Хоббит
Riddles in the Dark
"Blessusandsplashus,myprecioussss!Iguessit’sachoicefeast;atleastatastymorselit’dmakeus,gollum!"Andwhenhesaidgollumhemadeahorribleswallowingnoiseinhisthroat.Thatishowhegothisname,thoughhealwayscalledhimself’myprecious.’
Thehobbitjumpednearlyoutofhisskinwhenthehisscameinhisears,andhesuddenlysawthepaleeyesstickingoutathim."Whoareyou?"hesaid,thrustinghisdaggerinfrontofhim."Whatisshe,mypreciouss?"whisperedGollum(whoalwaysspoketohimselfthroughneverhavinganyoneelsetospeakto).Thisiswhathehadcometofindout,forhewasnotreallyveryhungryatthemoment,onlycurious;otherwisehewouldhavegrabbedfirstandwhisperedafterwards."IamMr.BilboBaggins.IhavelostthedwarvesandIhavelostthewizard,andIdon’tknowwhereIam;and"Idon’twanttoknow,ifonlyIcanget,away."
"What’shegotinhishandses?"saidGollum,lookingatthesword,whichhedidnotquitelike.
"Asword,abladewhichcameoutofGondolin!"
"Sssss,"saidGollum,andbecamequitepolite."Prapsyesitshereandchatswithitabitsy,mypreciousss.Itlikeriddles,prapsitdoes,doesit?"Hewasanxioustoappearfriendly,atanyrateforthemoment,anduntilhefoundoutmoreabouttheswordandthehobbit,whetherhewasquitealonereally,whetherhewasgoodtoeat,andwhetherGollumwasreallyhungry.Riddleswereallhecouldthinkof.Askingthem,andsometimesguessingthem,hadbeentheonlygamehehadeverplayedwithotherfunnycreaturessittingintheirholesinthelong,longago,beforehelostallhisfriendsandwasdrivenaway,alone,andcreptdown,down,intothedarkunderthemountains."Verywell,"saidBilbo,whowasanxioustoagree,untilhefoundoutmoreaboutthecreature,whetherhewasquitealone,whetherhewasfierceorhungry,andwhetherhewasafriendofthegoblins.
