At length they came to a halt before an unseen opening that led to thelower gates of the mines； on the eastward side of the mountains。 There Gollumcrouched at bay； smelling and listening； and Bilbo was tempted to slay himwith his sword。 But pity stayed him； and though he kept the ring； in which hisonly hope lay； he would not use it to help him kill the wretched creature at a
disadvantage。 In the end； gathering his courage； he leaped over Gollum in thedark； and fled away down the passage； pursued by his enemy's cries of hate anddespair： _Thief； thief！ Baggins！ We hates it for ever！_
Now it is a curious fact that this is not the story as Bilbo first toldit to his panions。 To them his account was that Gollum had promised to givehim a _present；_ if he won the game； but when Gollum went to fetch it from hisisland he found the treasure was gone： a magic ring； which had been given tohim long ago on his birthday。 Bilbo guessed that this was the very ring thathe had found； and as he had won the game； it was already his by right。 Butbeing in a tight place； he said nothing about it； and made Gollum show him theway out； as a reward instead of a present。 This account Bilbo set down in hismemoirs； and he seems never to have altered it himself； not even after theCouncil of Elrond。 Evidently it still appeared in the original Red Book； as itdid in several of the copies and abstracts。 But many copies contain the trueaccount （as an alternative）； derived no doubt from notes by Frodo or Samwise；
both of whom learned the truth； though they seem to have been unwilling todelete anything actually written by the old hobbit himself。
Gandalf； however； disbelieved Bilbo's first story； as soon as he heardit； and he continued to be very curious about the ring。 Eventually he got thetrue tale out of Bilbo after much questioning； which for a while strainedtheir friendship； but the wizard seemed to think the truth important。 Thoughhe did not say so to Bilbo； he also thought it important； and disturbing； tofind that the good hobbit had not told the truth from the first： quitecontrary to his habit。 The idea of a 'present' was not mere hobbitlikeinvention； all the same。 It was suggested to Bilbo； as he confessed； byGollum's talk that he overheard； for Gollum did； in fact； call the ring his'birthday present'； many times。 That also Gandalf thought strange andsuspicious； but he did not discover the truth in this point for many moreyears； as will be seen in this book。
Of Bilbo's later adventures little more need be said here。 With the helpof the ring he escaped from the orc…guards at the gate and rejoined hispanions。 He used the ring many times on his quest； chiefly for the help ofhis friends； but he kept it secret from them as long as he could。 After hisreturn to his home he never spoke of it again to anyone； save Gandalf andFrodo； and no one else in the Shire knew of its existence； or so he believed。
Only to Frodo did he show the account of his Journey that he was writing。
His sword； Sting； Bilbo hung over his fireplace； and his coat ofmarvellous mail； the gift of the Dwarves from the Dragon…hoard； he lent to amuseum； to the Michel Delving Mathom…house in fact。 But he kept in a drawer atBag End the old cloak and hood that he had worn on his travels； and the ring；
secured by a fine chain； remained in his pocket。
He returned to his home at Bag End on June the 22nd in his fifty…secondyear （S。R。 1342）； and nothing very notable occurred in the Shire until Mr。
Baggins began the preparations for the celebration of his hundred…and…eleventhbirthday （S。R。 1401）。 At this point this History begins。
At the end of the Third Age the part played by the Hobbits in the greatevents that led to the inclusion of the Shire in the Reunited Kingdom awakenedamong them a more widespread interest in their own history； and many of theirtraditions； up to that time still mainly oral； were collected and Writtendown。 The greater families were also concerned with events in the Kingdom atlarge； and many of their members studied its ancient histories and legends。 Bythe end of the first century of the Fourth Age there were already to be foundin the Shire several libraries that contained many historical books andrecords。
The largest of these collections were probably at Undertowers； at GreatSmials； and at Brandy Hall。 This account of the end of the Third Age is drawnmainly from the Red Book of Westmarch。 That most important source for the
history of the War of the Ring was so called because it was long preserved atUndertowers； the home of the Fairbairns； Wardens of the Westmarch。 It was inorigin Bilbo's private diary； which he took with him to Rivendell。 Frodobrought it back to the Shire； together with many loose leaves of notes； andduring S。R。 1420…1 he nearly filled its pages with his account of the War。 Butannexed to it and preserved with it； probably m a single red case； were thethree large volumes； bound in red leather； that Bilbo gave to him as a partinggift。 To these four volumes there was added in Westmarch a fifth containingmentaries； genealogies； and various other matter concerning the hobbitmembers of the Fellowship。
The original Red Book has not been preserved； but many copies were made；
especially of the first volume； for the use of the descendants of the childrenof Master Samwise。 The most important copy； however； has a different history。
It was kept at Great Smials； but it was written in Condor； probably at therequest of the great…grandson of Peregrin； and pleted in S。R。 1592 （F。A。
172）。 Its southern scribe appended this note： Findegil； King's Writer；
finished this work in IV 172。 It is an exact copy in all details of theThain's Book m Minas Tirith。 That book was a copy； made at the request of KingElessar； of the Red Book of the Periannath； and was brought to him by theThain Peregrin when he retired to Gondor in IV 64。
The Thain's Book was thus the first copy made of the Red Book andcontained much that was later omitted or lost。 In Minas Tirith it received
much annotation； and many corrections； especially of names； words； andquotations in the Elvish languages； and there was added to it an abbreviatedversion of those parts of _The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen_ which lie outsidethe account of the War。 The full tale is stated to have been written byBarahir； grandson of the Steward Faramir； some time after the passing of theKing。 But the chief importance of Findegil's copy is that it alone containsthe whole of Bilbo's 'Translations from the Elvish'。 These three volumes were
found to be a work of great skill and learning in which； between 1403 and1418； he had used all the sources available to him in Rivendell； both livingand written。 But since they were little used by Frodo； being almost entirelyconcerned with the Elder Days； no more is said of them here。
Since Meriadoc and Peregrin became the heads of their great families； andat the same time kept up their connexions with Rohan and Gondor； the librariesat Bucklebury and Tuckborough contained much that did not appear in the RedBook。 In Brandy Hall there were many works dealing with Eriador and thehistory of Rohan。 Some of these were posed or begun by Meriadoc himself；
though in the Shire he was chiefly remembered for his _Herblore of the Shire；_
and for his _Reckoning of Years_ m which he discussed the relation of thecalendars of the Shire and Bree to those of Rivendell； Gondor； and Rohan。 Healso wrote a short treatise on _Old Words and Names in the Shire；_ havingspecial interest in discovering the kinship with the language of the Rohirrimof such 'shire…words' as _mathom_ and old elements in place names。
At Great Smials the books were of less interest to Shire…folk； thoughmore important for larger history。 None of them was written by Peregrin； buthe and his successors collected many manuscripts written by scribes of Gondor：
mainly copies or summaries of histories or legends relating to Elendil and hisheirs。 Only here in the Shire were to be found extensive materials for thehistory of Númenor and the arising of Sauron。 It was probably at Great Smialsthat _The Tale of Years_ was put together； with the assistance of materialcollected by Meriadoc。 Though the dates given are often conjectural；
especially for the Second Age； they deserve attention。 It is probable thatMeriadoc obtained assistance and information from Rivendell； which he visitedmore than once。 There； though Elrond had departed； his sons long remained；
together with some of the High…elven folk。 It is said that Celeborn went todwell there after the departure of Galadriel； but there is no record of theday when at last he sought the Grey Havens； and with him went the last livingmemory of the Elder Days in Middle…earth。
THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
_being the first part of
The Lord of the Rings_
BOOK I
_Chapter 1_
A Long…expected Party
When Mr。 Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly becelebrating his eleventy…first birthday with a party of special magnificence；
there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton。
Bilbo was very rich and very peculiar； and had been the wonder of theShire for sixty years； ever since his remarkable disappearance and unexpectedreturn。 The riches he had brought back from his travels had now bee a locallegend； and it was popularly believed； whatever the old folk might say； thatthe Hill at Bag End was full of tunnels stuffed with treasure。 And if that wasnot enough for fame； there was also his prolonged vigour to marvel at。 Timewore on； but it seemed to have little effect on Mr。 Baggins。 At ninety he wasmuch the same as at fifty。 At ninety…nine they began to call him _well_…
preserved； but _unchanged_ would have been nearer the mark。 There were somethat shook their heads and thought this was too much of a good thing； itseemed unfair that anyone should possess （apparently） perpetual youth as wellas （reputedly） inexhaustible wealth。
'It will have to be paid for；' they said。 'It isn't natural； and troublewill e of it！'
But so far trouble had not e； and as Mr。 Baggins was generous with hismoney； most people were willing to forgive him his oddities and his goodfortune。 He remained on visiting terms with his relatives （except； of course；
the Sackville…Bagginses）； and he had many devoted admirers among the hobbitsof poor and unimportant families。 But he had no close friends； until some ofhis younger cousins began to grow up。
The eldest of these； and Bilbo's favourite； was young Frodo Baggins。 WhenBilbo was ninety…nine； he adopted Frodo as his heir； and brought him to liveat Bag End； and the hopes of the Sackville…Bagginses were finally dashed。
Bilbo and Frodo happened to have the same birthday； September 22nd。 'You hadbetter e and live here； Frodo my lad；' said Bilbo one day； 'and then we cancelebrate our birthday…parties fortably together。' At that time Frodo wasstill in his _tweens；_ as the hobbits called the irresponsible twentiesbetween childhood and ing of age at thirty…three。
Twelve more years passed。 Each year the Bagginses had given very livelybined birthday…parties at Bag End； but now it was understood that somethingquite exceptional was being planned for that autumn。 Bilbo was going to be_eleventy…one；_ 111； a rather curious number and a very respectable age