jrt.fellowshipofring-第5节

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e　revealed　to　no　one；　not　even　to　Frodo　his　favourite　'nephew'。　And　he　still　kept　secret　the　ring　that　he　bad　found。
　　　
　　　4。　Of　the　Finding　of　the　Ring
　　　
　　　As　is　told　in　The　Hobbit；　there　came　one　day　to　Bilbo's　door　the　great　Wizard；　Gandalf　the　Grey；　and　thirteen　dwarves　with　him：　none　other；　indeed；　than　Thorin　Oakenshield；　descendant　of　kings；　and　his　twelve　panions　in　exile。　With　them　he　set　out；　to　his　own　lasting　astonishment；　on　a　morning　of　April；　it　being　then　the　year　1341　Shire…reckoning；　on　a　quest　of　great　treasure；　the　dwarf…hoards　of　the　Kings　under　the　Mountain；　beneath　Erebor　in　Dale；　far　off　in　the　East。　The　quest　was　successful；　and　the　Dragon　that　guarded　the　hoard　was　destroyed。　Yet；　though　before　all　was　won　the　Battle　of　Five　Armies　was　fought；　and　Thorin　was　slain；　and　many　deeds　of　renown　were　done；　the　matter　would　scarcely　have　concerned　later　history；　or　earned　more　than　a　note　in　the　long　annals　of　the　Third　Age；　but　for　an　'accident'　by　the　way。　The　party　was　assailed　by　Orcs　in　a　high　pass　of　the　Misty　Mountains　as　they　went　towards　Wilderland；　and　so　it　happened　that　Bilbo　was　lost　for　a　while　in　the　black　orc…mines　deep　under　the　mountains；　and　there；　as　he　groped　in　vain　in　the　dark；　he　put　his　hand　on　a　ring；　lying　on　the　floor　of　a　tunnel。　He　put　it　in　his　pocket。　It　seemed　then　like　mere　luck。
　　　Trying　to　find　his　way　out。　Bilbo　went　on　down　to　the　roots　of　the　mountains；　until　he　could　go　no　further。　At　the　bottom　of　the　tunnel　lay　a　cold　lake　far　from　the　light；　and　on　an　island　of　rock　in　the　water　lived　Gollum。　He　was　a　loathsome　little　creature：　he　paddled　a　small　boat　with　his　large　flat　feet；　peering　with　pale　luminous　eyes　and　catching　blind　fish　with　his　long　fingers；　and　eating　them　raw。　He　ate　any　living　thing；　even　orc；　if　he　could　catch　it　and　strangle　it　without　a　struggle。　He　possessed　a　secret　treasure　that　had　e　to　him　long　ages　ago；　when　he　still　lived　in　the　light：　a　ring　of　gold　that　made　its　wearer　invisible。　It　was　the　one　thing　he　loved；　his　'precious'；　and　he　talked　to　it；　even　when　it　was　not　with　him。　For　he　kept　it　hidden　safe　in　a　hole　on　his　island；　except　when　he　was　hunting　or　spying　on　the　ores　of　the　mines。
　　　Maybe　he　would　have　attacked　Bilbo　at　once；　if　the　ring　had　been　on　him　when　they　met；　but　it　was　not；　and　the　hobbit　held　in　his　hand　an　Elvish　knife；　which　served　him　as　a　sword。　So　to　gain　time　Gollum　challenged　Bilbo　to　the　Riddle…game；　saying　that　if　he　asked　a　riddle　which　Bilbo　could　not　guess；　then　he　would　kill　him　and　eat　him；　but　if　Bilbo　defeated　him；　then　he　would　do　as　Bilbo　wished：　he　would　lead　him　to　a　way　out　of　the　tunnels。
　　　Since　he　was　lost　in　the　dark　without　hope；　and　could　neither　go　on　nor　back。　Bilbo　accepted　the　challenge；　and　they　asked　one　another　many　riddles。　In　the　end　Bilbo　won　the　game；　more　by　luck　（as　it　seemed）　than　by　wits；　for　he　was　stumped　at　last　for　a　riddle　to　ask；　and　cried　out；　as　his　hand　came　upon　the　ring　he　lad　picked　up　and　forgotten：　What　haw　I　got　in　my　pocket？　This　Gollum　failed　to　answer；　though　he　demanded　three　guesses。
　　　The　Authorities；　it　is　true；　differ　whether　this　last　question　was　a　mere　'question'　and　not　a　'riddle'　according　to　the　strict　rules　of　the　Game；　but　all　agree　that；　after　accepting　it　and　trying　to　guess　the　answer；　Gollum　was　bound　by　his　promise。　And　Bilbo　pressed　him　to　keep　his　word；　for　the　thought　came　to　him　that　this　slimy　creature　might　prove　false；　even　though　such　promises　were　held　sacred；　and　of　old　all　but　the　wickedest　things　feared　to　break　them。　But　after　ages　alone　in　the　dark　Gollum's　heart　was　black；　and　treachery　was　in　it。　He　slipped　away；　and　returned　to　the　island；　of　which　Bilbo　knew　nothing；　not　far　off　in　the　dark　water。　There；　he　thought；　lay　his　ring。　He　was　hungry　now；　and　angry；　and　once　his　'precious'　was　with　him　he　would　not　fear　any　weapon　at　all。
　　　But　the　ring　was　not　on　the　island；　he　had　lost　it；　it　was　gone。　His　screech　sent　a　shiver　down　Bilbo's　back；　though　he　did　not　yet　understand　what　had　happened。　But　Gollum　had　at　last　leaped　to　a　guess；　too　late。　What　has　it　got　in　its　pocketses？　he　cried。　The　light　in　his　eyes　was　like　a　green　flame　as　he　sped　back　to　murder　the　hobbit　and　recover　his　'precious'。　Just　in　time　Bilbo　saw　his　peril；　and　he　fled　blindly　up　the　passage　away　from　the　water；　and　once　more　he　was　saved　by　his　luck。　For　just　as　he　ran　he　put　his　hand　in　his　pocket；　and　the　ring　slipped　quietly　on　to　his　finger。　So　it　was　that　Gollum　passed　him　without　seeing　him；　and　went　to　guard　the　way　out；　lest　the　'thief'　should　escape。　Warily　Bilbo　followed　him；　as　he　went　along；　cursing；　and　talking　to　himself　about　his　'precious'；　from　which　talk　at　last　even　Bilbo　guessed　the　truth；　and　hope　came　to　him　in　the　darkness：　he　himself　had　found　the　marvellous　ring　and　a　chance　of　escape　from　the　orcs　and　from　Gollum。
　　　At　length　they　came　to　a　halt　before　an　unseen　opening　that　led　to　the　lower　gates　of　the　mines；　on　the　eastward　side　of　the　mountains。　There　Gollum　crouched　at　bay；　smelling　and　listening；　and　Bilbo　was　tempted　to　slay　him　with　his　sword。　But　pity　stayed　him；　and　though　he　kept　the　ring；　in　which　his　only　hope　lay；　he　would　not　use　it　to　help　him　kill　the　wretched　creature　at　a　disadvantage。　In　the　end；　gathering　his　courage；　he　leaped　over　Gollum　in　the　dark；　and　fled　away　down　the　passage；　pursued　by　his　enemy's　cries　of　hate　and　despair：　Thief；　thief！　Baggins！　We　hates　it　for　ever！
　　　Now　it　is　a　curious　fact　that　this　is　not　the　story　as　Bilbo　first　told　it　to　his　panions。　To　them　his　account　was　that　Gollum　had　promised　to　give　him　a　present；　if　he　won　the　game；　but　when　Gollum　went　to　fetch　it　from　his　island　he　found　the　treasure　was　gone：　a　magic　ring；　which　had　been　given　to　him　long　ago　on　his　birthday。　Bilbo　guessed　that　this　was　the　very　ring　that　he　had　found；　and　as　he　had　won　the　game；　it　was　already　his　by　right。　But　being　in　a　tight　place；　he　said　nothing　about　it；　and　made　Gollum　show　him　the　way　out；　as　a　reward　instead　of　a　present。　This　account　Bilbo　set　down　in　his　memoirs；　and　he　seems　never　to　have　altered　it　himself；　not　even　after　the　Council　of　Elrond。　Evidently　it　still　appeared　in　the　original　Red　Book；　as　it　did　in　several　of　the　copies　and　abstracts。　But　many　copies　contain　the　true　account　（as　an　alternative）；　derived　no　doubt　from　notes　by　Frodo　or　Samwise；　both　of　whom　learned　the　truth；　though　they　seem　to　have　been　unwilling　to　delete　anything　actually　written　by　the　old　hobbit　himself。
　　　Gandalf；　however；　disbelieved　Bilbo's　first　story；　as　soon　as　he　heard　it；　and　he　continued　to　be　very　curious　about　the　ring。　Eventually　he　got　the　true　tale　out　of　Bilbo　after　much　questioning；　which　for　a　while　strained　their　friendship；　but　the　wizard　seemed　to　think　the　truth　important。　Though　he　did　not　say　so　to　Bilbo；　he　also　thought　it　important；　and　disturbing；　to　find　that　the　good　hobbit　had　not　told　the　truth　from　the　first：　quite　contrary　to　his　habit。　The　idea　of　a　'present'　was　not　mere　hobbitlike　invention；　all　the　same。　It　was　suggested　to　Bilbo；　as　he　confessed；　by　Gollum's　talk　that　he　overheard；　for　Gollum　did；　in　fact；　call　the　ring　his　'birthday　present'；　many　times。　That　also　Gandalf　thought　strange　and　suspicious；　but　he　did　not　discover　the　truth　in　this　point　for　many　more　years；　as　will　be　seen　in　this　book。
　　　Of　Bilbo's　later　adventures　little　more　need　be　said　here。　With　the　help　of　the　ring　he　escaped　from　the　orc…guards　at　the　gate　and　rejoined　his　panions。　He　used　the　ring　many　times　on　his　quest；　chiefly　for　the　help　of　his　friends；　but　he　kept　it　secret　from　them　as　long　as　he　could。　After　his　return　to　his　home　he　never　spoke　of　it　again　to　anyone；　save　Gandalf　and　Frodo；　and　no　one　else　in　the　Shire　knew　of　its　existence；　or　so　he　believed。　Only　to　Frodo　did　he　show　the　account　of　his　Journey　that　he　was　writing。
　　　His　sword；　Sting；　Bilbo　hung　over　his　fireplace；　and　his　coat　of　marvellous　mail；　the　gift　of　the　Dwarves　from　the　Dragon…hoard；　he　lent　to　a　museum；　to　the　Michel　Delving　Mathom…house　in　fact。　But　he　kept　in　a　drawer　at　Bag　End　the　old　cloak　and　hood　that　he　had　worn　on　his　travels；　and　the　ring；　secured　by　a　fine　chain；　remained　in　his　pocket。
　　　He　returned　to　his　home　at　Bag　End　on　June　the　22nd　in　his　fifty…second　year　（S。R。　1342）；　and　nothing　very　notable　occurred　in　the　Shire　until　Mr。　Baggins　began　the　preparations　for　the　celebration　of　his　hundred…and…eleventh　birthday　（S。R。　1401）。　At　this　point　this　History　begins。
　　　NOTE　ON　THE　SHIRE　RECORDS
　　　At　the　end　of　the　Third　Age　the　part　played　by　the　Hobbits　in　the　great　events　that　led　to　the　inclusion　of　the　Shire　in　the　Reunited　Kingdom　awakened　among　them　a　more　widespread　interest　in　their　own　history；　and　many　of　their　traditions；　up　to　that　time　still　mainly　oral；　were　collected　and　Written　down。　The　greater　families　were　also　concerned　with　events　in　the　Kingdom　at　large；　and　many　of　their　members　studied　its　ancient　histories　and　legends。　By　the　end　of　the　first　century　of　the　Fourth　Age　there　were　already　to　be　found　in　the　Shire　several　libraries　that　contained　many　historical　books　and　records。
　　　The　largest　of　these　collections　were　probably　at　Undertowers；　a