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the fellowship of the ring-第44部分
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ky was unveiled。 A glance showed him that he was now facingsouthwards and was on a round hill…top; which he must have climbed from thenorth。 Out of the east the biting wind was blowing。 To his right there loomedagainst the westward stars a dark black shape。 A great barrow stood there。
'Where are you?' he cried again; both angry and afraid。
'Here!' said a voice; deep and cold; that seemed to e out of theground。 'I am waiting for you!'
'No!' said Frodo; but he did not run away。 His knees gave; and he fell onthe ground。 Nothing happened; and there was no sound。 Trembling he looked up;
in time to see a tall dark figure like a shadow against the stars。 It leanedover him。 He thought there were two eyes; very cold though lit with a palelight that seemed to e from some remote distance。 Then a grip stronger andcolder than iron seized him。 The icy touch froze his bones; and he rememberedno more。
When he came to himself again; for a moment he could recall nothingexcept a sense of dread。 Then suddenly he knew that he was imprisoned; caughthopelessly; he was in a barrow。 A Barrow…wight had taken him; and he wasprobably already under the dreadful spells of the Barrow…wights about whichwhispered tales spoke。 He dared not move; but lay as he found himself: flat onhis back upon a cold stone with his hands on his breast。
But though his fear was so great that it seemed to be part of the verydarkness that was round him; he found himself as he lay thinking about BilboBaggins and his stories; of their jogging along together in the lanes of theShire and talking about roads and adventures。 There is a seed of courage
hidden (often deeply; it is true) in the heart of the fattest and most timidhobbit; wailing for some final and desperate danger to make it grow。 Frodo wasneither very fat nor very timid; indeed; though he did not know it; Bilbo (andGandalf) had thought him the best hobbit in the Shire。 He thought he had eto the end of his adventure; and a terrible end; but the thought hardened him。
He found himself stiffening; as if for a final spring; he no longer felt limplike a helpless prey。
As he lay there; thinking and getting a hold of himself; he noticed allat once that the darkness was slowly giving way: a pale greenish light wasgrowing round him。 It did not at first show him what kind of a place he wasin; for the light seemed to be ing out of himself; and from the floorbeside him; and had not yet reached the roof or wall。 He turned; and there inthe cold glow he saw lying beside him Sam; Pippin; and Merry。 They were ontheir backs; and their faces looked deathly pale; and they were clad in white。
About them lay many treasures; of gold maybe; though in that light they lookedcold and unlovely。 On their heads were circlets; gold chains were about theirwaists; and on their fingers were many rings。 Swords lay by their sides; andshields were at their feet。 But across their three necks lay one long nakedsword。
Suddenly a song began: a cold murmur; rising and falling。 The voiceseemed far away and immeasurably dreary; sometimes high in the air and thin;
sometimes like a low moan from the ground。 Out of the formless stream of sadbut horrible sounds; strings of words would now and again shape themselves:
grim; hard; cold words; heartless and miserable。 The night was railing againstthe morning of which it was bereaved; and the cold was cursing the warmth forwhich it hungered。 Frodo was chilled to the marrow。 After a while the songbecame clearer; and with dread in his heart he perceived that it had changedinto an incantation:
Cold be hand and heart and bone;
and cold be sleep under stone:
never mare to wake on stony bed;
never; till the Sun fails and the Moon is dead。
In the black wind the stars shall die;
and still on gold here let them lie;
till the dark lord lifts his hand
over dead sea and withered land。
He heard behind his head a creaking and scraping sound。 Raising himselfon one arm he looked; and saw now in the pale light that they were in a kindof passage which behind them turned a corner。 Round the corner a long arm wasgroping; walking on its fingers towards Sam; who was lying nearest; andtowards the hilt of the sword that lay upon him。
At first Frodo felt as if he had indeed been turned into stone by theincantation。 Then a wild thought of escape came to him。 He wondered if he puton the Ring; whether the Barrow…wight would miss him; and he might find someway out。 He thought of himself running free over the grass; grieving forMerry; and Sam; and Pippin; but free and alive himself。 Gandalf would admitthat there had been nothing else he could do。
But the courage that had been awakened in him was now too strong: hecould not leave his friends so easily。 He wavered; groping in his pocket; andthen fought with himself again; and as he did so the arm crept nearer。
Suddenly resolve hardened in him; and he seized a short sword that lay besidehim; and kneeling he stooped low over the bodies of his panions。 With whatstrength he had he hewed at the crawling arm near the wrist; and the handbroke off; but at the same moment the sword splintered up to the hilt。 Therewas a shriek and the light vanished。 In the dark there was a snarling noise。
Frodo fell forward over Merry; and Merry's face felt cold。 All at onceback into his mind; from which it had disappeared with the first ing of thefog; came the memory of the house down under the Hill; and of Tom singing。 He
remembered the rhyme that Tom had taught them。 In a small desperate voice hebegan: _Ho! Tom Bombadil!_ and with that name his voice seemed to grow strong:
it had a full and lively sound; and the dark chamber echoed as if to drum andtrumpet。
Ho! Tom Bombadil; Tom Bombadillo!
By water; wood and hill; by the reed and willow;
By fire; sun and moon; harken now and hear us!
e; Tom Bombadil; for our need is near us!
There was a sudden deep silence; in which Frodo could hear his heartbeating。 After a long slow moment he heard plain; but far away; as if it wasing down through the ground or through thick walls; an answering voicesinging:
Old Tom Bombadil is a merry fellow;
Bright blue his jacket is; and his boots are yellow。
None has ever caught him yet; for Tom; he is the master:
His songs are stronger songs; and his feet are faster。
There was a loud rumbling sound; as of stones rolling and falling; andsuddenly light streamed in; real light; the plain light of day。 A low door…
like opening appeared at the end of the chamber beyond Frodo's feet; and therewas Tom's head (hat; feather; and all) framed against the light of the sunrising red behind him。 The light fell upon the floor; and upon the faces ofthe three hobbits lying beside Frodo。 They did not stir; but the sickly huehad left them。 They looked now as if they were only very deeply asleep。
Tom stooped; removed his hat; and came into the dark chamber; singing:
Get out; you old Wight! Vanish in the sunlight!
Shrivel like the cold mist; like the winds go wailing;
Out into the barren lands far beyond the mountains!
e never here again! Leave your barrow empty!
Lost and forgotten be; darker than the darkness;
Where gates stand for ever shut; till the world is mended。
At these words there was a cry and part of the inner end of the chamberfell in with a crash。 Then there was a long trailing shriek; fading away intoan unguessable distance; and after that silence。
'e; friend Frodo!' said Tom。 'Let us get out on to clean grass! Youmust help me bear them。'
Together they carried out Merry; Pippin; and Sam。 As Frodo left thebarrow for the last time he thought he saw a severed hand wriggling still;
like a wounded spider; in a heap of fallen earth。 Tom went back in again; andthere was a sound of much thumping and stamping。 When he came out he wasbearing in his arms a great load of treasure: things of gold; silver; copper;
and bronze; many beads and chains and jewelled ornaments。 He climbed the greenbarrow and laid them all on top in the sunshine。
There he stood; with his hat in his hand and the wind in his hair; andlooked down upon the three hobbits; that had been laid on their backs upon thegrass at the west side of the mound。 Raising his right hand he said in a cleara
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