Chapter Eight: Flies and Spiders
They walked in single file. The entrance to the path
was like a sort of arch leading into a
gloomy tunnel made by two great trees
that leant together two rolled and
strangled with ivy and hung would liken
to bear more than a few blackened leaves
the path itself was narrow and wound in
the doubt among the trunks soon the
light of the gate was like a little
bright hole far behind and the quiet was
so deep that their feet seemed to thump
balanc
while all the trees lead over them and
listened as the rise became used to the
dimness they could see a little way to
either side in a sort of darkened green
glimmer ok surely has slend a beam of
Sun that had the luck to slip in through
some opening in the leaves far above and
still more luck in not being caught in
the tangled boughs and matted twigs
beneath stab down a thin and bright
before them but this was seldom and it
soon ceased altogether there were black
squirrels in the wood a spell was sharp
inquisitive eyes got used to see things
he could catch glimpses of them whisking
off the path and scuttling behind tree
trunks
there were queer noises - grunts
scuffling centurions in the undergrowth
and among the leaves that lay piled
endlessly thick in places on the forest
floor but what made the noises he could
not see the nastiest things they saw
were the cobwebs dark dense cobwebs with
threads extraordinarily thick often
stretched from tree to tree or tangled
in the lower branch is not either side
of them there were none stretched across
the path but rather because some magic
kept it clear or for whatever reason
they could not guess
it was not long before they grew to hate
the forest as heartily as they had hated
the tunnels of the covenants and it
seemed to offer even less hope of any
ending but they had to go on and on long
after they were sick for a sight of the
Sun and if the sky had longed for the
feel of wind of their faces there was no
movement of air down under the forest
roof and it was everlastingly still of
dark and stuffy even the dwarves felt it
who we used to totally and lived at
times for long wires without the light
of the Sun but the Hobbit who liked
holes to make a house him but but to
spend summer days in fellows that he was
being slowly suffocated the nights were
the worst it then became pitch dark but
what do you call pitch dark but really
pitch so black that you really could see
nothing Bilbo tried flapping his hand in
front of his nose but he could not see
it at all but perhaps it is not true
that they could see nothing they could
see ice they slept all closely huddled
together and took it in turns to watch
and when it was Billa stood he would
seek leaves in the dark disrupt them and
sometimes pairs of yellow or red or
green eyes would stare at him from a
little distance and then slowly fade and
disappear and slowly shine out again in
another place and sometimes they would
gleamed out from the branches just above
it and that was the most terrifying but
the eyes that he liked the least were
horrible pale Boba's sort of ice
insect eyes he thought not animal eyes
neither have much too big although it
was not yet furry coat
they tried lighting watchfires at night
but they soon gave that up it seemed to
bring hundreds and hundreds of eyes all
around them though the creatures
whatever they were were careful never to
let their bodies show with the little
flicker of the flames was still it
brought thousands of dark gray of black
moths some nearly as big as your hand
flapping and worrying around their ears
they could not stop that nor the huge
bats black because a top hat either so
they gave up fires and sat at night and
dozed in the Adamas son caddy darkness
all this went on for what seemed to the
Hobbit ages upon ages and he was always
hungry for they were extremely careful
with their provisions even so as days
followed today's and still the forest
seemed just the same they began to get
anxious the food would not last forever
it was in fact already beginning to get
low they tried shooting at the squirrels
and they wasted many arrows before they
managed to bring one down on the path
but when they roasted it it proved
horrible to taste and they shot no more
squirrels they were thirsty too for they
had loved too much water and in all the
time they had seen neither spring nor
stream this was their state when one day
they found their path blocked by a
running water it flowed fast and strong
but not very wide right across the way
but it was black or looked as in the
gloom it was well that Bell had warned
them against it or they would have drunk
from it whatever its color
and filled some of their emptied skins
at its bank as it was they only thought
of how to cross it without wetting
themselves at its water they had been
appreciative weren't across but it had
rotted and fallen leaving only the
broken posts near the bank novo kneeling
on the brink and peering forward cried
there is a boat against the far bank now
why couldn't it have been this side how
far away's you think it is a story for
by now they knew Dover had the sharpest
eyes among them but it's all far I
shouldn't think above 12 yards 12 yards
I should have thought it was thirsty at
least but my eyes don't see as well as
they used 200 years ago still 12 yards
is as good as a mile we can't jump it we
don't try to wade or swim can any of you
throw a rope what's the good of that the
boat is sure to be tied up even if we
could hook it which I doubt I don't
believe it is tight said Bilbo though of
course I can't be sure in this light but
it looks to me as if it was just drawn
up on the back which is low just there
where the path goes down into the water
Dory is the strongest but fury as the
youngest and still has the best sight
set kind
come here filly and see if you can see
the boat mr. Pirates are talking about
feeli thought he could so when he had
stared a long while to get an idea of
the direction the others bought in alone
they had several with them and on the
end of the longest they fastened one of
the large iron hooks they had used for
catching their packs to the straps about
their shoulders feely took this in his
hand balanced it for a moment and then
flung it across the stream
smash it fell in the water not far
enough said Belva who was peering
forward a couple of feet and you would
have dropped it onto the boat try again
I don't suppose the magic is strong
enough to hurt you if you just touch a
bit of wet rope feely picked up the hook
when he had drawn it back rather
doubtfully all the same this time he
threw it with great strength steady said
roba you've thrown it right into the
wood on the other side now draw it back
gently fede hold the rope back slowly
and after a while
Bilbo said carefully it is lying on the
boat let's hope the hook will catch it
did the rope went taut and fili pulled
in vain he came to his own and then oil
and glowing they tugged and tugged and
suddenly they all fell over on that
backs builder was on the look at how
ever caught thorough and with a piece of
stick fended off the little black boat
as
across the stream he shouted and Barnett
was just in time to seize the boat
before it floated off down the current
it was tied after all said he looking at
the snapped painter that was still
dangling from it
that was a good pull my lance and a good
job that hope was a stronger who cross
fest Ostrava Pasha set Turin how do you
woke up with me and freely and Barlet
buts as many as the boat will hold as a
sign after that chili and oil and
glowing and Dorine max to Cory and Lori
Beth Or and Beaufort and last Dwalin and
bomba
I'm always lost and I don't like it said
bomba it's someone else's turn today you
should not be so fat as you are you must
be with the last of lightest boatload
don't stop grumbling against orders or
something bad will happen to you there
aren't any horse how are you going to
push the boat back to the far bank us
The Hobbit
give me another length of rope and
another hook said feely and when they
had got it ready he cast it into the
darkness ahead and as high as he could
throw it since it did not fall down
again they saw that it must have stuck
in the branches Garin now said freely
and one of you halt on the rope that is
stuck in a tree on the other side one of
the others must keep hold of the hook we
used at first and when we are safe on
the other side he can hook it on and you
could draw the boat back in this way
they were all soon on the far bank safe
across the enchanted stream Dwalin had
just scrambled out with the cord rope on
his arm and bomba still grumbling was
getting ready to follow when something
bad did happen there was a flying sound
of hooves on the path ahead out of the
gloom came suddenly the shape of a
flying deer
it charged into the doors and hold them
over then gathered itself for a leap hi
its sprang and cleared the water with a
mighty jump but it did not reach the
other side in safety Thoren was the only
one who had kept his feet and his wits
as soon as they had landed he had bent
his bow and fitted an arrow in case any
hidden guardian of the boat appeared now
he said to Swift a sure shot into the
making Beast as it reached the further
bank it stumbled the shadows swallowed
it up but they heard the sound of hooves
quickly falter and then go still before
they could shout in praise of the shot
however a dreadful whale from bilder put
all thoughts of venison out of their
minds he cried it was only too true
Bamba had only one foot on the land when
the hearts bore down at him and sprang
over him he had stumbled and thrusting
the boat away from the bank and then top
will be back into dark water his hands
slip they got from the slimy roots and
it said while the boat spans slowly off
and disappeared they you still see is
heard above the water when they ran to
the bank quickly they flung the rope
with a hook towards him his hand
quarters and they pulled him to the
shore he was dredged from hair to boots
of course but that was not the worst
when they laid him on the bank he was
already fast asleep with other hand
clutching the rope so tight that they
could not get it from his grasp at fast
asleep he remained in spite of all they
could do they were still standing over
him cursing their ill locked can bombas
clumsiness and lamenting the loss of the
boat which made it impossible for them
to go back and look for the heart when
they became aware of the dim blowing of
horns to the wood and the sound as of
dogs baying far off then they all fell
silent and as they sat it seems they
could hear the noise of a great hunt
going by to the north of the path though
they saw no sign of it
there they sat for a long while and did
not dare to make a move
bomba slept on with a smile on his fat
face as if he no longer cared for all
the troubles that vex them suddenly on
the path ahead appeared some white deer
behind and fawns as snowy white as the
heart had been dark they liberated the
shadows before Thorin could cry out
three of the dwarves had left to their
feet and loosed off arrows from their
bows plants seem to find their path the
deer turned and vanished in the trees as
silently as they had come and invade the
dwarves shot their arroz after them
shouted Thorin
but it was too late the excited dwarves
had wasted their last arrows and now the
bows that BAE or that given them we
useless they were a gloomy party that
night and the gloom gathered still
deeper on the mid the following days
they had crossed the enchanted stream
but beyond it the path seemed to
struggle on just as before and in the
forest they could see no change yet if
they had learned more about it and
considered the meaning of the hunt and
the white deer that had appeared upon
their path they would have known that
they were at last drawing to the eastern
edge and soon would have come if they
could have kept up their courage and the
help to feather trees and places where
sunlight came again but they did not
know this and they were burdened with a
heavy body of bomba which they had to
carry a love with them as best they
could
taking the wearisome task in terms of
for each while the others shared their
backs if these had not become all too
light in the last few days they would
never have managed it but a slumbering
it's smiling bomba was a poor exchange
for packs filled with food however heavy
in a few days a time came when there was
practically nothing left to eat or to
drink nothing wholesome could they see
growing in the wood only functions and
herbs with pale leaves and unpleasant
smell
about four days from the enchanted
stream they came to a part where most of
the trees were beaches they were at
first inclined to be cheered by the
change for here there was no undergrowth
and the shadow is not so deep there was
a greenish light about them and in
places they could see some distance to
either side of the path yet the light
only showed them endless lines of
straight gray trunks like the pillars of
some huge Twilight Hall there was a
breath of air and a noise of wind but it
had a sad sound a few leaves came
rustling down to remind them that
outside autumn was coming on their feet
were fought among the dead leaves of
countless other autumns that drifted
over the banks of the path from the deep
red carpets of the forest still bomba
slept and they grew very weary at times
they heard disquieting laughter
sometimes there was singing in the
distance to the laughter was the
laughter of fair voices thought of
goblins and the singing was beautiful
but it sounded eerie and strange and
they were not comforted rather they
hurried on from these parts with what
strengths they had left two days later
they found their path going downwards
and before long they were at the valley
he filled almost entirely with a mighty
growth of Oaks
there's no end to this accursed forest
said Thurid somebody must climb a tree
and see if he can get his head above the
roof and have a look round the only way
is to choose the tallest tree that
overhangs the path of course somebody
meant bilva they chose him because to be
of any use
the climber must get his head above the
topmost leaves and so he must be light
enough for the highest slenderest
branches to bear
poor mr. Baggins had never had much
practice in climbing trees but they
hoisted him up into the lowest branches
of an enormous oak that grew right out
into the path and up here to go as best
he could he pushed his way through the
tangled trees with many a slap in the
eye he was grieved and grimed from the
old bark of the razor boughs more than
once he sipped and had caught himself
just in time and at last after a
dreadful struggle in the difficult place
where there seemed to be no convenient
branches at all he got near the top all
the time he was wondering whether there
were spiders in the tree and how he was
going to get down again except by
falling in the end he poked his head
above the roof of leaves and very found
spiders all right but they were only
small ones I've ordered the recites and
they were after the butterflies
Bilbo's eyes were nearly blinded by the
light he could hear the dwarves shouting
of attempt from far below but he could
not have said only hold off and blink
the Sun was shining brilliantly and it
was a long while before he could bear it
but he could he saw all around him a sea
of dark green ruffles here and there by
the breeze and there were everywhere
hundreds of butterflies I expect there
were a kind of purple Emperor a
butterfly that loves the tops of oak
woods but these were not purple at all
they were
da dark velvety black without Eddie
barkings to be seed he looked at the
black Empress full of wine and enjoyed
the feel of the breeze in his head and
others face but at length the cries of
the dwarfs who were thou simply stamping
with impatience down below reminded him
of his real business it was no good gaze
as much as he might he could see no end
to the trees and the leaves in any
direction his heart that had been
lightened by the sight of the Sun and
the feel of the wind psyched back into
his toes there was no food to go back to
him down below actually as I've told you
they were not far off the edge of the
forest and if Bobo had had the sense to
see it the tree that he had climbed
though it was tall in itself was
standing near the bottom of a wide
valley so that from its top the leaves
seemed to swell up all around like the
edges of a great bowl and he could not
expect to see how far the forest lasted
still he did not see this and he climbed
down full of despair he got to the
bottom again at last
scratched hot and miserable and he could
not see anything in the gloom below when
he got there his report soon made the
others as miserable as he was Forrest
goes on forever never never in all
directions whatever shall we do and what
is the use of sending a hobbit they
cried as if it was his fault they did
not care tuppence about the butterflies
and were only made more angry when he
told them of the beautiful breeze which
they were too heavy to climb up and feel
that night they ate their very last
scraps and crumbs of food and next
morning when they woke the
first thing they noticed was that they
were still knowingly hungry and the next
thing was that it was raining and that
here and there the drip of it was
dropping heavily onto the forest floor
but hope you reminded them that they
were also partially thirsty without
doing anything to relieve them you
cannot quench a terrible thirst by
standing under great oaks and waiting
for a chance trip to fall on your tongue
the only scrap of comfort there was came
unexpectedly from Bamba he woke up
suddenly and sat up scratching his head
he could not make out where he was at
all know why he felt so hungry for he
had forgotten everything that had
happened since they started their
journey that May morning long ago the
last thing that he remembered was the
party at the hobbits house and they had
great difficulty in making him believe
their tale of all the many adventures
they had had since when he heard that
there was nothing to eat he sat down and
wept for he felt very weak and wobbly in
the legs why ever did I wake up he cried
having such a beautiful dreams I dreamed
I was walking in a forest rather like
this would only lit with torches on the
trees and lamps swinging from the
branches and fires burning on the ground
and there was a great feast going on
going on forever a woodland king was
there with a crown of leaves and there
was a very singing and I could not count
or describe the things there were to eat
and drink you need not try such toys but
facts if you can't talk about something
else you had better be silence we are
quite annoyed enough with the you as it
is if you hadn't wakes up we should have
left it your idiotic dreams in the
forest you know jokes who care even
after weeks of short comments there was
nothing there to be done but a tighten
the belts around their empty stomachs
and hoist their empty sacks in packs and
trudged along the track without any
great hope of ever getting to the end
before they lay down and died of
starvation
this they did all that day going very
slowly and wearily while Bamba kept on
waiting that his legs would not carry
him hell that he wanted to lie down
sleep no you don't they said let your
legs take bath sure we have colored
you're far enough all the same he
suddenly refused to go a step further
and flung himself on the ground thorn if
you must I'm just going to lie here and
sleep and dream of food if I can't get
it any other way
I hope I'd never wake up again at that
very moment Bolland it was a little way
ahead called out what was that I thought
I saw a twinkle of light in the forest
they all looked and along which way off
had seemed a red twinkle in the dark
then another and another sprang out
beside it even Bamba got up and they
hurried along that not caring if it was
trolls or goblins the light was in front
of them and to the left of the paths
that were the class they had drawn level
with it
it seemed plain that torches and fires
were burning under the trees but it
could weigh off their track looks as if
my dreams were coming true
gossip umber puffing up behind he wanted
to rush straight off into the wood after
the light but the others remembered only
to weld the warnings of the wizard and
if they on a feast would be no good if
we never got back alive from its set
aside but without a feast we shan't
remain alive much longer anyway
said bomba and bilva heartily agreed
with him they argued about it backwards
and forwards for a long while until they
agreed at length to send out a couple of
spice to creep near the lights and find
out more about but then they could not
agree on who was to be sent no one
seemed anxious run the chance of being
lost and
finding his friends again in the end in
spite of warnings
hunga decided that because mamba kept on
describing all the good things that were
being heated according to a stream in
the woodland feast so they all left the
bargain and plunged into the forest
together after a good deal of creeping
and crawling they peered around the
trunks and looked into a clearing where
some trees had been felled and the
ground level there were many people
there elvish looking for all dressed in
green and brown and sitting on saw the
rings of the felled trees of the Great
Circle there was a fire in their midst
and they were torches fastened to some
of the trees right about but most
splendid sight of all they were eating
and drinking and laughing merrily the
smell of the roast meats was so
enchanting that without waiting to
consult other other every one of them
got up and scrambled into the ring with
the one idea of begging for some food
though sooner had the first stepped into
the clearing that all the lights went
out as if by magic somebody kicked a
fire and had put up with rockets of Lila
drink Sparks and vanished they were lost
in a completely lightless dark and they
could not even find one another not for
a long time at any rate after blood
drink frantically in the gloom falling
over logs bumping crash into trees and
shouting and calling till they must have
wait everything in the forest for miles
at last they managed to gather
themselves in the bundle and camp
themselves by touch by that time they
had of course quite forgotten in what
direction the partly and they were all
hopelessly lost at least till morning
there was nothing for it but to settle
down for the night where they were they
did not even dare to search on the
ground for scraps of food for fear of
becoming separated again but they had
not been lying long and Bluebird was
only just getting drowsy
when Dori who stirred it was to watch
first said it aloud a whisper
but they all jumped there sure enough
not far away was scores of twinkly
lights and they heard the voices that
the laughter quite plainly they crept
slowly towards them in a single line
each touching the back of the one in
front when they got near Turin said the
rushing forward this time no one is to
stir from hiding till I say I shall send
mr. banks alone first to talk to them
they won't be frightened of him what
about me of them thought builder I'd
anyway oh they won't do anything nasty
to him when they got the edge of the
circle of lights they pushed Wilbur
suddenly from behind before he had time
to slip on his ring he stumbled forward
into the full blaze of the fire and
torches it was no good out at all the
lights again and complete darkness fell
if it had been difficult collecting
themselves before it was far worse this
time and they simply could not find the
Hobbit every time they counted
themselves it only made 13 they shouted
and cold and other things of that sort
but there was no answer they were just
giving up hope when dory stumbled across
him by sheer luck in the dark he fell
over what he thought was a log and he
found it was the Hobbit code up fast
asleep
it took a deal of shaking to wake him
and when he was awake he was not pleased
at all I was having such a lovely dream
he grumbled all about having a most
gorgeous dinner good heavens he has gone
like Bambara they said don't tell us
about dreams dream dinners aren't any
good and we can't share them then the
best I'm likely to get in this beastly
place he muttered as he lay down beside
the doors and tried to go back to sleep
and find his dream again
but that was not the last of the lights
in the forest later when the night must
have been getting old Kili who was
watching them came had roused them all
again saying there's a regular blaze of
light for God not far away hundreds of
torches and many fires must have been
lit suddenly and by magic hog did the
singing in the hops after lying in
listening for a while they found they
could not resist the desire to go nearer
and try once more to get help up they
got again and this time the result was
disastrous
the feast that they thou saw was greater
and more magnificent than before and at
the head of a long line of feast has set
a woodland Kingdom with a crowd of
leaves support his golden hair very much
above that described the finger in his
dream the elvish folk were passing bowls
from hand to hand and across the fires
and some were hopping and many was
seeking beg leaving air was twined with
flowers breathe and white gems glittered
on their collars at their belts and
their faces and their songs were filled
with mirth loud and clear and fair were
those songs and out steps Thorin into
their midst dead silence fell in the
middle of the word out went all light
the fires left up if black smokes ashes
and cinders were in the eyes of the
doors and the wood was filled together
with their clever and their cries Bilbo
found himself running round and round as
he thought and calling and calling dory
I know that shield well people who could
not see or feel were doing the same all
around him with an occasional elbow
throat in but the cries of the others
got steadily further and fainter and
though after a while it seemed him they
changed to yells and cries for help in
the far distance both boys at last dies
right away
and he was left alone in complete
silence and darkness that was one of his
most miserable moments but he soon made
up a spite that it was no good trying to
do anything till day came with some
little light and quite useless to go
blundering about tiring himself out with
no hope of any progress to revive him so
he sat himself down with us back to a
tree and not for the last time the fell
to thinking of his far distant orbital
with its beautiful countries he was deep
in thoughts of bacon and eggs and toast
and butter when he felt something touch
him something like a strong sticky
string was against his left hand and
when he tried to move he felt that his
legs were already wrapped in the same
self so that when he got up he fell over
then the giant spider who had been busy
tying him up while he dozed
came from behind him and came at him he
girlie see the things eyes but he could
feel its hairy legs as it struggled or
whined it's abominable threads round and
round him it was lucky that he had come
to his senses in time soon he would not
have been able to move at all as it was
he had a desperate fight before he got
free he beats the creature off with his
hands if it was trying to poison him to
keep him quiet a small spiders do two
flies until he remembered his sword and
drew it out then the spider jumped back
and he had time to cut his legs loose
after that
is stuff to attack the spider evidently
was not used to things that carried such
stings at their site or it would have
hurried away quicker Bilbo came at it
before it can disappear and stuck it
with a sword right in the eyes then it
went mad had leaked and danced and flung
out his legs at horrible jerks until he
killed it with another stroke and then
he fell down and remembered nothing more
for a long while there was the usual dim
gray light of the forest day about when
he gave to his senses the spider lay
dead beside him and his sword blade was
stained black somehow the killing of the
giant spider all alone by himself in the
dark without the help of the wizard or
the troves or of anyone else made a
great difference to mr. Baggins
he felt a different person and much
fiercer and bolder in spite of an empty
stomach
as he wiped his sword on the grass and
put it back into its sheath I'll give
you namin he said to it and I shall call
you sting
after that he set out to explore the
forest was grim and silent but obviously
he had first of all to look for his
friends who were not likely to be very
far off unless they had made prisoners
by the elves or worse things Bilbo felt
that it was unsafe to shout and he stood
for a long while wondering in what
direction the part lay and did what
direction he should go first
to look for the dwarves oh why did we
not remember barons advice and Gandalf
he lamented what a mess we are in now we
really wish it was we that is horrible
being all alone in the end he made as
good a guess as he could at the
direction from which the Christ felt had
come in the night and by luck he was
born with a good share of it he guessed
more or less right as you will see
having made up his mind he crept along
this cleverly as he could
hobbits are clever at quietness
especially in woods as I've already told
you also Bilbo had slept on his ring
before he started that is why the
spiders neither saw nor heard him coming
he had picked his way stealthily for
some distance when he noticed a place of
dense black shadow ahead of him black
even for that a forest like a patch of
midnight that had never been cleared
away as he drew nearer he saw that it
was made by spiderwebs one behind and
over and tangled with another suddenly
he saw to that there were spiders huge
and horrible sitting in the branches
above him and ringo no ring he trembled
with a fear lest they should discover
standing behind a tree he watched a
group of them for some time and then in
the distance and stillness of the wood
he realized that these loads of
creatures was speaking to one another
their voices were sort of thin creaking
and hissing but he said the first
with that one of the fat spiders ran the
logger rope see that came through a
dozen bundles hanging in the row from a
high branch barber was horrified now
that he noticed them for the first time
dangling in the shadows to see a
dwarvish foot sticking out of the
bottoms of some of the bundles or here
and there the tip of a nose or a bit of
beard or of a hood to the fattest of
these bundles the spider went in his
poor old bum barrel net thought bellow
and nipped hard at the nose that stuck
out there was a muffled Yelp in sight
and at oh shut up and keep the spider
straight and hard there was life in
bubbler still there was a noise like the
kicking of a flabby football and the
enraged spider fell off the branch only
catching himself with its own threat
just in time the others laughed it's the
angry spider climbing back onto the
branch never saw that the moment had
come that he must do something he could
not get up at the Brutes and he had
nothing to shoot with but looking about
he saw that in this place there were
many stones lying in what appeared to be
a now dry little water course bobo was a
pretty fair shot for the stove and it
did not take him long to find a nice
smooth egg-shaped one that fitted his
hand closely as a boy he used to
practice throwing stones and things and
until rabbits and squirrels and even
birds could out of his way as quick as
lightning if they saw him stoop and even
grown up he had still spent a deal of
time at quoits
dart throwing shooting at the wand bowls
nine pins and other quiet games of the
aiming and throwing sort indeed he could
do lots of things besides blowing smoke
rings asking riddles of cooking that I
haven't had time to tell you about there
is no time now while he was picking up
the stones the spider had reached bomba
at soothe he would have been dead
at that moment Bobo through the stone
struck the spider plunk aloud and it
dropped senseless off the tree flung to
the ground with all its legs code up the
next stone went whizzing through a big
web stuffing its cord and taking off the
spider sitting in the middle of it what
dead after that there was a deal of
commotion in the spider colony and they
forgot the dwarves for a bit I can tell
you they could not see buildeth but they
could make a good guess at the direction
from which the stones were coming move
as quick as lightning they came running
and swinging towards the Hobbit flinging
out their long threads at all directions
till the air seemed to full up waving
snares
Bilbo however soon slipped away to a
different place the idea came to him to
lead the furious spiders further and
further away from the dwarf if he could
to make them curious excited and angry
all at once what about 50 had gone off
to the place where he had stood before
he drew some more stones at these and at
others that had stopped behind then
dancing among the trees he began to sing
a song to infuriate them and bring them
all after him and also to let the two of
us hear his voice this is what he said
oh that spider can't see me Attica
Attica you stop stop you're spitting and
look firmly Oh Tom Laurie all big body
Oh naughty cunts find me I took up as it
goes down you drop she'll never catch me
up your tree not very good perhaps but
then you must remember here to make it
up himself and the spur of a very
awkward moment it did what he wanted
anyway as he sank he threw some more
stones and stamped practically all the
spiders in the place came after some
dropped to the ground others raced along
the branches swung from tree to tree or
cast new ropes across the dark space
system
they made for his noisy far quicker than
he had expected they were frightfully a
curry quite apart from the stones no
spiders ever liked being called Attica
and Tom body of course is insulting to
anybody off burger scuttled to a fresh
place but several of the spiders had run
out to different points in the glade
where they lived and were busy spinning
webs across all the spaces between the
tree stems very soon the Hobbit would be
caught in a thick fence of them all
random but at least was the spiders IDN
standing now in the middle of the
hunting and spinning insects Bilbo
plucked up his courage and began a new
song lazy not that lazy cop are weaving
webs to wind me I'm far more sweet than
other meat but still they can not find
me Here I am naughty little vice you
walk back to lazy
you cannot trap me though you try in
your coppers crazy with that he turned
and found that the last space between
two tall trees had been closed over the
web but luckily not a proper web only
great strands of double thick spider run
hastily backwards and forwards from
trunk to trunk out came his little sword
he slashed the threads to pieces and
went off sinking the spiders saw the
sword though I don't suppose they knew
what it was and at once the whole lot of
them came hurrying after the hotel on
the ground and the branches hairy legs
waving nippers and spinners snapping
eyes popping full of rotten egg rage
before
into the forest until bill bird got as
far as he dead then quieted that a mouse
he stole back he had precious little
time he knew before the spiders were
disgusted and came back to their trees
where the dwarfs were honed in the
meanwhile he had to rescue them the
worst part of the job was getting up
onto the long branch where the bundles
were dangling I don't suppose he would
have managed it if a spire had not
luckily left a rope hanging down with
its help the winds stuck to his hand and
hurt he scrambled up only to meet an old
slow wicked fatbody spider who had
remained behind to guard the prisoners
and had been busy pinching them to see
which was the juiciest to eat it had
thought of starting the feast while the
others were away but mr. Baggins was in
a hurry and before the spider knew what
was happening it felt his sting and
rolled off the branch dead
Berbers next job was to lucid Wharf what
was he to do if he cut the string which
hung him up the wretched dwarf would
tumble thump to the ground a good way
below wriggling along the branch which
made all the portals dance and dangle
like red fruit he reached the first
bundle figlio Kili he thought by the tip
of a blue hood sticking out at the top
most likely feeling he thought by the
tip of a long nose poking out of the
winding threats he managed by leaning
over to cut most of the strong sticky
threats that badly browned and then sure
enough with a kick and a struggle most
Ofili emerged
I'm afraid Robo actually laughed at the
sight of him jerking his stiff arms and
legs as he danced on the spider strength
under his armpits just like one of those
funny toys bobbing on a wire somehow or
other Phoebe was caught onto the branch
and then he did his best to help Dobby
although he was feeling very sick and
ill from spider poison and from hanging
most of the night and the next day wild
round and round with only his nose to
breathe through it took him ages to get
the beastly stuff out of his eyes and
eyebrows and as for his beard he had to
cut most of it off well between them
they started to hole up first one dwarf
and then another and slash them free
none of them were better off than Feeney
and some of them were worse some had
hardly been able to breathe at all log
noses are sometimes useful you see and
some had been more poisoned in this way
they rescued Kili b'fer Beauford Dori
and Ori poor old Bombo was so exhausted
he was the fattest and had been
constantly pinched and poked but he just
rolled off the branch and fell plop onto
the ground
fortunately onto leaves and later but
there was still five dwarfs hanging at
the end of the branch when the spiders
began to come back more full of Rage
than ever
Bilbo immediately went to the end of the
branch nearest the tree trunk and kept
back those that crawled up he had taken
off his ring when he rescued fede and
forgotten to put it on again so now they
all began to splatter while this was
going on the other dwarves were working
at the rest of the captives and cutting
at the threads with their knives
soon all would be free though it was not
clear what would happen after that
the spiders had caught them pretty
easily the night before but that has
been otherwise and in the dark
this time that looked like being a
horrible battle subtly overdoses that
some of the spiders had gathered around
old bumble on the floor I had tied him
up again and were dragging him away he
gave a shout and slashed at the spiders
in front of him they quickly gave right
and he struggled and fell down the tree
right into the middle of those on the
ground his little sword was something
new in the way of stings for them howard
darted to the fur it surely would
delight as he stabbed at them half a
dozen were killed before the rest drew
off and left bomba to Bilbo he shouted
to the dwarves on the branch for his
sauce spiders swarming up all of the
neighboring trees and crawling along the
pow'rs above the heads of the drawers
down the doors Randall double jumped or
dropped 11 all in a heap most of them
very shaky had little use of the legs
there they were at last 12 of them
counting Perl table who was being
propped up on either side by his cousin
biffer and his brother Botha and BOGO
who's dancing about and waving his sting
and hundreds of angry spiders were
goggling at them all around and about
and above it looked pretty hopeless then
the battle began some of the doors had
knives and some had sticks and all of
them could get it stones and Lobo hands
elvish dagger
again and again the spiders were beaten
off and many of them were killed but he
could not go on for long Bobo was nearly
tied out only four of the dwarfs who
were able to stand firmly and soon they
would all be overpowered like wailing
flies already the spiders were beginning
to read their work whose all around
from tree to tree in the end Gerber
could think of no plan except elect the
dwarfs into the secret of his reign he
was rather sorry about it but it could
not be held I'm gonna disappear he said
I shall draw the spiders off if I can
and you must keep together and make in
the opposite directions to the left
there that is more or less the way
towards the place where we last saw the
outliers it was difficult to get them to
understand what with their dizzy heads
of the shouts the whacking of sticks at
the throwing of stairs but at last Vova
felt he could delayed no longer the
spiders were drawing their circle ever
closer he suddenly slipped on his ring
and to the great astonishment of the
dwarfs he vanished
soon they came the sound of and from
among the trees away on the right that
I've said the spiders greatly they
stopped advancing and some went off in
the direction of the voice I'tikaf made
them so angry that they lost their wit's
then Balin who had grasped Bilbo's plan
better than the rest led an attack the
dwarf was huddled together in a knot and
sending a shower of stones they drove at
the spiders on the left and burst
through the rain away behind him now
the shouting and singing suddenly
stopped hoping desperately that boba had
not been caught the dwarves went on not
fast enough though they were sick and
weary and they could not go much better
than a hobble and a wobble though many
of the spiders were close behind every
now and then they had to turn and fight
the creatures that were overtaking them
and already some smile his way in the
trees above them and throwing down their
long clinging threats things were
looking pretty bad again when suddenly
boo boo reappeared and charged into the
astonished spiders unexpectedly from the
sight he shouted oh he did he darted
backwards and forwards slashing at
spider threads hacking at their legs and
stabbing at that fat forties if they
came to hear the spider swelled with
rage and spluttered and froth and hissed
out horrible curses but they had become
mortally afraid of sting and dared not
covering the earth at that it had come
back so curse as they would their prey
moved slowly but steadily away it was a
most terrible business and seemed to
take Alice but at last just when Bobo
felt that he could not lift his hand for
a single stroke more the spiders
suddenly gave it up and followed them no
more but went back disappointed to their
dark colony The Doors then noticed that
they had come to the edge of a ring
where elf eyes had been whether it was
one of those they had seen the night
before they could not tell but it seemed
that son could magic lingered in such
spots which the spiders did not like at
any rate here the light was cleaner and
the boughs less thick and threatening
and they had a chance to rest and drew a
breath there they lay for some time
puffing and panting but very soon they
began to ask questions they had to have
the whole vanishing business carefully
explained and the finding of the ring
interest in them so much that for a
while they forgot their own troubles
ballin in particular insisted not having
the Golem story riddles and all towed
all over again with the ring in its
proper place but after a time with the
light began to failures and then other
questions were asked where were they
and where was their path and where was
there any food and what were they going
to do next these questions they asked
over and over again and it was from
little Bilbo that they seemed to expect
to get the answers from which you can
see that they had
changed their opinion of mr. Baggins
very much and had begun to have a great
respect for him as Gandalf had said they
would indeed they really expected him to
think of some wonderful plan for helping
them and were not merely crumbling they
knew only too well that they would soon
all have been dead if it had not been
for The Hobbit and they thanked him many
times some of the reven got up and bowed
right to the ground before him though
they fell over with the effort and could
not get on their legs together for some
time knowing the truth about the
vanishing did not lessen their opinion
of Bilbo at all for they saw that he had
some wits as well as luck and a magic
ring and all three are very useful
possessions in fact they praised him so
much that Beaubourg began to feel there
really was something of a bold adventure
about himself after all that we would
have felt a lot bowed as still if there
had been anything to eat but there was
nothing nothing at all and none of them
were fit to go and look for anything or
to search for the lost paths lost paths
no other idea would come into Bobo's
tired head he just sat staring in front
of him at the endless trees and after a
while they all fell silent again all
except upon it long after the others had
stopped talking and shut their eyes he
kept on muttering and chuckling to
himself Gollum well hell I'm blessed so
that's how he sneaked past me is it how
I know just correct quietly along did
you mr. Baggins buttons all over the
doorstep
and then he fell asleep and there was
complete silence for a long while all of
a suddent Woland elderly died and looked
around at them whereas Thorin he asked
it was a terrible shock of course there
were only 13 of them twelve Dwarfs and
The Hobbit were indeed was Thurid they
wondered what evil fated befall of him
magical dark monsters and shuddered as
they lay lost in the forest there they
dropped off one by one into
uncomfortable sleep full of horrible
dreams as even in war into black night
and there we must leave them for the
present to sick and weary to set cars or
to take turns at watching Thorin had
been caught much faster than they had
you remember Bilbo falling like a log
into sleep as he stepped into a circle
of light the next time it had been
Thorin who stepped forward and as the
lights went out he fell like a stone
enchanted all the noise of the dwarves
lost in the night their cries as the
spiders caught them empowered them and
all the sounds of the battle next aim
had passed over him unhurt then the wood
elves had come to him and bound him and
carried him away the feasting people who
were wood elves of course these are not
a wicked folk if they have a fault it is
distrust of strangers though their magic
was strong even in those days they were
wary they differed from the High Elves
of the West and were more dangerous and
less wise for most of them together with
their scattered relations in the hills
and mountains were descended from the
ancient tribes that never went to fairy
in the West there the lighthouse and the
deep elves and the seals went and lived
for ages
guru Farah and wiser and more loaded and
invented their magic and their cunning
craft in the making of beautiful and
marvelous things before Sun came back
into the wide world in the wide world
the wood elves lingered in the twilight
of our Sun and Moon but loved best the
Stars and they wandered in the great
forests that grew tall in lands that are
now lost they dwelt most often by the
edges of the woods from which they could
escape at times to hunt or to ride and
run over the open lands my mood lights
or starlight and after the coming of men
they took evermore and wore to the
gloaming and the dusk still elves they
were and remain and that is good people
in the great cave some miles within the
edge of Mirkwood on its eastern site
they lived at this time the greatest
king before his huge doors of stone a
river ran out of the heights of the
forest and flowed on the doubt into the
marshes at the feet of the high wooded
lands this great cave from which
countless smaller ones are opened out on
every sight wound far underground and
had many passages and wide halls but it
was lighter and more wholesome than any
goblin dwelling and neither so deep nor
so dangerous in fact the subjects of the
King mostly lived and hunted in the open
woods and had houses or huts on the
ground and in the branches the beaches
were their favorite trees the Kings cave
was his palace and the strong place of
his treasure and the fortress of his
people against their enemies it was also
the dungeon of his prisoners so to the
cave they dragged Thorin none too gently
for they did not love dwarfs and thought
he was an enemy in ancient days they had
had wars with some of the dwarfs whom
they accused of stealing their treasure
it is only fair to say that the dwarves
gave a different account and said that
they only took what was there to you for
the Afghan had bargained with them to
shape his raw gold and silver and had
afterwards refused to give them their
pay
if the elfking had a weakness it was for
treasure
especially for silver and white gems and
though his hoard was rich he was ever
eager for more since he had not yet as
great a treasure as other half Lords of
old his people neither mind nor worked
metals or jewels nor did they bother
much with trade or with tilling the
earth all this was well known to every
dwarf though Thorens family had nothing
to do with the old quarrel I have spoken
of consequently thorn was angry at their
treatment of him when they took their
spell off him and he came to his senses
and also he was determined that no word
of gold or jewels should be dragged out
of him
the King looked sternly on Thorin when
he was brought before him and asked him
many questions but Thorin would only say
that he was starving why did you and
your folk three times try to threaten my
people at their merrymaking said the
king we did not attack them at the time
we came to beg because we were starving
where are your friends now and what are
they doing I don't know but I expect
starving the forest who what were you
doing in the forest looking for food and
drink because we were starving but what
brought you into the forest at all asked
the king angrily at that point throwing
shut his mouth and would not say another
word very well said the king take him
away and keep him safe until he feels
inclined to tell the truth even if he
waits a hundred years then the elves put
songs on him and shut him in one of the
inmost caves with strong wooden doors
and left him they gave him food and
drink plenty of both if not very fine
for wood elves were not Coughlin's and
were reasonably well behaved even to
their worst enemies when they captured
them the giant spiders were the only
living things that they had no mercy
upon
they're in the Kings dungeon poor Thorin
Lee and after he had got over his
thankfulness for bread and meat and
water he began to wonder what had become
of his unfortunate friends it was not
very long before he discovered but that
belongs to the next chapter and the
beginning of another adventure in which
The Hobbit again showed his usefulness
