dChan
Anonymous ID: aad9fb Nov. 12, 2021, 9:10 p.m. No.14988548   🗄️.is 🔗kun

t h e s h a d o w o f t h e p a s t 69

from Sauron’s hand and took it for his own. Then Sauron

was vanquished and his spirit fled and was hidden for long

years, until his shadow took shape again in Mirkwood.

‘But the Ring was lost. It fell into the Great River, Anduin,

and vanished. For Isildur was marching north along the east

 

banks of the River, and near the Gladden Fields he was

 

waylaid by the Orcs of the Mountains, and almost all his folk

were slain. He leaped into the waters, but the Ring slipped

 

from his finger as he swam, and then the Orcs saw him and

 

killed him with arrows.’

Gandalf paused. ‘And there in the dark pools amid the

Gladden Fields,’ he said, ‘the Ring passed out of knowledge

 

and legend; and even so much of its history is known now

 

only to a few, and the Council of the Wise could discover no

more. But at last I can carry on the story, I think.

‘Long after, but still very long ago, there lived by the banks

of the Great River on the edge of Wilderland a clever-handed

 

and quiet-footed little people. I guess they were of hobbit-

 

kind; akin to the fathers of the fathers of the Stoors, for they

 

loved the River, and often swam in it, or made little boats of

 

reeds. There was among them a family of high repute, for it

 

was large and wealthier than most, and it was ruled by a

 

grandmother of the folk, stern and wise in old lore, such as

 

they had. The most inquisitive and curious-minded of that

 

family was called Sme agol. He was interested in roots and

beginnings; he dived into deep pools; he burrowed under

 

trees and growing plants; he tunnelled into green mounds;

 

and he ceased to look up at the hill-tops, or the leaves on

 

trees, or the flowers opening in the air: his head and his eyes

 

were downward.

‘He had a friend called De agol, of similar sort, sharper-

eyed but not so quick and strong. On a time they took a boat

 

and went down to the Gladden Fields, where there were great

 

beds of iris and flowering reeds. There Sme agol got out and

went nosing about the banks but De agol sat in the boat and

fished. Suddenly a great fish took his hook, and before he

Anonymous ID: aad9fb Nov. 12, 2021, 9:13 p.m. No.14988571   🗄️.is 🔗kun

70 t h e f e l l o w s h i p o f t h e r i n g

knew where he was, he was dragged out and down into the

water, to the bottom. Then he let go of his line, for he thought

he saw something shining in the river-bed; and holding his

 

breath he grabbed at it.

‘Then up he came spluttering, with weeds in his hair and

a handful of mud; and he swam to the bank. And behold!

 

when he washed the mud away, there in his hand lay a beauti-

ful golden ring; and it shone and glittered in the sun, so that

 

his heart was glad. But Sme agol had been watching him from

behind a tree, and as De agol gloated over the ring, Sme agol

came softly up behind.

‘ ‘‘Give us that, De agol, my love,’’ said Sme agol, over his

friend’s shoulder.

‘ ‘‘Why?’’ said De agol.

‘ ‘‘Because it’s my birthday, my love, and I wants it,’’ said

Sme agol.

‘ ‘‘I don’t care,’’ said De agol. ‘‘I have given you a present

already, more than I could afford. I found this, and I’m going

to keep it.’’

‘ ‘‘Oh, are you indeed, my love,’’ said Sme agol; and he

caught De agol by the throat and strangled him, because the

gold looked so bright and beautiful. Then he put the ring on

 

his finger.

‘No one ever found out what had become of De agol; he

was murdered far from home, and his body was cunningly

 

hidden. But Sme agol returned alone; and he found that none

of his family could see him, when he was wearing the ring.

 

He was very pleased with his discovery and he concealed it;

 

and he used it to find out secrets, and he put his knowledge

 

to crooked and malicious uses. He became sharp-eyed and

 

keen-eared for all that was hurtful. The ring had given him

 

power according to his stature. It is not to be wondered at

 

that he became very unpopular and was shunned (when vis-

 

ible) by all his relations. They kicked him, and he bit their

 

feet. He took to thieving, and going about muttering to him-

 

self, and gurgling in his throat. So they called him Gollum,

and cursed him, and told him to go far away; and his grand-