Хоббит
Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire
Thereweremanyofthem,andtheywerebraveandwell-armed,andeventheWargsdarednotattackthemifthereweremanytogether,orinthebrightday.Butnowtheyhadplannedwiththegoblins’helptocomebynightuponsomeofthevillagesnearestthemountains.Iftheirplanhadbeencarriedout,therewouldhavebeennonelefttherenextday;allwouldhavebeenkilledexceptthefewthegoblinskeptfromthewolvesandcarriedbackasprisonerstotheircaves.
Thiswasdreadfultalktolistento,notonlybecauseofthebravewoodmenandtheirwivesandchildren,butalsobecauseofthedangerwhichnowthreatenedGandalfandhisfriends.TheWargswereangryandpuzzledatfindingthemhereintheirverymeeting-place.Theythoughttheywerefriendsofthewoodmen,andwerecometospyonthem,andwouldtakenewsoftheirplansdownintothevalleys,andthenthegoblinsandthewolveswouldhavetofightaterriblebattleinsteadofcapturingprisonersanddevouringpeoplewakedsuddenlyfromtheirsleep.SotheWargshadnointentionofgoingawayandlettingthepeopleupthetreesescape,atanyratenotuntilmorning.Andlongbeforethat,theysaid,goblinsoldierswouldbecomingdownfromthemountains;andgoblinscanclimbtrees,orcutthemdown.NowyoucanunderstandwhyGandalf,listeningtotheirgrowlingandyelping,begantobedreadfullyafraid,wizardthoughhewas,andtofeelthattheywereinaverybadplace,andhadnotyetescapedatall.Allthesamehewasnotgoingtoletthemhaveitalltheirownway,thoughhecouldnotdoverymuchstuckupinatalltreewithwolvesallroundonthegroundbelow.Hegatheredthehugepineconesfromthebranchesofhistree.Thenhesetonealightwithbrightbluefire,andthrewitwhizzingdownamongthecircleofthewolves.Itstruckoneontheback,andimmediatelyhisshaggycoatcaughtfire,andhewasleapingtoandfroyelpinghorribly.Thenanothercameandanother,oneinblueflames,oneinred,anotheringreen.
