Jrr tolkien The Hobbit

His armour is shivered,
His splendour is humbled
Though sword shall be rusted,
And throne and crown perish
With strength that men trusted
And wealth that they cherish,
Here grass is still growing,
And leaves are yet swinging,
The whitewater flowing,
And elves are yet singing
Come! Tra-la-la-lally!
Come back to the valley
The stars are far brighter
Than gems without measure,
The moon is far whiter
Than silver in treasure
The fire is more shining
On hearth in the gloaming
Than gold won by mining,
So why go a-roaming?
O! Tra-la-la-lally
Come back to the Valley.
O! Where are you going,
So late in returning
The river is flowing,
The stars are all burning
O! Whither so laden,
So sad and so dreary
Here elf and elf-maiden
Now welcome the weary
With Tra-la-la-lally
Come back to the Valley,
Tra-la-la-lally
Fa-la-la-lally
Fa-la!" Then the elves of the valley came out and greeted them and led them across the water to the house of Elrond. There a warm welcome was made them, and there were many eager ears that evening to hear the tale of their adventures. Gandalf it was who spoke, for Bilbo was fallen quiet and drowsy. Most of the tale he knew, for he had been in it, and had himself told much of it to the wizard on their homeward way or in the house of Beorn; but every now and again he would open one eye, and listen, when apart of the story which he did not yet know came in. It was in this way that he learned where Gandalf had been to for he overheard the words of the wizard to Elrond. It appeared that Gandalf had been to a great council of the white wizards, masters of lore and good magic and that they had at last driven the Necromancer from his dark hold in the south of Mirkwood. Erelong now" Gandalf was saying, "The Forest will grow somewhat more wholesome. The North will be freed from that horror for many long years, I hope. Yet I wish he were banished from the world"

It would be well indeed" said Elrond; "but I fear that will not come about in this age of the world, or for many after" When the tale of their joumeyings was told, there were other tales, and yet more tales, tales of long ago, and tales . of new things, and tales of no time at all, till Bilbo's head fell forward on his chest, and he snored comfortably in a corner. He woke to find himself in a white bed, and the moon shining through an open window. Below it many elves were singing loud and clear on the banks of the stream. Sing all ye joyful, now sing all together The wind's in the free-top, the wind's in the heather The stars are in blossom, the moon is in flower, And bright are the windows of Night in her tower. Dance all ye joyful, now dance all together Soft is the grass, and let foot be like feather The river is silver, the shadows are fleeting Merry is May-time, and merry our meeting. Sing we now softly, and dreams let us weave him Wind him in slumber and there let us leave him The wanderer sleepeth. Now soft be his pillow Lullaby Lullaby Alder and Willow Sigh no more Pine, till the wind of the morn Fall Moon Dark be the land Hush Hush Oak, Ash, and Thorn Hushed be all water, till dawn is at hand" Well, Merry People" said Bilbo looking out. "What time by the moon is this Your lullaby would waken a drunken goblin Yet I thank you" And your snores would waken a stone dragon - yet we thank you" they answered with laughter. "It is drawing towards dawn, and you have slept now since the night's beginning. Tomorrow, perhaps, you will be cured of weariness" A little sleep does a great cure in the house of Elrond," said he "but I will take all the cure I can get. A second goodnight, fair friends" And with that he went back to bed and slept till late morning. Weariness fell from him soon in that house, and he had many a merry jest and dance, early and late, with the elves of the valley. Yet even that place could not long delay him now, and he thought always of his own home. After a week, therefore, he said farewell to
Elrond, and giving him such small gifts as he would accept, he rode away with Gandalf. Even as they left the valley the sky darkened in the West before them, and wind and rain came up to meet them. Merry is May-time!" said Bilbo, as the rain beat into his face. "But our back is to legends and we are coming home. I suppose this is a first taste of it" There is along road yet" said Gandalf. But it is the last road" said Bilbo. They came to the river that marked the very edge of the borderland of the Wild, and to the ford beneath the steep bank, which you may remember. The water was swollen both with the melting of the snows at the approach of summer, and with the daylong rain but they crossed with some difficulty, and pressed forward, as evening fell, on the last stage of their journey. This was much as it had been before, except that the company was smaller, and more silent also this time there were no trolls. At each point on the road Bilbo recalled the happenings and the words of a year ago-it seemed to him more like ten-so that, of course, he quickly noted the place where the pony had fallen in the river, and they had turned aside for their nasty adventure with Tom and Bert and Bill. Not far from the road they found the gold of the trolls, which they had

buried, still hidden and untouched. "I have enough to last me my time" said Bilbo, when they had dug it up. "You had better take this, Gandalf. I daresay you can find a use for it" Indeed I can" said the wizard. "But share and share alike You may find you have more needs than you expect" So they put the gold in bags and slung them on the ponies, who were not at all pleased about it. After that their going was slower, for most of the time they walked. But the land was green and there was much grass through which the hobbit strolled along contentedly. He mopped his face with a red silk handkerchief-no! not a single one of his own had survived, he had borrowed this one from Elrond -for now June had brought summer, and the weather was bright and hot again. As all things come to an end, even this story, a day came at last when they were insight of the country where Bilbo had been born and bred, where the shapes of the land and of the trees were as well known to him as his hands and toes. Coming to arise he could see his own Hill in the distance, and he stopped suddenly and said

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