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the　Forestroof　they　had　not　been　able　to　see　the　rising　morning　and　the　lifting　of　the　mist。　The　sun　was　not；　however；　high　enough　yet　to　shine　down　into　the　clearing；　though　its　light　was　on　the　treetops。　The　leaves　were　all　thicker　and　greener　about　the　edges　of　the　glade；　enclosing　it　with　an　almost　solid　wall。　No　tree　grew　there；　only　rough　grass　and　many　tall　plants：　stalky　and　faded　hemlocks　and　woodparsley；　fireweed　seeding　into　fluffy　ashes；　and　rampant　tles　and　thistles。　A　dreary　place：　but　it　seemed　a　charming　and　cheerful　garden　after　the　close　Forest。

The　hobbits　felt　encouraged；　and　looked　up　hopefully　at　the　broadening　daylight　in　the　sky。　At　the　far　side　of　the　glade　there　was　a　break　in　the　wall　of　trees；　and　a　clear　path　beyond　it。　They　could　see　it　running　on　into　the　wood；　wide　in　places　and　open　above；　though　every　now　and　again　the　trees　drew　in　and　overshadowed　it　with　their　dark　boughs。　Up　this　path　they　rode。　They　were　still　climbing　gently；　but　they　now　went　much　quicker；　and　with　better　heart；　for　it　seemed　to　them　that　the　Forest　had　relented；　and　was　going　to　let　them　pass　unhindered　after　all。

But　after　a　while　the　air　began　to　get　hot　and　stuffy。　The　trees　drew　close　again　on　either　side；　and　they　could　no　longer　see　far　ahead。　Now　stronger　than　ever　they　felt　again　the　ill　will　of　the　wood　pressing　on　them。　So　silent　was　it　that　the　fall　of　their　ponies'　hoofs；　rustling　on　dead　leaves　and　occasionally　stumbling　on　hidden　roots；　seemed　to　thud　in　their　ears。　Frodo　tried　to　sing　a　song　to　encourage　them；　but　his　voice　sank　to　a　murmur。

O！　Wanderers　in　the　shadowed　land
despair　not！　For　though　dark　they　stand；
all　woods　there　be　must　end　at　last；
and　see　the　open　sun　go　past：
the　setting　sun；　the　rising　sun；
the　day's　end；　or　the　day　begun。
For　east　or　west　all　woods　must　fail　。。。

Fail　　even　as　he　said　the　word　his　voice　faded　into　silence。　The　air　seemed　heavy　and　the　making　of　words　wearisome。　Just　behind　them　a　large　branch　fell　from　an　old　overhanging　tree　with　a　crash　into　the　path。　The　trees　seemed　to　close　in　before　them。

'They　do　not　like　all　that　about　ending　and　failing；'　said　Merry。　'I　should　not　sing　any　more　at　present。　Wait　till　we　do　get　to　the　edge；　and　then　we'll　turn　and　give　them　a　rousing　chorus！'

He　spoke　cheerfully；　and　if　he　felt　any　great　anxiety；　he　did　not　show　it。　The　others　did　not　answer。　They　were　depressed。　A　heavy　weight　was　settling　steadily　on　Frodo's　heart；　and　he　regretted　now　with　every　step　forward　that　he　had　ever　thought　of　challenging　the　menace　of　the　trees。　He　was；　indeed；　just　about　to　stop　and　propose　going　back　（if　that　was　still　possible）；　when　things　took　a　new　turn。　The　path　stopped　climbing；　and　became　for　a　while　nearly　level。　The　dark　trees　drew　aside；　and　ahead　they　could　see　the　path　going　almost　straight　forward。　Before　them；　but　some　distance　off；　there　stood　a　green　hilltop；　treeless；　rising　like　a　bald　head　out　of　the　encircling　wood。　The　path　seemed　to　be　making　directly　for　it。

They　now　hurried　forward　again；　delighted　with　the　thought　of　climbing　out　for　a　while　above　the　roof　of　the　Forest。　The　path　dipped；　and　then　again　began　to　climb　upwards；　leading　them　at　last　to　the　foot　of　the　steep　hillside。　There　it　left　the　trees　and　faded　into　the　turf。　The　wood　stood　all　round　the　hill　like　thick　hair　that　ended　sharply　in　a　circle　round　a　shaven　crown。

The　hobbits　led　their　ponies　up；　winding　round　and　round　until　they　reached　the　top。　There　they　stood　and　gazed　about　them。　The　air　was　gleaming　and　sunlit；　but　hazy；　and　they　could　not　see　to　any　great　distance。　Near　at　hand　the　mist　was　now　almost　gone；　though　here　and　there　it　lay　in　hollows　of　the　wood；　and　to　the　south　of　them；　out　of　a　deep　fold　cutting　right　across　the　Forest；　the　fog　still　rose　like　steam　or　wisps　of　white　smoke。

'That；'　said　Merry；　pointing　with　his　hand；　'that　is　the　line　of　the　Withywindle。　It　es　down　out　of　the　Downs　and　flows　southwest　through　the　midst　of　the　Forest　to　join　the　Brandywine　below　Haysend。　We　don't　want　to　go　that　way！　The　Withywindle　valley　is　said　to　be　the　queerest　part　of　the　whole　wood　。　the　centre　from　es；　as　it　were。'

The　others　looked　in　the　direction　that　Merry　pointed　out；　but　they　could　see　little　but　mists　over　the　damp　and　deepcut　valley；　and　beyond　it　the　southern　half　of　the　Forest　faded　from　view。

The　sun　on　the　hilllop　was　now　getting　hot。　It　must　have　been　about　eleven　o'clock；　but　the　autumn　haze　still　prevented　them　from　seeing　much　in　other　directions。　In　the　west　they　could　not　make　out　either　the　line　of　the　Hedge　or　the　valley　of　the　Brandywine　beyond　it。　Northward；　where　they　looked　most　hopefully；　they　could　see　nothing　that　might　be　the　line　of　the　great　East　Road；　for　which　they　were　making。　They　were　on　an　island　in　a　sea　of　trees；　and　the　horizon　was　veiled。

On　the　southeastern　side　the　ground　fell　very　steeply；　as　if　the　slopes　of　the　hill　were　continued　far　down　under　the　trees；　like　islandshores　that　really　are　the　sides　of　a　mountain　rising　out　of　deep　waters。　They　sat　on　the　green　edge　and　looked　out　over　the　woods　below　them；　while　they　ate　their　mid　day　meal。　As　the　sun　rose　and　passed　noon　they　glimpsed　far　off　in　the　east　the　greygreen　lines　of　the　Downs　that　lay　beyond　the　Old　Forest　on　that　side。　That　cheered　them　greatly；　for　it　was　good　to　see　a　sight　of　anything　beyond　the　wood's　borders；　though　they　did　not　mean　to　go　that　way；　if　they　could　help　it：　the　Barrowdowns　had　as　sinister　a　reputation　in　hobbitlegend　as　the　Forest　itself。

At　length　they　made　up　their　minds　to　go　on　again。　The　path　that　had　brought　them　to　the　hill　reappeared　on　the　northward　side；　but　they　had　not　followed　it　far　before　they　became　aware　that　it　was　bending　steadily　to　the　right。　Soon　it　began　to　descend　rapidly　and　they　guessed　that　it　must　actually　be　heading　towards　the　Withywindle　valley：　not　at　all　the　direction　they　wished　lo　take。　After　some　discussion　they　decided　to　leave　this　misleading　path　and　strike　northward；　for　although　they　had　not　been　able　to　see　it　from　the　hilltop；　the　Road　must　lie　that　way；　and　it　could　not　be　many　miles　off。　Also　northward；　and　to　the　left　of　the　path；　the　land　seemed　lo　be　drier　and　more　open；　climbing　up　to　slopes　where　the　trees　were　thinner；　and　pines　and　firs　replaced　the　oaks　and　ashes　and　other　strange　and　nameless　trees　of　the　denser　wood。

At　first　their　choice　seemed　to　be　good：　they　got　along　at　a　fair　speed；　though　whenever　they　got　a　glimpse　of　the　sun　in　an　open　glade　they　seemed　unaccountably　to　have　veered　eastwards。　But　after　a　time　the　trees　began　to　close　in　again；　just　where　they　had　appeared　from　a　distance　to　be　thinner　and　less　tangled。　Then　deep　folds　in　the　ground　were　discovered　unexpectedly；　like　the　ruts　of　great　giantwheels　or　wide　moats　and　sunken　roads　long　disused　and　choked　with　brambles。　These　lay　usually　right　across　their　line　of　march；　and　could　only　be　crossed　by　scrambling　down　and　out　again；　which　was　troublesome　and　difficult　with　their　ponies。　Each　time　they　climbed　down　they　found　the　hollow　filled　with　thick　bushes　and　matted　undergrowth；　which　somehow　would　not　yield　to　the　left；　but　only　gave　way　when　they　turned　to　the　right；　and　they　had　to　go　some　distance　along　the　bottom　before　they　could　find　a　way　up　the　further　bank。　Each　time　they　clambered　out；　the　trees　seemed　deeper　and　darker；　and　always　to　the　left　and　upwards　it　was　most　difficult　to　find　a　way；　and　they　were　forced　to　the　right　and　downwards。

After　an　hour　or　two　they　had　lost　all　clear　sense　of　direction；　though　they　knew　well　enough　that　they　had　long　ceased　to　go　northward　at　all。　They　were　being　headed　off；　and　were　simply　following　a　course　chosen　for　them　。　eastwards　and　southwards；　into　the　heart　of　the　Forest　and　not　out　of　it。

The　afternoon　was　wearing　away　when　they　scrambled　and　stumbled　into　a　fold　that　was　wider　and　deeper　than　any　they　had　yet　met。　It　was　so　sleep　and　overhung　that　it　proved　impossible　to　climb　out　of　it　again；　either　forwards　or　backwards；　without　leaving　their　ponies　and　their　baggage　behind。　All　they　could　do　was　to　follow　the　fold　。　downwards。　The　ground　grew　soft；　and　in　places　boggy；　springs　appea