As for Bilbo Baggins, even while he was making his speech, he had
been fingering the golden ring in his pocket: his magic ring that he had
kept a secret for so many years. As he stepped down he slipped it on his
finger, and was never seen by any hobbit in Hobbiton again.
Bilbo briskly walked back to his hole, and stood for a moment listening to the din he'd caused in the pavillion. He then pulled open the door to Bag End, and snuk in. He changed out of his party clothes and into some old, untidy garments. He folded the party clothes and placed them neatly into a drawer. He opened another drawer, in which laid a old, beaten up, black, scabbard that hung from a leather belt of the same color. In a rush, he fastened the belt around his waist. In the scabbard was a shiny, silver sword.
From anbother drawer((which smelled distinctly of moth balls)), he pulled a green, weather-stained cloak and hood. He took an envelope from the top of his desk. Into the envelope, he placed his ring. He then sealed it, and addressed it to Frodo. At first, he put it on the mantlepiece, but then, he slipped it into his pocket. At that moment, Gandalf rushed in.
" hullo, I wondered when you would come." said Bilbo
" I'm glad to find you visible. I wish to talk to you." He then slowly sat in an armchair near the fire. " I suppose you feel that everything has gone splendidly, according to your plan?"
"Yes I do." Bilbo said, with a tone of proudness in his voice.
" I don't feel to sure about this whole affair. It has come to the final point, you had your joke. Something the Shire will talk about for ninty days, or more. Are you going any further?"
" Yes I am. I am in need of a holiday, and I don't think I'll be comming back......In fact, I don't mean to."
Gandalf looked closly at Blibo. His old, grey, eyes seemed to be trying to read Bilbo's mind. Bilbo took his gaze off Gandalf.
" Don't try to stop me Gandalf. I've made up my mind." He stooped over his desk, searching for something. " I'm leaving eveything to Frodo."
"What about that ring of yours, is that Frodo's too?"
" Yes of course, it's on the mantle in an envelope......" he paused,"Wait.......it's.........in my pocket...." he took out the package from his pocket. "after all, why shouldn't I keep it?" he seemed to be talking to himself,"It's mine..........my own........my precious....."
" precious?"
"What does it matter to you what I do with my own things!"said Bilbo, his voice had become harsh.
"Bilbo, I think you should leave the ring."
"IT'S MINE! YOU WANT IT FOR YOURSELF!"
"BILBO BAGGINS! I'M NOT TRYING TO ROB YOU!"
Bilbo stood in awe at the raged Gandalf.
Gandalf cleared his throat. "I'm trying to help you......."
Bilbo collapsed forward, hugging Gandalf, in a sudden realization of what he was doing, Bilbo let go.
He sniffled a little. "Well," he paused, then turned for the door. "I should be going....." He pulleed open the hole door.
"Bilbo."
Bilbo turned to look at Gandalf. "Yes?"
"The ring is still in your pocket."
"Oh........so it is" he held the envelope in a tembling dropped it, then shuffled out the door. As he walked down the path leading out of the Shire, he sang:
The road goes ever on and on,
down from the door where it began,
now far ahead the road has gone,
and I must follow, if I can,
pursuing it with eager feet,
untill it joins some larger way,
where many paths and errands meet,
and whither then? I cannot say.
Bilbo briskly walked back to his hole, and stood for a moment listening to the din he'd caused in the pavillion. He then pulled open the door to Bag End, and snuk in. He changed out of his party clothes and into some old, untidy garments. He folded the party clothes and placed them neatly into a drawer. He opened another drawer, in which laid a old, beaten up, black, scabbard that hung from a leather belt of the same color. In a rush, he fastened the belt around his waist. In the scabbard was a shiny, silver sword.
From anbother drawer((which smelled distinctly of moth balls)), he pulled a green, weather-stained cloak and hood. He took an envelope from the top of his desk. Into the envelope, he placed his ring. He then sealed it, and addressed it to Frodo. At first, he put it on the mantlepiece, but then, he slipped it into his pocket. At that moment, Gandalf rushed in.
" hullo, I wondered when you would come." said Bilbo
" I'm glad to find you visible. I wish to talk to you." He then slowly sat in an armchair near the fire. " I suppose you feel that everything has gone splendidly, according to your plan?"
"Yes I do." Bilbo said, with a tone of proudness in his voice.
" I don't feel to sure about this whole affair. It has come to the final point, you had your joke. Something the Shire will talk about for ninty days, or more. Are you going any further?"
" Yes I am. I am in need of a holiday, and I don't think I'll be comming back......In fact, I don't mean to."
Gandalf looked closly at Blibo. His old, grey, eyes seemed to be trying to read Bilbo's mind. Bilbo took his gaze off Gandalf.
" Don't try to stop me Gandalf. I've made up my mind." He stooped over his desk, searching for something. " I'm leaving eveything to Frodo."
"What about that ring of yours, is that Frodo's too?"
" Yes of course, it's on the mantle in an envelope......" he paused,"Wait.......it's.........in my pocket...." he took out the package from his pocket. "after all, why shouldn't I keep it?" he seemed to be talking to himself,"It's mine..........my own........my precious....."
" precious?"
"What does it matter to you what I do with my own things!"said Bilbo, his voice had become harsh.
"Bilbo, I think you should leave the ring."
"IT'S MINE! YOU WANT IT FOR YOURSELF!"
"BILBO BAGGINS! I'M NOT TRYING TO ROB YOU!"
Bilbo stood in awe at the raged Gandalf.
Gandalf cleared his throat. "I'm trying to help you......."
Bilbo collapsed forward, hugging Gandalf, in a sudden realization of what he was doing, Bilbo let go.
He sniffled a little. "Well," he paused, then turned for the door. "I should be going....." He pulleed open the hole door.
"Bilbo."
Bilbo turned to look at Gandalf. "Yes?"
"The ring is still in your pocket."
"Oh........so it is" he held the envelope in a tembling dropped it, then shuffled out the door. As he walked down the path leading out of the Shire, he sang:
The road goes ever on and on,
down from the door where it began,
now far ahead the road has gone,
and I must follow, if I can,
pursuing it with eager feet,
untill it joins some larger way,
where many paths and errands meet,
and whither then? I cannot say.