Article: 206752 of rec.arts.books.tolkien Path: uchinews!newsfeed.stanford.edu!news-spur1.maxwell.syr.edu!news.maxwell.syr.edu!newsfeed1.swip.net!swipnet!nntpserver.swip.net!not-for-mail From: "Öjevind Lång" <<>> Newsgroups: rec.arts.books.tolkien References: <8es42o$39l$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <8es6j9$678$1@nnrp1.deja.com> <8f1sub$aqe$1@nntp9.atl.mindspring.net> Subject: Re: Book One (was: Text Files of LOTR) Lines: 97 X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 4.72.3110.5 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V4.72.3110.3 Message-ID: Date: Sun, 7 May 2000 00:17:17 +0200 NNTP-Posting-Host: 212.151.37.168 X-Complaints-To: news-abuse -aaatt- swip -daht- net X-Trace: nntpserver.swip.net 957651420 212.151.37.168 (Sun, 07 May 2000 00:17:00 MET DST) NNTP-Posting-Date: Sun, 07 May 2000 00:17:00 MET DST Organization: A Customer of Tele2 Xref: uchinews rec.arts.books.tolkien:206752 O. Sharp hath written: <8f1sub$aqe$1@nntp9.atl.mindspring.net>... >tulip111, among others, wrote: >: Eruadan wrote: >:> Just thought you folks might be interested in being on the lookout for >:> someone from this email address <> sending out >:> private emails asking for text files of FOTR. [snip] > >In the interests of furthering cooperation, however, I will be happy to >type in the first chapter. :) > > >----------------------------------------------------------------------- > >THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, Chapter One: A Long-Expected Party. >Copyright (c) 2000 by J.R.R. Tolkien. Anyone who has an interest in >living authors, at least, should illegally copy this anyway because he's >already dead. [snip] >ohh netcom And now I can pass it on for Chapter Two. Ojevind, > would you care to do the honours? :) OK! Here comes CHAPTER TWO THE SHADOW OF THE PAST The talk did not die down in nine or even ninety-nine days. Indeed, the story of Banger Baggins, who used to run around naked at night and ravish young maidens, became a favourite story, not least among those who could lay a claim to belonging to that category. Frodo, however, remained wed to celibacy. He lived alone, as Bilbo had done; but he had a good many friends, especially among the younger hobbits. His closest friends were Pipsqueak Took and Mobster Brandybuck, one of them friendly and willing if somewhat pimply, the other as cold as ice and as ruthless as a society hostess. Frodo enjoyed being his own master and *the* Mr Baggins of Bag End. He lived on quietly, increasing his inherited fortune through wise investments and high-interest loans which earned him the nickname of "Sharkey", until his fiftieth birthday drew near. Then Gandalf turned up again. Frodo welcomed his old friend with surprise and great delight. They looked hard at one another. "You are becming grossly fat, Frodo", said Gandalf. "Luckily, I have some really good exercise in store for you." "You are too kind", murmured Frodo. "Please don't exert yourself on my behalf." "I'm afraid I have to", replied the wizard. "That ring of yours - do you still have it?" "Yes, of course", said Frodo. "I would gladly get rid of it; every time I've tried it on I kept stumbling over my own invisible feet since I could not see them. I wish I had never acepted the pesky thing. Will you not take the the ring, Gandalf!" "No!" cried Gandalf, springing to his feet. "That ring would bugger up my spells completely. No, no, I refuse! But I can give you some advice about how to get rid of it, if you want." "What is that?" demanded Frodo. "Take it to Mordor and drop it in the Cracks of Doom", said Gandalf. "If you don't, Sauron will come and take it. And you don't want him to do that; he gets pissed off at people who have touched his precious ring." He lit a cigar. " But if you put an end to the ring, you off Sauron too. The little dimwit infused so much of himself in the ring that his destruction with it is certain." "But yesterday you told me that Sauron thought the ring had been destroyed." "I did. He thought it had been thrown into the Cracks of Doom, as should have happened. Now, however, he knows that it isn't so" "But how can he have thought any such thing? If the ring had been destroyed he wouldn't have been around; so he should have realized that the ring had not been destroyed." "As I told you, he is a dimwit. He really is incredibly stupid.All the same, there was a scholarly article in *The Minas Tirith Review* about the Ring yesterday, written by the learned Dr Faramir. Sauron must have read that article; he subscribes to an excellent newscutting agency. His emissaries may be on their way to the Shire at this very moment." "I had better leave at once", said Frodo. "I agree", said Gandalf. Suddenly he stopped as if listening. Frodo became aware that all was very quiet, inside and outside. Gandalf crept to one side of the windoiw. Then with a dart he sprang to the sill, and thrust a long arm out as if to catch somebody. Then his movement stopped and he snorted. "No one has been eavesdropping", he said. "Excellent. You'd better leave as soon as possible, Frodo. Take that servant of yours, Sam, with you. He looks like a sturdy lad and might come in useful." ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------- Steuard, perhaps you would take on doing a digest of Chapter Three? :-) Öjevind