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lthier　than　most；　and　it　was　ruled　by　a　grandmother　of　the　folk；　stern　and　wise　in　old　lore；　such　as　they　had。　The　most　inquisitive　and　curious　minded　of　that　family　was　called　Sméagol。　He　was　interested　in　roots　and　beginnings；　he　dived　into　deep　pools；　he　burrowed　under　trees　and　growing　plants；　he　tunnelled　into　green　mounds；　and　he　ceased　to　look　up　at　the　hill　tops；　or　the　leaves　on　trees；　or　the　flowers　opening　in　the　air：　his　head　and　his　eyes　were　downward。

'He　had　a　friend　called　Déagol；　of　similar　sort；　sharpereyed　but　not　so　quick　and　strong。　On　a　time　they　took　a　boat　and　went　down　to　the　Gladden　Fields；　where　there　were　great　beds　of　iris　and　flowering　reeds。　There　Sméagol　got　out　and　went　nosing　about　the　banks　but　Deal　sat　in　the　boat　and　fished。　Suddenly　a　great　fish　took　his　hook；　and　before　he　knew　where　he　was；　he　was　dragged　out　and　down　into　the　water；　to　the　bottom。　Then　he　let　go　of　his　line；　for　he　thought　he　saw　something　shining　in　the　riverbed；　and　holding　his　breath　he　grabbed　at　it。

'Then　up　he　came　spluttering；　with　weeds　in　his　hair　and　a　handful　of　mud；　and　he　swam　to　the　bank。　And　behold！　when　he　washed　the　mud　away；　there　in　his　hand　lay　a　beautiful　golden　ring；　and　it　shone　and　glittered　in　the　sun；　so　that　his　heart　was　glad。　But　Sméagol　had　been　watching　him　from　behind　a　tree；　and　as　Deal　gloated　over　the　ring；　Sméagol　came　softly　up　behind。

'〃Give　us　that；　Deal；　my　love；〃　said　Sméagol；　over　his　friend's　shoulder。

'〃Why？〃　said　Deal。

'　〃Because　it's　my　birthday；　my　love；　and　I　wants　it；〃　said　Sméagol。

'〃I　don't　care；〃　said　Deal。　〃I　have　given　you　a　present　already；　more　than　I　could　afford。　I　found　this；　and　I'm　going　to　keep　it。〃

'　〃Oh；　are　you　indeed；　my　love；〃　said　Sméagol；　and　he　caught　Deal　by　the　throat　and　strangled　him；　because　the　gold　looked　so　bright　and　beautiful。　Then　he　put　the　ring　on　his　finger。

'No　one　ever　found　out　what　had　bee　of　Deal；　he　was　murdered　far　from　home；　and　his　body　was　cunningly　hidden。　But　Sméagol　returned　alone；　and　he　found　that　none　of　his　family　could　see　him；　when　he　was　wearing　the　ring。　He　was　very　pleased　with　his　discovery　and　he　concealed　it；　and　he　used　it　to　find　out　secrets；　and　he　put　his　knowledge　to　crooked　and　malicious　uses。　He　became　sharpeyed　and　keeneared　for　all　that　was　hurtful。　The　ring　had　given　him　power　according　to　his　stature。　It　is　not　to　be　wondered　at　that　he　became　very　unpopular　and　was　shunned　（when　visible）　by　all　his　relations。　They　kicked　him；　and　he　bit　their　feet。　He　took　to　thieving；　and　going　about　muttering　to　himself；　and　gurgling　in　his　throat。　So　they　called　him　Gollum；　and　cursed　him；　and　told　him　to　go　far　away；　and　his　grandmother；　desiring　peace；　expelled　him　from　the　family　and　turned　him　out　of　her　hole。

'He　wandered　in　loneliness；　weeping　a　little　for　the　hardness　of　the　world；　and　he　journeyed　up　the　River；　till　he　came　to　a　stream　that　flowed　down　from　the　mountains；　and　he　went　that　way。　He　caught　fish　in　deep　pools　with　invisible　fingers　and　ate　them　raw。　One　day　it　was　very　hot；　and　as　he　was　bending　over　a　pool；　he　felt　a　burning　on　the　back　of　his　head）　and　a　dazzling　light　from　the　water　pained　his　wet　eyes。　He　wondered　at　it；　for　he　had　almost　fotten　about　the　Sun。　Then　for　the　last　time　he　looked　up　and　shook　his　fist　at　her。

'But　as　he　lowered　his　eyes；　he　saw　far　above　the　tops　of　the　Misty　Mountains；　out　of　which　the　stream　came。　And　he　thought　suddenly：　〃It　would　be　cool　and　shady　under　those　mountains。　The　Sun　could　not　watch　me　there。　The　roots　of　those　mountains　must　be　roots　indeed；　there　must　be　great　secrets　buried　there　which　have　not　been　discovered　since　the　beginning。〃

'So　he　journeyed　by　night　up　into　the　highlands；　and　he　found　a　little　cave　out　of　which　the　dark　stream　ran；　and　he　wormed　his　way　like　a　maggot　into　the　heart　of　the　hills；　and　vanished　out　of　all　knowledge。　The　Ring　went　into　the　shadows　with　him；　and　even　the　maker；　when　his　power　had　begun　to　grow　again；　could　learn　nothing　of　it。'

'Gollum！'　cried　Frodo。　'Gollum？　Do　you　mean　that　this　is　the　very　Gollum　creature　that　Bilbo　met？　How　loathsome！'

'I　think　it　is　a　sad　story；'　said　the　wizard；　'and　it　might　have　happened　to　others；　even　to　some　hobbits　that　I　have　known。'

'I　can't　believe　that　Gollum　was　connected　with　hobbits；　however　distantly；'　said　Frodo　with　some　heat。　'What　an　abominable　notion！'

'It　is　true　all　the　same；'　replied　Gandalf。　'About　their　origins；　at　any　rate；　I　know　more　than　hobbits　do　themselves。　And　even　Bilbo's　story　suggests　the　kinship。　There　was　a　great　deal　in　the　background　of　their　minds　and　memories　that　was　very　similar。　They　understood　one　another　remarkably　well；　very　much　better　than　a　hobbit　would　understand；　say；　a　Dwarf；　or　an　Orc；　or　even　an　Elf。　Think　of　the　riddles　they　both　knew；　for　one　thing。'

'Yes；'　said　Frodo。　'Though　other　folks　besides　hobbits　ask　riddles；　and　of　much　the　same　sort。　And　hobbits　don't　cheat。　Gollum　meant　to　cheat　all　the　time。　He　was　just　trying　to　put　poor　Bilbo　off　his　guard。　And　I　daresay　it　amused　his　wickedness　to　start　a　game　which　might　end　in　providing　him　with　an　easy　victim；　but　if　he　lost　would　not　hurt　him。'

'Only　too　true；　I　fear；'　said　Gandalf。　'But　there　was　something　else　in　it；　I　think；　which　you　don't　see　yet。　Even　Gollum　was　not　wholly　ruined。　He　had　proved　tougher　than　even　one　of　the　Wise　would　have　guessed　as　a　hobbit　might。　There　was　a　little　corner　of　his　mind　that　was　still　his　own；　and　light　came　through　it；　as　through　a　chink　in　the　dark：　light　out　of　the　past。　It　was　actually　pleasant；　I　think；　to　hear　a　kindly　voice　again；　bringing　up　memories　of　wind；　and　trees；　and　sun　on　the　grass；　and　such　fotten　things。

'But　that；　of　course；　would　only　make　the　evil　part　of　him　angrier　in　the　end　。　unless　it　could　be　conquered。　Unless　it　could　be　cured。'　Gandalf　sighed。　'Alas！　there　is　little　hope　of　that　for　him。　Yet　not　no　hope。　No；　not　though　he　possessed　the　Ring　so　long；　almost　as　far　back　as　he　can　remember。　For　it　was　long　since　he　had　worn　it　much：　in　the　black　darkness　it　was　seldom　needed。　Certainly　he　had　never　〃faded〃。　He　is　thin　and　tough　still。　But　the　thing　was　eating　up　his　mind；　of　course；　and　the　torment　had　bee　almost　unbearable。

'All　the　〃great　secrets〃　under　the　mountains　had　turned　out　to　be　just　empty　night：　there　was　nothing　more　to　find　out；　nothing　worth　doing；　only　nasty　furtive　eating　and　resentful　remembering。　He　was　altogether　wretched。　He　hated　the　dark；　and　he　hated　light　more：　he　hated　everything；　and　the　Ring　most　of　all。'

'What　do　you　mean？'　said　Frodo。　'Surely　the　Ring　was　his　precious　and　the　only　thing　he　cared　for？　But　if　he　hated　it；　why　didn't　he　get　rid　of　it；　or　go　away　and　leave　it？'

'You　ought　to　begin　to　understand；　Frodo；　after　all　you　have　heard；'　said　Gandalf。　'He　hated　it　and　loved　it；　as　he　hated　and　loved　himself。　He　could　not　get　rid　of　it。　He　had　no　will　left　in　the　matter。

'A　Ring　of　Power　looks　after　itself；　Frodo。　It　may　slip　off　treacherously；　but　its　keeper　never　abandons　it。　At　most　he　plays　with　the　idea　of　handing　it　on　to　someone　else's　care　。　and　that　only　at　an　early　stage；　when　it　first　begins　to　grip。　But　as　far　as　I　know　Bilbo　alone　in　history　has　ever　gone　beyond　playing；　and　really　done　it。　He　needed　all　my　help；　too。　And　even　so　he　would　never　have　just　forsaken　it；　or　cast　it　aside。　It　was　not　Gollum；　Frodo；　but　the　Ring　itself　that　decided　things。　The　Ring　left　him。'

'What；　just　in　time　to　meet　Bilbo？'　said　Frodo。　'Wouldn't　an　Orc　have　suited　it　better？'

'It　is　no　laughing　matter；'　said　Gandalf。　'Not　for　you。　It　was　the　strangest　event　in　the　whole　history　of　the　Ring　so　far：　Bilbo's　arrival　just　at　that　time；　and　putting　his　hand　on　it；　blindly；　in　the　dark。

'There　was　more　than　one　power　at　work；　Frodo。　The　Ring　was　trying　to　get　back　to　its　master。　It　had　slipped　from　Isildur's　hand　and　betrayed　him；　then　when　a　chance　came　it　caught　poor　Deal；　and　he　was　murdered；　and　after　that　Gollum；　and　it　had　devoured　him。　It　could　make　no　further　use　of　him：　he　was　too　small　and　mean；　and　as　long　as　it　stayed　with　him　he　would　never　leave　his　deep　pool　again。　So　now；　when　its　master　was　awake　onc