Summary — Chapter 3: Three Is Company
“[Bilbo] used to say there was only one
Road; that it was like a great river: its springs were at every
doorstep, and every path was its tributary.”
(See Important Quotations Explained)
Two months later, Gandalf leaves the Shire to look into
some troubling news he has heard. Frodo prepares to leave, though
not quickly. On the wizard’s advice, Frodo plans to head toward
Rivendell, the home of the wise Elrond Halfelven. To that end, he
sells Bag End to Lobelia Sackville-Baggins, a disagreeable relative
of Bilbo who has always wanted to get her hands on the house. With
the help of Sam and his other friends Peregrin Took (called Pippin)
and Meriadoc Brandybuck (called Merry), Frodo packs up and moves
out that autumn. Just before he leaves, he throws a small party,
as he does every year, for his and Bilbo’s shared birthday on September 22nd.
Merry, along with another friend, Fredegar (Fatty) Bolger,
go on ahead to Frodo’s new house, across the Brandywine River in
Buckland, with a cartful of luggage. Frodo, Sam, and Pippin plan
to follow on foot, taking a few days and camping in the woods at
night. Just as they are on their way, Frodo hears a strange voice
talking to Sam’s father, Ham Gamgee (known as the Gaffer), who lives
next door. The voice asks for Mr. Baggins, but the Gaffer responds
that Mr. Baggins has already left. Frodo feels that people are getting
too inquisitive, and he leaves as quietly as possible.
The second day out, the hobbits hear the sound of hooves
on the road behind them. Frodo feels a strange desire to hide, so
he leads Sam and Pippin off into the trees. The rider is a tall
figure on a large, black horse. He is shrouded in a black cloak
and his face cannot be seen. He stops near the spot where the hobbits
are hiding and seems to sniff the air for a scent. Frodo feels a
sudden desire to put the Ring on his finger. Then, the rider suddenly
rides off again. Sam informs Frodo that it appeared to be the same
Black Rider who was questioning the Gaffer the other night.
The hobbits proceed more cautiously, constantly listening
for the sound of hooves. As night falls, they hear a horse approaching.
Hiding in the trees, they see that it is again a Black Rider. The
Black Rider stops and starts to approach Frodo, when suddenly it
hears the singing voices of Elves, mounts its horse, and rides off.
The elves approach, and their song ends. One of them,
Gildor, greets Frodo. When Pippin asks about the Black Riders, the
elves suddenly look worried, and they take the hobbits under their
protection for the night. Later that night, the party stops in what
seems to be an enchanted glade, and they have a feast. Frodo, who
is known by Elves and who knows some of their language, questions Gildor
about the Black Riders. All the elf will say is that the Riders are
servants of the Enemy and therefore must be avoided at all costs. The
party settles down to sleep for the night.
Summary — Chapter 4: A Short Cut to Mushrooms
When the hobbits awake the next morning, the elves are
gone, but they have sent word of the hobbits’ journey to friendly
ears along the way to Rivendell. Frodo decides to take a shortcut
across the fields between Woody End and the Brandywine River ferry,
because he is now in haste and does not wish to stay on the road
where they can easily be seen. Indeed, not long after leaving the
road, the party sees a Black Rider traveling on it. The underbrush
is dense, however, and the hobbits make slow progress. Later, they
hear two terrible cries, which they assume to be the Black Riders
communicating to each other.
