Текст книги "The Hobbit / Хоббит. 10 класс"

Автор книги: Джон Рональд Руэл Толкин

Соавторы: И. Загородняя
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Текущая страница: 3 (всего у книги 9 страниц) [доступный отрывок для чтения: 4 страниц]

Chapter 5
Riddles in the Dark

When Bilbo opened his eyes, it was dark. He could hear nothing, see nothing, and he could feel nothing except the stone of the floor.

Suddenly his hand felt a tiny ring of cold metal lying on the floor of the tunnel. He put the ring in his pocket almost without thinking. Then his hand came on the hilt of his little sword – the little dagger that he got from the trolls, and that he had forgotten.

Somehow he was comforted. He had noticed that such weapons made a great impression on goblins.

At last Bilbo got up and walked with his little sword held in front of him and one hand feeling the wall. The tunnel seemed endless. On and on he went, and down and down; and still he heard no sound of anything. Suddenly he got into water! It was icy cold. The sword was hardly shining at all. He stopped, and he could hear, when he listened hard, drops dripping from an unseen roof into the water below.

“So it is a pool or a lake, and not an underground river,” he thought. Deep down here by the dark water lived old Gollum, a small slimy creature. He had two big round pale eyes in his thin face. He had a little boat, and he rowed quietly on the lake; for it was a lake, wide and deep and deadly cold. He looked for blind fish, which he grabbed with his long fingers. He liked meat too.

Actually Gollum lived on a slimy island of rock in the middle of the lake. He was watching Bilbo now from the distance with his pale eyes like telescopes. Gollum got into his boat and moved from the island, while Bilbo was sitting and thinking. Suddenly Gollum came up to the hobbit.

Bilbo jumped nearly out of his skin when he suddenly saw the pale eyes looking at him.

“Who are you?” the hobbit said, holding his dagger in front of him.

“And you?” whispered Gollum.

“I am Mr Bilbo Baggins. I have lost the dwarves and I have lost the wizard, and I don’t know where I am.”

“What have you got in your hands?” said Gollum, looking at the sword, which he did not quite like.

“A sword which came out of Gondolin!”

“Well,” said Gollum, and became quite polite, “perhaps you like riddles. Let’s play.”

“Very well,” agreed Bilbo. “You ask first,” he said, because he had not had time to think of a riddle.

So Gollum hissed:

 
“What has roots as nobody sees,
Is taller than trees,
Up, up it goes,
And yet never grows?”
 

“Easy!” said Bilbo. “It’s a mountain, I suppose.”

“Was it so easy? Let’s have a real competition! If I ask, and you don’t answer, I will eat you. If you ask me, and I don’t answer, then I will do what you want, okay? I will show you the way out, yes!”

“All right!” said Bilbo.

 
“Thirty white horses on a red hill,
First they champ,
Then they stamp,
Then they stand still.”
 

It was rather an old riddle, and Gollum knew the answer:

“Teeth! Teeth!” Then he asked another riddle:

 
“This thing all things devours:
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
Gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard stones to meal;
Slays king, ruins town,
And beats high mountain down.”
 

Poor Bilbo sat in the dark thinking of all the horrible names of all the giants and ogres he had ever heard, but not one of them had done all these things. He had a feeling that the answer was quite different and that he should know it, but he could not think of it. He began to get frightened, and that is bad for thinking. He wanted to shout out: “Give me more time! Give me time!” But all that came out was:

“Time! Time!”

Bilbo was saved by chance, because that was the correct answer.

Gollum was disappointed once more; and now he was getting angry, and also tired of the game. It had made him very hungry indeed. He sat down in the dark by Bilbo.

“Now ask me a question,” said Gollum. But Bilbo simply could not think of any question because he was really nervous. Bilbo pinched himself and slapped himself; he gripped on his little sword; he even felt in his pocket with his other hand. There he found the ring he had picked up in the passage and forgotten about.

“What have I got in my pocket?” he said aloud. He was talking to himself, but Gollum thought it was a riddle, and he was terribly upset.

“Not fair![32]32
  Нечестно!


[Закрыть] Not fair!” he hissed.

Bilbo just didn’t know what to ask so he repeated louder, “What have I got in my pocket?”

“Give me three guesses, three guesses” hissed Gollum.

“Very well! Guess!” said Bilbo.

“Hands!” said Gollum.

“Wrong,” said Bilbo, who had luckily just taken his hand out again. “Guess again!”

Gollum thought of all the things he kept in his own pockets: fish-bones, goblins’ teeth, wet shells, a bit of bat-wing, and other nasty things. He tried to think what other people kept in their pockets.

“Knife!” he said at last.

“Wrong!” said Bilbo. “Last guess!”

Now Gollum hissed and rocked himself backwards and forwards; but still he did not dare to waste his last guess.

“Come on!” said Bilbo. “I am waiting!” He tried to sound bold and cheerful. “Time’s up!” he said.

“String!” shrieked Gollum.

“Wrong,” cried Bilbo very much relieved; and he jumped at once to his feet, put his back to the nearest wall, and held out his little sword. He knew, of course, that the riddle-game was sacred. But he felt he could not trust this slimy thing to keep any promise.

But Gollum did not attack him. He could see the sword in Bilbo’s hand. He sat still, shivering and whispering. At last Bilbo could wait no longer.

“Well?” he said. “What about your promise? I want to go. You must show me the way.”

“Certainly, but first I must go and get some things to help me,” answered Gollum.

“Well, hurry up!” said Bilbo.

He thought that Gollum was not going to come back. But he was wrong. Gollum wanted to come back. He was angry now and hungry. And he was a wicked creature, and already he had a plan. In his hiding-place Gollum kept one very beautiful thing. He had a gold ring. He wanted it because it was a magic ring, and if you put that ring on your finger, you were invisible. Gollum hid it in a hole in the rock on his island. And sometimes he put it on, when he was very, very hungry, and tired of fish. Then he moved silently along dark passages looking for stray goblins to catch and eat them.

“I will be quite safe,” Gollum whispered to himself. “He won’t see me, and his little sword will be useless.” That was Gollum’s plan.

Bilbo waited a little; for he had no idea how to find his way out alone. Suddenly he heard a scream. Gollum was cursing in the darkness. He was on his island, trying to find his ring.

“What’s the matter?” Bilbo called. “What have you lost?”

“You mustn’t ask me,” shrieked Gollum. “Not your business, no! It’s lost!”

“Well, so am I,” cried Bilbo, “Come and let me out, and then look for your thing!”

Suddenly out of the gloom came a loud hiss. “What have you got in your pockets? Tell me now.”

“But I asked you first. What have you lost? Tell me that!” said Bilbo.

“What have you got in your pockets?” hissed Gollum again. Suspicion grew in Gollum’s mind, so he was in his boat again, paddling quickly back to the shore. He was in rage and Bilbo’s sword couldn’t stop him now. When the hobbit saw Gollum, he realized that Gollum was going to kill him. So he turned and ran back up the dark passage down which he had come, keeping close to the wall and feeling it with his left hand. “What have you got in your pockets?” he heard the hiss loud behind him.

“What have I got?” he said to himself and put his left hand in his pocket. The ring felt very cold as it quietly slipped on to his forefinger.

The hiss was close behind him. He turned now and saw Gollum’s eyes like small green lamps. Suddenly Bilbo fell down on the floor with his little sword under him.

In a moment Gollum was on him. But before Bilbo could do anything, Gollum passed by, taking no notice of him. Why? Bilbo slowly got up; he didn’t know where to go. Perhaps if he followed Gollum, he could finally escape. So Bilbo decided to walk after Gollum quietly.

“Curse it! Curse it! Curse it!” hissed Gollum. “Curse the Baggins! What has he got in his pockets? Oh I guess he’s found my ring.” Bilbo was listening carefully.

Suddenly Gollum sat down and began to weep. Bilbo stopped. After a while Gollum began to talk to himself.

“The Baggins has got my ring; if he puts it on his finger, he will be invisible. But he doesn’t know that. He is going to the back door now. Anyway, the goblins will catch him then. He can’t get out that way.”

And then Gollum got up and walked quickly. Bilbo hurried after him. Now he knew that the ring made him invisible! Soon they came to places where side-passages opened, this way and that. Gollum began at once to count them.

“Seven right, yes. Six left, yes!” he whispered. “This is it. This is the way to the back-door. Here’s the passage!” He looked in, and stopped. “But I can’t go in. Goblins are there. I smell them. I must wait here, wait a bit and see.”

So Gollum had brought Bilbo to the way out after all, but Bilbo could not get in! There was Gollum sitting right in the opening.[33]33
  Голлум сидел прямо у входа.


[Закрыть]

Bilbo was desperate. He must get away. He trembled. And then quite suddenly he leaped straight over Gollum’s head.

He did not turn to see what Gollum was doing. There was a hissing and cursing almost at his heels at first, then it stopped. All at once there came a terrible scream:

“Thief, thief, thief! Baggins! I hate you, I hate you for ever!” Gollum did not dare go further. He had lost.

Then there was a silence. Bilbo carefully walked.

Soon the passage went up, and after a while the passage turned a corner, and dipped down again, and there he saw a pale light. Then Bilbo began to run. He turned the last corner and came suddenly right into an open space, near a big stone door.

Bilbo blinked, and then suddenly he saw goblins with swords sitting in front of the door. They saw him sooner than he saw them. Yes, they saw him. The ring was not on his finger! With cries of delight the goblins rushed upon him. In despair Bilbo put his hands into his pockets and found the ring! It slipped on his finger. Suddenly the goblins stopped. They could not see him. “Where is it?” they cried.

Goblins cursed and ran; they fell over one another and got very angry.

Bilbo was terribly frightened. “I must get to the door, I must get to the door!” he said to himself. He tried to squeeze through the crack. He squeezed and squeezed, and he got stuck![34]34
  застрял


[Закрыть] It was awful. Suddenly one of the goblins shouted: “There is a shadow by the door. Something is outside!”

Bilbo’s heart jumped into his mouth. He tried hard to get out. Buttons burst off in all directions[35]35
  Пуговицы разлетелись во все стороны


[Закрыть] and he was through, and leapt down the steps like a goat.

Of course they came down after him. But they don’t like the sun. They could not find Bilbo with the ring on, so soon they went back to guard the door. Bilbo had escaped.

Chapter 6
Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire[36]36
  Из огня да в полымя (поговорка)


[Закрыть]

Bilbo had escaped the goblins, but he did not know where he was. He had lost his hood, cloak, food, pony, his buttons and his friends. He wandered on and on, till the sun began to set in the west, behind the mountains. Bilbo looked back. Then he looked forward and could see before him only plains. So he realized that he was on the other side of the Misty Mountains. But he wanted to find Gandalf and the dwarves. He decided to go back into the horrible, horrible tunnels and look for his friends.

Just then he heard voices. He stopped and listened.

He crept nearer, and suddenly he saw Gandalf and the dwarves. They were discussing all that had happened to them in the tunnels, and what they had to do now.

“And here we are – without the burglar!” said Dori.

“And here’s the burglar!” said Bilbo stepping down into the middle of them, and slipping off the ring.

They jumped and shouted with surprise and delight. Bilbo’s reputation went up a lot with the dwarves after this. Now they were sure that he was really a first-class burglar. Bilbo was so pleased with their praise that he said nothing about the ring. Then they wanted to know all about his adventures after they had lost him, and he sat down and told them everything – except the ring.

Soon the wizard said, “We must go on at once,” he said. “Goblins will be after us when night comes. They can smell our footsteps. We must go far before dusk.”

“But I am so hungry,” said Bilbo.

“We must just tighten our belts[37]37
  затянуть потуже пояса


[Закрыть] and go on – or goblins will have us for supper.”

They went on and on. They found themselves at the top of a wide steep slope of fallen stones. When they began to go down this, stones rolled away from their feet. Before long the whole slope above them and below them moved. Only trees below stopped them and they were saved.

“Must we go any further?” asked Bilbo, when it was so dark that he could only just see Thorin’s beard, and so quiet that he could hear the dwarves’ breathing like a loud noise. “My toes are all bruised, and my legs ache, and my stomach is like an empty sack.”

“A bit further,” said Gandalf.

At last they came to an open place where no trees grew. The moon was shining brightly. But it was not a nice place.

Suddenly they heard a long howl. Then another howl answered it. Wolves were howling at the moon, wolves were gathering together!

“What shall we do?!” Bilbo cried. “Escaping goblins to be caught by wolves!”[38]38
  Спаслись от гоблинов, да попались волкам!


[Закрыть] he said, and it became a proverb, though we now say ‘out of the frying-pan into the fire’ in such uncomfortable situations.

“Climb up the trees quick!” cried Gandalf; and they ran to the trees at the edge of the glade. And they went up as high as they could.

But Bilbo could not get into any tree.

“Wolves will eat him if we don’t do something,” said Thorin, because howls all around them were getting nearer and nearer. “Dori!” he called, for Dori was lowest down in the easiest tree, “be quick, and help Mr Baggins!”

So Dori actually climbed out of the tree and let Bilbo move quickly up and stand on his back. Just at that moment the wolves ran into the clearing.

This glade in the ring of trees was evidently a meeting-place of the wolves. More and more were coming in. They left guards at the foot of the trees in which the dwarves, Bilbo and Gandalf were. In the middle of the circle was a great grey wolf. He spoke to other wolves in the dreadful language of the Wargs, the wicked wolves. Gandalf understood it.

I will tell you what Gandalf heard, though Bilbo did not understand it. The Wargs and the goblins often helped one another. Goblins sometimes went on raids, to get food or slaves. Then the Wargs helped them. Sometimes they rode on wolves. That night the Wargs had come to meet the goblins and the goblins were late.

From time to time some bold men returned to the area from the South. They cut down trees and built houses in the valleys and along the river-shores. Those men were brave and well-armed, and even the Wargs were afraid to attack them if there were many together, or in daylight.[39]39
  при свете дня


[Закрыть] But now they had planned with the goblins’ help to attack the village which was nearest the mountains, and they wanted to do that in the night. They were going to kill all the people except the few whom the goblins wanted to take as prisoners to their caves.

Now the Wargs thought that the dwarves were friends of the woodmen, and came to spy on them. So the Wargs were not going away until morning. They were waiting for goblin soldiers who could climb trees and kill the dwarves, Bilbo and Gandalf.

But then Gandalf gathered the huge pinecones from the branches of his tree, set them on bright blue fire and threw down at the wolves. Their coats caught fire at once, and they leaped in the air, and then rushed round in anger and fright.

The dwarves and Bilbo shouted and cheered.

“What’s this noise?” said the Lord of the Eagles. He was sitting on the rock at the eastern edge of the mountains. “I hear wolves’ voices!”

Eagles were proud and strong and noble-hearted. They did not love goblins, or fear them. When they noticed them, they usually swooped on them and drove them back to their caves. Goblins hated eagles and feared them.

Tonight the Lord of the Eagles wanted to know what was happening; so he and many other eagles flew away from the mountains and came down to the ring of the wolves and the meeting-place of the goblins.

There, all round the clearing of the Wargs, fire was leaping. But the wolf-guards did not leave the trees. Then suddenly goblins came running up. They put out all the flames except the fire closest to the trees where the dwarves were. Soon they had a ring of smoke and flame all round the dwarves. Smoke was in Bilbo’s eyes. Soon the flames were under Gandalf’s tree. In a moment it spread to the others.

Just at that moment the Lord of the Eagles swept down from above, seized Gandalf in his claws, and was gone. Then other birds flew to the tree-tops and seized the dwarves. Poor little Bilbo just managed to catch hold of Dori’s legs,[40]40
  смог ухватиться за ноги Дори


[Закрыть] and they went together above the trees. Some eagles stayed behind and attacked the goblins and the wolves.

Soon Bilbo saw the pale peaks of the mountains. He shut his eyes and was afraid that he could not hold on any longer. At last the flight ended. Bilbo was really exhausted. Then he saw that the Lord of the Eagles was speaking to Gandalf.

The wizard and the eagle-lord were on friendly terms.[41]41
  были в дружеских отношениях


[Закрыть] Gandalf had once healed the eagle-lord from an arrow-wound. Now Gandalf asked the Great Eagle to carry the dwarves and himself and Bilbo far away across the plains below.

The Lord of the Eagles didn’t want to take them close to men. “They will shoot at us,” he said, “because they think we are after their sheep.[42]42
  мы охотимся на их овец


[Закрыть] No! We will not risk ourselves.”

“Very well,” said Gandalf. “Take us as far as you can! We are already deeply grateful to you. But now we are starving.[43]43
  мы умираем с голоду


[Закрыть]”

“I am nearly dead of it,” said Bilbo in a weak little voice that nobody heard.

“Don’t worry, we can help it,” said the Lord of the Eagles. The eagles brought rabbits, hares, and a small sheep, and the dwarves cooked dinner.

So the adventures of the Misty Mountains ended. Soon Bilbo’s stomach was full and comfortable again, and he fell asleep. But all night he dreamed of his own house.

Chapter 7
Queer Lodgings

The next morning Bilbo woke up with the early sun in his eyes. He jumped up to look at the time and to go and put his kettle on – and found he was not home at all. For breakfast he had cold mutton and rabbit. And after that he had to get ready for a start. This time he climbed on to an eagle’s back and clung between his wings. And soon fifteen great birds rose off from the mountain’s side. Bilbo shut his eyes.

After a while the eagles began to go down. Below them there were oaks and elms, and wide grass lands, and a river. Right in the path of the stream there was a great rock, almost a hill of stone.

Quickly now to the top of this rock the eagles swooped one by one and set down their passengers. And there the eagles parted with the dwarves, Bilbo and Gandalf.

There was a flat space on the top of the hill of stone and a path with many steps leading down it to the river. The party crossed the river in a shallow place. There was a little cave where they stopped to discuss their plans.

“I always wanted to see you all safe over the mountains,” said the wizard, “and now I have done it. But this is not my adventure. Maybe I will see you again before it is all over, but now I have some other urgent business to do.”

The dwarves groaned and Bilbo wept.

“I am not going to disappear this very moment,[44]44
  в эту самую секунду


[Закрыть]” said Gandalf. “I can give you a day or two more. We have no food, and no baggage, and no ponies; and you don’t know where you are. Now I can tell you that. You are still some miles north of the right path. Very few people live in these parts. But there is somebody who lives not far away. That Somebody made the steps on the great rock – he calls it the Carrock. He does not come here often, certainly not in the daytime. We must go and find him; and if all goes well at our meeting, I think I will say good-bye to you.”

Then they began to march through the long green grass and down the lines of the oaks and the tall elms.

“And who is that Somebody?” asked Bilbo as he went along at the wizard’s side.

“The Somebody is a very great person. You must all be very polite when I introduce you. And you must be careful not to annoy him. He can be dreadful when he is angry, though he is kind. Still he gets angry easily.”

The dwarves all gathered round when they heard that.

“If you must know more,” said Gandalf, “his name is Beorn. He is very strong, and he changes his skin. Sometimes he is a huge black bear, sometimes he is a great strong black-haired man with huge arms and a great beard. I cannot tell you much more.

“He lives in an oak-wood and has a great wooden house; and as a man he keeps cattle and horses. They work for him and talk to him. He does not eat them; neither does he hunt or eat wild animals. He keeps hives of great bees, and lives on cream and honey.[45]45
  питается сливками и мёдом


[Закрыть]”

Bilbo and the dwarves asked no more questions. They walked on. It grew very hot. Sometimes they rested under the trees, and then Bilbo felt really hungry.

After a while they came to a high hedge.

“You should wait here,” said the wizard to the dwarves; “and when I call or whistle begin to come after me – but only in pairs, about five minutes between each pair of you. Bombur is the fattest, so he should come alone and last. Come on Mr Baggins! There is a gate somewhere round this way.” And with that he went along the hedge and took the frightened hobbit with him.

They soon came to a wooden gate, high and broad. The wizard and the hobbit opened the heavy gate and went towards the house. Soon they reached a courtyard. In the middle there was lying a great oak-trunk. Near it they saw a huge man with a thick black beard and hair, and great bare arms and legs. He was wearing a tunic of wool down to his knees, and was leaning on a large axe.

“Who are you and what do you want?” he asked gruffly, standing in front of them.

“I am Gandalf,” said the wizard.

“And what’s this little fellow?” he said, looking at the hobbit.

“That is Mr Baggins, a hobbit of good family and fine reputation,” said Gandalf. Bilbo bowed.

“I am a wizard,” continued Gandalf. “I have heard of you, if you have not heard of me; but perhaps you have heard of my good cousin Radagast who lives near the Southern borders of Mirkwood?[46]46
  Мрачный лес


[Закрыть]”

“Yes; he is not a bad fellow, I believe,” said Beorn. “Well, now I know who you are. What do you want?”

“To tell you the truth, we have lost our baggage and nearly lost our way. We have had rather a bad time with goblins in the mountains.”

“Goblins?” said the big man less gruffly. “Why did you go near them?”

“We were coming out of the Lands over West into these countries – it is a long tale.”

“Then come inside and tell me the story,” said the man leading the way to the house.

They sat on wooden benches, and Gandalf began his tale. “I was coming over the mountains with a friend or two…” said the wizard.

“Or two? I can only see one,” said Beorn.

“Well, I did not want to bother you with a lot of us. I will give a call, if I may.”

“Go on!”

So Gandalf gave a long whistle, and so Thorin and Dori came and stood before them.

“One or three you meant, I see!” said Beorn. “But these aren’t hobbits, they are dwarves!”

“Thorin Oakenshield at your service! Dori at your service!” said the two dwarves bowing again.

“I don’t need your service, thank you,” said Beorn, “but I expect you need mine. I don’t like dwarves; but if it is true that you are Thorin, and that your companion is respectable, and that you are enemies of goblins… But what are you doing here, by the way?”

“They are on their way to visit the land of their fathers, beyond Mirkwood,” said Gandalf, “and it is just an accident that we are in your lands. We were attacked by the evil goblins – as I was going to tell you.”

“Go on telling, then!” said Beorn, who was never very polite.

“There was a terrible storm; the hobbit and I and several of our companions…”

“Do you call two several?”

“Well, in fact there were more than two.”

“Where are they?”

“You see, we are very much afraid that there are too many of us.”

“Go on, whistle again!” said Beorn.

Gandalf whistled again.

And so in the end all the dwarves arrived.

By the time the wizard had finished his tale, it was evening.

“A very good tale!” said Beorn. “It’s the best I have ever heard. Now let’s have something to eat!”

“Yes, please!” they all said together. “Thank you very much!” Beorn clapped his hands, and in came some snow-white[47]47
  белоснежный


[Закрыть] sheep led by a large coal-black[48]48
  угольно-чёрный


[Закрыть] ram. One had a white cloth; others had on their broad backs trays with bowls and platters and knives and wooden spoons, which the dogs took and quickly laid on the tables.

There they had a supper, or a dinner, such as they had not had since they left the Last Homely House in the West and said good-bye to Elrond. Beorn told tales of the dark and dangerous forest of Mirkwood.

The dwarves listened and shook their beards, because they knew that soon they had to go into that forest. When the meal was over they began to tell tales of their own, but Beorn looked sleepy and paid little attention to them.

Suddenly Gandalf stood up. “It is time for us to sleep,” he said. Bilbo saw that beds had already been prepared at the side of the hall. For him there was a little mattress of straw and woolen blankets. Soon he fell asleep.

It was full morning[49]49
  Было позднее утро


[Закрыть] when he awoke.

“Get up lazybones,[50]50
  лежебока


[Закрыть]” Bofur said, “or there will be no breakfast left for you.”

Up jumped Bilbo. “Breakfast!” he cried. “Where is breakfast?”

“It is out on the veranda. We can’t find Beorn anywhere, though we found breakfast on the table as soon as we got up.”

They spent one more day at Beorn’s, and the next morning they were all wakened by Beorn himself. They all went to breakfast with him. Beorn was really kind. He said that he had caught a Warg and a goblin in the woods. From these he had got news: the goblin patrols were still hunting with Wargs for the dwarves, and they were really angry.

“Your story was good,” said Beorn, “and now I am sure it is true. So I will think more kindly of dwarves after this. You killed the Great Goblin!” he chuckled to himself.

“What did you do with the goblin and the Warg?” asked Bilbo suddenly. “I just killed them!” said Beorn.

Now he was their friend, and he promised to help them. He gave ponies for the dwarves and Bilbo, and a horse for Gandalf; a lot of nuts, flour, dried fruits, honey, and cakes. He also gave them bows and arrows. He said that there were streams and springs along the road, so they could get water from them. “But your way through Mirkwood is dark, dangerous and difficult,” he said. “There is one stream in Mirkwood, black and strong, which crosses the path. You should neither drink of it, nor bathe in it; for I have heard that it carries a great sleepiness and forgetfulness. And remember: you mustn’t stray from the path.

“That is all the advice I can give you. At the gate of the forest I must ask you to send back my horse and my ponies. But I wish you all good luck.”

They thanked him, of course. Soon after midday they ate with Beorn for the last time, and after the meal they left his home.

They rode silently all day, and in the evening they made a camp and set a guard, and most of them slept uneasily. Still the next morning was bright again. So they rode for three more days, and they saw only grass and flowers and birds and trees, and occasionally small herds of red deer sitting at noon in the shade.

Soon they could see the forest. Birds began to sing less. There were no more deer. By the afternoon they had reached Mirkwood.

“Well, here is Mirkwood!” said Gandalf. “It’s the greatest of the forests of the Northern world. I hope you like the look of it. Now you must send back these excellent ponies.”

“What about the horse?” said Thorin.

“I am not going to send it back.”

“What about your promise then?”

“I am not sending the horse back, I am riding it!”

Then they knew that Gandalf was going to leave them at the very edge of Mirkwood, and they were in despair.

“I have, as I told you, some business in the south; and I am already late. Maybe we will meet again before all is over, but maybe not. That depends on your luck and on your courage; and I am sending Mr Baggins with you. So cheer up, Bilbo, and don’t look so gloomy. Cheer up, Thorin and Company! This is your expedition after all. Think of the treasure at the end, and forget the forest and the dragon, at any rate[51]51
  во всяком случае


[Закрыть] until tomorrow morning!”

So they filled their water-skins at a clear spring at the forest-gate, and unpacked the ponies.

Then at last they said good-bye to their ponies. Now Gandalf, too, said good-bye. Bilbo sat on the ground feeling very unhappy.

“Good-bye!” said Gandalf to Thorin. “Don’t stray off the track!”

“Do we really have to go through?” groaned the hobbit.

“Yes, you do!” said the wizard, “if you want to get to the other side. And, Mr Baggins, you have to look after all these dwarves for me,” he added. Gandalf turned his horse and rode away. But in a moment he said again: “Be good, take care of yourselves – and DON’T LEAVE THE PATH!”

“O good-bye and go away!” grunted the dwarves. Now began the most dangerous part of their journey. The dwarves and Bilbo went into the forest.