Home | Literature Index | Movies & Broadway Index | Television Index | Music Index | Miscellaneous Index | Submit Your Own
"...you'll go by the name Underhill, and meet me at the Prancing Pony in Bree."
Sam looked frightened. "Won't you be coming with us, Mr. Gandalf? We're not supposed to leave Hobbitville on our own."
Mr. Gandalf shook his head. "No, I have to visit Mr. Saruman over at Isengard. He said that he's seen orc uprisings around Isengard and Helm's Deep, and even legions of orcs making preparations around Minas Morgul! There've even been troops coming up from the south, so you might even get to see an Oliphant, Sam!"
"An Oliphant! That'd be swell!"
Mr. Gandalf smiled, but looked more grave as he went on. "We'll need to warn the people of Minas Tirith that an attack may be iminent, and he'll know best what to do. You boys remember to travel only and night and avoid the main roads. And whatever you do, don't hitch-hike. It's very dangerous!"
Mr. Gandalf gathered his staff and hat, then headed towards the door. Suddenly, Frodo "Encyclopedia" Baggins stood. "I'd wait to take that trip to Isengard, Mr. Gandalf. At least, not until you've arranged for a rescue from your friends the giant eagles."
"But why?"
"Because I believe Mr. Saruman is a traitor, working for Mr. Sauron himself! He'll capture you and hold you atop the tower while he builds an army of Uruk-Hai to fight for his new master, pursuing you into the mines of Moria where you'll have to battle to the death with a Balrog, then sending those armies to battle the humans, elves, and dwarves at Helm's Deep and then the Field of Cormallen until Sam and I can take the Ring to Mount Doom where we'll be betrayed by Gollum who'll destroy the Ring and Sauron's power once and for all, at least until we return here to Hobbitville and find it under Mr. Saruman's evil grip and have to defeat him ourselves and then journey to the west with you and Galadriel and Elrond and Bilbo."
How did Encyclopedia Baggins know?
Mr. Gandalf sat with Mr. Aragorn and Mr. Baggins and the boys in the dining hall of Rivendell, enjoying the last of a great feast. "I hate to think what would've happened if I had gone off to meet with Mr. Saruman! But I must know, Frodo -- how did you know he'd turned traitor?"
"I began to suspect when you kept talking about Radagast -- I mean, Mr. Brown -- when nobody else has ever seen or heard of him. But what settled it was Mr. Saruman's words himself! How would he know that Oliphants are amassing around Minas Morgul unless he'd seen them himself? Oliphants only live in the southern regions!"
Mr. Gandalf smiled as the truth dawned on him. "I see! So the only way he would've known would be to have seen it himself, and the only way to see it is through a palantir! Great detective work, Frodo!"
Sam shook his head. "Well, I'll go without seeing an Oliphant if it means I can have more of this terrific food! I'm having seconds!"