“Well, Merry People!” said Bilbo looking out. “What time is this?”

“It is drawing towards dawn, and you have slept now since the night’s beginning.”

“I would like to sleep some more,” said he; “A second good night, fair friends!” And with that he went back to bed and slept till late morning.

Soon Bilbo said farewell to Elrond and rode away with Gandalf.

“There is a long road yet,” said Gandalf.

“But it is the last road,” said Bilbo.

At each point on the road Bilbo recalled the events of a year ago. So he quickly noted the place where the pony had fallen in the river, and they had turned aside for their nasty adventure with Tom and Bert and Bill. Not far from the road they found the gold of the trolls, which they had buried, still hidden and untouched. “Take this, Gandalf,” said Bilbo, when they had dug it up. “You can find a use for it.”

“Indeed I can!” said the wizard. “But you may find you have more needs than you expect.”

So they shared the gold and put it in bags on the ponies. After that they went slower, for most of the time they walked.

As all things come to an end, even this story, a day came at last when they were in sight of the country where Bilbo had been born. Finally he could see his own Hill in the distance.

And so they crossed the bridge and passed the mill by the river and came right back to Bilbo’s own door.

“Bless me! What’s going on?” he cried.

There were people of all sorts, respectable and unrespectable, and many were going in and out. He had arrived back in the middle of an auction! There was a large notice in black and red on the gate, stating that on June the Twenty-second the things of the late [126] Bilbo Baggins Esquire would be sold, at ten o’clock sharp. It was now nearly lunch-time and most of the things had already been sold. Bilbo’s cousins were going to occupy his rooms. Bilbo was “Presumed Dead”. [127]

The return of Mr Bilbo Baggins created quite a disturbance, both under the Hill and over the Hill, and across the Water. It was quite a long time before Mr Baggins was admitted to be alive again.

In the end to save time Bilbo had to buy back quite a lot of his own furniture. Many of his silver spoons mysteriously disappeared. Personally he suspected his cousins. On their side they never admitted that the returned Baggins was genuine, and they were not on friendly terms with Bilbo ever after. They really had wanted to live in his nice hobbit-hole so very much.

Indeed Bilbo found he had lost more than spoons – he had lost his reputation. It is true that for ever after he remained an elf-friend, and had the honour of dwarves, wizards; but he was no longer quite respectable. I am sorry to say he did not mind. He was quite content. His sword he hung over the mantelpiece. His coat of mail [128] was on a stand in the hall. His gold and silver was largely spent in presents. His magic ring he kept a great secret, for he used it when unpleasant visitors came. He started writing poetry and visiting the elves; and he remained very happy to the end of his days.

One autumn evening some years afterwards Bilbo was sitting in his study writing his memoirs – he thought of calling them “There and Back Again, a Hobbit’s Holiday” – when there was a ring at the door. It was Gandalf and Balin.

“Come in! Come in!” said Bilbo, and soon they were sitting in chairs by the fire. Bilbo asked how things were going in the lands of the Mountain. It seemed they were going very well. Bard had rebuilt the town in Dale and men had gathered to him from the Lake and from South and West, and the entire valley had become rich. And Lake-town was more prosperous than ever; and there was friendship in those parts between elves and dwarves and men.

Vocabulary

adj – adjective

adv – adverb

conj – conjunction

n – noun

p. p. – past participle

phr.v. – phrasal verb

prep – preposition

pron – pronoun

v – verb

амер. – американизм

бот. – ботанический термин

зоол. – зоологический термин

книжн. – книжный стиль

лит. – литературный стиль

разг. – разговорный стиль

A

absurd adj абсурдный, нелепый

accuse v обвинять

ache v болеть

adventure n приключение

advice n совет

advise v советовать

affair n дело

afloat adv на плаву

afterwards adv впоследствии

agree v соглашаться

aground adv на мели; run – садиться на мель

aid n помощь

ale n эль

alive adj живой

all over целиком

alone 1) adj один, одинокий;

2) adv только, исключительно

aloud adv вслух

although conj хотя

amid prep среди, посреди

among prep среди

amusing adj забавный

ancestor n предок

ancient adj древний

annoy v раздражать

annoyed adj раздраженный

another pron другой; one – друг друга

anxious adj озабоченный; тревожный, беспокойный

appointed adj назначенный, условленный

approach v приближаться

archer n лучник

argument n спор, ссора

arm v вооружаться

armed adj вооружённый

armour n латы, доспехи

arrange v организовывать

arrive v прибывать

arrow n стрела

as if как будто, будто

asleep adj спящий; fast – крепко спящий

as soon as как только

assure v уверять

astonishment n изумление

at all совсем

at first сначала

attract v привлекать

auction n аукцион

awake (awoke, awoken) v просыпаться

awaken v пробуждать

awfully adv очень, ужасно

awoke v past от awake

axe n топор

B

back n спина

baggage n амер. багаж

bald adj лысый

bang v ударять, бить

banner n знамя

banner-bearer n знаменосец

bare adj голый

bark v лаять

barrel n бочка

bars n решётка

basin n миска, таз

bat n зоол. летучая мышь

bathe v купаться

battle n битва

bay n бухта, залив

be able to мочь, быть в состоянии

beach n пляж, берег

bear 1) n зоол. медведь; 2) (bore, borne) v нести

beard n борода

beast n зверь

beat (beat, beaten) v бить

became v past от become

become (became, become) v становиться

beg v умолять

behave v вести себя

behind prep за, позади