Хоббит

           Upthehilltheywent;buttherewasnoproperpathtobeseen,suchasmightleadtoahouseorafarm;anddowhattheycouldtheymadeadealofrustlingandcracklingandcreaking(andagooddealofgrumblinganddrafting),astheywentthroughthetreesinthepitchdark.

           Suddenlytheredlightshoneoutverybrightthroughthetree-trunksnotfarahead."Nowitistheburglar’sturn,"theysaid,meaningBilbo."Youmustgoonandfindoutallaboutthatlight,andwhatitisfor,andifallisperfectlysafeandcanny,"saidThorintothehobbit."Nowscuttleoff,andcomebackquick,ifalliswell.Ifnot,comebackifyoucan!Ityoucan’t,hoottwicelikeabarn-owlandoncelikeascreech-owl,andwewilldowhatwecan."

           OffBilbohadtogo,beforehecouldexplainthathecouldnothootevenoncelikeanykindofowlanymorethanflylikeabat.Butatanyratehobbitscanmovequietlyinwoods,absolutelyquietly.Theytakeaprideinit,andBilbohadsniffedmorethanonceatwhathecalled"allthisdwarvishracket,"astheywentalong,thoughIdon’tsup-poseyouorIwouldnoticeanythingatallonawindynight,notifthewholecavalcadehadpassedtwofeetoff.AsforBilbowalkingprimlytowardstheredlight,Idon’tsupposeevenaweaselwouldhavestirredawhiskeratit.So,naturally,hegotrightuptothefire-forfireitwaswithoutdisturbinganyone.Andthisiswhathesaw.Threeverylargepersonssittingroundaverylargefireofbeech-logs.Theyweretoastingmuttononlongspitsofwood,andlickingthegravyofftheirfingers.Therewasafinetoothsomesmell.Alsotherewasabarrelofgooddrinkathand,andtheyweredrinkingoutofjugs.Buttheyweretrolls.

           Obviouslytrolls.EvenBilbo,inspiteofhisshelteredlife,couldseethat:fromthegreatheavyfacesofthem,andtheirsize,andtheshapeoftheirlegs,nottomentiontheirlanguage,whichwasnotdrawing-roomfashionatall,atall.