Хоббит

           Forsomehow,hecouldnotgotosleepforalongwhile;andwhenhedidsleep,hehadverynastydreams.Hedreamedthatacrackinthewallatthebackofthecavegotbiggerandbigger,andopenedwiderandwider,andhewasveryafraidbutcouldnotcalloutordoanythingbutlieandlook.Thenhedreamedthatthefloorofthecavewasgivingway,andhewasslipping-beginningtofalldown,down,goodnessknowswhereto.Atthathewokeupwithahorriblestart,andfoundthatpartofhisdreamwastrue.Acrackhadopenedatthebackofthecave,andwasalreadyawidepassage.Hewasjustintimetoseethelastoftheponies’tailsdisappearingintoit.Ofcoursehegaveaveryloudyell,asloudayellasahobbitcangive,whichissurprisingfortheirsize.

           Outjumpedthegoblins,biggoblins,greatugly-lookinggoblins,lotsofgoblins,beforeyoucouldsayrocksandblocks.Thereweresixtoeachdwarf,atleast,andtwoevenforBilbo;andtheywereallgrabbedandcarriedthroughthecrack,beforeyoucouldsaytinderandflint.ButnotGandalf.Bilbo’syellhaddonethatmuchgood.Ithadwakenedhimupwideinasplinteredsecond,andwhengoblinscametograbhim,therewasaterribleflashlikelightninginthecave,asmelllikegunpowder,andseveralofthemfelldead.

           Thecrackclosedwithasnap,andBilboandthedwarveswereonthewrongsideofit!WherewasGandalf?Ofthatneithertheynorthegoblinshadanyidea,andthegoblinsdidnotwaittofindout.Itwasdeep,deep,dark,suchasonlygoblinsthathavetakentolivingintheheartofthemountainscanseethrough.Thepassagestherewerecrossedandtangledinalldirections,butthegoblinsknewtheirway,aswellasyoudotothenearestpost-officeandthewaywentdownanddown,anditwasmosthorriblystuffy.