He slipped into the wild grass under the sunlight. Not long after, he ran back and reported to everyone that the land between the mountain wall and the river was quite solid. Some grass even grew all the way to the river bank. "And," he said,"there's something like footprints on this side of the river. If we turn left and follow the tracks, we should be able to get out of the forest from the east.”
"Maybe!" said Pippin. "However, the prerequisite is that the footprints must lead us out of the forest and not into the swamp. Who do you think left the footprints and why? I don't think that will do us any good. I was suspicious of this forest and everything inside, and I began to believe that the legends here had their own origins! Besides, do you know how far east we have to go to get out of the forest?”
"I don't know," said Meryl. "I've never walked like this before. This time, I didn't even know how far I had walked into the Willow River, let alone how someone would come to this deserted place and leave footprints. Based on the current situation, I can only say that I can't see any other way to escape.”
Since they had no other choice, they could only treat this footprint as their only hope. Meryl led the group to the footprints he had found. The weeds and reeds here were thriving, and they were almost taller than them. However, this footprint had opened up a small path, so it was not too difficult for them to walk. Moreover, this small path cleverly avoided many stinky pools and swamps, allowing the group to avoid the danger of being trapped in swamps. The path passed through many valleys and reached the mouth of the Willow River where it emerged from the forest; Every time they encountered a barrier that they could not cross on foot, they would see a simple bridge made of tree trunks or branches deliberately placed in front of them.
Everyone began to feel very hot. All kinds of flies flew in front of their eyes and beside the flowers. The afternoon sun shone mercilessly on their backs. Finally, they came to a place with shade. Thick gray branches covered the sky above the path. Once they entered this area, they felt that it was difficult to move forward. Sleepiness seemed to flow into their veins from the ground, and even landed on their heads and eyes from the air.
Frodo felt his chin drop and he nodded. Pippin, who was walking in front of him, lay down on all fours. Frodo was forced to stop. "It's no use," he heard Meryl say. "If we don't rest, we won't be able to walk anymore. He had to take a nap. It was so cool under the willow tree. There are also fewer flies!"
Frodo did not like this feeling. "Wake up!" he shouted. "We can't sleep yet. We have to leave the forest first.”At this moment, the others had completely lost their ability to resist. They simply could not understand the importance of perseverance. Sam, who was standing next to him, also started to yawn, and his sleepy eyes kept blinking.
Frodo himself suddenly felt very sleepy. He felt the world spin, and there was dead silence all around him. The flies stopped buzzing. He could only hear a gentle humming sound in his half-awake state, as if a soft lullaby was lingering around him, and it all seemed to be coming from the branches above his head. He struggled to lift his heavy eyelids and saw a huge old willow tree above him. The willow tree was terrifyingly huge. Its branches were like gray arms with slender fingers, extending into the sky. The twisted and knotty tree trunk was pierced with huge cracks, like a big mouth that was grinning hideously, making babbling sounds as the branches moved. The falling leaves against the bright sky made Frodo feel so dizzy that he stumbled and lay down on his back on the grass.
Meryl and Pippin shuffled forward and lay down with their heads against the trunk. The crack on the tree trunk opened silently, allowing the two of them to fall asleep in its arms. The two of them looked up and saw the grayish-yellow leaves swaying in the sun, making a beautiful music. Meryl and Pippin closed their eyes at the same time, as if they heard an indecipherable voice talking about the cool river water and deep sleep. They could no longer persist under the spell and fell asleep at the foot of the old gray willow tree.
Frodo lay on the ground, struggling with the waves of drowsiness; In the end, he struggled to stand up again. He suddenly had a strong desire for the cold stream water. "Wait for me, Sam," he stammered. "I want to soak my feet first."
He walked to the other side of the old tree near the river in a daze, stepping over the tangled roots that were like poisonous snakes that were thirsty for water. He found a tree root and sat down. He put his hot feet into the cold brown stream and suddenly fell asleep against the tree trunk.
Sam sat down, scratched his head, and yawned desperately. He was very worried. The sky was getting darker and darker. This sudden sleepiness was really suspicious. "It can't be just the sun and the warm wind that makes us want to sleep," he muttered. "I don't like this big tree. I think he's very suspicious. This tree seems to be singing a lullaby to us! This won't do!"
He struggled to stand up and staggered to check on the pony. He found that two horses had already run off the path, just in time to lead them back to the other two horses. At this moment, he suddenly heard two voices. One was very loud, and the other was very low but very clear. The loud sound was the splash of a heavy object falling into the water, and the clear sound was the sound of a door closing.
He rushed to the riverbank. Frodo was sitting in the water, and a thick root was pressing him down into the water, but he made no resistance. Sam grabbed his coat and pulled him out from under the tree roots to the shore. Frodo woke up almost immediately, vomiting and coughing.
"Sam, did you know," he said, catching his breath with difficulty,"that the tree-girl troll threw me into the water! I can feel it! It twisted the roots and pressed me into the water!”
"Mr. Frodo, I think you're dreaming," said Sam. "You shouldn't have sat there if you wanted to sleep.”
"How are the others?" asked Frodo frantically. "I wonder what they are dreaming about?”
They went around to the other side of the tree at once, and Sam realized what the babbling had been. Pippin disappeared. The crack where he had been lying closed and swallowed him whole. Meryl was trapped in a crack in the tree, and the other crack clamped his upper body in like a pair of pliers, leaving only his two feet exposed.
Frodo and Sam first hammered at the spot where Pippin had been lying, then tried to pry open the terrible crack in which Meryl had been. Both attempts were in vain.
"How could this be!" Frodo shouted wildly. "Why are we entering this terrifying forest? I wish we were still in the valley!”He used all his strength to kick the tree trunk. A very weak shaking was transmitted from the root to the branch. The leaves swayed and murmured, as if mocking the two's futile efforts.
"Mr. Frodo, do we have axes in our luggage?”asked Sam.
"I've brought a little hatchet to cut wood," said Frodo."It's not going to be of much use against trees like this.”
"I've thought of it!" Sam immediately thought of a new idea when he heard about firewood. "We can light a fire to burn the trees!"
" Maybe," Frodo said doubtfully. "But it's also possible to roast Pippin alive.”
" At least we can threaten or hurt the tree first," Sam said excitedly. "If it dares to not let me go, I will knock it down even if I have to bite it!”He immediately ran back to the horse and brought back two tinder boxes and a hand axe.
The two of them quickly gathered the dry grass, leaves, and some bark, gathering a pile of branches into a pile. They moved all the firewood to the opposite side of the hostage. As soon as Sam's tinderbox produced sparks, the hay was swallowed by the flames and began to smoke. The flames crackled, and the tree bark began to burn black under the licking of the flames. The entire willow tree began to tremble non-stop, and the leaves seemed to be murmuring in anger and pain. Meryl suddenly screamed, and Pippin's muffled roar came from the depths of the tree trunk.
"Quickly put out the fire! Quickly destroy it!" Meryl shouted. "If you don't, it'll snap me. This is what it said!"
"Who is it? What?" Frodo hurried to the other side of the trunk.
"Put out the fire! Put out the fire!" Mei Li begged. The branches of the willow tree began to shake. The surrounding trees suddenly began to tremble, as if an angry breeze spread out from the old willow tree, causing the entire forest to fall into a rage. Sam immediately kicked the firewood away and stepped on the flames. Frodo ran along the path in a panic, shouting,"Help! Help! Help!" Even he himself could not hear the cry for help clearly. The furious wind raised by the willow tree's branches and leaves almost completely covered it. He felt like he had nowhere to go and was in utter despair.
Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. He thought he heard an echo, but the answer came from behind him, deeper into the forest. He turned around and listened carefully. Soon, he was sure that it was not his Duo who was causing trouble. Someone was indeed singing. A deep, cheerful voice was singing without a care in the world, but the content of the song was just a random lie:
Ha! Happy! Ding!
Ding! Jump! Follow the willow tree!
Tom Pang, happy Tom, Tom Bombardier!
Frodo and Sam stood there, half afraid, half expecting. Suddenly, after muttering a string of words that meant nothing to them, the voice began to sing again.
Hey! Happiness is here! Rohaha! Darling, wow!
The wind of the season was as gentle as a feather.
Dancing along the hill, dancing in the sun,
They were waiting for Icy Starlight's substitute in front of the goal.
My beauty, the daughter of a river woman,
It was as slender as a willow branch and as clear as spring water!
Old Tom brings you a blooming lotus,
Running home with light steps, do you hear his singing?
Hey! Happiness is here! Rohaha! She was so happy that she couldn't stand it.
Goldenberry, goldenberry, happy yellow berry smile!
Poor old willow tree, quickly take back the roots!
Tom was anxious to go home. The night chased the day away!
Tom picked the lotus flowers and sent them home.
Hey! Coming, Rohaha! Do you hear his song?
Frodo and Sam were standing there like they were possessed. The raging wind stopped. The leaves hung limply on the weak branches. Then, to the accompaniment of another song, a tall old hat appeared on the path before Frodo, its brim wide and with a long blue feather sticking out of its crown. The man in the hat jumped out with joy. Although they were not sure of the man's race, they knew that he was too tall and strong for a Hobbit. However, he did not seem to be tall enough to join the ranks of the big guys, but the voice he made was not inferior. He wore a pair of big yellow boots on his thick legs, and he rampaged around like a big buffalo going to drink water. The man had a brown beard and wore a blue coat. His cheeks were as red as apples and his eyes were blue and bright. His face was filled with countless wrinkles from his smile. In his hand was a large leaf with many white lotus flowers on it.
"Help!" Frodo and Sam rushed at him at the same time.
"Wow! Wait a minute! Wait!" The old man raised a hand to signal, and the two of them seemed to be blocked by an invisible force. "Two little fellows, where are you going while panting? What was going on here? Do you know who I am? I am Tom Bombardier. Tell me what kind of trouble you're in! Tom was on his way! Don't crush my lotus!"
"My friends were eaten by the willow tree," said Frodo breathlessly.
"Mr. Maylie's almost been cut in half!”Sam shouted.
"What?" Tom Bombardier jumped up and shouted. "Old man Willow? This was terrible! Don't worry, I'll solve it soon. I know what tune to use against him. This grey old man Willow! If he doesn't listen, I'll make him die. I'll sing a gust of wind that will blow this guy's branches and leaves away. That hateful old willow tree!"
He carefully placed the lotus on the grass and ran to the tree. He happened to see Meryl's outstretched legs. The rest of her legs were almost completely pulled in by the old tree. Tom put his mouth into the crack and began to sing in a low voice. The two bystanders could not hear the lyrics clearly, but they noticed that Meryl was awakened by the sound. His little feet began to kick wildly. Tom jumped away and broke a willow tree branch. "Old Willow, let him out!”he said. "What are you thinking? You shouldn't have woken up. Eat the soil and dig your roots! He drank a lot of water! He fell into a deep sleep! Bombardier, I advise you not to meddle!" He seized Meryl and pulled him out of the crack that had suddenly opened.
With a creak, another crack opened. Pippin flew out as though he had been kicked. The crack closed again with a crack. A tremor spread from the roots to the branches, and finally, it fell into a dead silence.
"Thank you!" The Hobbits scrambled to thank him.
Tom Bombardier laughed. "Haha, little fellows!" He looked down at each hobbit's face. "You'd better come home with me! The table was filled with yellow cheese, pure honey, white bread, and fresh cream. Goldberry is waiting for me to come home. We'll have a good chat later during dinner. Follow me!" As soon as he finished speaking, he picked up the lotus and gestured for everyone to follow him. Then, he continued to walk east along the path with his hands and feet dancing, singing those nonsense tunes.
The Hobbits were still unable to adapt to this sudden change and could only run as fast as they could without saying a word. But it was not fast enough. Tom soon disappeared in front of them, and the song became more and more distant. All of a sudden, his voice came back full of energy!
Run, little boy, along the Willow River!
Tom wanted to go home first and light a candle.
The sun was setting in the west, and soon, they had to walk in the dark.
When dusk falls, the door will open.
Warm yellow light shone through the window.
Don't be afraid of the night! Don't worry about the willow tree blocking you!
Don't be afraid of tree roots and branches! Tom was right ahead.
Hehehe! Happy! We're right ahead!
The hobbits heard nothing more when the song was over. The sun coincidentally set at this time. They thought of the thousands of families along the River of Spirits, and the warm atmosphere from the windows of the stag's house. Many shadows covered the path, and the branches on both sides seemed to be staring at them. White mist began to rise from the river, enveloping the trees on both sides. A lot of mist rose from under their feet, mixing with the intertwined tree roots.
Soon, the path became very blurry, and the group felt extremely tired. Their legs were as heavy as lead, and all kinds of strange sounds came from the bushes and weeds on both sides. And if they looked up, they could see gnarled, twisted faces looking down at them from the side of the path, grinning. Everyone began to feel that everything was a nightmare. They were just trekking through a nightmare that they could never wake up from.
Just as they were about to give up, they suddenly realized that the slope of the path was slowly rising. The gurgling sound of water came into their ears. In the darkness, they seemed to be able to see the small river converging into a waterfall. White foam accompanied the flowing water as it fell. Here, the forest had reached its end, and the fog no longer surrounded it. The group walked out of the forest and stepped onto a circle of green grass. The river water became very rapid here, as if it was welcoming them with a smile. The starlight in the sky shone on the flowing river, allowing them to see a new wonder.
The grass under their feet was soft and neat, as if someone had been tidying it often. The forest behind him was neatly trimmed, like a fence. The path was now a beautiful stone-lined road that led to the top of a mound. Further away was another hill and a warm valley. The small path followed up and down, following the gentle slope to that place. Then, a yellow light flowed out from the opened door. That was Tom Bombardier's house. Behind the hill was a steep highland, and behind it was an ancient tomb that stretched into the night sky in the east.
The Hobbits and ponies hurried forward. Their tiredness and fear seemed to have disappeared. "Hey! The happy ones are here!" This song was to welcome them.
Hey! Happiness is here! My dear friend, come quickly!
Hobbits! Little Horse! We all like it when friends come. Let's have a party!
The exciting show is about to begin! Sing a good song together!
Then came another clear, energetic, and all-encompassing voice that was like spring. The voice was like spring water flowing from the mountains in the early morning, welcoming them in the night.
Song 'er, quickly start! We sing together
The sun, the stars, the rain and the mist, the cloudy weather and the moon,
The dew fell on the feathers and the light shone on the leaves.
The wind blows over the heather, the breeze blows over the hills,
Lotus flowers float on the water, weeds grow beside the deep pool,
Old Bombardier and the Daughter of the River sang together!
The Hobbits stood under the golden light and listened to the song.
This book is provided by FunNovel Novel Book | Fan Fiction Novel [Beautiful Free Novel Book]