little gentleman

The carriage drove into the post station, and when Bilbo and Merry got out of the carriage, they heard Pippin's loud voice: "Hey! Merry! Bilbo! Look here!" Pippin was waving to them from the window on the second floor.

Pippin had been waiting at the inn for a long time. He heard that his friend was coming back, so he ran to greet him early in the morning.Seeing the stagecoach appearing from a distance, he prepared a cold meal.

Almost at the same time Frodo and Sam's carriage arrived, and Bilbo was overjoyed to see Frodo. His nephew's face was still rosy, but his smile was not as bright as before.Bilbo hugged Frodo hard, patted his nephew's junior to reassure him, and hugged Sam too.

The four hobbits went upstairs together.Pippin rushed forward and embraced Merry with joy, and they both squealed and danced with joy.

Pippin went around behind the table, and said with outstretched arms, "Plenty? You didn't think I'd come to fetch you, did you? Like the surprise? But you'll have to lend me money, Bilbo. I didn't expect this meal." It will be so expensive!"

"Have you spent all your money on this new dress?" pointed Bilbo sharply, for he had seen Pippin's new coat long ago.

"Ah, I just passed by the town and saw this dress in the window display, so I bought it." Pippin tugged on his skirt, "I don't think it's very pretty, but they say it's the most popular style now. , using materials that human merchants have just poured over from the east."

"It's ugly," Sam told Pippin directly.

Pippin didn't care: "It doesn't matter, there are two or three pieces in the store, which are uglier than this one. I went back to find my aunt to help me change it. Her tailoring skills are first-rate. Besides, the elves have left the Shire now. It doesn't matter what you wear in front of a bitman."

"All the elves gone?" Bilbo frowned, remembering something.

"Yes, after Legolas left, they left one after another - about the same time as you went to Mirkwood, why they came to Shire in the first place is still a mystery!" Pippin added something to his plate. explain.

Bilbo remembered what Legolas had said. It seemed that he had sneaked into the Shire, and the other elves must be his most trusted friends. Perhaps it was one of these elves who told Thranduil. Legolas had to go back to Mirkwood.

"Tell me about your trip." Pippin looked expectantly at the other four.

Frodo, who had been silent all this time, dropped his eyes, and Sam looked away after him.Bilbo looked at Merry, who had a lot to say.

"What an eye-opener!" Merry couldn't help but say, "Pippin, you don't know how big the world is outside the Shire!" Describe how amazing Thranduil is, but Merry, the throne that Rosso praised so much, has no impression at all, only remembers the graceful and luxurious Elven King sitting on it.

The two young hobbits chattered like two young sparrows, and Bilbo took the opportunity to glance at Frodo, who smiled when Merry and Pippin laughed, but not at all. happy look.

The table of cold food was cleared, Bilbo paid the bill, and the five hobbits boarded the stagecoach back to Hobbiton.

At night, when Bilbo had a chance to be alone with Frodo at last, he told Frodo all about Mirkwood, except for the time when Thorin had obstructed Frodo and Aragorn.Though Bilbo knew that Frodo had his own grief now, he could not bear the secret for himself any longer.

"Thorin proposes to you? My God!" Frodo exclaimed a little.

"Yeah, who would have thought?" Bilbo was still wondering.

"And you refused him very abruptly," said Frodo with regret.

"You blame me for turning him down?" asked Bilbo.

"Of course not, but Thorin must be very sad." Frodo felt pity for Thorin.

Bilbo thought that if Frodo knew how Thorin had ruined his love, he might not feel sorry for the Dwarf King, but he didn't say whether it was for Frodo or Thorin.

Frodo was even more astonished by Thorin's letter, in which he said in disbelief: "I can't imagine Legolas being a liar, and he doesn't look like a man capable of such bad things. how can that be possible?"

"If Legolas isn't lying, it's Thorin who is, and one of them must be lying," said Bilbo.

"Oh! It shouldn't be so!" said Frodo, unable to believe that one of the two men should be thought of as a villain. "I am afraid they are both mistaken!"

"Come, Frodo, you can't be so kind!" said Bilbo, laughing. "There is but one good man of them two, and I like to believe that it was Thorin."

"But Legolas is so kind and noble. How can he be a villain?" Frodo shook his head vigorously. "There must be some misunderstanding. They all make mistakes, but they can never be villains!"

Bilbo couldn't help laughing, and he left the question behind and turned to Frodo: "I'm happiest, after all, to be back at Bag End, and to you, my dear Frodo." Rodo!"

"Me too, Bilbo!" said Frodo, with a faint blush on his full cheeks.

The days have returned to calm, and Sam has come out of the blow of losing little Mei, and he is still as faithful and enthusiastic as before in the garden at Bag End. Bilbo said that the ferns at Rosso's house were more beautiful than Bag End, and Sam began to study new cultivation techniques unconvinced.Merry and Pippin were still as happy as ever, and they still came to eat several meals a week, and told the owner of Bag End the interesting things of late, except that Pippin complained that life had become boring from time to time. everything is normal.

Frodo also seems to have forgotten the sad love experience. He looks normal on the surface, and he can talk and laugh with everyone, as if he is the hobbit who is satisfied with the status quo and can be happy all day for delicious food.But Bilbo was always worried that Frodo had not had a good talk with him, and Bilbo would not touch anything that upset his nephew until Frodo mentioned it.

Bilbo had undergone some remarkable changes. He had begun to read newspapers!

Sam couldn't believe it the first time he fetched the newspaper for Bilbo: "Did the postman put it in the wrong place?"

"No, he's right, give it to me." Bilbo held out his hand to Sam, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

"When did you start reading the newspaper?" Sam frowned.

Newspapers were new to the hobbits, very popular in human lands but only in recent years elsewhere.In Hobbiton, few people have seen newspapers, and few hobbits want to know the news outside, which has nothing to do with their lives.

Bilbo shook out the newspaper and replied casually: "I saw Rosso read a newspaper in Mirkwood. According to him, educated nobles will read a newspaper in the morning, including elves."

"You mean, King Thranduil also reads newspapers?" Sam felt that he couldn't imagine the Elf King sitting on the throne reading newspapers.

"I haven't seen it," said Bilbo, flipping through the paper awkwardly, "but Little Rose says gentlemen enrich themselves by reading it."

"Then why not read a book?" asked Sam incredulously.

"Newspapers can do what books can't. They're all about what's just happened." Bilbo had already scanned the headlines on the front page.

"Oh, and Merry and Pippin will do better than any newspaper," said Sam. "Look, here they come."

No sooner had the words finished than two young hobbits rushed through the gate of Bag End: "Bilbo! Did you make muffins today? We can smell them from afar!"

So it was another noisy breakfast.

After some time, Bilbo felt that he must speak to Frodo.One afternoon Sam went into the town to buy flower-seeds, and Frodo went into the garden to fold some flowers for vases.Bilbo went up to Frodo, and asked softly, "Will you tell me about Aragorn, Frodo?"

Frodo's hand holding the scissors stopped for a moment, avoiding his uncle's eyes. "That made me very sad, but I'm all right now."

"But you don't look all right." Bilbo came round to Frodo, and looked his nephew squarely in the eye.

"Aragorn is the dearest memory of me," whispered Frodo. "I shall never meet another man like him, but I will let him go."

Bilbo was about to say something, but was interrupted by a cry.

"Bilbo! Frodo! Who do you see coming?" cried Pippin, and with him was Merry, and a tall wizard in a pointed hat.

"Gandalf!" cried Bilbo in surprise.

Frodo laughed too: "How do you do, Gandalf!"

Gandalf embraced the two hobbits affectionately, and at their invitation he went through the round green door of Bag End, where he bumped into the low chandelier again, as expected.

After Frodo went out, Bilbo and Gandalf chatted about Frodo's failed love. He felt sorry for his nephew: "They will obviously make a very happy couple, Gandalf, but poor Frodo is still going to die." Endure the torment of broken love!"

"It's unfortunate for Frodo, but you know it's not the first time something like this has happened in Hobbiton, Bilbo," said Gandalf earnestly.

"I know that the last hobbit who fell in love with humans was also abandoned, and she was my grandmother," said Bilbo. "That is why I was very reluctant to let Frodo come into contact with humans at first .”

"It cannot be said that Aragorn abandoned Frodo; there may be other reasons." Gandalf twitched his beard as he spoke, "You, Bilbo, don't look very well either, and I think you need Improve your mood."

"Me? I can go to the tavern..." Bilbo could think of no other way to relax.

"No, that's not what you call relaxation," Gandalf laughed. "It's spring now, and it's a good season for traveling. I'm going to visit King Elrond in beautiful Rivendell. Why don't you come with me? .”

"Rivendell?" Bilbo had heard the name of the place. Thorin had said in his letter that it was the place where he grew up, but Bilbo didn't have much idea.

"Rivendell is the most beautiful valley in Middle-earth," said Gandalf. "There are beautiful woods and streams there, and you will love it."

"Oh, I haven't traveled in the valley yet!" Bilbo agreed cheerfully. "I think Rivendell will be a feast for my eyes!"

The next day, Bilbo packed his things and left Bag End in Frodo's care, and he and Gandalf set off on the journey together.