Хоббит

           InamomentGollumwasonhim.ButbeforeBilbocoulddoanything,recoverhisbreath,pickhimselfup,orwavehissword,Gollumpassedby,takingnonoticeofhim,cursingandwhisperingasheran.Whatcoulditmean?Gollumcouldseeinthedark.Bilbocouldseethelightofhiseyespalelyshiningevenfrombehind.Painfullyhegotup,andsheathedhissword,whichwasnowglowingfaintlyagain,thenverycautiouslyhefollowed.Thereseemednothingelsetodo.ItwasnogoodcrawlingbackdowntoGollum’swater.Perhapsifhefollowedhim,Gollummightleadhimtosomewayofescapewithoutmeaningto.

           "Curseit!curseit!curseit!"hissedGollum."CursetheBaggins!It’sgone!Whathasitgotinitspocketses?Ohweguess,weguess,myprecious.He’sfoundit,yeshemusthave.Mybirthday-present."Bilboprickeduphisears.Hewasatlastbeginningtoguesshimself.H^hurriedalittle,gettingascloseashedaredbehindGollum,whowasstillgoingquickly,notlookingback,butturninghisheadfromsidetoside,asBilbocouldseefromthefaintglimmeronthewalls.

           "Mybirthday-present!Curseit!Howdidweloseit,myprecious?Yes,that’sit.Whenwecamethiswaylast,whenwetwistedthatnasstyyoungsqueaker.That’sit.Curseit!Itslippedfromus,afteralltheseagesandages!It’sgone,gollum."

           SuddenlyGollumsatdownandbegantoweep,awhistlingandgurglingsoundhorribletolistento.Bilbohaltedandflattenedhimselfagainstthetunnel-wall.AfterawhileGollumstoppedweepingandbegantotalk.Heseemedtobehavinganargumentwithhimself.

           "It’snogoodgoingbacktheretosearch,no.Wedoesn’trememberalltheplaceswe’vevisited.Andit’snouse.TheBagginshasgotitinitspocketses;thenasstynoserhasfoundit,wesays."