"Where is the ring?"
"It's in an envelope, if you insist," said Bilbo impatiently. "Right over the fireplace. Eh, something was wrong! In my pocket!" He hesitated. "This is really strange!" he muttered to himself. "But what's wrong with that? What's wrong with putting it in my pocket?”
Gandalf looked at Birbo with a very stern gaze, and there seemed to be a strange light in his eyes. "Bilbo, I think," he said patiently,"you should leave the ring. Don't you want to?"
"I wanted to, but I don't want to anymore. I thought about it carefully and felt that I didn't want to give this ring away at all. I don't understand why I have to do this. Why do you want me to give it away?" There was a strange change in his tone. His tone was full of doubt and anger. "You kept asking me about this ring, but you never asked me about the other rings I found on my journey.”
" Yes, but I must force you," Gandalf said." I want to know the truth. This was very important. After all, a magic ring was a magical item. They were very rare and usually had a special origin. You should say that one of my specialties is to study these kinds of rings. If you want to go out on adventures again, I might ask you to ask for more information. I also think that you've kept this ring for too long. Birbo, unless I'm mistaken, you don't need this ring anymore.”
Birbo's face flushed red, his eyes filled with anger. His kind expression became very stubborn. "Why?" he shouted. "What does it have to do with you how I deal with my assets? It's mine, I found it, it fell into my hands of its own free will.”
"Yes, yes," said Gandalf. "There's no need to get angry."
"It's all your fault," said Bilbo. "I already told you, this is my ring. My ring. She's my baby. That's right, it's my baby."
The wizard's expression was still very serious and focused. Only the light in his eyes revealed that he was really suspicious this time. "Someone called it that before," he said,"but not you.”
"I'm the one who's saying that now. What's wrong with that? Even if Gollum had said so before, it's not his now, it's mine! I think I should keep it.”
Gandaph stood up and said in a very stern tone,"Birbo, you're being very unwise. Every word you just said proves my point. It has taken control of you. Let go! Only then can you leave freely without any worries.”
" I'll do whatever I want and go however I want," Birbo insisted stubbornly.
"Ah, ah, dear Hobbit!”said Gandalf. "We've been friends for life. At least you owe me one. Don't hesitate! Do as you promised, put down the ring!”
"Hmph, if you want this ring, say it openly!”shouted Birbo. "I won't let you succeed. I won't give away my treasure. Definitely not." His hand slowly moved to the short sword at his waist.
Gandaph's eyes sparkled. "Don't make me angry," he said. "If you dare to say that again, I have no choice. You will see the true face of Gandalf the Grey.”He took a step toward the other party, and his height suddenly became extremely shocking. The small room was completely enveloped by his shadow.
Birbo panted as he retreated, his hands still clutching his pockets tightly. The two of them stood in confrontation for a moment, and the atmosphere in the room became extremely heavy. Gandaph stared at him. Birbo's hand slowly loosened, and his whole body began to tremble.
"I don't know what's gotten into you, Gandalf," he said. "You've never been like this before. What was going on? This ring was supposed to be mine! I found it, and if I hadn't put it away, Gollum would have killed me. No matter what he said, I'm not a thief.”
" I didn't say you were a thief," Gandalf replied. "I'm not a thief myself. I'm not trying to take your things, I'm trying to help you. I hope you can trust me like before.”He turned around, and the shadow in the room instantly disappeared. He seemed to have become the old man in the gray robe again, with a worried look on his face.
Birbo said with his hands on his head. "I'm sorry," he said. "I think it's strange. However, if I can stop worrying about this ring, I'll definitely be much more relaxed. It's been all over my mind lately. Sometimes I feel like it's an eye that keeps looking at me. Did you know? I want to wear it every minute and every second to become invisible; Or perhaps they were worried that it would disappear, so they would always take it out of their pockets to confirm. I tried to lock it in the cupboard, but I found it impossible not to keep it close to me. I don't know why, but I can't seem to make up my mind.”
" Then please believe me," said Gandalf. "You've already made up your mind. He put down the ring and left. Don't be obsessed with this ring. Give it to Frodo. I'll take care of him.”
The nervous Birbo hesitated for a while. Finally, he sighed. "All right," he said reluctantly. "I will." Then he shrugged and smiled regretfully. "After all, this is the true purpose of the birthday party: Giving out many gifts made the process of giving easier. Although it didn't make things easy for me in the end, isn't it a pity that all my previous efforts have been wasted? He almost ruined my carefully planned joke.”
"This will indeed make all my previous efforts for the only important thing at the banquet go to waste.”said Gandalf.
"Well," said Bilbo,"give it to Frodo together.”He took a deep breath. "I really have to go now. Otherwise, I'll be discovered by others. I've already said goodbye to everyone, and I can't say it again.”He picked up his backpack and walked to the door.
"The ring's still in your pocket," said the wizard.
"Wow! Really!" shouted Birbo. "My letters and other documents are all here. You'd better accept them and pass them on to me. This is safer."
"No, don't give me the ring," said Gandalf. "Put it on the fireplace. It was safe enough before Frodo came. I'll wait for it here."
Bilbo took out the envelope, and just as he was about to put it next to the clock, his hand suddenly pulled back and the envelope fell to the ground. Before he could pick it up, the wizard had shot forward and placed it back on the fireplace. Another look of anger flitted across the hobbit's face. It was immediately replaced by a smile and a relaxed expression.
"That's it," he said. "I should go!"
The two of them walked to the door. Birbo took his favorite cane from the rack and whistled. Three dwarves walked out from three rooms.
"Is everything ready?" asked Birbo. "Are you all packed and labeled?”
" All done," they replied.
"Alright, let's go then!" He finally stepped out of the door.
The night sky was very beautiful, and the black sky was dotted with bright stars. He raised his head and smelled the night breeze. "Awesome! It was great to be able to travel with the dwarves again! This is the opportunity I've been waiting for all these years! Goodbye!" He looked at his old home and bowed to the door. "Farewell, Gandalf!"
"Goodbye now, Bilbo. Take good care of yourself! You're old enough. I hope you've become smarter!”
"Take good care of yourself! I don't care. Don't worry about me! I'm really excited now. That's enough. It was time. I was finally pushed out of the house by fate,"he added. Then, he sang in a low voice in the darkness,"
The road is long and long
Stretching out from the door.
The main road is not far,
I must keep up,
Running and running,
Running to the fork,
The four roads are open and wide, and the rivers flow endlessly.
What would happen then? How would I know?
He stopped and was silent for a moment. Then, without a word, he turned around and left the tent and the banquet to the back of his mind. He walked towards the garden. His three companions followed him up the path. He jumped over a relatively low fence at the end of the garden and walked onto the grassland, leaving his beloved home as gently as the night breeze.
Gandaph remained in the darkness, quietly watching his figure. "Farewell, dear Bilbo, and see you next time!”he said in a low voice, then turned around and went into the house.
※※※
Frodo soon followed him into the room and found Gandalf sitting in the dark, deep in thought. "Has he left?" he asked.
" Yes," Gandalf replied." He finally left.”
"I've been hoping until this evening... I've been thinking it was a joke," said Frodo. "However, I know in my heart that he really wants to leave. The more serious things were, the more he liked to joke. I wish I could come back soon to send him off.”
" I think he would prefer to slip away quietly," said Gandalf. "Don't worry too much. He would not be in danger now. He left a package for you. It's over there!"
Frodo took the envelope from the fireplace and looked at it, but did not open it immediately.
"I think you'll find his deed of alienation and other documents in there," said the wizard. "You are now the master of Bag End. By the way, you should also find a gold ring in the envelope.”
"Ring!" said Frodo in surprise. "He left that for me? I don't understand. Forget it, perhaps it would be useful in the future.”
"Maybe, maybe not," said Gandalf. "If I were you, I would try not to touch it. Don't let it slip, keep it safe! I'm going to sleep."
As the owner of Bag End, Frodo had to bid farewell to his guests. Rumors had already spread, and Frodo could only answer,"Everything will be revealed tomorrow morning.”In the middle of the night, the carriage came to pick up these important people. Carriages left one after another, filled with Hobbits who were full of delicious food but still full of doubts. The gardeners came over to tidy up the place and pushed away the wheelbarrows that were left behind.
The night finally faded. The sun rose. Everyone woke up a little late. The morning light gradually faded away. The staff began to evacuate the venue in an orderly manner. They moved away the tables, chairs, tents, spoons, knives, pots and pans, oil lamps, leftover sweet wine, bread crumbs, bags, gloves, and towels that they had forgotten to take away, as well as the unfinished dishes (the number was much smaller). Then came a group of customers who didn't have much order. The Baggins, Boffin, Borg, and Tucker families, as well as other guests who lived nearby. By noon, even the most sleepy people had already gotten up. A bunch of uninvited guests had gathered at the entrance of Bag End, but this was expected.
Frodo was standing in the doorway, smiling and looking tired and worried. He welcomed all guests, but there was nothing much to say. He had only one answer: "Mr. Bilbo Baggins has gone, and as far as I know, he will never return.”Some of the guests were invited into the house because Bilbo had left them some 'messages'.
In the living room was a mountain of packages and all kinds of sundries and furniture. Everything had a label on it. There were a few labels that read:
One umbrella was marked 'For Aidra Tucker, this one is for yourself. Bilbo." Adelo took away many unlabeled umbrellas.
"To Dora Baggins, in memory of your snowstorm of letters, Love Bilbo.”The label was attached to a large wastepaper basket. Dora was Drogo's sister and the oldest living female relative of Bilbo and Frodo. She was ninety-nine years old, and her penchant for writing letters of advice had been going on for half a century.
"For Milo Bros, I hope it will be of use.”It was marked on a gold pen and a jar of ink. Milo was best known for never replying to letters.
"To Angelica, from Uncle Bilbo.”It was a round mirror. She was a Baggins junior and had always thought herself beautiful.
" To Hugo Embracing your collection, anonymous supporter.”It was an empty bookshelf. Hugo loved borrowing books, but he often forgot to return them.
"For Robella Sackville-Baggins, a present this time!”The label was pasted on a box of silver spoons. Bilbo thinks she stole a lot of his spoons on his last adventure. Robella knew that too. When she saw it, she immediately understood what he meant, but she did not hesitate to take the spoon.
These were just a few of the gifts. Birbo's house was full of all kinds of things, after a lifetime of accumulation. Hobbits 'caves often fell into the same predicament: The custom of exchanging birthday gifts was one of the culprits. Of course, not everyone's gifts were new. There were also a few gifts that were always drifting around and being transferred everywhere. However, Birbo always left old gifts and gave new ones. His house was finally a little empty after the clearance.
Every parting gift had a label written by Birbo himself, and almost all of them had a special meaning and joke on them. However, most of the gifts were what the recipient really needed. Hobbits from poorer families, especially those who lived on the side of the road, received extremely practical gifts. The old man had received two bags of potatoes, a new shovel, a woolen coat, and a jar of ointment for joint pain. The elderly Rollie Brandybuck was also surprised to receive twelve bottles of wine from the old winery. This was a specialty of the southern region of the Shire, a rich red wine. It was brewed by Birbo's father back then, and it was only now fully ripe. Rolly forgave Birbo for leaving so suddenly, and after drinking a mouthful of wine, he praised Birbo even more for being a good person.
There was much more for Frodo. Of course, the most important possessions, such as paintings, books, and a bit of furniture, were left to Frodo. In particular, there was no mention of jewelry or money in any documents or information. Birbo didn't give out any coins or jewels.
Frodo was even more exhausted that afternoon. There was actually a rumor that everything in the house was given away for free. A large number of unrelated people immediately rushed here and could not be chased away. The labels were torn off and mixed up, causing many people to have conflicts. Some people even started exchanging things in the living room, while others tried to take away small things that didn't belong to them or anything that wasn't nailed to the ground. The road at the entrance was completely blocked by wheelbarrows and wheelbarrows.
In the midst of this chaos, the Sackville-Baggins family appeared. Frodo had gone down to rest, leaving the scene to his good friend Meryl Brandybuck. As soon as Oso arrived, he shouted for Frodo. Mei Li bowed politely.
"He can't spare the time now," he said. "He's resting."
" I think he's hiding," Robella said. "Who cares what he's doing? We just want to see him! Go find him and tell him we're here!”
Meryl had been away for a long time, giving them time to find the box of parting gifts. This did not make them feel better. In the end, Meryl finally brought them to the study to sit down. Frodo was sitting behind his desk, a pile of papers in front of him. He really did look like he couldn't find the time (at least not when meeting the Sackvilles). Then, he stood up and touched something in his pocket. However, his tone was still quite polite.
The Sackvilles weren't so polite. From the very beginning, they had proposed to buy many unlabeled precious items at a low price. When Frodo made it clear that only items designated by Bilbo would be given away, they began to complain that it was unfair and that there must be a trick.
" There's only one thing I don't understand," Aosuo said." It's that you seem to be too calm. I insist on looking at the deed of transfer."
If Bilbo had not adopted Frodo, Oso would have been his heir. He carefully read the transfer agreement and couldn't help but snort. Unfortunately, the transfer agreement was very complete and satisfactory. (According to Hobbit custom, in addition to the accuracy of the words, seven witnesses must sign in red ink.)
"I missed again!" he said to his wife. "We've waited for sixty years! Only a spoon? Nonsense!" He snapped his fingers angrily in front of Frodo and left angrily. Robella wasn't so easy to deal with. After a while, Frodo stepped out of the study to see if things were going well. He found that Robella was still sneaking around, knocking on the walls and corners. He resolutely escorted her away, and at the same time took out a few small (but valuable) things that had accidentally fallen into her umbrella. Her face was flushed red, as if she was about to say some earth-shattering curse. However, she turned around and only managed to squeeze out a few words.
"Young man, you will regret this! Why don't you leave as well? You don't belong here. You're not a Baggins, you…you're a Brandybuck freak!”
"Meryl, did you hear that? I think she thinks it's an insult,"said Frodo to his friend, slamming the door shut.
"No, it's a compliment," said Meryl Brandybuck."That's why I don't think you're fit.”
Then they began to patrol the cave and caught three young Hobbits. (Two Boffins, one Borg boy) They were digging holes in the wall of a room. Frodo also had a dispute with Sancho Proud Feet (great-grandson of Proud Feet), who had prepared a large number of tools in the storeroom and was about to start digging. Birbo's golden legend aroused the curiosity and interest of many people. This was because the legendary gold (gold obtained mysteriously, not stolen) belonged to that person as long as it was found. Unless someone interrupted the other party's excavation.
After Frodo finally drove Sancho out, he slumped on the chair in the living room and said weakly,""Meryl, we should close up. Lock the door. Don't open it today. Even if they bring me a battering ram, I won't bow.”Then, he went to make a cup of tea and prepared to rest for a while.
Before he could even sit down, there was another small knock on the front door. "It's probably Robella again," he thought."She's probably come up with a more vicious curse, and this time she's back to finish it. I don't think it's urgent."
He continued drinking tea. The knocking on the door repeated a few times and became louder, but he still ignored it. The wizard's head popped out of the window.
"Frodo, if you don't let me in, I'll blow your door across the hill.”he said.
"Ah, dear Gandalf! Wait for me!" shouted Frodo, running for the door. "Please come in! Please come in! I thought it was Robella."
"Then I forgive you. Not long ago, I saw her driving a carriage to the water area. Her mouth was so pouted that you could hang pork on it.”
"I'm also so angry that I'm about to turn into pork. To tell you the truth, I almost put Birbo's ring on my finger just now. I really want to avoid her."
"Don't do that!" Gandaph sat down. "Frodo, you must keep that Ring carefully! In fact, I came back especially for this.”
"How is it?"
"What do you know?"
"Only what Bilbo told me. I read his story about how he found the ring and how he used it. I mean, on our last adventure.”
"I wonder which version of the story it is.”said Gandalf.
"Oh, not the version he told the dwarves and wrote in the book," said Frodo. "Not long after I moved here, he told me the truth. He said you forced him to tell you, so I better know.‘There are no secrets between us, Frodo,'he said.'But that's all. The ring is still mine."
"That's interesting," said Gandalf. "Alright, what do you think?"
"If you're referring to the fact that he made up the ring as a gift, I don't think it's necessary, and I don't see why he made it up. It's not like Birbo, so I find it strange.”
"I think so too. However, those who possessed this treasure and used it might have such strange behavior. Let's just treat it as a monitor. Its ability might not only make you disappear when you need it.”
"I don't understand," said Frodo.
" I'm not sure myself," the wizard replied. "I only started to suspect this ring last night. Don't worry. I hope you will listen to my advice and try not to use this ring. At the very least, I would like to ask you not to use it in front of others, lest it cause rumors and suspicion. I'll emphasize it again: Take good care of it and don't leak it!”
"You're really mysterious! What are you afraid of?"
"I'm not sure yet, so I can't say much. I'm leaving now: see you next time.”He stood up.
"Leave immediately?" shouted Frodo. "I thought you'd be here for at least a week. I was going to ask you for help."
"That was my original plan, but I changed my mind. I may be away for a long time, but as soon as I have the chance, I will come back to see you. You'll know when the time comes! I'll come visit quietly. I probably won't publicly visit the Shire again. I realized that I had become an unpopular figure. They say I'm always causing trouble and breaking the peace. Some have even accused me of encouraging Bilbo to travel. Worse still, it is said that you and I are conspiring to take his wealth.”
"Someone said so!" said Frodo incredulously. "You mean Ao Suo and Robella? It was really too inferior! I'd give them Bag End and everything if I could get Bilbo back to walk around with me. I like Charles. But for some reason, I began to wonder if it would be better if I left as well. I wonder if I'll ever see him again.”
"I thought so," said Gandalf. "I still have a lot of doubts in my mind. Let's say goodbye first! Take good care of yourself! I can appear at any time! Goodbye!"
Frodo walked him to the door. He waved his hand one last time and left with astonishing strides. Frodo felt that the wizard seemed older than usual this time, as if he had a heavier burden on his shoulders. The night gradually fell, and his figure disappeared into the afterglow of the setting sun. Frodo would not see him again for a long time.
※※※
The " Riverdale Town " printed on the firecracker was one of the human settlements near the Lonely Mountain. Bilbo's adventures in the Lord of the Rings had a considerable impact on the local area. A new leader also rose in this change.
This book comes from:m.funovel.com。