the fellowship of the ring-第8部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


blue　hat；　a　long　grey　cloak；　and　a　silver　scarf。　He　had　along　white　beard　and　bushy　eyebrows　that　stuck　out　beyond　the　brim　of　his　hat。　
Small　hobbit…children　ran　after　the　cart　all　through　Hobbiton　and　right　up　thehill。　It　had　a　cargo　of　fireworks；　as　they　rightly　guessed。　At　Bilbo's　frontdoor　the　old　man　began　to　unload：　there　were　great　bundles　of　fireworks　of　allsorts　and　shapes；　each　labelled　with　a　large　red　G　and　the　elf…rune；　。　　
That　was　Gandalf's　mark；　of　course；　and　the　old　man　was　Gandalf　theWizard；　whose　fame　in　the　Shire　was　due　mainly　to　his　skill　with　fires；　
smokes；　and　lights。　His　real　business　was　far　more　difficult　and　dangerous；　　
　
but　the　Shire…folk　knew　nothing　about　it。　To　them　he　was　just　one　of　the'attractions'　at　the　Party。　Hence　the　excitement　of　the　hobbit…children。　'Gfor　Grand！'　they　shouted；　and　the　old　man　smiled。　They　knew　him　by　sight；　
though　he　only　appeared　in　Hobbiton　occasionally　and　never　stopped　long；　butneither　they　nor　any　but　the　oldest　of　their　elders　had　seen　one　of　hisfirework　displays　–　they　now　belonged　to　the　legendary　past。　
When　the　old　man；　helped　by　Bilbo　and　some　dwarves；　had　finishedunloading。　Bilbo　gave　a　few　pennies　away；　but　not　a　single　squib　or　crackerwas　forthing；　to　the　disappointment　of　the　onlookers。　
'Run　away　now！'　said　Gandalf。　'You　will　get　plenty　when　the　time　es。'　
Then　he　disappeared　inside　with　Bilbo；　and　the　door　was　shut。　The　younghobbits　stared　at　the　door　in　vain　for　a　while；　and　then　made　off；　feelingthat　the　day　of　the　party　would　never　e。　　
Inside　Bag　End；　Bilbo　and　Gandalf　were　sitting　at　the　open　window　of　asmall　room　looking　out　west　on　to　the　garden。　The　late　afternoon　was　brightand　peaceful。　The　flowers　glowed　red　and　golden：　snap…dragons　and　sun…flowers；　
and　nasturtiums　trailing　all　over　the　turf　walls　and　peeping　in　at　the　roundwindows。　　
'How　bright　your　garden　looks！'　said　Gandalf。　
'Yes；'　said　Bilbo。　I　am　very　fond　indeed　of　it；　and　of　all　the　dear　oldShire；　but　I　think　I　need　a　holiday。'　
'You　mean　to　go　on　with　your　plan　then？'　
'I　do。　I　made　up　my　mind　months　ago；　and　I　haven't　changed　it。'　
'Very　well。　It　is　no　good　saying　any　more。　Stick　to　your　plan　–　yourwhole　plan；　mind　–　and　I　hope　it　will　turn　out　for　the　best；　for　you；　and　forall　of　us。'　　
'I　hope　so。　Anyway　I　mean　to　enjoy　myself　on　Thursday；　and　have　my　little　
joke。'　
'Who　will　laugh；　I　wonder？'　said　Gandalf；　shaking　his　head。　
'We　shall　see；'　said　Bilbo。　　
The　next　day　more　carts　rolled　up　the　Hill；　and　still　more　carts。　Theremight　have　been　some　grumbling　about　'dealing　locally'；　but　that　very　weekorders　began　to　pour　out　of　Bag　End　for　every　kind　of　provision；　modity；　orluxury　that　could　be　obtained　in　Hobbiton　or　Bywater　or　anywhere　in　theneighbourhood。　People　became　enthusiastic；　and　they　began　to　tick　off　the　dayson　the　calendar；　and　they　watched　eagerly　for　the　postman；　hoping　forinvitations。　　
Before　long　the　invitations　began　pouring　out；　and　the　Hobbiton　post…　
office　was　blocked；　and　the　Bywater　post…office　was　snowed　under；　andvoluntary　assistant　postmen　were　called　for。　There　was　a　constant　stream　ofthem　going　up　the　Hill；　carrying　hundreds　of　polite　variations　on　_Thank　you；　
I　shall　certainly　e。_　
A　notice　appeared　on　the　gate　at　Bag　End：　NO　ADMITTANCE　EXCEPT　ON　PARTYBUSINESS。　Even　those　who　had；　or　pretended　to　have　Party　Business　were　seldomallowed　inside。　Bilbo　was　busy：　writing　invitations；　ticking　off　answers；　
packing　up　presents；　and　making　some　private　preparations　of　his　own。　From　thetime　of　Gandalf's　arrival　he　remained　hidden　from　view。　　
One　morning　the　hobbits　woke　to　find　the　large　field；　south　of　Bilbo'sfront　door；　covered　with　ropes　and　poles　for　tents　and　pavilions。　A　specialentrance　was　cut　into　the　bank　leading　to　the　road；　and　wide　steps　and　a　largewhite　gate　were　built　there。　The　three　hobbit…families　of　Bagshot　Row；　
adjoining　the　field；　were　intensely　interested　and　generally　envied。　OldGaffer　Gamgee　stopped　even　pretending　to　work　in　his　garden。　
The　tents　began　to　go　up。　There　was　a　specially　large　pavilion；　so　bigthat　the　tree　that　grew　in　the　field　was　right　inside　it；　and　stood　proudlynear　one　end；　at　the　head　of　the　chief　table。　Lanterns　were　hung　on　all　itsbranches。　More　promising　still　（to　the　hobbits'　mind）：　an　enormous　open…airkitchen　was　erected　in　the　north　corner　of　the　field。　A　draught　of　cooks；　from　　
　
every　inn　and　eating…house　for　miles　around；　arrived　to　supplement　the　dwarvesand　other　odd　folk　that　were　quartered　at　Bag　End。　Excitement　rose　to　itsheight。　
Then　the　weather　clouded　over。　That　was　on　Wednesday　the　eve　of　theParty。　Anxiety　was　intense。　Then　Thursday；　September　the　22nd；　actuallydawned。　The　sun　got　up；　the　clouds　vanished；　flags　were　unfurled　and　the　fun　
began。　
Bilbo　Baggins　called　it　a　_party；_　but　it　was　really　a　variety　ofentertainments　rolled　into　one。　Practically　everybody　living　near　was　invited。　
A　very　few　were　overlooked　by　accident；　but　as　they　turned　up　all　the　same；　
that　did　not　matter。　Many　people　from　other　parts　of　the　Shire　were　alsoasked；　and　there　were　even　a　few　from　outside　the　borders。　Bilbo　met　theguests　（and　additions）　at　the　new　white　gate　in　person。　He　gave　away　presentsto　all　and　sundry　–　the　latter　were　those　who　went　out　again　by　a　back　way　andcame　in　again　by　the　gate。　Hobbits　give　presents　to　other　people　on　their　ownbirthdays。　Not　very　expensive　ones；　as　a　rule；　and　not　so　lavishly　as　on　thisoccasion；　but　it　was　not　a　bad　system。　Actually　in　Hobbiton　and　Bywater　everyday　in　the　year　it　was　somebody's　birthday；　so　that　every　hobbit　in　thoseparts　had　a　fair　chance　of　at　least　one　present　at　least　once　a　week。　But　theynever　got　tired　of　them。　
On　this　occasion　the　presents　were　unusually　good。　The　hobbit…childrenwere　so　excited　that　for　a　while　they　almost　forgot　about　eating。　There　weretoys　the　like　of　which　they　had　never　seen　before；　all　beautiful　and　someobviously　magical。　Many　of　them　had　indeed　been　ordered　a　year　before；　and　hade　all　the　way　from　the　Mountain　and　from　Dale；　and　were　of　real　dwarf…make。　
When　every　guest　had　been　weled　and　was　finally　inside　the　gate；　therewere　songs；　dances；　music；　games；　and；　of　course；　food　and　drink。　There　werethree　official　meals：　lunch；　tea；　and　dinner　（or　supper）。　But　lunch　and　teawere　marked　chiefly　by　the　fact　that　at　those　times　all　the　guests　weresitting　down　and　eating　together。　At　other　times　there　were　merely　lots　ofpeople　eating　and　drinking　–　continuously　from　elevenses　until　six…thirty；　
when　the　fireworks　started。　　
The　fireworks　were　by　Gandalf：　they　were　not　only　brought　by　him；　butdesigned　and　made　by　him；　and　the　special　effects；　set　pieces；　and　flights　ofrockets　were　let　off　by　him。　But　there　was　also　a　generous　distribution　ofsquibs；　crackers；　backarappers；　sparklers；　torches；　dwarf…candles；　elf…　
fountains；　goblin…barkers　and　thunder…claps。　They　were　all　superb。　The　art　ofGandalf　improved　with　age。　
There　were　rockets　like　a　flight　of　scintillating　birds　singing　withsweet　voices。　There　were　green　trees　with　trunks　of　dark　smoke：　their　leavesopened　like　a　whole　spring　unfolding　in　a　moment；　and　their　shining　branchesdropped　glowing　flowers　down　upon　the　astonished　hobbits；　disappearing　with　asweet　scent　just　before　they　touched　their　upturned　faces。　There　werefountains　of　butterflies　that　flew　glittering　into　the　trees；　there　werepillars　of　coloured　fires　that　rose　and　turned　into　eagles；　or　sailing　ships；　
or　a　phalanx　of　flying　swans；　there　was　a　red　thunderstorm　and　a　shower　ofyellow　rain；　there　was　a　forest　of　silver　spears　that　sprang　suddenly　into　theair　with　a　yell　like　an　embattled　army；　and　came　down　again　into　the　Waterwith　a　hiss　like　a　hundred　hot　snakes。　And　there　was　also　one　last　surprise；　
in　honour　of　Bilbo；　and　it　startled　the　hobbits　exceedingly；　as　Gandalfintended。　The　lights　went　out。　A　great　smoke　went　up。　It　shaped　itself　like　amountain　seen　in　the　distance；　and　began　to　glow　at　the　summit。　It　spoutedgreen　and　scarlet　flames。　Out　flew　a　red…golden　dragon　–　not　life…size；　butterribly　life…like：　fire　came　from　his　jaws；　his　eyes　glared　down；　there　was　aroar；　and　he　whizzed　three　times　over　the　heads　of　the　crowd。　They　all　ducked；　
and　many　fell　flat　on　their　faces。　The　dragon　passed　like　an　express　train；　
turned　a　somersault；　and　burst　over　Bywater　with　a　deafening　explosion。　
'That　is　the　signal　for　supper！'　said　Bilbo。　The　pain　and　alarm　vanishedat　once；　and　the　prostrate　hobbits　leaped　to　their　feet。　There　was　a　splendidsupper　for　everyone；　for　everyone；　that　is；　except　those　invited　to　the　　
　
special　family　dinner…party。　This　was　held　in　the　great　pavilion　with　thetree。　The　invitations　were　limited　to　twelve　dozen　（a　number　also　called　bythe　hobbits　one　Gross；　though　the　word　was　not　considered　proper　to　use　ofpeople）；　and　the　guests　were　selected　from　all　the　families　to　which　Bilbo　andFrodo　were　related；　with　the　addition　of　a　few　special　unrelated　friends　（suchas　Gandalf）。　Many　young　hobbits　were　included；　and　present　by　parentalpermission；　for　hobbits　were　easy…going　with　their　children　in　the　matter　ofsitting　up　late；　especially　when　there　was　a　chance　of　getting　them　a　freemeal。　Bringing　up　young　hobbits　took　a　lot　of　provender。　
There