LITMIR.BIZ

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of a path, that climbed with many windings out of the woods below and faded away on the hill-top behind. In places it was now faint and overgrown, or choked with fallen stones and trees; but at one time it seemed to have been much used. It was a path made by strong arms and heavy feet. Here and there old trees had been cut or broken down, and large rocks cloven or heaved aside to make a way.

      They followed the track for some while, for it offered much the easiest way down, but they went cautiously, and their anxiety increased as they came into the dark woods, and the path grew plainer and broader. Suddenly coming out of a belt of fir-trees it ran steeply down a slope, and turned sharply to the left round the corner of a rocky shoulder of the hill. When they came to the corner they looked round and saw that the path ran on over a level strip under the face of a low cliff overhung with trees. In the stony wall there was a door hanging crookedly ajar upon one great hinge.

      Outside the door they all halted. There was a cave or rock-chamber behind, but in the gloom inside nothing could be seen. Strider, Sam, and Merry pushing with all their strength managed to open the door a little wider, and then Strider and Merry went in. They did not go far, for on the floor lay many old bones, and nothing else was to be seen near the entrance except some great empty jars and broken pots.

      ‘Surely this is a troll-hole, if ever there was one!’ said Pippin. ‘Come out, you two, and let us get away. Now we know who made the path – and we had better get off it quick.’

      ‘There is no need, I think,’ said Strider, coming out. ‘It is certainly a troll-hole, but it seems to have been long forsaken. I don’t think we need be afraid. But let us go on down warily, and we shall see.’

      The path went on again from the door, and turning to the right again across the level space plunged down a thick wooded slope. Pippin, not liking to show Strider that he was still afraid, went on ahead with Merry. Sam and Strider came behind, one on each side of Frodo’s pony, for the path was now broad enough for four or five hobbits to walk abreast. But they had not gone very far before Pippin came running back, followed by Merry. They both looked terrified.

      ‘There are trolls!’ Pippin panted. ‘Down in a clearing in the woods not far below. We got a sight of them through the tree-trunks. They are very large!’

      ‘We will come and look at them,’ said Strider, picking up a stick. Frodo said nothing, but Sam looked scared.

      The sun was now high, and it shone down through the half-stripped branches of the trees, and lit the clearing with bright patches of light. They halted suddenly on the edge, and peered through the tree-trunks, holding their breath. There stood the trolls: three large trolls. One was stooping, and the other two stood staring at him.

      Strider walked forward unconcernedly. ‘Get up, old stone!’ he said, and broke his stick upon the stooping troll.

      Nothing happened. There was a gasp of astonishment from the hobbits, and then even Frodo laughed. ‘Well!’ he said. ‘We are forgetting our family history! These must be the very three that were caught by Gandalf, quarrelling over the right way to cook thirteen dwarves and one hobbit.’

      ‘I had no idea we were anywhere near the place!’ said Pippin. He knew the story well. Bilbo and Frodo had told it often; but as a matter of fact he had never more than half believed it. Even now he looked at the stone trolls with suspicion, wondering if some magic might not suddenly bring them to life again.

      ‘You are forgetting not only your family history, but all you ever knew about trolls,’ said Strider. ‘It is broad daylight with a bright sun, and yet you come back trying to scare me with a tale of live trolls waiting for us in this glade! In any case you might have noticed that one of them has an old bird’s nest behind his ear. That would be a most unusual ornament for a live troll!’

      They all laughed. Frodo felt his spirits reviving: the reminder of Bilbo’s first successful adventure was heartening. The sun, too, was warm and comforting, and the mist before his eyes seemed to be lifting a little. They rested for some time in the glade, and took their mid-day meal right under the shadow of the trolls’ large legs.

      ‘Won’t somebody give us a bit of a song, while the sun is high?’ said Merry, when they had finished. ‘We haven’t had a song or a tale for days.’

      ‘Not since Weathertop,’ said Frodo. The others looked at him. ‘Don’t worry about me!’ he added. ‘I feel much better, but I don’t think I could sing. Perhaps Sam could dig something out of his memory.’

      ‘Come on, Sam!’ said Merry. ‘There’s more stored in your head than you let on about.’

      ‘I don’t know about that,’ said Sam. ‘But how would this suit? It ain’t what I call proper poetry, if you understand me: just a bit of nonsense. But these old images here brought it to my mind.’ Standing up, with his hands behind his back, as if he was at school, he began to sing to an old tune.

       Troll sat alone on his seat of stone,

       And munched and mumbled a bare old bone;

       For many a year he had gnawed it near,

       For meat was hard to come by.

       Done by! Gum by!

       In a cave in the hills he dwelt alone,

       And meat was hard to come by.

       Up came Tom with his big boots on.

       Said he to Troll: ‘Pray, what is yon?

       For it looks like the shin o’ my nuncle Tim,

       As should be a-lyin’ in graveyard.

       Caveyard! Paveyard!

       This many a year has Tim been gone,

       And I thought he were lyin’ in graveyard.’

       ‘My lad,’ said Troll, ‘this bone I stole.

       But what be bones that lie in a hole?

       Thy nuncle was dead as a lump o’ lead,

       Afore I found his shinbone.

       Tinbone! Thinbone!

       He can spare a share for a poor old troll,

       For he don’t need his shinbone.’

       Said Tom: ‘I don’t see why the likes o’ thee

       Without axin’ leave should go makin’ free

       With the shank or the shin o’ my father’s kin;

       So hand the old bone over!

       Rover! Trover!

       Though dead he be, it belongs to he;

       So hand the old bone over!’

       ‘For a couple o’ pins,’ says Troll, and grins,

       ‘I’ll eat thee too, and gnaw thy shins.

       A bit o’ fresh meat will go down sweet!

       I’ll try my teeth on thee now.

       Hee now! See now!

       I’m tired o’ gnawing old bones and skins;

       I’ve a mind to dine on thee now.’

       But just as he thought his dinner was caught,

       He found his hands had hold of naught.

       Before he could mind, Tom slipped behind

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