Властелин колец: Братство кольца

           Nextmorningafteralatebreakfast,thewizardwassittingwithFrodobytheopenwindowofthestudy.Abrightfirewasonthehearth,butthesunwaswarm,andthewindwasintheSouth.Everythinglookedfresh,andthenewgreenofSpringwasshimmeringinthefieldsandonthetipsofthetrees’fingers.

           Gandalfwasthinkingofaspring,nearlyeightyyearsbefore,whenBilbohadrunoutofBagEndwithoutahandkerchief.Hishairwasperhapswhiterthanithadbeenthen,andhisbeardandeyebrowswereperhapslonger,andhisfacemorelinedwithcareandwisdom;buthiseyeswereasbrightasever,andhesmokedandblewsmoke-ringswiththesamevigouranddelight.

           Hewassmokingnowinsilence,forFrodowassittingstill,deepinthought.EveninthelightofmorninghefeltthedarkshadowofthetidingsthatGandalfhadbrought.Atlasthebrokethesilence.

           ’Lastnightyoubegantotellmestrangethingsaboutmyring,Gandalf,’hesaid.’Andthenyoustopped,becauseyousaidthatsuchmatterswerebestleftuntildaylight.Don’tyouthinkyouhadbetterfinishnow?Yousaytheringisdangerous,farmoredangerousthanIguess.Inwhatway?’

           ’Inmanyways,’answeredthewizard.ItisfarmorepowerfulthanIeverdaredtothinkatfirst,sopowerfulthatintheenditwouldutterlyovercomeanyoneofmortalracewhopossessedit.Itwouldpossesshim.

           ’InEregionlongagomanyElven-ringsweremade,magicringsasyoucallthem,andtheywere,ofcourse,ofvariouskinds:somemorepotentandsomeless.