Post by bacon on Aug 31, 2005 21:32:01 GMT -5
Hopefully, everyday, or perhaps once a week, I will get a good ol quote from the books.
Today's is from FOTR, Book I, Chapter III, Three is Company:
The sun was beginning to get low and the light of afternoon was on the land as they went down the hill. So far they had not met a soul on the road. This way was not used, being hardly fit for carts, and there was little traffic to the Woody End. They were now on level ground, and the road after much winding lay straight ahead through grass-land sprinkled with tall trees, outliers of the approaching woods.
"I can hear a pony or a horse coming up along the road behind," said Sam.
They looked back, but the turn of the road prevented them from seeing far. "I wonder if that is Gandalf coming after us," said Frodo, but even as he said it, he had a feeling that it was not so, and a sudden desire to hide from the view of the rider came over him.
"It may not matter much," he said apologetically, "but I would rather not be seen on the road - by anyone. I am sick of my doings being noticed and discussed. And if it is Gandalf," he added as an afterthought, "we can give him a little surprise, to pay him out for being so late. Let's get out of sight!"
The other two ran quickly to the left, and down into a little hollow not far from the road. Frodo hesitated for a second: curiousity or some other feeling was struggling with his desire to hide. The sound of hoofs drew nearer. Just in time he threw himself down in a patch of long grass behind a tree that overshadowed the road. Then he lifted his head and peered cautiously above one of the great roots.
Round the corner came a black horse, no hobbit-pony, but a full sized horse; and on it sat a large man, who seemed to crouch in the saddle, wrapped in a great black cloak and hood, so that only his boots in the high stirrups showed below; his face was shadowed and invisible.
When it reached the tree and was level with Frodo the horse stopped. The riding figure sat quite still with its head bowed, as if listening. From inside the hood came a noise as of someone sniffing to catch an elusive scene; the head turned from side to side of the road.
A sudden unreasoning fear of discovery laid hold of Frodo, and he thought of his Ring. He hardly dared to breathe, and yet the desire to get it out of his pocket became so strong that he began to slowly move his hand. He felt that he had only to slip it on, and then he would be safe. The advice of Gandalf seemed absurd. Bilbo had used the Ring. 'And I am still in the Shire', he thought, as his hand touched the chain on which it hung. At that moment the rider sat up, and shook the reins. The horse stepped forward, walking slowly at first, and then breaking into a quick trot.
Frodo crawled to the edge of the road, and watched the rider, until he dwindled into the distance. He could not be quite sure, but it seemed to him that suddenly, before it passed out of sight, the horse turned aside and went into the trees on the right.
I love this scene in FOTR. It's the first scene that really makes you shiver. What is this rider? Where does he come from? What's going to happen? Great page-turner. It's one of the great classic scenes in FOTR, and it's what kicks it forward. What's interesting is that in early drafts it was actually Gandalf that appeared and welcomed Frodo. It was when he made a black rider appear that the whole thing about Ringwraiths evolved, I believe.
5/5
Today's is from FOTR, Book I, Chapter III, Three is Company:
The sun was beginning to get low and the light of afternoon was on the land as they went down the hill. So far they had not met a soul on the road. This way was not used, being hardly fit for carts, and there was little traffic to the Woody End. They were now on level ground, and the road after much winding lay straight ahead through grass-land sprinkled with tall trees, outliers of the approaching woods.
"I can hear a pony or a horse coming up along the road behind," said Sam.
They looked back, but the turn of the road prevented them from seeing far. "I wonder if that is Gandalf coming after us," said Frodo, but even as he said it, he had a feeling that it was not so, and a sudden desire to hide from the view of the rider came over him.
"It may not matter much," he said apologetically, "but I would rather not be seen on the road - by anyone. I am sick of my doings being noticed and discussed. And if it is Gandalf," he added as an afterthought, "we can give him a little surprise, to pay him out for being so late. Let's get out of sight!"
The other two ran quickly to the left, and down into a little hollow not far from the road. Frodo hesitated for a second: curiousity or some other feeling was struggling with his desire to hide. The sound of hoofs drew nearer. Just in time he threw himself down in a patch of long grass behind a tree that overshadowed the road. Then he lifted his head and peered cautiously above one of the great roots.
Round the corner came a black horse, no hobbit-pony, but a full sized horse; and on it sat a large man, who seemed to crouch in the saddle, wrapped in a great black cloak and hood, so that only his boots in the high stirrups showed below; his face was shadowed and invisible.
When it reached the tree and was level with Frodo the horse stopped. The riding figure sat quite still with its head bowed, as if listening. From inside the hood came a noise as of someone sniffing to catch an elusive scene; the head turned from side to side of the road.
A sudden unreasoning fear of discovery laid hold of Frodo, and he thought of his Ring. He hardly dared to breathe, and yet the desire to get it out of his pocket became so strong that he began to slowly move his hand. He felt that he had only to slip it on, and then he would be safe. The advice of Gandalf seemed absurd. Bilbo had used the Ring. 'And I am still in the Shire', he thought, as his hand touched the chain on which it hung. At that moment the rider sat up, and shook the reins. The horse stepped forward, walking slowly at first, and then breaking into a quick trot.
Frodo crawled to the edge of the road, and watched the rider, until he dwindled into the distance. He could not be quite sure, but it seemed to him that suddenly, before it passed out of sight, the horse turned aside and went into the trees on the right.
I love this scene in FOTR. It's the first scene that really makes you shiver. What is this rider? Where does he come from? What's going to happen? Great page-turner. It's one of the great classic scenes in FOTR, and it's what kicks it forward. What's interesting is that in early drafts it was actually Gandalf that appeared and welcomed Frodo. It was when he made a black rider appear that the whole thing about Ringwraiths evolved, I believe.
5/5
