Хоббит
Barrels Out of Bond
Mostlikelyyousawitsometimeagoandhavebeenlaughingathim;butIdon’tsupposeyouwouldhavedonehalfaswellyourselvesinhisplace.Ofcoursehewasnotinabarrelhimself,norwasthereanyonetopackhimin,eveniftherehadbeenachance!Itlookedasifhewouldcertainlylosehisfriendsthistime(nearlyallofthemhadalreadydisappearedthroughthedarktrap-door),andgetutterlyleftbehindandhavetostaylurkingasapermanentburglarintheelf-cavesforever.Forevenifhecouldhaveescapedthroughtheuppergatesatonce,hehadprecioussmallchanceofeverfindingthedwarvesagain.Hedidnotknowthewaybylandtotheplacewherethebarrelswerecollected.Hewonderedwhatonearthwouldhappentothemwithouthim;forhehadnothadtimetotellthedwarvesallthathehadlearned,orwhathehadmeanttodo,oncetheywereoutofthewood.Whileallthesethoughtswerepassingthroughhismind,theelvesbeingverymerrybegantosingasongroundtheriver-door.Somehadalreadygonetohaulontheropeswhichpulleduptheportcullisatthewater-gatesoastoletoutthebarrelsassoonastheywereallafloatbelow.
