The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)

by J.R.R. Tolkien

my heart forbodes that, ere all is ended, you, Frodo son of Drogo, will know more of these fell things than Gildor Inglorion.

‘Courage is found in unlikely places,’

‘If you don’t come back, sir, then I shan’t, that’s certain,’ said Sam. ‘Don’t you leave him! they said to me. Leave him! I said. I never mean to. I am going with him, if he climbs to the Moon; and if any of those Black Riders try to stop him, they’ll have Sam Gamgee to reckon with, I said. They laughed.’

I don’t rightly know what I want: but I have something to do before the end, and it lies ahead, not in the Shire. I must see it through, sir, if you understand me.’

‘You do not understand!’ said Pippin. ‘You must go – and therefore we must, too.

‘You can trust us to stick to you through thick and thin – to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours – closer than you keep it yourself. But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends, Frodo.

He had even brought along some old clothes of Frodo’s to help him in playing the part. They little thought how dangerous that part might prove.

the trees do not like strangers. They watch you. They are usually content merely to watch you, as long as daylight lasts, and don’t do much. Occasionally the most unfriendly ones may drop a branch, or stick a root out, or grasp at you with a long trailer.

I thought all the trees were whispering to each other, passing news and plots along in an unintelligible language;

They do say the trees do actually move, and can surround strangers and hem them in.

What’s the matter here then? Do you know who I am? I’m Tom Bombadil. Tell me what’s your trouble!

The figure lifted his arms and a light flashed from the staff that he wielded. A mighty eagle swept down and bore him away.

For a second the hobbits had a vision, both comical and alarming, of his bright blue eye gleaming through a circle of gold.

There is a seed of courage hidden (often deeply, it is true) in the heart of the fattest and most timid hobbit, waiting for some final and desperate danger to make it grow.

‘Few now remember them,’ Tom murmured, ‘yet still some go wandering, sons of forgotten kings walking in loneliness, guarding from evil things folk that are heedless.’

What his right name is I’ve never heard: but he’s known round here as Strider.

All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost;

A hunted man sometimes wearies of distrust and longs for friendship.

‘I am Aragorn son of Arathorn; and if by life or death I can save you, I will.’

I think one of his spies would – well, seem fairer and feel fouler, if you understand.’

He drew out his sword, and they saw that the blade was indeed broken a foot below the hilt. ‘Not much use is it, Sam?’ said Strider. ‘But the time is near when it shall be forged anew.’

Suddenly I shivered and felt that something horrible was creeping near: there was a sort of deeper shade among the shadows across the road, just beyond the edge of the lamplight.

‘The Black Breath.

In dark and loneliness they are strongest;

their power is in terror, and already some in Bree are in their clutch. They will drive these wretches to some evil work:

‘Open, in the name of Mordor!’ said a voice thin and menacing.

Strider sat silent for a while, looking at the hobbits, as if he was weighing up their strength and courage.

We might as well have blown a horn to announce our departure.

already it looked less dejected, as if it approved of the change in its fortunes.

‘What do they live on when they can’t get hobbit?’ asked Sam, scratching his neck.

our shapes cast shadows in their minds, which only the noon sun destroys; and in the dark they perceive many signs and forms that are hidden from us: then they are most to be feared.

at all times they smell the blood of living things, desiring and hating it.

Fire is our friend in the wilderness.’ ‘Maybe,’ muttered Sam. ‘It is also as good a way of saying “here we are” as I can think of, bar shouting.’

Your Frodo is made of sterner stuff than I had guessed, though Gandalf hinted that it might prove so.

There my heart is; but it is not my fate to sit in peace, even in the fair house of Elrond.’

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

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 am learning a lot about Sam Gamgee on this journey. First he was a conspirator, now he’s a jester. He’ll end up by becoming a wizard – or a warrior!’

you were astray bearing a great burden without guidance, for Gandalf had not returned.

‘Where am I, and what is the time?’ he said aloud to the ceiling. ‘In the house of Elrond, and it is ten o’clock in the morning,’ said a voice. ‘It is the morning of October the twenty-fourth, if you want to know.’

you are lucky to be here, too, after all the absurd things you have done since you left home.’

your heart was not touched, and only your shoulder was pierced; and that was because you resisted to the last.

Make way for Frodo, Lord of the Ring!’

The Lord of the Ring is not Frodo, but the master of the Dark Tower of Mordor,

her brothers, Elladan and Elrohir, were out upon errantry; for they rode often far afield with the Rangers of the North, forgetting never their mother’s torment in the dens of the orcs.

To his distress and amazement he found that he was no longer looking at Bilbo; a shadow seemed to have fallen between them, and through it he found himself eyeing a little wrinkled creature with a hungry face and bony groping hands.

Find only news of the thief, whether he still lives and where, and you shall have great reward and lasting friendship from the Lord.

Seek for the Sword that was broken: In Imladris it dwells; There shall be counsels taken Stronger than Morgul-spells. There shall be shown a token That Doom is near at hand, For Isildur’s Bane shall waken, And the Halfling forth shall stand.

‘Bring out the Ring, Frodo!’ said Gandalf solemnly. ‘The time has come.

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the Darkness bind them.