jrt.the hobbit-第56节

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！


on　of　his　nephews　and　his　nieces。　His　magic　ring　he　kept　a　great　secret；　for　he　chiefly　used　it　when　unpleasant　callers　came。　He　took　to　writing　poetry　and　visiting　the　elves；　and　though　many　shook　their　heads　and　touched　their　foreheads　and　said　〃Poor　old　Baggins！〃　and　though　few　believed　any　of　his　tales；　he　remained　very　happy　to　the　end　of　his　days；　and　those　were　extraordinarily　long。
　One　autumn　evening　some　years　afterwards　Bilbo　was　sitting　in　his　study　writing　his　memoirs　…　he　thought　of　calling　them　〃There　and　Back　Again；　a　Hobbit's　Holiday〃　…　when　there　was　a　ring　at　the　door。　It　was　Gandalf　and　a　dwarf；　and　the　dwarf　was　actually　Balin。
　〃e　in！　e　in！〃　said　Bilbo；　and　soon　they　were　settled　in　chairs　by　the　fire。　If　Balin　noticed　that　Mr。　Baggins'　waistcoat　was　more　extensive　（and　had　real　gold　buttons）；　Bilbo　also　noticed　that　Balm's　beard　was　several　inches　longer；　and　his　jewelled　belt　was　of　great　magnificence。　　They　fell　to　talking　of　their　times　together；　of　course；　and　Bilbo　asked　how　things　were　going　in　the　lands　of　the　Mountain。　It　seemed　they　were　going　very　well。　Bard　had　rebuilt　the　town　in　Dale　and　men　had　gathered　to　him　from　the　Lake　and　from　South　and　West；　and　all　the　valley　had　bee　tilled　again　and　rich；　and　the　desolation　was　now　filled　with　birds　and　blossoms　in　spring　and　fruit　and　feasting　in　autumn。　And　Lake…town　was　refounded　and　was　more　prosperous　than　ever；　and　much　wealth　went　up　and　down　the　Running　River；　and　there　was　friendship　in　those　parts　between　elves　and　dwarves　and　men。　　The　old　Master　had　e　to　a　bad　end。　Bard　had　given　him　much　gold　for　the　help　of　the　Lake…people；　but　being　of　the　kind　that　easily　catches　such　disease　he　fell　under　the　dragon…sickness；　and　took　most　of　the　gold　and　fled　with　it；　and　died　of　starvation　in　the　Waste；　deserted　by　his　panions。　　〃The　new　Master　is　of　wiser　kind；〃　said　Balin；　〃and　very　popular；　for；　of　course；　he　gets　most　of　the　credit　for　the　present　prosperity。　They　are　making　songs　which　say　that　in　his　day　the　rivers　run　with　gold。〃　〃Then　the　prophecies　of　the　old　songs　have　turned　out　to　be　true；　after　a　fashion！〃　said　Bilbo。
　〃Of　course！〃　said　Gandalf。　〃And　why　should　not　they　prove　true？　Surely　you　don't　disbelieve　the　prophecies；　because　you　had　a　hand　in　bringing　them　about　yourself？　You　don't　really　suppose；　do　you；　that　all　your　adventures　and　escapes　were　managed　by　mere　luck；　just　for　your　sole　benefit？　You　are　a　very　fine　person；　Mr。　Baggins；　and　I　am　very　fond　of　you；　but　you　are　only　quite　a　little　fellow　in　a　wide　world　after　all！〃
　〃Thank　goodness！〃　said　Bilbo　laughing；　and　handed　him　the　tobacco…jar。
　

　
　
　
　1