The Fellowship of the Ring // Book 1, Chapter 9 // At the Sign of the Prancing Pony

Hooray! We've emerged out of the mist and into a bit of good, down homey jollity, with crackling fires and frothing cups of ale and talk in warm chimney corners (only not completely, there's still the feel of the edges of danger lurking and hovering in the wings, we're very much on the edges of the wilds after all). 

Doesn't Bree honestly seem like such an interesting, cosmopolitan little place? It makes me think of the enclosed little world of a stage stop, usually with its hodgepodge of locals and fairly isolated, but with all the passers-through bringing bits and pieces of news from the outside world.

AND Y'ALL, STRIDER IS NOW IN THE PICTURE. (*coughs* I won't elaborate on this much more, but all you have to do is look at my header here to tell I consider this slightly more than a big deal. ;D) I'm so excited. Now we're rolling!

And Butterbur and Nob are just the best. <3 I mean, they just make you smile, don't they? In fact, let's all have a round in their honor. *raising figurative mug and drinking deep*

Can't wait for the next chapter!

Quotes:

• "The Men of Bree were brown-haired, broad, and rather short, cheerful and independent: they belonged to nobody but themselves; but they were more friendly with Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves, and other inhabitants of the world about them than was (or is) usual with Big People."
• "The Big Folk and the Little Folk (as they called one another) were on friendly terms, minding their own affairs in their own ways, but both rightly regarding themselves as necessary parts of the Bree-folk."
• "In a twinkling the table was laid. There was hot soup, cold meats, a blackberry tart, new loaves, slabs of butter, and a half ripe cheese: good plain food, as good as the Shire could show, and homelike enough to dispel the last of Sam's misgivings (already much relieved by the excellence of the beer)."
  
• "(Frodo) wondered how many private talks he would have before he got to bed..."
  

 

For thought:

• Do you think the vanishing incident was orchestrated by the Ring itself? Or that some other devious commanding power was at work? Or maybe it was just an accident?
  
• Make sure to listen to this link for Frodo's song. Let me know what you think!