Хоббит
Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire
"Verywellthen,wemustjusttightenourbeltsandtrudgeon-orweshallbemadeintosupper,andthatwillbemuchworsethanhavingnoneourselves."
AstheywentonBilbolookedfromsidetosideforsomethingtoeat;buttheblackberrieswerestillonlyinflower,andofcoursetherewerenonuts,norevenhawthorn-berries.Henibbledabitofsorrel,andhedrankfromasmallmountain-streamthatcrossedthepath,andheatethreewildstrawberriesthathefoundonitsbank,butitwasnotmuchgood.Theystillwentonandon.Theroughpathdisappeared.Thebushes,andthelonggrasses,betweentheboulders,thepatchesofrabbit-croppedturf,thethymeandthesageandthemarjoram,andtheyellowrockrosesallvanished,andtheyfoundthemselvesatthetopofawidesteepslopeoffallenstones,theremainsofalandslide.Whentheybegantogodownthis,rubbishandsmallpebblesrolledawayfromtheirfeet;soonlargerbitsofsplitstonewentclatteringdownandstartedotherpiecesbelowthemslitheringandrolling;thenlumpsofrocksweredisturbedandboundedoff,crashingdownwithadustandanoise.Beforelongthewholeslopeabovethemandbelowthemseemedonthemove,andtheywereslidingaway,huddledalltogether,inafearfulconfusionofslipping,rattling,crackingslabsandstones.Itwasthetreesatthebottomthatsavedthem.Theyslidintotheedgeofaclimbingwoodofpinesthatherestoodrightupthemountainslopefromthedeeperdarkerforestsofthevalleysbelow.Somecaughtholdofthetrunksandswungthemselvesintolowerbranches,some(likethelittlehobbit)gotbehindatreetoshelterfromtheonslaughtoftherocks.Soonthedangerwasover,theslidehadstopped,andthelastfaintcrashescouldbeheardasthelargestofthedisturbedstoneswentboundingandspinningamongthebrackenandthepine-rootsfarbelow.
"Well!thathasgotusonabit,"saidGandalf;"andevengoblinstrackinguswillhaveajobtocomedownherequietly."
