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Gollum got into his boat and shot off from the island； while Bilbo was sitting on the brink altogether flummoxed and at the end of his way and his wits。 Suddenly up came Gollum and whispered and hissed：
〃Bless us and splash us； my precioussss！ I guess it's a choice feast； at least a tasty morsel it'd make us； gollum！〃 And when he said gollum he made a horrible swallowing noise in his throat。 That is how he got his name； though he always called himself 'my precious。'
The hobbit jumped nearly out of his skin when the hiss came in his ears； and he suddenly saw the pale eyes sticking out at him。 〃Who are you？〃 he said； thrusting his dagger in front of him。 〃What iss he； my preciouss？〃 whispered Gollum （who always spoke to himself through never having anyone else to speak to）。 This is what he had e to find out； for he was not really very hungry at the moment； only curious； otherwise he would have grabbed first and whispered afterwards。 〃I am Mr。 Bilbo Baggins。 I have lost the dwarves and I have lost the wizard； and I don't know where I am； and 〃I don't want to know； if only I can get ；away。〃
〃What's he got in his handses？〃 said Gollum； looking at the sword； which he did not quite like。
〃A sword； a blade which came out of Gondolin！〃
〃Sssss；〃 said Gollum； and became quite polite。 〃Praps ye sits here and chats with it a bitsy； my preciousss。 It like riddles； praps it does； does it？〃 He was anxious to appear friendly； at any rate for the moment； and until he found out more about the sword and the hobbit； whether he was quite alone really； whether he was good to eat； and whether Gollum was really hungry。 Riddles were all he could think of。 Asking them； and sometimes guessing them； had been the only game he had ever played with other funny creatures sitting in their holes in the long； long ago； before he lost all his friends and was driven away； alone； and crept down； down； into the dark under the mountains。 〃Very well；〃 said Bilbo； who was anxious to agree； until he found out more about the creature； whether he was quite alone； whether he was fierce or hungry； and whether he was a friend of the goblins。
〃You ask first；〃 he said； because he had not had time to think of a riddle。
So Gollum hissed：
〃What has roots as nobody sees；
Is taller than trees；
Up； up it goes；
And yet never grows？〃
〃Easy！〃 said Bilbo。 〃Mountain； I suppose。〃
〃Does it guess easy？ It must have a petition with us； my preciouss！ If precious asks； and it doesn't answer； we eats it； my preciousss。 If it asks us； and we doesn't answer； then we does what it wants； eh？ We shows it the way out； yes！〃
〃All right！〃 said Bilbo； not daring to disagree； and nearly bursting his brain to think of riddles that could save him from being eaten。
〃Thirty white horses on a red hill；
First they champ；
Then they stamp；
Then they stand still。〃
That was all he could think of to ask…the idea of eating was rather on
his mind。 It was rather an old one； too； and Gollum knew the answer as well as you do。
〃Chestnuts； chestnuts；〃 he hissed。 〃Teeth！ teeth！ my preciousss； but we has only six！〃 Then he asked his second：
〃Voiceless it cries；
Wingless flutters；
Toothless bites；
Mouthless mutters。〃
〃Half a moment！〃 cried Bilbo； who was still thinking unfortably about eating。 Fortunately he had once heard something rather like this before； and getting his wits back he thought of the answer。 〃Wind； wind of course；〃 he said； and he was so pleased that he made up one on the spot。 〃This'll puzzle the nasty little underground creature；〃 he thought：
〃An eye in a blue face
Saw an eye in a green face。
〃That eye is like to this eye〃
Said the first eye；
〃But in low place；
Not in high place。〃〃
〃Ss； ss； ss；〃 said Gollum。 He had been underground a long long time； and was forgetting this sort of thing。 But just as Bilbo was beginning to hope that the wretch would not be able to answer； Gollum brought up memories of ages and ages and ages before； when he lived with his grandmother in a hole in a bank by a river； 〃Sss； sss； my preciouss；〃 he said。 〃Sun on the daisies it means； it does。〃
But these ordinary aboveground everyday sort of riddles were tiring for him。 Also they reminded him of days when he had been less lonely and sneaky and nasty； and that put him out of temper。 What is more they made him hungry； so this time he tried something a bit more difficult and more unpleasant：
〃It cannot be seen； cannot be felt；
Cannot be heard； cannot be smelt。
It lies behind stars and under hills；
And empty holes it fills。
It es first and follows after；
Ends life； kills laughter。〃
Unfortunately for Gollum Bilbo had heard that sort of thing before； and the answer was all round him anyway。 〃Dark！〃 he said without even scratching his head or putting on his thinking cap。
〃A box without hinges； key； or lid；
Yet golden treasure inside is hid；〃
he asked to gain time； until he could think of a really hard one。 This he thought a dreadfully easy chestnut； though he had not asked it in the usual words。 But it proved a nasty poser for Gollum。 He hissed to himself； and still he did not answer； he whispered and spluttered。
After some while Bilbo became impatient。 〃Well； what is it？〃 he said。 〃The answer's not a kettle boiling over； as you seem to think from the noise you are making。〃
〃Give us a chance； let it give us a chance； my preciouss…ss…ss。〃 〃Well；〃 said Bilbo； after giving him a long chance； 〃what about your guess？〃
But suddenly Gollum remembered thieving from nests long ago； and sitting under the river bank teaching his grandmother； teaching his grandmother to suck…〃Eggses！〃 he hissed。 〃Eggses it is！〃 Then he asked：
〃A live without breath；
As cold as death；
Never thirsty； ever drinking；
All in mail never clinking。〃
He also in his turn thought this was a dreadfully easy one； because he was always thinking of the answer。 But he could not remember anything better at the moment； he was so flustered by the egg…question。 All the same it was a poser for poor Bilbo； who never had anything to do with the water if he could help it。 I imagine you know the answer； of course； or can guess it as easy as winking； since you are sitting fortably at home and have not the danger of being eaten to disturb your thinking。 Bilbo sat and cleared his throat once or twice； but no answer came。
After a while Gollum began to hiss with pleasure to himself： 〃Is it nice； my preciousss？ Is it juicy？ Is it scrumptiously crunchable？〃 He began to peer at Bilbo out of the darkness。
〃Half a moment；〃 said the hobbit shivering。 〃I gave you a good long chance just now。〃
〃It must make haste； haste！〃 said Gollum； beginning to climb out of his boat on to the shore to get at Bilbo。 But when he put his long webby foot in the water； a fish jumped out in a fright and fell on Bilbo's toes。 〃Ugh！〃 he said； 〃it is cold and clammy！〃…and so he guessed。 〃Fish！ Fish！〃 he cried。 〃It is fish！〃
Gollum was dreadfully disappointed； but Bilbo asked another riddle as quick as ever be could； so that Gollum had to get back into his boat and think。
〃No…legs lay on one…leg； two…legs sat near on three…legs； four…legs got some。〃
It was not really the right time for this riddle； but Bilbo was in a hurry。 Gollum might have had some trouble guessing it； if he had asked it at another time。 As it was； talking of fish； 〃no…legs〃 was not so very difficult； and after that the rest was easy。 〃Fish on a little table； man at table sitting on a stool； the cat has the bones〃…that of course is the answer； and Gollum soon gave it。 Then he thought the time had e to ask something hard and horrible。 This is what he said：
〃This thing all things devours：
Birds； beasts； trees； flowers；
Gnaws iron； bites steel；
Grinds hard stones to meal；
Slays king； ruins town；
And beats high mountain down。〃
Poor Bilbo sat in the dark thinking of all the horrible names of all the giants and ogres he had ever heard told of in tales； but not one of them had done all these things。 He had a feeling that the answer was quite different and that he ought to know it； but he could not think of it。 He began to get frightened； and that is bad for thinking。 Gollum began to get out of his boat。 He flapped into the water and paddled to the bank； Bilbo could see his eyes ing towards him。 His tongue seemed to stick in his mouth； he wanted to shout out： 〃Give me more time！ Give me time！〃 But all that came out with a sudden squeal was：
〃Time！ Time！〃
Bilbo was saved by pure luck。 For that of course was the answer。
Gollum was disappointed once more； and now he was getting angry； and also
tired of the game。 It had made him very hungry indeed。 This time he did not go back to the boat。 He sat down in the dark by Bilbo。 That made the hobbit most dreadfully unfortable and scattered his wits。
〃It's got to ask uss a quesstion； my preciouss； yes； yess； yesss。 Jusst one more quesstion to guess； yes； yess；〃 said Gollum。 But Bilbo simply could not think of any question with that nasty wet cold thing sitting next to him； and pawing and poking him。 He scratched himself； he pinched himself； still he could not think of anything。
〃Ask us！ ask us！〃 said Gollum。
Bilbo