The Return of the Shadow. Christopher Tolkien

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СКАЧАТЬ already failing when they reached the end of the lane and came at last back to the road.⁸ It was growing chilly and thin strands of mist were crawling over the fields. The twilight was clammy.

      ‘Not too bad,’ said Frodo. ‘It is four miles from here to the landing stage opposite Bucklebury. We shall make it before it is quite dark.’

      They now turned right along the road, which here ran quite straight, drawing steadily nearer to the River. There was no sign of any other traveller upon the way. Soon they could see lights in the distance ahead and to their left, beyond the dim line of the shadowy willow-trees along the borders of the river, where the far bank rose almost into a low hill.

      ‘There’s Bucklebury!’ said Frodo.

      ‘Thank goodness!’ said Odo. ‘My feet are sore, sticky, and mud-tired. Also it is getting chilly.’ He stumbled into a puddle and splashed up a fountain of dirty water. ‘Drat it!’ he said. ‘I’ve nearly had enough of to-day’s walk. Do you think there is any chance of a bath to-night?’ Without waiting for an answer he suddenly began a hobbit bathroom song.

       O Water warm and water hot!

       O Water boiled in pan and pot!

       O Water blue and water green,

       O Water silver-clear and clean,

       Of bath I sing my song!

       O praise the steam expectant nose!

       O bless the tub my weary toes!

       O happy fingers come and play!

       O arms and legs, you here may stay,

       And wallow warm and long!

       Put mire away! Forget the clay!

       Shut out the night! Wash off the day!

       In water lapping chin and knees,

       In water kind now lie at ease,

       Until the dinner gong!

      ‘Really you might wait till you are in the bath!’ said Frodo.

      ‘I warn you,’ added Bingo, ‘that you will have yours last, or else you will not wallow very long.’

      ‘Very well,’ said Odo; ‘only I warn you that if you go first you must not take all the hot water, or I shall drown you in your own bath. I want a hot bath and a clean one.’

      ‘You may not get any,’ said Bingo. ‘I don’t know what Marmaduke has arranged, or where we are sleeping. I didn’t order baths, and if we get them they will be our last for some time, I expect.’

      Their talk flagged. They were now getting really tired, and went along with their chins down and their eyes in front of their toes. They were quite startled when suddenly a voice behind them cried: ‘Hi!’ It then burst into a loud song:

       As I was sitting by the way,

       I saw three hobbits walking:

       One was dumb with naught to say,

       The others were not talking.

       ‘Good night!’ I said. ‘Good night to you!’

       They heeded not my greeting:

       One was deaf like the other two.

       It was a merry meeting!

      ‘Marmaduke!’ cried Bingo turning round. ‘Where did you spring from?’

      ‘You passed me sitting at the road-side,’ said Marmaduke. ‘Perhaps I ought to have lain down in the road; but then you would have just trodden on me and passed gaily on.’

      ‘We are tired,’ said Bingo.

      ‘So it seems. I told you you would be – but you were so proud and stiff. “Ponies! Pooh!” you said. “Just a little leg-stretcher before the real business begins.’”

      ‘As it happens ponies would not have helped much,’ said Bingo. ‘We have been having adventures.’ He stopped suddenly and looked up and down the dark road. ‘We will tell you later.’

      ‘Bless me!’ said Marmaduke. ‘But how mean of you! You shouldn’t have adventures without me. And what are you peering about for? Are there some big bad rabbits loose?’

      ‘Don’t be so Marmadukish all at once! I can’t bear it at the end of the day,’ said Odo. ‘Let’s get off our legs and have some food, and then you shall hear a tale. Can I have a bath?’

      ‘What?’ said Marmaduke. ‘A bath? That would put you right out of training again. A bath! I am surprised at such a question. Now lift up your chins and follow me!’

      A few yards further on there was a turning to the left. They went down a path, neat and well-kept and edged with large white stones. It led them quickly to the river-bank. There there was a landing-stage big enough for several boats. Its white posts glimmered in the gloom. The mists were beginning to gather almost hedge-high in the fields, but the water before them was dark with only a few curling wisps of grey like steam among the reeds at the sides. The Brandywine River flowed slow and broad. On the other side two lamps twinkled upon another landing-stage with many steps going up the high bank beyond. Behind it the low hill loomed, and out of the hill through stray strands of mist shone many round hobbit-windows, red and yellow. They were the lights of Brandy Hall, the ancient home of the Brandybucks.

Long, long ago the Brandybucks had crossed the River (the original boundary of the Shire on this side), attracted by the high bank and the drier rolling ground behind. But their family (one of the oldest hobbit families) grew, and grew, until Brandy Hall occupied the whole of the low hill, and had three large front doors, several back doors, and at least fifty windows. The Brandybucks and their numerous dependants then began to burrow and later to build all round about. That was the origin of the village of Bucklebury-by-the-River. A great deal of the land on the west side of the river still belonged to the family, almost as far as Woodhall, but most of the actual Brandybucks lived in Buckland: a thickly inhabited strip between the River and the Old Forest, a sort of colony from the old Shire.

      The people of the old Shire, of course, told strange tales of the Bucklanders; but as a matter of fact the Bucklanders were hobbits, and not really very different from other hobbits of the North, South, or West – except in one point: they were fond of boats and some of them could swim. Also they were unprotected from the East except by a hedge, THE HEDGE. It had been planted ages ago. It now ran all the way from Brandywine Bridge to Haysend in a big loop, furthest from the River behind Bucklebury, something like forty miles from end to end.⁹ It was thick and tall, and was constantly tended. But of course it was not a complete protection. The Bucklanders kept their doors locked, and that also was not usual in the Shire.

      Marmaduke СКАЧАТЬ