Хоббит
Flies and Spiders
Idon’tsupposehewouldhavemanagedit,ifaspiderhadnotluckilyleftaropehangingdown;withitshelp,thoughitstucktohishandandhurthim,hescrambledup-onlytomeetanoldslowwickedfat-bodiedspiderwhohadremainedbehindtoguardtheprisoners,andhadbeenbusypinchingthemtoseewhichwasthejuiciesttoeat.Ithadthoughtofstartingthefeastwhiletheotherswereaway,butMr.Bagginswasinahurry,andbeforethespiderknewwhatwashappeningitfelthisstingandrolledoffthebranchdead.Bilbo’snextjobwastolooseadwarf.Whatwashetodo?Ifhecutthestringwhichhunghimup,thewretcheddwarfwouldtumblethumptothegroundagoodwaybelow.Wrigglingalongthebranch(whichmadeallthepoordwarvesdanceanddanglelikeripefruit)hereachedthefirstbundle.
"FiliorKili,"hethoughtbythetipofabluehoodstickingoutatthetop."MostlikelyFili,"hethoughtbythetipofalongnosepokingoutofthewindingthreads.Hemanagedbyleaningovertocutmostofthestrongstickythreadsthatboundhimround,andthen,sureenough,withakickandastrugglemostofFiliemerged.IamafraidBilboactuallylaughedatthesightofhimjerkinghisstiffarmsandlegsashedancedonthespider-stringunderhisarmpits,justlikeoneofthosefunnytoysbobbingonawire.SomehoworotherFiliwasgotontothebranch,andthenhedidhisbesttohelpthehobbit,althoughhewasfeelingverysickandillfromspider-poison,andfromhangingmostofthenightandthenextdaywoundroundandroundwithonlyhisnosetobreathethrough.Ittookhimagestogetthebeastlystuffoutofhiseyesandeyebrows,andasforhisbeard,hehadtocutmostofitoff.Well,betweenthemtheystartedtohaulupfirstonedwarfandthenanotherandslashthemfree.NoneofthemwerebetteroffthanFili,andsomeofthemwereworse.Somehadhardlybeenabletobreatheatall(longnosesaresometimesusefulyousee),andsomehadbeenmorepoisoned.
