Джон Толкин - The Hobbit / Хоббит. 10 класс

“He is an excitable little fellow,” said Gandalf, as they sat down again, “but one of the best – as fierce as a dragon.”

Meanwhile, after a drink, Bilbo crept nervously to the door of the room. He heard Gloin speaking: “Are you sure of him? Maybe Gandalf is right, and this hobbit can be fierce, but one scream like that in a moment of excitement would be enough to wake the dragon and all his relatives, and kill many of us. I think he was frightened but not excited! He looks more like a grocer – than a burglar!”

Then Mr Baggins opened the door and went in. The Took side had won,[17] though many times afterwards the Baggins part regretted it.

“Pardon me,” he said, “I don’t know why you mentioned burglars, but as far as I understand, you think I am no good. I will show you. Tell me what you want, and I will try it, if I have to walk far away and fight the wild beasts.”

“Yes, I was talking about you”, said Gloin, “and you can say Expert Treasure-hunter instead of Burglar if you like. Gandalf told us that there was a man in these parts looking for a Job at once, he had marked your door and so arranged a meeting here this Wednesday at tea-time.”

“Of course,” said Gandalf, “I put the mark there myself. I did it for very good reasons. You asked me to find the fourteenth man for your expedition, and I chose Mr Baggins because he is a real hero. So let’s have no more argument. Now Bilbo, my boy, fetch the lamp, and let’s look at this!”

On the table he spread a piece of parchment like a map.

“This was made by Thror, your grandfather, Thorin,” Gandalf said. “It is a plan of the Mountain.”

“There is a dragon marked in red on the Mountain, said Balin, “but it will be easy enough to find him without that, if we arrive there.”

“There is one point that you haven’t noticed,” said the wizard, “and that is the secret entrance. Do you see that rune[18] on the West side, and the hand pointing to it from the other runes? That marks a hidden passage to the Lower Halls. It is very small. ‘Five feet high the door and three may walk abreast’[19] say the runes. Smaug could not creep into a hole that size, not even when he was a young dragon.”

“It is a great big hole to me,” said Bilbo.

“Also,” went on Gandalf, “I forgot to mention that with the map I got a key. Here it is!” he said, and handed to Thorin an unusual small key made of silver.

“I will keep it safe,” said Thorin and fastened it upon a chain that hung about his neck and under his jacket.

“So I decided on burglary”, continued Gandalf. And here is our little Bilbo Baggins, the selected burglar. And now let’s make some plans.”

“Very well then,” said Thorin, “maybe the burglar-expert will give us some ideas or suggestions.” He turned to Bilbo.

“First I would like to know a bit more about the story,” said he, feeling confused. “I mean about the dragon and the gold, and how it got there, and who it belongs to. Also I would like to know about risks.”

“O very well,” said Thorin. “Long ago in my grandfather Thror’s time our family was driven out of the far North, and came back with all their things and their tools to this Mountain on the map. They became very rich and famous, and my grandfather was King under the Mountain. The mortal men, who lived to the South, respected him. They built the merry town of Dale there in those days. Kings often sent for our smiths, and rewarded them generously. Those were good days for us – my grandfather’s halls became full of jewels, and the toy-market of Dale was the wonder of the North.

“Certainly that attracted the dragon. Dragons steal gold and jewels, you know, from men and elves and dwarves; and they guard their stolen treasures. There were a lot of dragons in the North, and one of them, very greedy, strong and wicked, was called Smaug. One day he flew up into the air and came south. We heard a noise like a hurricane coming from the North, and then the dragon settled on our mountain in flame. He burned down the woods. By that time all the bells were ringing in Dale and the warriors were arming. The dwarves rushed out of their great gate; but the dragon killed them and destroyed most of the warriors. Then he went back and crept in through the Front Gate and after that there were no dwarves left alive inside, and he took all their wealth for himself. Probably, he has piled it all up in a great heap far inside, and sleeps on it. Later he crawled out of the great gate and came by night to Dale, and carried away people to eat, until Dale was ruined, and all the people dead or gone. What goes on there now I don’t know for certain, but I think nobody lives near the Mountain.

“Those few of us, who were lucky to be alive, wept in hiding, and cursed Smaug. Suddenly my father and my grandfather arrived. They only said that one day in the proper time I would know how they had got away. After that we went away, and we had to work really hard to earn our living.[20] But we have never forgotten our stolen treasure.

“I think my father and my grandfather had a private Side-door, and only they knew about it. I am sure they made a map, and I would like to know how Gandalf got it.”

“Well, your father gave me this to give to you,” said the wizard. “Your father could not remember his own name when he gave me the paper, and he never told me yours. Here it is,” said he handing the map to Thorin.

“I don’t understand,” said Thorin.

“Your father,” said the wizard slowly and grimly, “gave me the map in the dungeons of the Necromancer.”

“What were you doing there?” asked Thorin with a shudder, and all the dwarves shivered.

“It does not matter. It was a dangerous business. I tried to save your father, but it was too late. He had forgotten almost everything except the map and the key. Necromancer is an enemy quite beyond the powers of all the dwarves. And the dragon and the Mountain are also impossible tasks for you!”

“Hear, hear! Hear what I have got to say!” said Bilbo.

“What’s that?” they asked.

“Well, I think that you should go East and have a look round. After all there is the Side-door, and dragons must sleep sometimes, I suppose. I am sure you will think of something. And well, what about bed and an early start? I will give you a good breakfast before you go.”

“Before we go, you mean,” said Thorin. “Aren’t you the burglar? But I agree about bed and breakfast. I like eggs and ham before a journey.”

So the hobbit made beds on chairs and sofas for them all and went to his little bed really tired. He was not now quite so sure that he was going on any journey in the morning. As he lay in bed he could hear Thorin singing to himself in the best bedroom next to him:

That night Bilbo had very uncomfortable dreams. The next day he woke up late.

Bilbo jumped up, and rushed into the dining-room. There he saw nobody, but all the signs of a large breakfast. There were huge piles of unwashed pots in the kitchen. But he was really relieved after all to think that they had all gone without him, though he felt a little disappointed. The feeling surprised him.

Bilbo washed up and had a nice little breakfast in the kitchen. By that time the sun was shining and Bilbo began to forget about the night before when Gandalf walked in. “My dear fellow,” said he, “when are you going to come? What about an early start? – And here you are at half past ten! They left you the message, because they could not wait.”

“What message?” said poor Mr Baggins.

“It’s on the mantelpiece, just under the clock,” said Gandalf, handing Bilbo a note.

This is what he read:

“Thorin and Company to Burglar Bilbo greeting! [21]

Thanks for your hospitality and for your offer of professional help. The terms are: cash on delivery; all traveling expenses guaranteed; funeral expenses to be defrayed by us or our representatives.[22]

We didn’t want to disturb you, so we left early to make necessary preparations, and will wait for you at the Green Dragon Inn, Bywater, at 11 a.m.

Yours sincerely,

Thorin & Co.”

“So, you will have to run,” said Gandalf.

“But —,” said Bilbo.

“No time for it,” said the wizard, “go!”

So Bilbo gave his keys to Gandalf and ran as fast as he could. He got to Bywater on time!

“Bravo!” said Balin who was standing at the inn door. Just then all the others came on ponies, and each pony carried all kinds of bags and parcels. There was a very small pony, for Bilbo.

“Let’s go!” said Thorin.

“I’m awfully sorry,” said Bilbo, “but I have come without my hat.”

“Don’t worry,” said Dwalin, “I have got a spare hood and cloak in my baggage.”

That’s how they all started their journey one fine morning just before May; and Bilbo was wearing a dark-green hood and a dark-green cloak. They were too large for him, and he looked rather comic.

Soon Gandalf came on a white horse. He had brought Bilbo’s pipe and tobacco. So after that they told stories or sang songs as they rode forward all day. At first they had passed through hobbit-lands, with good roads. Then they came to lands where people spoke strangely. Then they had gone on far into the Lone-lands, where there were no people left, and the roads got worse. They saw dark hills. Everything seemed gloomy. It was cold and wet. In the Lone-lands they had to camp when they could. It was after tea-time; it was raining heavily. Soon it was nearly dark, and the moon appeared above the hills. And then they noticed that Gandalf was missing. So far he had come all the way with them. But now he simply was not there at all! Finally they decided to camp but the dwarves could not make a fire that night. Then one of the ponies suddenly felt frightened and got into the river, and all the baggage that he carried was washed away off him. Of course it was mostly food, and there was little left for supper, and less for breakfast. There all of them were sitting gloomy and wet, when Balin said: “There’s a light over there!” And they went in the direction of the light. So they came to the hill and were soon in the wood.

Suddenly the red light shone very brightly through the trees not far ahead. “Now it is the burglar’s turn,”[23] they said. “Bilbo, you must go and find out all about that light, and what it is for,” said Thorin to the hobbit. “Now go, and come back quickly, if all is well. If not, come back if you can! It you can’t, hoot twice like a barn-owl and once like a screech-owl, and we will do what we can.”

So Bilbo had to go off, before he could explain that he could not hoot even once like any kind of owl. But hobbits can move absolutely quietly in woods. And he came up to the fire without disturbing anyone. There he saw three very large trolls sitting round a very large fire. They were roasting mutton on long spits of wood. There was a barrel of good drink nearby, and they were drinking out of jugs.

“Mutton yesterday, mutton today, and mutton again tomorrow, Tom” said one of the trolls.

“Yes, Bert. We haven’t had a bit of manflesh[24] for ages,” said another troll. “Why did William bring us here?” he said. “Shut your mouth!” answered William, the troll, sitting next to them. Bilbo was standing in the shadows. He had heard that stealing things from the trolls’ pockets was really easy, so he crept behind a tree just behind William.

Bert and Tom went off to the barrel. William was having another drink. Then Bilbo put his little hand in William’s huge pocket. There was a purse in it. He lifted it carefully out. But suddenly the purse said, “Hey, who are you?” and William turned round at once and grabbed Bilbo by the neck.

“Bert, look what I’ve caught!” said William.

“What is it?” said the others coming up.

“I don’t know! Who are you?”

“Bilbo Baggins, a bur – a hobbit,” said poor Bilbo.

“A burrahobbit?” said they.

“What was a burrahobbit doing in my pocket?” said William.

“And can you cook them?” said Tom.

“You can try,” said Bert.

“But he is so small!” said William.

“Perhaps there are more like him nearby, and we can make a pie,” said Bert. “Are there any more of your sort in these woods?” said he looking at Bilbo.

“Yes, lots,” said Bilbo, before he remembered not to give his friends away. “No, none at all, not one,” he said at once.

“What do you mean?” said Bert.

“Please don’t cook me, kind sirs! I am a good cook myself. I’ll cook beautifully for you, a perfectly beautiful breakfast for you, if only you won’t have me for supper.”

“Poor little thing![25] Let him go!” said William.

“But first let him explain ‘lots and none at all’,” said Tom. “I don’t want anyone cut my throat in my sleep. Hold his toes in the fire, till he talks!”

“No!” said William. “I caught him anyway.”

“You’re a fat fool, William,” said Bert, and the trolls started fighting.

Right in the middle of the fight Balin came up. The dwarves had heard noises from a distance, and after waiting for some time, they started to creep towards the light as quietly as they could. But as soon as Tom saw Balin, he gave an awful cry. Trolls simply hate dwarves (uncooked). Bert and Bill stopped fighting at once, and quickly put a sack over Balin’s head.

Soon other dwarves appeared and all of them got into sacks. Bilbo was lying under a bush, not moving.

Just then Gandalf came back. But no one saw him. The trolls had just decided to roast the dwarves now and eat them later.

“That’s not a good idea,” said a voice. Bert thought it was William’s.

“Don’t start the argument, Bill,” he said, “or it will take all night.”

“Who’s a-arguing?” said William, who thought it was Bert that had spoken.

“You are,” said Bert.

“You’re a liar,” said William; and so the argument started. Soon the trolls started fighting.

“Now stop it!” said Tom and Bert together. “The dawn comes early!”

“At dawn you will turn into stone!” said a voice that sounded like William’s. But it wasn’t. Just at that moment the light came over the hill. William never spoke because he stood turned to stone; and Bert and Tom also turned into stones as they looked at him. And there they stand to this day; for trolls, as you probably know, must be underground before dawn, or they turn into stone and never move again. That is what had happened to Bert and Tom and William. “Excellent!” said Gandalf, as he stepped from behind a tree, and helped Bilbo up.

Then they untied the sacks and let out the dwarves.

“Don’t waste our time now. The trolls must have a cave or a hole somewhere nearby. We must look into it!”

They searched about, and soon found the marks of trolls’ stony boots going away through the trees. They followed the tracks up the hill, until they came on a big door of stone leading to a cave. But they could not open it, not though they all pushed while Gandalf tried various spells.