Хоббит
Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire
"Idaresay,"grumbledBombur;"buttheywon’tfinditdifficulttosendstonesbouncingdownonourheads."Thedwarves(andBilbo)werefeelingfarfromhappy,andwererubbingtheirbruisedanddamagedlegsandfeet."Nonsense!Wearegoingtoturnasidehereoutofthepathoftheslide.Wemustbequick!Lookatthelight!"Thesunhadlonggonebehindthemountains.Alreadytheshadowsweredeepeningaboutthem,thoughfarawaythroughthetreesandovertheblacktopsofthosegrowinglowerdowntheycouldstillseetheeveninglightsontheplainsbeyond.Theylimpedalongnowasfastastheywereabledownthegentleslopesofapineforestinaslantingpathleadingsteadilysouthwards.Attimestheywerepushingthroughaseaofbrackenwithtallfrondsrisingrightabovethehobbit’shead;attimestheyweremarchingalongquietasquietoverafloorofpine-needles;andallthewhiletheforest-gloomgotheavierandtheforest-silencedeeper.Therewasnowindthateveningtobringevenasea-sighingintothebranchesofthetrees.
"Mustwegoanyfurther?"askedBilbo,whenitwassodarkthathecouldonlyjustseeThorin’sbeardwaggingbesidehim,andsoquietthathecouldhearthedwarves’breathinglikealoudnoise."Mytoesareallbruisedandbent,andmylegsache,andmystomachiswagginglikeanemptysack.""Abitfurther,"saidGandalf.
Afterwhatseemedagesfurthertheycamesuddenlytoanopeningwherenotreesgrew.Themoonwasupandwasshiningintotheclearing.Somehowitstruckallofthemasnotatallaniceplace,althoughtherewasnothingwrongtosee.
Allofasuddentheyheardahowlawaydownhill,alongshudderinghowl.
