Gollum Stories
The Passage of the Marshes
The Two Towers, Book Four, Chapter two
Gollum moved quickly, with his head and neck thrust forward, often using his hands as well as his feet. Frodo and Sam were hard put to keep up with him; but he seemed no longer to have any thought of escaping, and if they fell behind, he would turn and wait for them. After a time he brought them to the brink of the narrow gully that they had struck before; but they were now further from the hills.
"Here it is!" He cried. 'There is a way down inside, yes.Now we follows it - out, away over there.' He pointed south and east towards the marshes. The reek of them came to their nostrils, heavy and foul even in the cool night air.
Gollum cast up and down along the brink, and at length he called to them. 'Here! We can get down here. Smeagol went this way once: I went this way hiding from Orcs.'
He led the way, and following him the hobbits climbed down into the gloom. It was not difficult, for the rift was at this point only some fifteen feet deep and about a dozen across. There was running water at the bottom: it was in fact the bed of one of the many small riverS that trickled down from the hills to feed the stagnent pools and mires beyond. Gollum turned to the right, southward more or less, and splashed along with his feet in the shallow stony stream. He seemed greatly delighted to feel the water, and chuckled to himself, sometimes even croaking in a sort of song. |
The cold hard lands
they bites our hands
they knaws our feet
The rocks and stones
are like old bones
all bare of meat
But stream and pool
is wet and cool:
so nice for feet
and now we wish---- |
Artist:Christiaan Iken
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| 'Ha!ha! What does we wish?' He said, looking sidelong at the hobbits. We'll tell you,' he croaked. 'He guessed it long ago, Baggins guessed it.' A glint came into his eyes, and Sam catching the gleam in the darkness thought it far from pleasant. |
Alive without breath
as cold as death
never thirsting, ever drinking;
clad in mail, never clinking
Drowns on dry land
thinks an island
is a mountain
thinks a fountain
is a puff of air
So sleek, so fair!
What a joy to meet
We only wish
to catch a fish
so juicy-sweet!
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Artist:Terry Crnest
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