Властелин колец: Братство кольца
A Long-expected Party
’There’satidybitofmoneytuckedawayupthere,Iheartell,’saidastranger,avisitoronbusinessfromMichelDelvingintheWestfarthing.’Allthetopofyourhillisfulloftunnelspackedwithchestsofgoldandsilver,andjools,bywhatI’veheard.’
’Thenyou’veheardmorethanIcanspeakto,’answeredtheGaffer.Iknownothingaboutjools.Mr.Bilboisfreewithhismoney,andthereseemsnolackofit;butIknowofnotunnel-making.IsawMr.Bilbowhenhecameback,amatterofsixtyyearsago,whenIwasalad.I’dnotlongcomeprenticetooldHolman(himbeingmydad’scousin),buthehadmeupatBagEndhelpinghimtokeepfolksfromtramplingandtrapessingalloverthegardenwhilethesalewason.AndinthemiddleofitallMr.BilbocomesuptheHillwithaponyandsomemightybigbagsandacoupleofchests.Idon’tdoubttheyweremostlyfulloftreasurehehadpickedupinforeignparts,wheretherebemountainsofgold,theysay;buttherewasn’tenoughtofilltunnels.ButmyladSamwillknowmoreaboutthat.He’sinandoutofBagEnd.Crazyaboutstoriesoftheolddaysheis,andhelistenstoallMr.Bilbo’stales.Mr.Bilbohaslearnedhimhisletters—meaningnoharm,markyou,andIhopenoharmwillcomeofit.
’ElvesandDragons’Isaystohim.’Cabbagesandpotatoesarebetterformeandyou.Don’tgogettingmixedupinthebusinessofyourbetters,oryou’lllandintroubletoobigforyou,’Isaystohim.AndImightsayittoothers,’headdedwithalookatthestrangerandthemiller.
ButtheGafferdidnotconvincehisaudience.ThelegendofBilbo’swealthwasnowtoofirmlyfixedinthemindsoftheyoungergenerationofhobbits.
’Ah,buthehaslikelyenoughbeenaddingtowhathebroughtatfirst,’arguedthemiller,voicingcommonopinion.
