https://www.ringgame.net/riddles.html bg image(Back01.jpg) Riddles in the Dark The Lost Version In the foreword to The Lord of the Rings (specifically, Section 4, "On the Finding of the Ring"), J.R.R. Tolkien describes an alternate version of the riddle-game with Gollum that appears in Chapter Five of The Hobbit. He even goes so far as to describe Bilbo writing the "fabricated" version in his memoirs, and the unwillingness of Frodo to change it after he learned the truth. In Chapter Two of The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo tells Gandalf that Bilbo told him the "real" story of the finding of the ring, specifically stating that it was not the same story that was in Bilbo's book! Why all this emphasis on clearing up real versus false accounts of this critical chapter in the history of the Ring? In fact, the "account that Bilbo told the dwarves" of the events is what appeared in the first edition of The Hobbit in 1937. When the character of Gollum was revised (and his history and motivations more extensively explored) for The Lord of the Rings, Chapter Five of The Hobbit was subsequently changed by Tolkien in later editions to reflect the version described in LotR. The following is a side-by-side comparison of the two versions, presented in order to provide insight as to how the smallest of details can affect the overall themes of Tolkien's work. Of particular interest is the characterization of Gollum, who in the revised version is much more malevolent and treacherous, and yet also more pitiful, echoing the later role that he will play in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Thanks to the kind people in the Special Collections room of the Northwestern University Library for photocopying the appropriate pages from their first edition for me! Click to jump directly to a page (numbered according to original version). An asterisk (*) indicates a page with differences (marked in blue) between versions. 80 81 82 83 84 85* 86* 87* 88 89 90 91* 92* 93* 94* 95* 96 Home +-----------------------------------------------------------+ |Original version |Revised version | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |When Bilbo opened his eyes, |When Bilbo opened his eyes, | |he wondered if he had; for it|he wondered if he had; for it| |was just as dark as with them|was just as dark as with them| |shut. No one was anywhere |shut. No one was anywhere | |near him. Just imagine his |near him. Just imagine his | |fright! He could hear |fright! He could hear | |nothing, see nothing, and he |nothing, see nothing, and he | |could feel nothing except the|could feel nothing except the| |stone of the floor. |stone of the floor. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Very slowly he got up and |Very slowly he got up and | |groped about on all fours, |groped about on all fours, | |till he touched the wall of |till he touched the wall of | |the tunnel; but neither up |the tunnel; but neither up | |nor down it could he find |nor down it could he find | |anything: nothing at all, no |anything: nothing at all, no | |sign of goblins, no sign of |sign of goblins, no sign of | |dwarves. His head was |dwarves. His head was | |swimming, and he was far from|swimming, and he was far from| |certain even of the direction|certain even of the direction| |they had been going in when |they had been going in when | |he had his fall. He guessed |he had his fall. He guessed | |as well as he could, and |as well as he could, and | |crawled along for a good way,|crawled along for a good way,| |till suddenly his hand met |till suddenly his hand met | |what felt like a tiny ring of|what felt like a tiny ring of| |cold metal lying on the floor|cold metal lying on the floor| |of the tunnel. It was a |of the tunnel. It was a | |turning point in his career, |turning point in his career, | |but he did not know it. He |but he did not know it. He | |put the ring in his pocket |put the ring in his pocket | |almost without thinking; |almost without thinking; | |certainly it did not seem of |certainly it did not seem of | |any particular use at the |any particular use at the | |moment. He did not go much |moment. He did not go much | |further, but sat down on the |further, but sat down on the | |cold floor and gave himself |cold floor and gave himself | |up to complete miserableness,|up to complete miserableness,| |for a long while. He thought |for a long while. He thought | |of himself frying bacon and |of himself frying bacon and | |eggs in his own kitchen at |eggs in his own kitchen at | |home for he could feel inside|home for he could feel inside| |that it was high time for |that it was high time for | |some meal or other; but that |some meal or other; but that | |only made him miserabler. |only made him miserabler. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |He could not think what to |He could not think what to | |do; nor could he think what |do; nor could he think what | |had happened; or why he had |had happened; or why he had | |been left behind; or why, if |been left behind; or why, if | |he had been left behind, the |he had been left behind, the | |goblins had not caught him; |goblins had not caught him; | |or even why his head was so |or even why his head was so | |sore. The truth was he had |sore. The truth was he had | |been lying quiet, out of |been lying quiet, out of | |sight and out of mind, in a |sight and out of mind, in a | |very dark corner for a long |very dark corner for a long | |while. |while. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |After some time he felt for |After some time he felt for | |his pipe. It was not broken, |his pipe. It was not broken, | |and that was something. Then |and that was something. Then | |he felt for his pouch, and |he felt for his pouch, and | |there was some tobacco in it,|there was some tobacco in it,| |and that was something more. |and that was something more. | |Then he felt for matches and |Then he felt for matches and | |he could not find any at all,|he could not find any at all,| |and that shattered his hopes |and that shattered his hopes | |completely. Just as well for |completely. Just as well for | |him, as he agreed when he |him, as he agreed when he | |came to his senses. Goodness |came to his senses. Goodness | |knows what the striking of |knows what the striking of | |matches and the smell of |matches and the smell of | |tobacco would have brought on|tobacco would have brought on| |him out of dark holes in that|him out of dark holes in that| |horrible place. Still at the |horrible place. Still at the | |moment he felt very crushed. |moment he felt very crushed. | |But in slapping all his |But in slapping all his | |pockets and feeling all round|pockets and feeling all round| |himself for matches his hand |himself for matches his hand | |came on the hilt of his |came on the hilt of his | |little sword the little |little sword the little | |dagger that he got from the |dagger that he got from the | |trolls, and that he had quite|trolls, and that he had quite| |forgotten; nor do the goblins|forgotten; nor do the goblins| |seem to have noticed it, as |seem to have noticed it, as | |he wore it inside his |he wore it inside his | |breeches. |breeches. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Now he drew it out. It shone |Now he drew it out. It shone | |pale and dim before his eyes.|pale and dim before his eyes.| |"So it is an elvish blade, |"So it is an elvish blade, | |too," he thought; "and |too," he thought; "and | |goblins are not very near, |goblins are not very near, | |and yet not far enough." |and yet not far enough." | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |But somehow he was comforted.|But somehow he was comforted.| |It was rather splendid to be |It was rather splendid to be | |wearing a blade made in |wearing a blade made in | |Gondolin for the goblin-wars |Gondolin for the goblin-wars | |of which so many songs had |of which so many songs had | |sung; and also he had noticed|sung; and also he had noticed| |that such weapons made a |that such weapons made a | |great impression on goblins |great impression on goblins | |that came upon them suddenly.|that came upon them suddenly.| |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Go back?" he thought. "No |"Go back?" he thought. "No | |good at all! Go sideways? |good at all! Go sideways? | |Impossible! Go forward? Only |Impossible! Go forward? Only | |thing to do! On we go!" So up|thing to do! On we go!" So up| |he got, and trotted along |he got, and trotted along | |with his little sword held in|with his little sword held in| |front of him and one hand |front of him and one hand | |feeling the wall, and his |feeling the wall, and his | |heart all of a patter and a |heart all of a patter and a | |pitter. |pitter. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Now certainly Bilbo was in |Now certainly Bilbo was in | |what is called a tight place.|what is called a tight place.| |But you must remember it was |But you must remember it was | |not quite so tight for him as|not quite so tight for him as| |it would have been for me or |it would have been for me or | |for you. Hobbits are not |for you. Hobbits are not | |quite like ordinary people; |quite like ordinary people; | |and after all if their holes |and after all if their holes | |are nice cheery places and |are nice cheery places and | |properly aired, quite |properly aired, quite | |different from the tunnels of|different from the tunnels of| |the goblins, still they are |the goblins, still they are | |more used to tunnelling than |more used to tunnelling than | |we are, and they do not |we are, and they do not | |easily lose their sense of |easily lose their sense of | |direction underground not |direction underground not | |when their heads have |when their heads have | |recovered from being bumped. |recovered from being bumped. | |also they can move very |also they can move very | |quietly, and hide easily, and|quietly, and hide easily, and| |recover wonderfully from |recover wonderfully from | |falls and bruises, and they |falls and bruises, and they | |have a fund of wisdom and |have a fund of wisdom and | |wise sayings that men have |wise sayings that men have | |mostly never heard or have |mostly never heard or have | |forgotten long ago. |forgotten long ago. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |I should not have liked to |I should not have liked to | |have been in Mr. Baggins' |have been in Mr. Baggins' | |place, all the same. The |place, all the same. The | |tunnel seemed to have no end.|tunnel seemed to have no end.| |All he knew was that it was |All he knew was that it was | |still going down pretty |still going down pretty | |steadily and keeping in the |steadily and keeping in the | |same direction in spite of a |same direction in spite of a | |twist and a turn or two. |twist and a turn or two. | |There were passages leading |There were passages leading | |off to the side every now and|off to the side every now and| |then, as he knew by the |then, as he knew by the | |glimmer of his sword, or |glimmer of his sword, or | |could feel with his hand on |could feel with his hand on | |the wall. Of these he took no|the wall. Of these he took no| |notice, except to hurry past |notice, except to hurry past | |for fear of goblins or |for fear of goblins or | |half-imagined dark things |half-imagined dark things | |coming out of them. On and on|coming out of them. On and on| |he went, and down and down; |he went, and down and down; | |and still he heard no sound |and still he heard no sound | |of anything except the |of anything except the | |occasional whirr of a bat by |occasional whirr of a bat by | |his ears, which startled him |his ears, which startled him | |at first, till it became too |at first, till it became too | |frequent to bother about. I |frequent to bother about. I | |do not know how long he kept |do not know how long he kept | |on like this, hating to go |on like this, hating to go | |on, not darying [sic] to |on, not daring to stop, on, | |stop, on, on, until he was |on, until he was tireder than| |tireder than tired. It seemed|tired. It seemed like all the| |like all the way to tomorrow |way to tomorrow and over it | |and over it to the days |to the days beyond. | |beyond. | | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Suddenly without any warning |Suddenly without any warning | |he trotted splash into water!|he trotted splash into water!| |Ugh! it was icy cold. That |Ugh! it was icy cold. That | |pulled him up sharp and |pulled him up sharp and | |short. He did not know |short. He did not know | |whether it was just a pool in|whether it was just a pool in| |the path, or the edge of an |the path, or the edge of an | |underground stream that |underground stream that | |crossed the passage, or the |crossed the passage, or the | |brink of a deep dark |brink of a deep dark | |subterranean lake. The sword |subterranean lake. The sword | |was hardly shining at all. He|was hardly shining at all. He| |stopped, and he could hear, |stopped, and he could hear, | |when he listened hard, drops |when he listened hard, drops | |drip-drip-dripping from an |drip-drip-dripping from an | |unseen roof into the water |unseen roof into the water | |below; but there seemed no |below; but there seemed no | |other sort of sound. |other sort of sound. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"So it is a pool or a lake, |"So it is a pool or a lake, | |and not an underground |and not an underground | |river," he thought. Still he |river," he thought. Still he | |did not dare to wade out into|did not dare to wade out into| |the darkness. He could not |the darkness. He could not | |swim; and he thought, too, of|swim; and he thought, too, of| |nasty slimy things, with big |nasty slimy things, with big | |bulging blind eyes, wriggling|bulging blind eyes, wriggling| |in the water. There are |in the water. There are | |strange things living in the |strange things living in the | |pools and lakes in the hearts|pools and lakes in the hearts| |of mountains: fish whose |of mountains: fish whose | |fathers swam in, goodness |fathers swam in, goodness | |only knows how many years |only knows how many years | |ago, and never swam out |ago, and never swam out | |again, while their eyes grew |again, while their eyes grew | |bigger and bigger and bigger |bigger and bigger and bigger | |from trying to see in the |from trying to see in the | |blackness; also there are |blackness; also there are | |other things more slimy than |other things more slimy than | |fish. Even in the tunnels and|fish. Even in the tunnels and| |caves the goblins have made |caves the goblins have made | |for themselves there are |for themselves there are | |other things living unbeknown|other things living unbeknown| |to them that have sneaked in |to them that have sneaked in | |from outside to lie up in the|from outside to lie up in the| |dark. some of these caves, |dark. some of these caves, | |too, go back in their |too, go back in their | |beginnings to ages before the|beginnings to ages before the| |goblins, who only widened |goblins, who only widened | |them and joined them up with |them and joined them up with | |passages, and the original |passages, and the original | |owners are still there in odd|owners are still there in odd| |corners, slinking and nosing |corners, slinking and nosing | |about. |about. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Deep down here by the dark |Deep down here by the dark | |water lived old Gollum. I |water lived old Gollum. I | |don't know where he came |don't know where he came | |from, nor who or what he was.|from, nor who or what he was.| |He was Gollum as dark as |He was Gollum as dark as | |darkness, except for two big |darkness, except for two big | |round pale eyes. He had a |round pale eyes. He had a | |boat, and he rowed about |boat, and he rowed about | |quite quietly on the lake; |quite quietly on the lake; | |for lake it was, wide and |for lake it was, wide and | |deep and deadly cold. He |deep and deadly cold. He | |paddled it with large feet |paddled it with large feet | |dangling over the side, but |dangling over the side, but | |never a ripple did he make. |never a ripple did he make. | |Not he. He was looking out of|Not he. He was looking out of| |his pale lamp-like eyes for |his pale lamp-like eyes for | |blind fish, which he grabbed |blind fish, which he grabbed | |with his long fingers as |with his long fingers as | |quick as thinking. He liked |quick as thinking. He liked | |meat too. Goblin he thought |meat too. Goblin he thought | |good, when he could get it; |good, when he could get it; | |but he took are they never |but he took are they never | |found him out. He just |found him out. He just | |throttled them from behind, |throttled them from behind, | |if they ever came down alone |if they ever came down alone | |anywhere near the edge of the|anywhere near the edge of the| |water, while he was prowling |water, while he was prowling | |about. They very seldom did, |about. They very seldom did, | |for they had a feeling that |for they had a feeling that | |something unpleasant was |something unpleasant was | |lurking down there, down at |lurking down there, down at | |the very roots of the |the very roots of the | |mountain. They had come on |mountain. They had come on | |the lake, when they were |the lake, when they were | |tunnelling down long ago, and|tunnelling down long ago, and| |they found they could go no |they found they could go no | |further; so there their road |further; so there their road | |ended in that direction, and |ended in that direction, and | |there was no reason to go |there was no reason to go | |that way unless the Great |that way unless the Great | |Goblin sent them. Sometimes |Goblin sent them. Sometimes | |he took a fancy for fish from|he took a fancy for fish from| |the lake, and sometimes |the lake, and sometimes | |neither goblin nor fish came |neither goblin nor fish came | |back. |back. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Actually Gollum lived on a |Actually Gollum lived on a | |slimy island of rock in the |slimy island of rock in the | |middle of the lake. He was |middle of the lake. He was | |watching Bilbo now from the |watching Bilbo now from the | |distance with his pale eyes |distance with his pale eyes | |like telescopes. Bilbo could |like telescopes. Bilbo could | |not see him, but he was |not see him, but he was | |wondering a lot about Bilbo, |wondering a lot about Bilbo, | |for he could see that he was |for he could see that he was | |no goblin at all. |no goblin at all. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Gollum got into his boat and |Gollum got into his boat and | |shot off from the island, |shot off from the island, | |while Bilbo was sitting on |while Bilbo was sitting on | |the brink altogether |the brink altogether | |flummoxed and at the end of |flummoxed and at the end of | |his way and his wits. |his way and his wits. | |Suddenly up came Gollum and |Suddenly up came Gollum and | |whispered and hissed: |whispered and hissed: | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Bless us and splash us, my |"Bless us and splash us, my | |precioussss! I guess it's a |precioussss! I guess it's a | |choice feast; at least a |choice feast; at least a | |tasty morsel it'd make us, |tasty morsel it'd make us, | |gollum!" And when he said |gollum!" And when he said | |gollum he made a horrible |gollum he made a horrible | |swallowing noise in his |swallowing noise in his | |throat. That is how he got |throat. That is how he got | |his name, though he always |his name, though he always | |called himself 'my precious.'|called himself 'my precious.'| |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |The hobbit jumped nearly out |The hobbit jumped nearly out | |of his skin when the hiss |of his skin when the hiss | |came in his ears, and |came in his ears, and | |suddenly saw the pale eyes |suddenly saw the pale eyes | |sticking out at him. |sticking out at him. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Who are you?" he said, |"Who are you?" he said, | |thrusting his dagger in front|thrusting his dagger in front| |of him. |of him. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"What iss he, my preciouss?" |"What iss he, my preciouss?" | |whispered Gollum (who always |whispered Gollum (who always | |spoke to himself through |spoke to himself through | |never having anyone else to |never having anyone else to | |speak to). This is what he |speak to). This is what he | |had come to find out, for he |had come to find out, for he | |was not really very hungry at|was not really very hungry at| |the moment, only curious; |the moment, only curious; | |otherwise he would have |otherwise he would have | |grabbed first and whispered |grabbed first and whispered | |afterwards. |afterwards. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"I am Mr. Bilbo Baggins. I |"I am Mr. Bilbo Baggins. I | |have lost the dwarves and I |have lost the dwarves and I | |have lost the wizard, and I |have lost the wizard, and I | |don't know where I am; and I |don't know where I am; and I | |don't want to know, if only I|don't want to know, if only I| |can get away." |can get away." | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"What's he got in his |"What's he got in his | |handses?" said Gollum, |handses?" said Gollum, | |looking at the sword, which |looking at the sword, which | |he did not quite like. |he did not quite like. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"A sword, a blade which came |"A sword, a blade which came | |out of Gondolin!" |out of Gondolin!" | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Sssss" said Gollum, and |"Sssss" said Gollum, and | |became quite polite. "Praps |became quite polite. "Praps | |ye sits here and chats with |ye sits here and chats with | |it a bitsy, my preciousss. It|it a bitsy, my preciousss. It| |likes riddles, praps it does,|likes riddles, praps it does,| |does it?" He was anxious to |does it?" He was anxious to | |appear friendly, at any rate |appear friendly, at any rate | |for the moment, and until he |for the moment, and until he | |found out more about the |found out more about the | |sword and the hobbit, whether|sword and the hobbit, whether| |he was quite alone really, |he was quite alone really, | |whether he was good to eat, |whether he was good to eat, | |and whether Gollum was really|and whether Gollum was really| |hungry. Riddles were all he |hungry. Riddles were all he | |could think of. Asking them, |could think of. Asking them, | |and sometimes guessing them, |and sometimes guessing them, | |had been the only game he had|had been the only game he had| |ever played with other funny |ever played with other funny | |creatures sitting in their |creatures sitting in their | |holes in the long, long ago, |holes in the long, long ago, | |before the goblins came, and |before the goblins came, and | |he was cut off from his |he was cut off from his | |friends far under under the |friends far under under the | |mountains. |mountains. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Very well," said Bilbo, who |"Very well," said Bilbo, who | |was anxious to agree, until |was anxious to agree, until | |he found out more about the |he found out more about the | |creature, whether he was |creature, whether he was | |quite alone, whether he was |quite alone, whether he was | |fierce or hungry, and whether|fierce or hungry, and whether| |he was a friend of the |he was a friend of the | |goblins. |goblins. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"You ask first," he said, |"You ask first," he said, | |because he had not had time |because he had not had time | |to think of a riddle. |to think of a riddle. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |So Gollum hissed: |So Gollum hissed: | | What has roots as nobody | What has roots as nobody | |sees, |sees, | | Is taller than trees, | Is taller than trees, | | Up, up it goes, | Up, up it goes, | | And yet never grows? | And yet never grows? | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Easy!" said Bilbo. |"Easy!" said Bilbo. | |"Mountain, I suppose." |"Mountain, I suppose." | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Does it guess easy? It must |"Does it guess easy? It must | |have a competition with us, |have a competition with us, | |my preciouss! If precious |my preciouss! If precious | |asks, and it doesn't answer, |asks, and it doesn't answer, | |we eats it, my preciousss. If|we eats it, my preciousss. If| |it asks us, and we doesn't |it asks us, and we doesn't | |answer, we gives it a |answer, then we does what it | |present, gollum!" |wants, eh? We shows it the | | |way out, yes!" | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"All right!" said Bilbo, not |"All right!" said Bilbo, not | |daring to disagree, and |daring to disagree, and | |nearly bursting his brain to |nearly bursting his brain to | |think of riddles that could |think of riddles that could | |save him from being eaten. |save him from being eaten. | | Thirty white horses on a | Thirty white horses on a | |red hill, |red hill, | | First they champ, | First they champ, | | Then they stamp, | Then they stamp, | | Then they stand still. | Then they stand still. | |That was all he could think |That was all he could think | |of to ask the idea of eating |of to ask the idea of eating | |was rather on his mind. It |was rather on his mind. It | |was rather an old one, too, |was rather an old one, too, | |and Gollum knew the answer as|and Gollum knew the answer as| |well as you do. |well as you do. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Chestnuts, chestnuts," he |"Chestnuts, chestnuts," he | |hissed. "Teeth! teeth! my |hissed. "Teeth! teeth! my | |preciousss; but we has only |preciousss; but we has only | |six!" Then he asked his |six!" Then he asked his | |second: |second: | | Voiceless it cries, | Voiceless it cries, | | Wingless flutters, | Wingless flutters, | | Toothless bites, | Toothless bites, | | Mouthless mutters. | Mouthless mutters. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Half a moment!" cried Bilbo,|"Half a moment!" cried Bilbo,| |who was still thinking |who was still thinking | |uncomfortably about eating. |uncomfortably about eating. | |Fortunately he had once heard|Fortunately he had once heard| |something rather like this |something rather like this | |before, and getting his wits |before, and getting his wits | |back he thought of the |back he thought of the | |answer. "Wind, wind of |answer. "Wind, wind of | |course," he said, and he was |course," he said, and he was | |so pleased that he made up |so pleased that he made up | |one on the spot. "This'll |one on the spot. "This'll | |puzzle the nasty little |puzzle the nasty little | |underground creature," he |underground creature," he | |thought: |thought: | | An eye in a blue face | An eye in a blue face | | Saw an eye in a green | Saw an eye in a green | |face. |face. | | "That eye is like to this| "That eye is like to this| |eye" |eye" | | Said the first eye, | Said the first eye, | | "But in low place, | "But in low place, | | Not in high place." | Not in high place." | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Ss, ss, ss," said Gollum. He|"Ss, ss, ss," said Gollum. He| |had been underground a long |had been underground a long | |long time, and was forgetting|long time, and was forgetting| |this sort of thing. But just |this sort of thing. But just | |as Bilbo was beginning to |as Bilbo was beginning to | |wonder what Gollum's present |hope that the wretch would | |would be like, Gollum brought|not be able to answer, Gollum| |up memories of ages and ages |brought up memories of ages | |and ages before, when he |and ages and ages before, | |lived with his grandmother in|when he lived with his | |a hole in a bank by a river, |grandmother in a hole in a | |"Sss, sss, my preciouss," he |bank by a river, "Sss, sss, | |said. "Sun on the daisies it |my preciouss," he said. "Sun | |means, it does." |on the daisies it means, it | | |does." | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |But these ordinary |But these ordinary | |aboveground everyday sort of |aboveground everyday sort of | |riddles were tiring for him. |riddles were tiring for him. | |Also they reminded him of |Also they reminded him of | |days when he had been less |days when he had been less | |lonely and sneaky and nasty, |lonely and sneaky and nasty, | |and that put him out of |and that put him out of | |temper. What is more they |temper. What is more they | |made him hungry; so this time|made him hungry; so this time| |he tried something a bit more|he tried something a bit more| |difficult and more |difficult and more | |unpleasant: |unpleasant: | | It cannot be seen, cannot| It cannot be seen, cannot| |be felt, |be felt, | | Cannot be heard, cannot | Cannot be heard, cannot | |be smelt. |be smelt. | | It lies behind stars and | It lies behind stars and | |under hills, |under hills, | | And empty holes it | And empty holes it | |fills. |fills. | | It comes first and | It comes first and | |follows after, |follows after, | | Ends life, kills | Ends life, kills | |laughter. |laughter. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Unfortunately for Gollum |Unfortunately for Gollum | |Bilbo had heard that sort of |Bilbo had heard that sort of | |thing before; and the answer |thing before; and the answer | |was all around him any way. |was all around him any way. | |"Dark!" he said without even |"Dark!" he said without even | |scratching his head or |scratching his head or | |putting on his thinking cap. |putting on his thinking cap. | | A box without hinges, key| A box without hinges, key| |or lid, |or lid, | | Yet golden treasure | Yet golden treasure | |inside is hid. |inside is hid. | |he asked to gain time, until |he asked to gain time, until | |he could think of a really |he could think of a really | |hard one. This he thought a |hard one. This he thought a | |dreadfully easy chestnut, |dreadfully easy chestnut, | |though he had not asked it in|though he had not asked it in| |the usual words. But it |the usual words. But it | |proved a nasty poser for |proved a nasty poser for | |Gollum. He hissed to himself,|Gollum. He hissed to himself,| |and still he did not answer; |and still he did not answer; | |he whispered and spluttered. |he whispered and spluttered. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |After some while Bilbo became|After some while Bilbo became| |impatient. "Well, what is it?|impatient. "Well, what is it?| |" he said. "The answer's not |" he said. "The answer's not | |a kettle boiling over, as you|a kettle boiling over, as you| |seem to think from the noise |seem to think from the noise | |you are making." |you are making." | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Give us a chance; let it |"Give us a chance; let it | |give us a chance, my |give us a chance, my | |preciouss ss ss." |preciouss ss ss." | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Well," said Bilbo, after |"Well," said Bilbo, after | |giving him a long chance, |giving him a long chance, | |"what about your present?" |"what about your guess?" | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |But suddenly Gollum |But suddenly Gollum | |remembered thieving from |remembered thieving from | |nests long ago, and sitting |nests long ago, and sitting | |under the river bank teaching|under the river bank teaching| |his grandmother, teaching his|his grandmother, teaching his| |grandmother to suck "Eggses!"|grandmother to suck "Eggses!"| |he hissed. "Eggses it is!" |he hissed. "Eggses it is!" | |The he asked: |The he asked: | | Alive without breath, | Alive without breath, | | As cold as death; | As cold as death; | | Never thirsty, ever | Never thirsty, ever | |drinking, |drinking, | | All in mail never | All in mail never | |clinking. |clinking. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |He also in his turn thought |He also in his turn thought | |this was a dreadfully easy |this was a dreadfully easy | |one, because he was always |one, because he was always | |thinking of the answer. But |thinking of the answer. But | |he could not remember |he could not remember | |anything better at the |anything better at the | |moment, he was so flustered |moment, he was so flustered | |by the egg-question. All the |by the egg-question. All the | |same it was a poser for poor |same it was a poser for poor | |Bilbo, who never had anything|Bilbo, who never had anything| |to do with the water if he |to do with the water if he | |could help it. I imagine you |could help it. I imagine you | |know the answer, of course, |know the answer, of course, | |or can guess it as easy as |or can guess it as easy as | |winking, since you are |winking, since you are | |sitting comfortably at home |sitting comfortably at home | |and have not the danger of |and have not the danger of | |being eaten to disturb your |being eaten to disturb your | |thinking. Bilbo sat and |thinking. Bilbo sat and | |cleared his throat once or |cleared his throat once or | |twice, but no answer came. |twice, but no answer came. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |After a while Gollum began to|After a while Gollum began to| |hiss with pleasure to |hiss with pleasure to | |himself: "Is it nice, my |himself: "Is it nice, my | |preciousss? Is it juicy? Is |preciousss? Is it juicy? Is | |it scuptiously crunchable?" |it scuptiously crunchable?" | |He began to peer at Bilbo out|He began to peer at Bilbo out| |of the darkness. |of the darkness. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Half a moment," said the |"Half a moment," said the | |hobbit shivering. "I gave you|hobbit shivering. "I gave you| |a good long chance just now."|a good long chance just now."| |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"It must make haste, haste!" |"It must make haste, haste!" | |said Gollum, beginning to |said Gollum, beginning to | |climb out of his boat on to |climb out of his boat on to | |the shore to get at Bilbo. |the shore to get at Bilbo. | |But when he put his long |But when he put his long | |webby foot in the water, a |webby foot in the water, a | |fish jumped out in a fright |fish jumped out in a fright | |and fell on Bilbo's toes. |and fell on Bilbo's toes. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Ugh!" he said, "it is cold |"Ugh!" he said, "it is cold | |and clammy!" and so he |and clammy!" and so he | |guessed. "Fish! fish!" he |guessed. "Fish! fish!" he | |cried. "It is fish!" |cried. "It is fish!" | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Gollum was dreadfully |Gollum was dreadfully | |disappointed; but Bilbo asked|disappointed; but Bilbo asked| |another riddle as quick as |another riddle as quick as | |ever he could, so that Gollum|ever he could, so that Gollum| |had to get back into his boat|had to get back into his boat| |and think. |and think. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |No-legs lay on one-leg, two |No-legs lay on one-leg, two | |legs sat near on three-legs, |legs sat near on three-legs, | |four-legs got some. |four-legs got some. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |It was not really the right |It was not really the right | |time for this riddle, but |time for this riddle, but | |Bilbo was in a hurry. Gollum |Bilbo was in a hurry. Gollum | |might have had some trouble |might have had some trouble | |guessing it, if he had asked |guessing it, if he had asked | |it at another time. As it |it at another time. As it | |was, talking of fish, |was, talking of fish, | |"no-legs" was not so very |"no-legs" was not so very | |difficult, and after that the|difficult, and after that the| |rest was easy. "Fish on a |rest was easy. "Fish on a | |little table, man at table |little table, man at table | |sitting on a stool, the cat |sitting on a stool, the cat | |has the bones" that of course|has the bones" that of course| |is the answer, and Gollum |is the answer, and Gollum | |soon gave it. Then he thought|soon gave it. Then he thought| |the time had come to ask |the time had come to ask | |something hard and horrible. |something hard and horrible. | |This is what he said: |This is what he said: | | This thing all things | This thing all things | |devours: |devours: | | Birds, beasts, trees, | Birds, beasts, trees, | |flowers; |flowers; | | Gnaws iron, bites steel; | Gnaws iron, bites steel; | | Grinds hard stones to | Grinds hard stones to | |meal; |meal; | | Slays king, ruins town, | Slays king, ruins town, | | And beats high mountain | And beats high mountain | |down. |down. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Poor Bilbo sat in the dark |Poor Bilbo sat in the dark | |thinking of all the horrible |thinking of all the horrible | |names of all the giants and |names of all the giants and | |ogres he had ever heard told |ogres he had ever heard told | |of in tales, but not one of |of in tales, but not one of | |them had done all these |them had done all these | |things. He had a feeling that|things. He had a feeling that| |the answer was quite |the answer was quite | |different and that he ought |different and that he ought | |to know it, but he could not |to know it, but he could not | |think of it. He began to get |think of it. He began to get | |frightened, and that is bad |frightened, and that is bad | |for thinking. Gollum began to|for thinking. Gollum began to| |get out of his boat. He |get out of his boat. He | |flapped into the water and |flapped into the water and | |paddled to the bank; Bilbo |paddled to the bank; Bilbo | |could see his eyes coming |could see his eyes coming | |towards him. His tongue |towards him. His tongue | |seemed to stick in his mouth;|seemed to stick in his mouth;| |he wanted to shout out: "Give|he wanted to shout out: "Give| |me more time! Give me time!" |me more time! Give me time!" | |But all that came out with a |But all that came out with a | |sudden squeal was: |sudden squeal was: | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| | "Time! Time!" | "Time! Time!" | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Bilbo was saved by pure luck.|Bilbo was saved by pure luck.| |For that of course was the |For that of course was the | |answer. |answer. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Gollum was disappointed once |Gollum was disappointed once | |more; and now he was getting |more; and now he was getting | |angry, and also tired of the |angry, and also tired of the | |game. it had made him very |game. it had made him very | |hungry indeed. This time he |hungry indeed. This time he | |did not go back to the boat. |did not go back to the boat. | |He sat down in the dark by |He sat down in the dark by | |Bilbo. That made the hobbit |Bilbo. That made the hobbit | |most dreadfully uncomfortable|most dreadfully uncomfortable| |and scattered his wits. |and scattered his wits. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"It's got to ask uss a |"It's got to ask uss a | |question, my preciouss, yes, |question, my preciouss, yes, | |yess, yesss. Jusst one more |yess, yesss. Jusst one more | |quesstion to guess, yes, |quesstion to guess, yes, | |yess," said Gollum. |yess," said Gollum. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |But Bilbo simply could not |But Bilbo simply could not | |think of any question with |think of any question with | |that nasty wet cold thing |that nasty wet cold thing | |sitting next to him, and |sitting next to him, and | |pawing and poking him. He |pawing and poking him. He | |scratched himself, he pinched|scratched himself, he pinched| |himself; still he could not |himself; still he could not | |think of anything. |think of anything. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Ask us! ask us!" said |"Ask us! ask us!" said | |Gollum. |Gollum. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Bilbo pinched himself and |Bilbo pinched himself and | |slapped himself; he gripped |slapped himself; he gripped | |on his little sword; he even |on his little sword; he even | |felt in his pocket with his |felt in his pocket with his | |other hand. There he found |other hand. There he found | |the ring he had picked up in |the ring he had picked up in | |the passage and forgotten |the passage and forgotten | |about. |about. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"What have I got in my |"What have I got in my | |pocket?" he said aloud. He |pocket?" he said aloud. He | |was talking to himself, but |was talking to himself, but | |Gollum thought it was a |Gollum thought it was a | |riddle, and he was |riddle, and he was | |frightfully upset. |frightfully upset. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Not fair! not fair!" he |"Not fair! not fair!" he | |hissed. "It isn't fair, my |hissed. "It isn't fair, my | |precious, is it, to ask us |precious, is it, to ask us | |what it's got in its nassty |what it's got in its nassty | |little pocketses?" |little pocketses?" | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Bilbo seeing what had |Bilbo seeing what had | |happened and having nothing |happened and having nothing | |better to ask stuck to his |better to ask stuck to his | |question, "What have I got in|question, "What have I got in| |my pocket?" he said louder. |my pocket?" he said louder. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"S-s-s-s-s," hissed Gollum. |"S-s-s-s-s," hissed Gollum. | |"It must give us three |"It must give us three | |guesseses, my precious, three|guesseses, my precious, three| |guesseses." |guesseses." | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Very well! Guess away!" said|"Very well! Guess away!" said| |Bilbo. |Bilbo. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Handses!" said Gollum. |"Handses!" said Gollum. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Wrong," said Bilbo, who had |"Wrong," said Bilbo, who had | |luckily just taken his hand |luckily just taken his hand | |out again. "Guess again!" |out again. "Guess again!" | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"S-s-s-s-s," said Gollum more|"S-s-s-s-s," said Gollum more| |upset than ever. He thought |upset than ever. He thought | |of all the things he kept in |of all the things he kept in | |his own pockets: fish-bones, |his own pockets: fish-bones, | |goblins' teeth, wet shells, a|goblins' teeth, wet shells, a| |bit of bat-wing, a sharp |bit of bat-wing, a sharp | |stone to sharpen his fangs |stone to sharpen his fangs | |on, and other nasty things. |on, and other nasty things. | |He tried to think what other |He tried to think what other | |people kept in their pockets.|people kept in their pockets.| |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Knife!" he said at last. |"Knife!" he said at last. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Wrong!" said Bilbo, who had |"Wrong!" said Bilbo, who had | |lost his some time ago. "Last|lost his some time ago. "Last| |guess!" |guess!" | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Now Gollum was in a much |Now Gollum was in a much | |worse state than when Bilbo |worse state than when Bilbo | |had asked him the |had asked him the | |egg-question. He hissed and |egg-question. He hissed and | |spluttered and rocked himself|spluttered and rocked himself| |backwards and forwards, and |backwards and forwards, and | |slapped his feet on the |slapped his feet on the | |floor, and wriggled and |floor, and wriggled and | |squirmed; but still he did |squirmed; but still he did | |not dare to waste his last |not dare to waste his last | |guess. |guess. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Come on!" said Bilbo. "I am |"Come on!" said Bilbo. "I am | |waiting!" He tried to sound |waiting!" He tried to sound | |bold and cheerful, but he did|bold and cheerful, but he did| |not feel at all sure how the |not feel at all sure how the | |game was going to end, |game was going to end, | |whether Gollum guessed right |whether Gollum guessed right | |or not. |or not. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Time's up!" he said. |"Time's up!" he said. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"String, or nothing!" |"String, or nothing!" | |shrieked Gollum, which was |shrieked Gollum, which was | |not quite fair working in two|not quite fair working in two| |guesses at once. |guesses at once. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Both wrong," cried Bilbo |"Both wrong," cried Bilbo | |very much relieved; and he |very much relieved; and he | |jumped at once to his feet, |jumped at once to his feet, | |put his back to the nearest |put his back to the nearest | |wall, and held out his little|wall, and held out his little| |sword. But funnily enough he |sword. He knew, of course, | |need not have been alarmed. |that the riddle-game was | |For one thing Gollum had |sacred and of immense | |learned long long ago was |antiquity, and even wicked | |never, never, to cheat at the|creatures were afraid to | |riddle-game, which is a |cheat when they played at it.| |sacred one and of immense |But he felt he could not | |antiquity. Also there was the|trust this slimy thing to | |sword. He simply sat and |keep any promise at a pinch. | |whispered. |any excuse would do for him | | |to slide out of it. And after| | |all that last question had | | |not been a genuine riddle | | |according to the ancient | | |laws. | | | | | |But at any rate Gollum did | | |not at once attack him. he | | |could see the sword in | | |Bilbo's hand. He sat still, | | |shivering and whispering. At | | |last Bilbo could wait no | | |longer. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"What about the present? |"Well?" he said. "What about | |asked Bilbo, not that he |your promise? I want to go. | |cared very much, still he |You must show me the way." | |felt that he had won it, | | |pretty fairly, and in very | | |difficult circumstances too. | | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Must we give it the thing, |"Did we say so, precious? | |preciouss? Yess, we must! We |Show the nassty little | |must fetch it, preciouss, and|Baggins the way out, yes, | |give it the present we |yes. But what has it got in | |promised." So Gollum paddled |its pocketses, eh? Not | |back to his boat, and Bilbo |string, precious, but not | |thought he had heard the last|nothing. Oh no! gollum!" | |of him. But he had not. The | | |hobbit was just thinking of |"Never you mind," said Bilbo.| |going back up the passage |"A promise is a promise." | |having had quite enough of | | |Gollum and the dark water's |"Cross it is, impatient, | |edge when he heard him |precious," hissed Gollum. | |wailing and squeaking away in|"But it must wait, yes it | |the gloom. He was on his |must. We can't go up the | |island (of which, of course, |tunnels so hasty. We must go | |Bilbo knew nothing), |and get some things first, | |scrabbling here and there, |yes, things to help us." | |searching and seeking in | | |vain, and turning out his |Well, hurry up!" said Bilbo, | |pockets. |relieved to think of Gollum | | |going away. He thought he was| | |just making an excuse and did| | |not mean to come back. What | | |was Gollum talking about? | | |What useful thing could he | | |keep out on the dark lake? | | |But he was wrong. Gollum did | | |mean to come back. He was | | |angry now and hungry. And he | | |was a miserable wicked | | |creature, and already he had | | |a plan. | | | | | |Not far away was his island, | | |of which Bilbo knew nothing, | | |and there in his hiding-place| | |he kept a few wretched | | |oddments, and one very | | |beautiful thing, very | | |beautiful, very wonderful. He| | |had a ring, a golden ring, a | | |precious ring. | | | | | |"My birthday-present!" he | | |whispered to himself, as he | | |had often done in the endless| | |dark days. "That's what we | | |wants now, yes; we wants it!"| | | | | |He wanted it because it was a| | |ring of power, and if you | | |slipped that ring on your | | |finger, you were invisible; | | |only in the full sunlight | | |could you be seen, and then | | |only by your shadow, and that| | |would be shaky and faint. | | | | | |"My birthday-present! It came| | |to me on my birthday, my | | |precious." So he had always | | |said to himself. But who | | |knows when such rings were | | |still at large in the world? | | |Perhaps even the Master who | | |ruled them could not have | | |said. Gollum used to wear it | | |at first, till it tired him; | | |and then he kept it in a | | |pouch next to his skin, till | | |it galled him; and now | | |usually he hid it in a hole | | |in the rock on his island, | | |and was always going back to | | |look at it. And still | | |sometimes he put it on, when | | |he could not bear to be | | |parted from it any longer, or| | |when he was very, very, | | |hungry, and tired of fish. | | |Then he would creep along | | |dark passages looking for | | |stray goblins. He might even | | |venture into places where the| | |torches were lit and made his| | |eyes blink and smart; for he | | |would be safe. Oh yes, quite | | |safe. No one would see him, | | |no one would notice him, till| | |he had his fingers on their | | |throat. Only a few hours ago | | |he had worn it, and caught a | | |small goblin-imp. How it | | |squeaked! He still had a bone| | |or two left to gnaw, but he | | |wanted something softer. | | | | | |"Quite safe, yes," he | | |whispered to himself. "It | | |won't see us, will it, my | | |precious? No. It won't see | | |us, and its nasty little | | |sword will be useless, yes | | |quite." | | | | | |That is what was in his | | |wicked little mind, as he | | |slipped suddenly from Bilbo's| | |side, and flapped back to his| | |boat, and went off into the | | |dark. Bilbo thought he had | | |heard the last of him. Still | | |he waited a while; for he had| | |no idea how to find his way | | |out alone. | | | | | |Suddenly he heard a screech. | | |It sent a shiver down his | | |back. Gollum was cursing and | | |wailing away in the gloom, | | |not very far off by the sound| | |of it. He was on his island, | | |scrabbling here and there, | | |searching and seeking in | | |vain. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Where iss it? Where iss it?"|"Where iss it? Where iss it?"| |Bilbo heard him squeaking. |Bilbo heard him crying. | |"Lost, lost, my preciouss, |"Losst it is, my precious, | |lost, lost! Bless us and |lost lost! Curse us and crush| |splash us! We haven't the |us, my precious is lost!" | |present we promised, and we | | |haven't even got it for | | |ourselves." | | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Bilbo turned round and |"What's the matter?" Bilbo | |waited, wondering what it |called. "What have you lost?"| |could be that the creature | | |was making such a fuss about.|"It mustn't ask us," shrieked| |this proved very fortunate |Gollum. "Not its business, | |afterwards. For Gollum came |no, gollum! It's losst, | |back and made a tremendous |gollum, gollum, gollum." | |spluttering and whispering | | |and croaking; and in the end |"Well so am I," cried Bilbo, | |Bilbo gathered that Gollum |"and I want to get unlost. | |had had a ring a wonderful, |And I won the game, and you | |beautiful ring, a ring that |promised. So come along! Come| |he had been given for a |and let me out, and then go | |birthday present, ages and |on with your looking!" | |ages before in the old days |Utterly miserable as Gollum | |when such rings were less |sounded, Bilbo could not find| |uncommon. Sometimes he had it|much pity in his heart, and | |in his pocket; usually he |he had a feeling that | |kept it in a little hole in |anything Gollum wanted so | |the rock on his island; |much could hardly be | |sometimes he wore it when he |something good. "Come along!"| |was very, very hungry, and |he shouted. | |tired of fish, and crept | | |along dark passages looking |"No, not yet, precious!" | |for stray goblins. The he |Gollum answered. "We must | |might even venture into |search for it, it's lost, | |places where the torches were|gollum." | |lit and made his eyes blink | | |and smart; for he would be |"But you never guessed my | |safe. Oh yes! very nearly |last question, and you | |safe; for if you slipped that|promised," said Bilbo. | |ring on your finger, you were| | |invisible; only in the |"Never guessed!" said Gollum.| |sunlight could you be seen, |Then suddenly out of the | |and then only by your shadow,|gloom came a sharp hiss. | |and that was a faint and |"What has it got in its | |shaky sort of shadow. |pocketses? Tell us that. It | | |must tell first." | |I don't know how many times | | |Gollum begged Bilbo's pardon.| | |He kept on saying: "We are | | |ssorry; we didn't mean to | | |cheat, we meant to give it | | |our only only pressent, if it| | |won the competition." He even| | |offered to catch Bilbo some | | |nice juicy fish to eat as a | | |consolation. | | | | | |Bilbo shuddered at the | | |thought of it. "No thank you!| | |" he said as politely as he | | |could. | | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |He was thinking hard, and the|As far as Bilbo knew, there | |idea came to him that Gollum |was no particular reason why | |must have dropped that ring |he should not tell. Gollum's | |sometime and that he must |mind had jumped to a guess | |have found it, and that he |quicker than his; naturally, | |had that very ring in his |for Gollum had brooded for | |pocket. But he had the wits |ages on this one thing, and | |not to tell Gollum. |he was always afraid of its | | |being stolen. But Bilbo was | |"Finding's keeping!" he said |annoyed at the delay. After | |to himself; and being in a |all, he had won the game, | |very tight place, I daresay, |pretty fairly, at a horrible | |he was right. Anyway the ring|risk. "Answers were to be | |belonged to him now. |guessed not given," he said. | | | | |"Never mind!" he said. "The |"But it wasn't a fair | |ring would have been mine |question," said Gollum. "Not | |now, if you had found it; so |a riddle, precious, no." | |you would have lost it | | |anyway. And I will let you |"Oh well, if it's a matter of| |off on one condition." |ordinary questions," Bilbo | | |replied, "then I asked one | |"Yes, what iss it? What does |first. What have you lost? | |it wish us to do, my |Tell me that!" | |precious?" | | | |"What has it got in its | |"Help me to get out of these |pocketses?" The sound came | |places," said Bilbo. |hissing louder and sharper, | | |and as he looked towards it, | |Now Gollum had to agree to |to his alarm, Bilbo now saw | |this, if he was not to cheat.|two small points of light | |He still very much wanted |peering at him. As suspicion | |just to try what the stranger|grew in Gollum's mind, the | |tasted like; but now he had |light of his eyes burned with| |to give up all idea of it. |a pale flame. | |Still, there was the little | | |sword; and the stranger was |"What have you lost?" Bilbo | |wide awake and on the look |persisted. | |out, not unsuspecting as | | |Gollum liked to have things |But now the light in Gollum's| |which he attacked. So perhaps|eyes had become a green fire,| |it was best after all. |and it was coming swiftly | | |nearer. Gollum was in his | |That is how Bilbo got to know|boat again, paddling wildly | |that the tunnel ended at the |back to the dark shore; and | |water and went no further on |such a rage of loss and | |the other side where the |suspicion was in his heart | |mountain wall was dark and |that no sword had any more | |solid. He also learned that |terror for him. | |he ought to have turned down | | |one of the side passages to |Bilbo could not guess what | |the right before he came to |had maddened the wretched | |the bottom; but he could not |creature, but he saw that all| |follow Gollum's directions |was up, and that Gollum meant| |for finding it again on the |to murder him at any rate. | |way up, and he made the |Just in time he turned and | |wretched creature come and |ran blindly back up the dark | |show him the way. |passage down which he had | | |come, keeping close to the | |As they went along up the |wall and feeling it with his | |tunnel together, Gollump |left hand. | |flip-flapping at his side, | | |Bilbo going very softly, he |"What has it got in its | |thought he would try the |pocketses?" he heard the hiss| |ring. He slipped it on his |loud behind him, and the | |finger. |splash as Gollum leapt from | | |his boat. "What have I, I | |"Where iss it? Where iss it |wonder?" he said to himself, | |gone to?" said Gollum at |as he panted and stumbled | |once, peering about with his |along. He put his left hand | |long eyes. |in his pocket. The ring felt | | |very cold as it quietly | |"Here I am, following behind!|slipped on to his groping | |" said Bilbo slipping off the|forefinger. | |ring again, and feeling very | | |pleased to have it and to |The hiss was close behind | |find that it really did what |him. he turned now and saw | |Gollum said. |Gollum's eyes like small | | |green lamps coming up the | | |slope. Terrified he tried to | | |run faster, but suddenly he | | |struck his toes on a snag in | | |the floor, and fell flat with| | |his little sword under him. | | | | | |In a moment Gollum was on | | |him. But before Bilbo could | | |do anything, recover his | | |breath, pick himself up, or | | |wave his sword, Gollum passed| | |by, taking no notice of him, | | |cursing and whispering as he | | |ran. | | | | | |What could it mean? Gollum | | |could see in the dark. bilbo | | |could see the light of his | | |eyes palely shining even from| | |behind. Painfully he got up, | | |and sheathed his sword, which| | |was now glowing faintly | | |again, then very cautiously | | |he followed. There seemed | | |nothing else to do. it was no| | |good crawling back down to | | |Gollum's water. Perhaps if he| | |followed him, Gollum might | | |lead him to some way of | | |escape without meaning to. | | | | | |"Curse it! curse it! curse | | |it!" hissed Gollum. "Curse | | |the Baggins! It's gone! What | | |has it got in its pocketses? | | |Oh we guess, we guess, my | | |precious. He's found it, yes | | |he must have. My | | |birthday-present." | | | | | |Bilbo pricked up his ears. He| | |was at last beginning to | | |guess himself. He hurried a | | |little, getting as close as | | |he dared behind Gollum, who | | |was still going quickly, not | | |looking back, but turning his| | |head from side to side, as | | |Bilbo could see from the | | |faint glimmer on the walls. | | | | | |"My birthday-present! Curse | | |it! How did we lose it, my | | |precious? Yes, that's it. | | |When we came this way last, | | |when we twisted that nassty | | |young squeaker. That's it. | | |Curse it! It slipped from us,| | |after all these ages and | | |ages! It's gone, gollum!" | | | | | |Suddenly Gollum sat down and | | |began to weep, a whistling | | |and gurgling sound horrible | | |to listen to. Bilbo halted | | |and flattened himself against| | |the tunnel-wall. After a | | |while Gollum stopped weeping | | |and began to talk. He seemed | | |to be having an argument with| | |himself. | | | | | |"It's no good going back | | |there to search, no. We | | |doesn't remember all the | | |places we've visited. and | | |it's no use. The Baggins has | | |got it in its pocketses; the | | |nassty noser has found it, we| | |ways. | | | | | |"We guesses, precious, only | | |guesses. We can't know till | | |we find the nassty creature | | |and squeezes it. But it | | |doesn't know what the present| | |can do, does it? It'll just | | |keep it in its pocketses. It | | |doesn't know, and it can't go| | |far. It's lost itself, the | | |nassty nosey thing. It | | |doesn't know the way out. It | | |said so. | | | | | |"It said so, yes; but it's | | |tricksy. It doesn't say what | | |it means. It won't say what | | |it's got in its pocketses. It| | |knows. It knows a way in, it | | |must know a way out, yes. | | |It's off to the back-door. to| | |the back-door, that's it. | | | | | |"The goblins will catch it | | |then. It can't get out that | | |way, precious. | | | | | |"Ssss, sss, gollum! | | |Goblinses! Yes, but if it's | | |got the present, our precious| | |present, then goblinses will | | |get it, gollum! They'll find | | |it, they'll find out what it | | |does. We shan't ever be safe | | |again, never, gollum! One of | | |the goblinses will put it on,| | |and then no one will see him.| | |He'll be there but not seen. | | |Not even our clever eyeses | | |will notice him; and he'll | | |come creepsy and tricksy and | | |catch us, gollum, gollum!" | | | | | |"Then let's stop talking, | | |precious, and make haste. If | | |the Baggins has gone that | | |way, we must go quick and | | |see. Go! Not far now. Make | | |haste!" | | | | | |With a spring Gollum got up | | |and started shambling off at | | |a great pace. Bilbo hurried | | |after him, still cautiously, | | |though his chief fear now was| | |of tripping on another snag | | |and falling with a noise. His| | |head was in a whirl of hope | | |and wonder. It seemed that | | |the ring was a magic ring: it| | |made you invisible! He had | | |heard of such things, of | | |course, in old old tales; but| | |it was hard to believe that | | |he really had found one, by | | |accident. Still there it was:| | |Gollum with his bright eyes | | |had passed him by, only a | | |yard to one side. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Now on they went again, while|On they went, Gollum | |Gollum counted the passages |flip-flapping ahead, hissing | |to left and right: "One left,|and cursing; Bilbo behind | |one right, two right, three |going as softly as a hobbit | |right, two left," and so on. |can. Soon they came to places| |He began to get very shaky |where, as Bilbo had noticed | |and afraid as they left the |on the way down, | |water further and further |side-passages opened, this | |behind; but at last he |way and that. Gollum began at| |stopped by a low opening on |once to count them. | |their left (going up) "six | | |right, four left." |"One left, yes. One right, | | |yes. Two right, yes, yes. Two| | |left, yes, yes." And so on | | |and on. | | | | | |As the count grew he slowed | | |down, and he began to get | | |shaky and weepy; for he was | | |leaving the water further and| | |further behind, and he was | | |getting afraid. Goblins might| | |be about, and he had lost his| | |ring. At last he stopped by a| | |low opening, on their left as| | |they went up. | | | | | |"Seven right, yes. Six left, | | |yes!" he whispered. "This is | | |it. This is the way to the | | |back-door, yes. Here's the | | |passage." | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Here'ss the passage," he |He peered in and shrank back.| |whispered. "It musst squeeze |"But we durstn't go in, | |in and sneak down. We |precious, no we durstn't. | |durstn't go with it, my |Goblinses down there. Lots of| |preciouss, no we durstn't, |golinses. We smells them. | |gollum!" |Ssss!" | | | | | |So they came to a dead stop. | | |Gollum had brought Bilbo to | | |the way out after all, but | | |Bilbo could not get in! There| | |was Gollum sitting humped up | | |right in the opening, and his| | |eyes gleamed cold in his | | |head, as he swayed it from | | |side to side between his | | |knees. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |So Bilbo slipped under the |Bilbo crept away from the | |arch, and said good-bye to |wall more quietly than a | |the nasty miserable creature;|mouse; but Gollum stiffened | |and very glad he was. He did |at once, and sniffed, and his| |not feel comfortable until he|eyes went green. He hissed | |felt quite sure it was gone, |softly but menacingly. he | |and he kept his head out in |could not see the hobbit, but| |the main tunnel listening |now he was on the alert, and | |until the flip-flap of Gollum|he had other senses that the | |going back to his boat died |darkness had sharpened: | |away in the darkness. Then he|hearing and smell. He seemed | |went down the new passage. |to be crouched right down | | |with his flat hands splayed | | |on the floor, and his head | | |thrust out, nose almost to | | |the stone. Though he was only| | |a black shadow in the gleam | | |of his own eyes, Bilbo could | | |see or feel that he was tense| | |as a bowstring, gathered for | | |a spring. | | | | | |Bilbo almost stopped | | |breathing, and went stiff | | |himself. He was desperate. He| | |must get away, out of this | | |horrible darkness, while he | | |had any strength left. He | | |must fight. He must stab the | | |foul thing, put its eyes out,| | |kill it. It meant to kill | | |him. No, not a fair fight. He| | |was invisible now. Gollum had| | |no sword. Gollum had not | | |actually threatened to kill | | |him, or tried to yet. And he | | |was miserable, alone, lost. A| | |sudden understanding, a pity | | |mixed with horror, welled up | | |in Bilbo's heart: a glimpse | | |of endless unmarked days | | |without light or hope of | | |betterment, hard stone, cold | | |fish, sneaking and | | |whispering. All these | | |thoughts passed in a flash of| | |a second. He trembled. And | | |then quite suddenly in | | |another flash, as if lifted | | |by a new strength and | | |resolve, he leaped. | | | | | |No great leap for a man, but | | |a leap in the dark. Straight | | |over Gollum's head he jumped,| | |seven feet forward and three | | |in the air; indeed, had he | | |known it, he only just missed| | |cracking his skull on the low| | |arch of the passage. | | | | | |Gollum threw himself | | |backwards, and grabbed as the| | |hobbit flew over him, but too| | |late: his hands snapped on | | |thin air, and Bilbo, falling | | |fair on his sturdy feet, sped| | |off down the new tunnel. 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 blood-curdling shriek,| | |filled with hatred and | | |despair. Gollum was defeated.| | |He dared go no further. He | | |had lost: lost his prey, and | | |lost, too, the only thing he | | |had ever cared for, his | | |precious. The cry brought | | |Bilbo's heart to his mouth, | | |but still he held on. Now | | |faint as an echo, but | | |menacing, the voice came | | |behind: | | | | | |"Thief, thief, thief! | | |Baggins! We hates it, we | | |hates it, we hates it for | | |ever!" | | | | | |Then there was a silence. But| | |that too seemed menacing to | | |Bilbo. "If goblins are so | | |near that he smelt them," he | | |thought, "then they'll have | | |heard his shrieking and | | |cursing. Careful now, or this| | |way will lead you to worse | | |things." | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |It was a low narrow one |The passage was low and | |roughly made. It was all |roughly made. It was not too | |right for the hobbit, except |difficult for the hobbit, | |when he stubbed his toes in |except when, in spite of all | |the dark on nasty jags in the|care, he stubbed his poor | |floor; but it must have been |toes again, several times, on| |a bit low for goblins. |nasty jagged stones in the | |Perhaps it was not knowing |floor. "A bit low for | |that goblins are used to this|goblins, at least for the big| |sort of thing, and go along |ones," thought Bilbo, not | |quite fast stooping low with |knowing that even the big | |their hands almost on the |ones, the orcs of the | |floor, that made Bilbo forget|mountains, go along at a | |the danger of meeting them |great speed stooping low with| |and hurry forward recklessly.|their hands almost on the | | |ground. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Soon the passage began to go |Soon the passage that had | |up again, and after a while |been sloping down began to go| |it climbed steeply. That |up again, and after a while | |slowed him down. But at last |it climbed steeply. That | |after some time the slope |slowed Bilbo down. But at | |stopped, the passage turned a|last the slope stopped, the | |corner and dipped down again,|passage turned a corner, and | |and at the bottom of a short |dipped down again, and there,| |incline he saw filtering |at the bottom of a short | |round another corner a |incline, he saw, filtering | |glimmer of light. Not red |round another corner a | |light as of fire or lantern, |glimpse of light. Not red | |but pale ordinary |light, as of fire or lantern,| |out-of-doors sort of light. |but a pale out-of-doors sort | |Then he began to run. |of light. Then Bilbo began to| |Scuttling along as fast as |run. | |his little legs would carry | | |him he turned the corner and |Scuttling as fast as his legs| |came suddenly right into an |would carry him he turned the| |open place where the light, |last corner and came suddenly| |after all that time in the |right into an open space, | |dark, seemed dazzlingly |where the light, after all | |bright. Really it was only a |that time in the dark, seemed| |leak of sunshine in through a|dazzlingly bright. Really it | |doorway, where a great door, |was only a leak of sunshine | |a stone door, was left a |in through a doorway, where a| |little open. |great door, a stone door, was| | |left standing open. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Bilbo blinked, and then he |Bilbo blinked, and then | |suddenly saw the goblins: |suddenly he saw the goblins: | |goblins in full armour with |goblins in full armour with | |drawn swords sitting just |drawn swords sitting just | |inside the door, and watching|inside the door, and watching| |it with wide eyes, and the |it with wide eyes, and | |passage that led to it! They |watching the passage that led| |saw him sooner than he saw |to it. They were aroused, | |them, and with yells of |alert, ready for anything. | |delight they rushed upon him.| | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Whether it was accident or |They saw him sooner than he | |presence of mind, I don't |saw them. Yes, they saw him. | |know. Accident, I think, |Whether it was an accident, | |because the hobbit was not |or a last trick of the ring | |used yet to his new treasure.|before it took a new master, | |Anyway he slipped the ring on|it was not on his finger. | |his left hand and the goblins|With yells of delight the | |stopped short. They could not|goblins rushed upon him. | |see a sign of him. Then they | | |yelled twice as loud as |A pang of fear and loss, like| |before, but not so |an echo of Gollum's misery, | |delightedly. |smote Bilbo, and forgetting | | |even to draw his sword he | | |stuck his hands into his | | |pockets. And there was the | | |ring still, in his left | | |pocket, and it slipped on his| | |finger. The goblins stopped | | |short. They could not see a | | |sign of him. He had vanished.| | |They yelled twice as loud as | | |before, but not so | | |delightedly. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Where is it?" they cried. |"Where is it?" they cried. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Go back up the passage!" |"Go back up the passage!" | |some shouted. |some shouted. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"This way!" some yelled. |"This way!" some yelled. | |"That way!" others yelled. |"That way!" others yelled. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"Look out for the door," |"Look out for the door," | |bellowed the captain. |bellowed the captain. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Whistles blew, armour |Whistles blew, armour | |clashed, swords rattled, |clashed, swords rattled, | |goblins cursed and swore and |goblins cursed and swore and | |rather hither and thither, |rather hither and thither, | |falling over one another and |falling over one another and | |getting very angry. There was|getting very angry. There was| |a terrible outcry, to-do, and|a terrible outcry, to-do, and| |disturbance. |disturbance. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Bilbo was dreadfully |Bilbo was dreadfully | |frightened, but he had the |frightened, but he had the | |sense to understand what had |sense to understand what had | |happened and to sneak behind |happened and to sneak behind | |a big barrel which held drink|a big barrel which held drink| |for the goblin-guards, and so|for the goblin-guards, and so| |get out of the way and avoid |get out of the way and avoid | |being bumped into, trampled |being bumped into, trampled | |to death, or caught by feel. |to death, or caught by feel. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |"I must get to the door, I |"I must get to the door, I | |must get to the door!" he |must get to the door!" he | |kept on saying to himself, |kept on saying to himself, | |but it was a long time before|but it was a long time before| |he ventured to try. Then it |he ventured to try. Then it | |was like a horrible game of |was like a horrible game of | |blind-man's-buff [sic]. the |blind-man's-buff [sic]. the | |place was full of goblins |place was full of goblins | |running about, and the poor |running about, and the poor | |little hobbit dodged this way|little hobbit dodged this way| |and that, was knocked over by|and that, was knocked over by| |a goblin who could not make |a goblin who could not make | |out what he had bumped into, |out what he had bumped into, | |scrambled away on all fours, |scrambled away on all fours, | |slipped between the legs of |slipped between the legs of | |the captain just in time, got|the captain just in time, got| |up, and ran for the door. |up, and ran for the door. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |It was still ajar, but a |It was still ajar, but a | |goblin had pushed it nearly |goblin had pushed it nearly | |to. Bilbo struggled but he |to. Bilbo struggled but he | |could not move it. He tried |could not move it. He tried | |to squeeze through the crack.|to squeeze through the crack.| |He squeezed and squeezed, and|He squeezed and squeezed, and| |he stuck! It was awful. His |he stuck! It was awful. His | |buttons had got wedged on the|buttons had got wedged on the| |edge of the door and the |edge of the door and the | |door-post. He could see |door-post. He could see | |outside into the open air: |outside into the open air: | |there were a few steps |there were a few steps | |running down into a narrow |running down into a narrow | |valley between tall |valley between tall | |mountains; the sun came out |mountains; the sun came out | |from behind a cloud and shone|from behind a cloud and shone| |bright on the outside of the |bright on the outside of the | |door but he could not get |door but he could not get | |through. |through. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Suddenly one of the goblins |Suddenly one of the goblins | |inside shouted: "There is a |inside shouted: "There is a | |shadow by the door. Something|shadow by the door. Something| |is outside!" |is outside!" | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Bilbo's heart jumped into his|Bilbo's heart jumped into his| |mouth. He gave a terrific |mouth. He gave a terrific | |squirm. Buttons burst off in |squirm. Buttons burst off in | |all directions. He was |all directions. He was | |through, with a torn coat and|through, with a torn coat and| |waistcoat, leaping down the |waistcoat, leaping down the | |steps like a goat, while |steps like a goat, while | |bewildered goblins were still|bewildered goblins were still| |picking up his nice brass |picking up his nice brass | |buttons on the doorstep. |buttons on the doorstep. | |-----------------------------+-----------------------------| |Of course they soon came down|Of course they soon came down| |after him, hooting and |after him, hooting and | |hallooing, and hunting among |hallooing, and hunting among | |the trees. But they don't |the trees. But they don't | |like the sun: it makes their |like the sun: it makes their | |legs wobble and their heads |legs wobble and their heads | |giddy. They could not find |giddy. They could not find | |Bilbo with the ring on, |Bilbo with the ring on, | |slipping in and out of the |slipping in and out of the | |shadow of the trees, running |shadow of the trees, running | |quick and quiet, and keeping |quick and quiet, and keeping | |out of the sun; so soon they |out of the sun; so soon they | |went back grumbling and |went back grumbling and | |cursing to guard the door. |cursing to guard the door. | |Bilbo had escaped. |Bilbo had escaped. | +-----------------------------------------------------------+ |Home| The Hobbit is 1937 by George Allen & Unwin Ltd., Copyright Restored 1996 by the Estate of J.R.R. Tolkien, assigned 1997 to the J.R.R. Tolkien Copyright Trust. This excerpt is intended solely for educational purposes.