Властелин колец: Братство кольца
The Shadow of the Past
Thelesserringswereonlyessaysinthecraftbeforeitwasfull-grown,andtotheElven-smithstheywerebuttrifles—yetstilltomyminddangerousformortals.ButtheGreatRings,theRingsofPower,theywereperilous.
’Amortal,Frodo,whokeepsoneoftheGreatRings,doesnotdie,buthedoesnotgroworobtainmorelife,hemerelycontinues,untilatlasteveryminuteisaweariness.AndifheoftenusestheRingtomakehimselfinvisible,hefades:hebecomesintheendinvisiblepermanently,andwalksinthetwilightundertheeyeofthedarkpowerthatrulestheRings.Yes,soonerorlater—later,ifheisstrongorwell-meaningtobeginwith,butneitherstrengthnorgoodpurposewilllast—soonerorlaterthedarkpowerwilldevourhim.’
’Howterrifying!’saidFrodo.Therewasanotherlongsilence.ThesoundofSamGamgeecuttingthelawncameinfromthegarden.
’Howlonghaveyouknownthis?’askedFrodoatlength.’AndhowmuchdidBilboknow?’
’Bilboknewnomorethanhetoldyou,Iamsure,’saidGandalf.’Hewouldcertainlyneverhavepassedontoyouanythingthathethoughtwouldbeadanger,eventhoughIpromisedtolookafteryou.Hethoughttheringwasverybeautiful,andveryusefulatneed;andifanythingwaswrongorqueer,itwashimself.Hesaidthatitwas"growingonhismind",andhewasalwaysworryingaboutit;buthedidnotsuspectthattheringitselfwastoblame.Thoughhehadfoundoutthatthethingneededlookingafter;itdidnotseemalwaysofthesamesizeorweight;itshrankorexpandedinanoddway,andmightsuddenlyslipoffafingerwhereithadbeentight.’
