Chapter 9 Section Nine: Under the Prancing Horse Sign

Bree is the largest village in this region.Compared with the wilderness outside, this inhabited area is like an isolated island in the sea and independent.Besides Bree, there was the village of Stadow on the other side of the hill, the village of Combe in a deep valley a little further to the east, and a village called Archit on the edge of the Chit Forest.Between the Bree Hills and these villages lies a small woodland, only a few miles wide. Bree's humans all have brown hair, strong builds, and not very tall.Their personalities are optimistic and independent, and they are not under the jurisdiction of any forces.However, they are friendlier and more acquainted with hobbits, dwarves, elves, and other creatures around them than ordinary humans.According to their legends, they were the direct descendants of Men who first colonized the west of Middle-earth.Few of the chosen ones survived the ancient cataclysm, but when the royal family returned from the other side of the sea, the humans of Bree were still alive and well.And now, when the royal family has disappeared from the history books, nothing has changed about them.

During that time, no other humans lived so far to the west.Within three or four hundred miles of the Shire without exception.There are, however, many mysterious travelers in the Badlands beyond Bree.The Bree called them rangers, and knew nothing of their origins.They are taller and darker than the humans of Bree. They are said to have superhuman hearing and eyesight, and can understand the language of birds and beasts.They roam freely in the south, and even as far east as the Misty Mountains.However, their number is very small, and their whereabouts are also very secretive.When they appear, they often bring news from far away, tales of long-forgotten legends that are warmly welcomed here.But even so, the people of Bree did not know these people very well.

There are also many hobbit families around Bree; they claim that this is the oldest hobbit settlement in the world, established even before the ancients crossed the River Brandy and colonized the Shire.Most of them lived in Stadow, but some lived in Bree.Most of the hobbits of Bree lived on the slopes of the hills, overlooking the houses of men.The big guy and the little guy (as they call each other) here are very friendly to each other, each living his own life in his own way, knowing that he is an indispensable part of Bree without being humble.Nowhere else in the world can you find such a unique yet perfect balance.

Whether large or small, the inhabitants of Bree do not travel much; the trifles of the four neighboring villages are everything in life.The hobbits of Bree occasionally visit Buckland, or the East End of the Shire.Hobbits from the Shire seldom come here, though it is not far to ride directly from Brandywine Bridge.Sometimes hobbits from Buckland or adventurous tooks would come to stay in the inn here, but this was also becoming rarer and rarer.The Hobbits of the Shire regard the Bree-dwellers and any hobbit living outside the Shire as "foreigners" and take no interest in them, considering them rude, uneducated and uninteresting.However, there may be more "foreigners" scattered throughout the west of Middle-earth than the Shire residents imagine.Some are really not much different from savages, they can dig a hole and live for a while.But here at Bree at least, the hobbits lived a well-to-do and cultured life, not far behind their distant relatives (the "outbacks").There was a time when the Shire and Bree talked very frequently, and it was not forgotten.There can be no doubt that the blood of the Brewbucks must have been in the blood of the Brewbucks.

There are nearly a hundred stone houses inhabited by humans in Bree Village, most of which are built next to the avenue, on the hillside, with west-facing windows.On the side of the human settlement, a deep ditch and high hedges formed a barrier that almost surrounded the mountain halfway.To pass by the main road, a causeway leads into it, but it is also guarded by a gate.There is another door to the south that also leads out of the village.This door will close at sunset, and there is a hut where the administrator lives next to the door. Walk along the avenue all the way into the fence, turn right around the foot of the mountain, and there is a not-so-small hotel.It was built a long time ago, when there was still a lot of traffic on the road.For Bree was then a crossroads, and another ancient road joined the Eastern Road just by the ditch on the west side of the village; "Strange news like Bree" is still the catchphrase of the East Shire, and it is also a saying that has been used since ancient times.In those days news could be heard from far and wide at this inn, and the hobbits of the Shire often trekked here just to hear the latest tales.However, the Northland has been deserted for a long time now, and the North Road is also sparsely populated; the road is covered with weeds, and the residents of Bree call it the Green Road.

No matter how the outside world changes, Bree's inn still stands firm, the key lies in the innkeeper.His inn was the best meeting place for the gossiping and tongue-twisting inhabitants of the four villages.This is also the resting place for rangers after roaming around.In addition, it is also a relay station for some travelers (mostly dwarves) who take the East Road to the Misty Mountains. It was late now, and the stars were beginning to peek out, and Frodo and his companions reached the crossroads where the Green Road and the village meet.They went to the west door first, and found that it was closed, but through the crack of the door, a person could still be seen sitting by the door.As soon as he heard the voice of people outside the door, the administrator jumped up immediately, and took the oil lamp to shine on the visitors outside the door.

"Where are you from? What's your business?" he said inarticulately. "We will take an inn here," answered Frodo. "We're going east, but we can't go any further tonight." "Hobbits! Four hobbits! And from the Shire, by the accent," murmured the steward.He looked at the four of them gloomily, and finally opened the door slowly, allowing the four of them to ride through. "We don't often see Shire residents riding on the road at night," he said to himself when everyone stopped at the door. "Please understand that I am very curious about your itinerary going east. What are your names?"

"Our names don't seem to have anything to do with you? Besides, this is not a good place to talk about it," said Frodo, who didn't like the look and tone of the fellow. "Of course, your names don't have much to do with me," said the man; "but, my duty is to check who comes after dark." "We're hobbits from Buckland, and we wanted to come and stay at the inn here on a whim," Merry interjected. "I'm Mr. Brandybuck. Is that enough? I've heard that Bree people are polite to travelers." "All right, all right!" said the man. "I don't mean to offend. However, the old Harry who will ask you questions later may not be the only one who looks at the door. There have been a lot of weird guys appearing recently. If you go to the Prancing Horse Inn, you will find that there are quite a few guests." .”

After he bade them good night, there was no further conversation.Still, Frodo noticed that the man continued to look at them curiously in the light.As they went on, Frodo was glad to hear the door slam shut behind them. He was rather disturbed by the suspicious attitude of the caretaker, and wondered why anyone should pay particular attention to the hobbits who were traveling with him.Could this be Gandalf?He may have arrived at Bree while the party was delayed in the area of ​​the Old Wood and the Tombs.Even so, there was something wrong with the Gatekeeper's behavior that struck Frodo.

The man continued to watch the group of hobbits, and returned to the house after a long time.The moment he turned his head, a black figure quickly climbed into the door and blended into the dark street without a sound. The hobbit rode up an incline past a few sparse houses.These houses are a bit too huge in their eyes, and the form is not familiar to them.Sam looked at the hotel with a height of three floors, and his heart began to sink continuously.At the beginning of his journey, he had imagined encountering giants taller than trees, or other more terrifying monsters.But just seeing these humans and their tall houses was enough for him.No one wants a busy day to end like this!He began to picture the inn's stables crowded with black horses, and black knights peering out of the dark upstairs windows.

"My lord, are we going to spend the night here tonight?" He said anxiously. "If there are hobbits living around here, we can find someone to lodge with. It will be more comfortable this way." "What's wrong with staying in an inn?" said Frodo. "This is the place Tom recommended. I think it should be comfortable enough inside." For regular customers, the appearance of the hotel alone makes people feel very at ease.It is located next to the avenue, and the wing rooms on both sides extend all the way to the hillside developed behind.Therefore, the windows on the second floor are at the same height as the wing rooms behind.There is also an archway in the center leading to the courtyard between the two wings, and to the left of the archway there are several wide steps leading to the porch of the inn.The door was open, and warm yellow light streamed out.An oil lamp hangs above the arch, and below it is a huge signboard: it depicts a fat white horse standing on its hind legs.The door was painted in large white letters: *The Prancing Horse Inn run by Barryman Butterbuck*.Many guest rooms on the lower floor are dimly lit from the thick window frames. Just when they were hesitating, someone's joyful singing came from the store, and many people joined the chorus loudly.Listening to the uplifting tune, they quickly made up their minds and jumped off the horse.The song ended with laughter and applause from the crowd. They led the horses into the arch, and let them graze in the yard, while the party went up the steps.Frodo almost ran headfirst into a squat, bald, red-faced man.He was wearing a white apron and was rushing out the other door with a tray full of wine glasses. "We think—" began Frodo. "Come right on!" the man yelled over his shoulder, before being lost again amidst the crowd of customers and the haze of smoke.A short time later, he rushed out again, wiping his hands on his apron. "Good night, little guest!" he bowed. "Is there anything you need?" "We would like four beds, if possible. Please take five horses to the stables. Are you Mr. Buttercup?" "That's right! My name is Barryman. Barryman? Buttercup is waiting for you! Are you from the Shire?" He slapped his forehead suddenly, as if remembering something. "A bunch of hobbits!" he yelled. "I seem to have forgotten something! Sir, may I ask your name?" "This is Mr Took and Mr Brandybuck," said Frodo; "this is Sam Gange. My name is Yamashita." "Oops!" Uncle Butterball shot with two fingers. "I can't remember again! I should be able to remember later as long as I have time. Business is very busy today, but I will try my best to help you arrange it. It is not common to see people coming all the way from Shire over the years. If you can't It would be rude to entertain you all. Ah, but business is so good tonight. 'Either it will rain or there will be a flood.' That's what we Bree people say." "Hey! Norbert!" he yelled. "Where have you been hiding, you slow slacker, Norbert!" "Come on, boss! Come on!" A grinning hobbit ran out from another door.As soon as he saw the group of visitors, he immediately stopped and looked at them with great interest. "Where's Bob?" the owner asked aloud. "You don't know? Go get him for me! Hurry up! I don't have superpowers! Tell Bob that he has five horses to take care of. Tell him to find a way to squeeze out the space." Norbert squeezed at the boss. eyes, smiled and walked away. "Ah, where did I go?" Buttercup asked, tapping his forehead. "It's getting busier and messier. I'm so busy tonight. A group of guys came into the village from the green road from the south last night. That's weird enough. There's another group of dwarves going west tonight. The brigade stays here. Now it's you again. If you're not hobbits, maybe we won't be able to squeeze in. Fortunately, there are several rooms in the north wing that were originally built for hobbits. They usually Like living on the first floor, round windows, everything is custom made for them. I think you guys want to have dinner. Come right away. This way please!" He led them down a corridor, then opened a doorway. "It's a small dining room!" he said. "I hope that pleases you. Please excuse me. I'm too busy to talk. I have to run to the kitchen quickly. My legs are going to suffer again, but I can't lose weight. I'll wait." I'll check back next time. If you want anything, ring the bell and Norbert will come. If he doesn't come, just ring and yell!" He finally left, and the four of them were out of breath by him.No matter how busy the boss is, he seems to be able to talk a lot without stopping. Only then did they have a chance to look around.It was a small, cozy room with a great fire burning in the fireplace.In front of the fireplace were some low, comfortable chairs, and a small round table covered with a white cloth.There is a big rattle on the table.But Norbert the hobbit rushed in before they thought of ringing the bell.He brought in some candles and a large tray of cutlery. "Guest, what do you want to drink?" He asked, "The kitchen is preparing your dinner, do you want me to show you the room first?" The group went to wash first.After washing off the travel dust, they sat comfortably and enjoyed cold mugs of beer.At this time, Butterbur and Norbert came in again.In less than a minute, the table was set.There was hot soup and cold cuts and blackberry pie on the table, along with a few loaves of fresh bread, a ball of butter, and half a wheel of cheese.These are all home-cooked dishes that the Shire people love to eat, and the taste is very authentic, enough to make Sam let go of his last guard. (In fact, after drinking beer, Sam's vigilance melted by more than half) The owner lingered for a while, and finally bid farewell to the guests. "If you're done eating, you can come to our lobby and have some fun," he said from the doorway. "Or you can just go to bed and rest. If you want to relax, you will be very welcome. We rarely encounter 'foreigners'-ah! Sorry, I should say tourists from the Shire. We would like to Hear the news there, or any stories and songs that come to your mind. Of course, it's all up to you! If you need anything, just ring the bell!" They enjoyed their meal so much (the four of them worked hard for forty or fifty minutes), and when they were full, everyone except Merry decided to wander the hall.Merry thought it was too crowded. "I think it's better to sit in front of the fire and take a quiet rest, maybe later to go out for fresh air. Don't play too exaggeratedly, and don't forget that you are hiding from pursuers incognito, and this is not far from the Shire. far away!" "There!" said Pippin. "Just take care of yourself! Don't get lost, and don't forget that it's safer to stay indoors!" The "everyone" mentioned by the owner is staying in the lobby of the hotel.It was not until Frodo's eyes had adjusted to the light in the hall that the so-called people were all-encompassing.The lighting in the hall came mainly from the blinding flames in the fireplace, as the oil lamps on the ceiling were half obscured by their own soot.Barryman Butterbur was standing by the fireplace, talking to some dwarves and some strange-looking humans.Various guests sat on nearby benches: the humans of Bree, a group of local hobbits (who were sitting together whispering), a few dwarves; sitting. As soon as the hobbits from the Shire approached the hall, they were greeted warmly by the natives.The other strangers, especially those who emerged from the Green Avenue, eyed them curiously.The shopkeeper introduced the local regular customers to Frodo and his party; but the hobbit was bewildered by his rapid-fire manner, and he could barely make out many names, but couldn't quite figure out who was who.Bree's human names all seem to have something to do with plants (strange to Shire guests), such as rushes, sheepshoes, heather, apple blossoms, thistles, ferns.Some hobbit names also go in this direction, such as wheatgrass being very common.Most hobbit names, however, refer to topographical features such as river banks, badger houses, long holes, dunes, tunnels, etc.; these are also common names in the Shire.It just so happened that there were also a few family members from Stadler here; they felt that as long as the surnames were the same, it was likely that they were related.Therefore, they treated Frodo as a long-lost relative. In fact, the hobbits of Bree are not only friendly, but also inquisitive.Frodo soon found that he must explain the purpose of his visit.He made up a reason for his interest in history and geography (there was nodding at the word; the Bree dialect was hardly used at all), and he needed to look around.He said he was thinking of writing a book (to everyone's surprise), that he and his friends wanted to gather some information about the Harpies outside the Shire, and that he himself was particularly interested in the East End. As soon as they heard this sentence, everyone rushed to interrupt.If Frodo really wanted to write a book, and he had a dozen ears with him; he could gather four or five chapters in the first few minutes.As if that wasn't enough, he was given a lot of names, and everyone recommended him to ask "the old bus here" for information.After a while, since Frodo showed no desire to write on the spot, the hobbits began to inquire about the Shire again.Frodo didn't want to talk much, so he sat alone in a corner in a daze, and took the opportunity to look around. Men and Dwarves were mostly discussing recent events, of which Frodo was well acquainted.The south is very disturbed, and it sounds like the humans who are traveling on the green road want to find a place where they can live without disturbance.The inhabitants of Bree sympathized with them, but were clearly not ready to crowd so many strangers in the small place.A famous squinting ugly man among the passengers predicted that more people would go north in the future. “If no one houses them, they will find their own way. They have the same right to a living as anyone else,” he said aloud.Local residents don't seem too happy. The hobbits were not too concerned about it, as the current state of affairs was still of little concern to them.It is impossible for the big guys to compete with the hobbits to live in the cave.Therefore, they were still more interested in Sam and Pippin. The two fellows were talking now, describing the current situation in Shire.Pippin vividly described the collapse of the roof of Miqiu Grotto's Municipal Cave, which made everyone burst into laughter.Will Littlefoot, the mayor of Mee Hollow, the fattest guy in West Shire, was buried under a mass of lime.When he was rescued, he looked like a dumpling covered in flour.There are, however, several issues that make Frodo uneasy.Several Bree who had been in the Shire wanted to know where the Hill family lived in the Shire, and who they were with. Just as Frodo was about to invent an excuse to interrupt his companion's high-sounding conversation, he suddenly noticed a weather-beaten-looking eccentric sitting in the shadows by the wall, also paying attention to the hobbit's conversation.Before him was a large mug, and he was smoking a crooked pipe.He cocked his feet and enjoyed all this leisurely.Moccasins were well fitted on the man's feet; however, the boots, which had seen much travel, were still covered with mud.Even in the sweltering heat of the room, he wore a heavy green cloak that was stained with travel dust, the hood still covering most of his face.But when he looked at the hobbits, his eyes under the hood gleamed menacingly. "Who is that?" whispered Frodo to Mr. Butterbur, taking his chance. "You don't seem to have introduced him to me." "Him?" The shopkeeper also lowered his voice, and glanced at the man calmly. "I don't know him well. He's one of those wandering humans we call rangers here. He doesn't talk much, but when he does he can often tell us stories we've never heard before. He disappears For months, maybe a year, and then again. Last spring he was in and out, but I hadn't seen him in a while. I never heard him mention his name: but we call him God here Pilgrim. He walked fast on his long legs, though he never told anyone why he was always in such a hurry. But the saying around Bree is to 'mind your business with east and west,' and the phrase It was the Shire and these rangers. You just asked him." Before he had finished speaking, Buttercup was called for more wine, and Frodo had no chance to ask him what he meant. Frodo saw that the Strider was looking at him too, as if he had guessed the conversation between him and the shopkeeper.At the same time he waved and nodded, motioning for Frodo to sit beside him.He took off his hood as Frodo approached; revealing a mop of graying black hair.He has a pale, serious face, and a pair of gray eyes that are full of brilliance. "My name is Strider," he whispered. "Nice to meet you—Mr. Yamashita. I hope Buttercup didn't mispronounce your name." "He is not wrong," said Frodo stiffly.He felt uncomfortable under the other's sharp eyes. "Ah, Mr. Yamashita," said the pilgrim, "if I were you, I would find a way to keep your young friends from talking. Good wine, fire, and rare friends are indeed very pleasant, but, so Come on, this isn't the Shire. There's been some weird guys out there lately. You might think I'm not qualified to say that, though," he smiled. "Besides, there have been stranger visitors to Bree recently than the ones mentioned," he continued, watching Frodo's expression. Frodo stared back at him, but said nothing.Godwalker no longer continued this topic.His attention seemed suddenly to Pippin.Frodo was surprised to find that the loose-tongued Tooks, after the previous stories had been well received, were now describing the embarrassing incident at Bilbo's farewell party.He had already begun to imitate the speech, and he was almost at the end of the part where he mysteriously disappeared. Frodo felt a little annoyed.Of course, to most of the locals, this is just a funny story of weird people and weird things across the river; but some well-informed locals (like Butterbuck) may have heard rumors of Bilbo's disappearance long ago.They're likely to think of the Baggins name as well; if it happens to have been inquired about recently, that's even worse! Frodo thought, not knowing what to do.Pippin was evidently carried away, forgetting the danger he was in.Frodo was afraid that he might even mention the Ring by accident; it would be a catastrophe. "You'd better do something quick!" Whisperer whispered to him. Frodo jumped on the table at once, and began to speak loudly.Pippin's audience was distracted for the moment.Some of the hobbits looked at Frodo, and laughed and clapped their hands, thinking that Mr. Yamashita had drunk too much this time. Frodo found the scene embarrassing, and began to play with the things in his pockets involuntarily. (This is also a small gesture that he must have every time he speaks).He touched the magic ring hanging on the trainer, and suddenly had a desire to put on the magic ring and avoid this embarrassing situation.For some reason, the thought seemed to come from someone or something in the room.Determined to resist the temptation, he held the Ring tightly, as if fearing it might escape from his pocket and cause havoc.Anyway, it didn't help his inspiration at all.He could only think of a few phrases commonly used by the Shire to pass the time: *We are very happy to receive such generous hospitality from you, and I dare to hope that this visit will bring the relationship between Shire and Bree closer;* He hesitated for a moment and coughed dryly. Everyone in the room looked at him. "Let's sing!" a hobbit yelled. "Sing! Sing!" The others followed suit. "Come on! Boss, sing a song we've never heard before!" Frodo stood there dumbfounded.In his desperate situation, he suddenly remembered a nonsense song that Bilbo was very proud of (probably because he himself invented the words).It was a song about an inn, and perhaps that was why Frodo thought of it at this time.Below is the full text of the song, so far not many people remember its complete lyrics. Once upon a time there was a cozy little hotel Beneath the gray hill, The beer they brew is strong and cold, drew the man away from the moon Swallow the beer down. The groom has a drunk cat Can play the five-string violin; The bowstring yanks desperately, The notes also exploded up and down, Almost broke the violin. The owner has a puppy love to hear that joke; If the guests roar with joy, Its small ears will twitch slightly, Laughing until my whole body is about to melt. They also kept a bighorn cow Proud as a queen; Music is like wine to her, can make her tail wag for a long time Dance and dance on the grass. Ahh!the silver platters And that mountain of silver spoons! There are also special Sunday tableware, Everyone will wash it off carefully on Saturday afternoon The tainted silver spoon. The visitor on the moon is drinking happily, The drunk cat starts to meow; The plates and spoons on the table are also jumping around, The cows in the garden are prancing wildly, The puppy also chased its tail and howled. The guest on the moon has another drink, A guy rolls down a chair, He dreams of ale, Until the sky and the stars dissolve, Dawn also condensed. The groom then said to the drunk cat: "Look at the white horse on the moon, pacing and neighing anxiously; But their masters only slept drunk, The sun is coming soon! " So the cat played the pig-killing song on the piano, Harsh can awaken the dead; He pulls and sings desperately, The shopkeeper also shakes the moon that the man holds: "It's past three o'clock!" Every word came into my ears. They carried the man to the top of the mountain pack him back to the moon, His steed gallops through the air, Cows also imitate reindeer running on the ground, The saucer hit the spoon king. The sound of the violin slaughtering pigs is getting faster and faster, The dog also began to growl loudly, Cows and horses looked up to the sky, The guests also jumped out of bed Trembling with fear in the room. With a bang, the strings broke! The cow leaps to the moon, The puppy laughs and rolls all over the floor, Saturday's plate started running wild Sunday's silver spoon is no exception. The round moon rolled behind the mountain, The sun followed suit. She couldn't believe what she saw; Because she totally thought it was already dawn (Note 1) Everyone went back to bed and complained! Everyone applauded enthusiastically.Frodo's voice is great, and the song makes them think of a lot of interesting visions. "Where's the boss?" they all yelled in unison. "He's got to hear this. Groom Bob gotta know his cat can play the fiddle, and we can dance happily." They called more ale and started yelling, "Boss, again." Let's hear it again! Come on! Sing it again!" They made Frodo drink another glass of wine, and began to sing again.This time, many people sang along, because the tune was adapted from other songs, and the lyrics are easy to remember.Now it was Frodo's turn to get carried away.He danced on the table, and when he sang for the second time *the cow leaps to the moon*, he also jumped hard.Clearly too excited, as the result of the leap was for him to land on a pile of glasses with a deafening bang, and slip again and roll with a thud!The audience all laughed heartily, and then the atmosphere changed, and everyone was dumbfounded, not knowing what to do. The singer disappeared out of thin air!He seemed to have fallen into an invisible burrow, and disappeared without a sound. The local hobbits watched in bewilderment, and finally called out to Baalman in unison.For a moment everyone kept away from Pippin and Sam, and everyone watched them anxiously out of the corners of their eyes.Evidently everyone now assumed that the party was traveling with a mage of unknown power and purpose.But the sneer of a dark-skinned Bree in the midst of the tumultuous crowd disturbed them greatly.Not long after, he slipped out of the gate in a hurry, followed by the small-eyed southerner.These two guys kept sneaking and whispering all night long.Harry, the janitor, also ran out of the shop after the two of them. Frodo felt himself as stupid as possible.He didn't know what to do, so he could only climb to the side of the unmoved Strider hiding in a dark corner.Frodo leaned against the wall and took off the Ring.He had no idea how the Ring had come to be on his finger.He could only speculate that it was probably because he habitually fumbled his hands in his pockets when he was singing, and he accidentally put on the Lord of the Rings when he was nervous when he was about to fall.Frodo thought for a moment, wondering if the Lord of the Rings was playing tricks.It seemed to respond to a will in the room to reveal its location.He was worried about the guys who had just slipped out the door. "What the hell?" the Striker demanded when he was uncloaked. "What are you doing? This is hundreds of times worse than your big mouthed friend! You just have to jump into trouble! Hmph, or should I say sticking your fingers in trouble?" "I don't know what you mean," Frodo replied alertly. "No, you understand," replied Strider; "but we'd better wait until this all calms down first. By then, if you have time, I'd like to have a private talk with you, okay?* Mr. Baggins*!" "What to do?" Frodo pretended not to hear his real name mentioned. "Something that is important to both of us," said the Strider, looking Frodo directly in the eyes. "You may know some information that will benefit you." "Very well," said Frodo, trying to be indifferent. "I'll talk to you later." ＊＊＊ At the same time, a group of people around the fire started a heated argument.Mr. Butterbur came in, trying to make out what was going on. "Mr Butterboy, I saw him—" said one of the hobbits, "or rather didn't, if you know what I mean. He just disappeared." "You got it wrong, Mr. Wheatgrass!" The store owner showed a confused expression. "I'm not mistaken!" replied the guy called Wheatgrass. "I saw it with my own eyes, and it's absolutely true." "There must be some misunderstanding," Buttercup shook his head. "It's really unlikely that Yamashita-san just disappeared into this crowded shop." "Otherwise where would he go?" Several voices asked together. "How would I know? As long as he is willing to pay tomorrow morning, who cares where he goes tonight? Come on, this Mr. Tuke hasn't disappeared." "Hmph, I know what I saw, and I'm sure I didn't see anything," said Mr. Wheatgrass still stubbornly. "I said there must be a misunderstanding," Uncle Butter picked up the tray and began to tidy up the broken tableware. "Yes, you are mistaken!" cried Frodo. "I didn't disappear! I'm right here! I just came here to chat with Strider." He strode to the fireplace, but most of the guests backed away, even showing more scared expressions than before.They were not at all at ease with his explanation: how could someone crawl away quickly after falling to the ground?Most of the hobbits and humans ran away, not in the mood to continue having fun.A few others glared at Frodo, and left muttering to themselves.The dwarves and a few other grotesque men bid farewell to the shopkeeper, but paid little attention to Frodo and his companions.Not long after, only Godwalker was left sitting silently in the corner of the hall. Buttercup didn't look angry at all.Because, with his experience, he could see immediately that after tonight's mysterious incident, he would be full of people for many nights to come, until everyone tired of the incident. "Mr. Yamashita, what a good deed you have done?" he asked. "Scare my guests away and break my cutlery by performing stunts!" "I am sorry to have caused you so much trouble," said Frodo. "I assure you I didn't mean to. It was a total accident." 「好吧，山下先生！如果你将来还想要表演特技或是魔术什么的，最好先警告大家，而且还要跟我说一声。我们这一带对于任何不寻常的事情都很小心哪。我们都是老实人，如果你了解我的意思，不可能随随便便就习惯这种怪事。」 「奶油伯先生，我保证不会再发生这种事情了。我想我还是赶快去睡觉吧。我们明天一早就动身。明早八点可以把我们的马儿准备好吗？」 「好极了！山下先生，在你离开之前，我想私底下和你谈谈。我刚刚才想起来有些事情要跟你说。希望你别误会。等我处理完手头的事情之后，如果你愿意的话，我就到您房间去。」 「当然没问题！」佛罗多表面上这样说，一颗心却往下沈。不知道在他就寝之前还有多少人要跟他私下谈谈，也不知道他会知道多少惊人的消息。难道这些人都联合起来想要对付他吗？对他来说，现在连奶油伯那张胖脸似乎都隐藏著许多的阴谋。 注一：精灵和哈比人都以「她」来称呼太阳。