosethathereceived.Theoldholewasnowbeingclearedalittle.
Everyoneofthevariouspartinggiftshadlabels,writtenoutpersonallybyBilbo,andseveralhadsomepoint,orsomejoke.
