The Epic of Gilgamesh was written in. The Tale of Gilgamesh

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John Tolkien
Hobbit

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Chapter I
Unexpected treat

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There was a hole in the ground, and in the hole lived a hobbit. The hole was not at all dirty and not at all damp; there were no worms swarming in it, no slugs clinging to the walls, no - the hole was dry and warm, it smelled pleasant, there was something to sit on and something to eat - in a word, the hole belonged to a hobbit, and therefore, of course, it was cozy in in all respects.

The entrance door to the hole, round like a hatch, with a sparkling copper handle in the middle, was painted green. It opened into a spacious and long corridor, similar to a cave, but clean and not at all smoky; there were chairs in it, the floor was covered with carpets, the walls were covered with wooden panels, and were equipped with a great variety of hooks for coats and hats - this hobbit simply loved to receive guests. The corridor, curving, passed into the depths of the hill - or Kruchi, as the hill was called for many miles around. On both sides of the corridor, small round doors stretched in two rows, behind which a variety of rooms were hidden, so the hobbit did not have to climb up or down: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars and pantries (there were countless of them), kitchens, refectories, dressing rooms ( in the hole there was a special room, entirely dedicated to clothing) - everything was nearby, any room could be accessed from the same corridor. The best chambers were located on the left hand, if you stood with your back to the entrance, and only they had windows, deep-set round windows that looked out onto the garden, behind which meadows gently rolled down to the river.

This hobbit was very wealthy, and his last name was Baggins. The Bagginses lived on Krucha for who knows how long, and everyone respected them very much - not only because they were famous for their wealth, but also because they had no crazy people in their family and nothing had ever happened to any of the Bagginses. And everyone could guess in advance what some Baggins would answer to this or that question. However, our story is about how one of the Baggins went crazy and, without knowing why, began to say and do things truly incredible. Perhaps after this he lost the respect of his neighbors, but he gained... - however, you will soon find out whether he gained anything.

Mother of our hobbit... Oh, by the way, who are hobbits? After all, today hobbits are very rare and diligently avoid Hulks (this is the nickname they gave to people), so it probably doesn’t hurt to describe them, at least in general outline. These are small creatures, waist-high as an adult. But they are not dwarves: hobbits will be shorter, and they never had beards. They don’t practice magic, but they know how to hide in the blink of an eye if Hulks appear nearby, stomping like elephants. Hobbits are prone to being overweight and wear clothes bright colors, preferring mainly yellow and green; They walk barefoot - they don’t need shoes, because the leather on their feet is stronger than the sole of a shoe, and their feet are covered on top with thick reddish fur, which warms them in the cold; Hobbits have long and sensitive fingers, good-natured faces, and they laugh heartily (especially after they have eaten, and they eat often and in large quantities). Well, now you know enough about hobbits, and I can continue.

As I have already said, the mother of our hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, was the famous Belladonna Took, one of the three daughters of the hobbit Took, who lived in the Riverside, beyond the small river that flows at the foot of the Steep. Neighbors said that long ago one of Old Took's ancestors married an elf. This, of course, is complete absurdity, but still there was something about the Tooks that was not at all hobbit-like, and from time to time the Tooks’ relatives, or even they themselves, found adventures for themselves. Sometimes some of them disappeared to God knows where, and the rest, when they began to question them, stubbornly remained silent, pretending that they were not talking about anything like that - not in the slightest... In general, the Tuks, although they were richer, were respected less in the Hobbitan than Baggins.

Fortunately, Belladonna Took married Mr. Bungo Baggins in time, and adventures passed her by. Bango, Bilbo's father, dug for his wife (partly with money from her dowry) such a luxurious hole, with which all others could not be compared, be it on Krucha, in Istorbinka or in the Riverside. They lived in this hole until the end of their days. Perhaps Bilbo Baggins, the only offspring of the venerable Belladonna, in appearance an exact copy of his good-natured and easy-going father, inherited from his mother this very Tukovsky feature, which was only waiting for the right time to manifest itself in all its glory. However... Bilbo grew up happily, became a respected hobbit in the prime of his life (he was already approaching fifty), but the right time still did not come. And only when it began to seem that Mr. Baggins would sit in his hole until the end of his days, a significant event occurred.

By some chance, one quiet morning - in those days there was less noise, more greenery, and hobbits multiplied and prospered - Bilbo Baggins, having had a hearty snack, stood at the door of his abode, smoking a long wooden pipe, the stem almost resting on his feet , the fur of which was neatly combed. And then he saw Gandalf. Oh, this Gandalf! When you heard even a quarter of what I heard about him (and I heard only a small fraction of what there was to hear), you would immediately understand that a truly wonderful story awaits you. Everywhere Gandalf visited, the most incredible tales were told about him. He has not appeared in the Hobbit since his friend Old Took died, and the current generation of hobbits has almost forgotten what he was like. After all, Gandalf left Krucha and retired to unknown lands, beyond the Riverside, back at the time when they were mere fools.

Bilbo, not thinking of anything bad, good-naturedly watched the strangely dressed old man. Gandalf wore a long gray cloak with a silver scarf and a tall, pointed, slightly tattered blue hat. The outfit was completed with huge black boots. The old man clutched a staff in his hand.

“Good morning,” greeted Bilbo. After all, the morning really couldn’t have been kinder - the sun was shining, the grass was green in the yard.

Gandalf looked closely at the hobbit, stroked his long and fluffy gray beard and knitted his bushy eyebrows that protruded from under the wide brim of his hat.

- And what does this mean? - he inquired. - Do you wish me good morning or do you want to say that it was good before I arrived? Or are you hinting that everything is fine with you and you wouldn’t mind chatting?

“And this, and that, and the third,” responded Bilbo. - Take a seat, good sir. On a morning like this, it’s simply a shame not to smoke a pipe in the fresh air. I have excellent tobacco. Help yourself. There is no hurry, the whole day is ahead. “Bilbo sat down on a bench, crossed his legs and blew out a wonderful ring of smoke. The breeze picked him up and pulled him towards the Riverside.

“Thank you for the invitation,” said Gandalf. “But I don’t have time to deal with trifles.” I must find someone who agrees to go on adventures with me. Unfortunately, no one agrees yet.

– We found where to look, in our area! The people here are quiet, peaceful... Personally, I have no need for adventure at all, there is something so alarming and uncomfortable in them... It's a pity that you were late for breakfast. If I had known that you were coming, I would have treated you to great glory.

Bilbo blew out a larger smoke ring than before, stuck his finger in his suspenders, and began to look through his morning mail, pretending that he was not at all interested in the stranger. This old man was alarming; Mr. Baggins wanted most of all for the uninvited guest to get away as quickly as possible. But he stood there, leaning on his staff, and silently looked at the hobbit. Bilbo began to get angry.

- Good morning! - he said. “We don’t need adventures.” Take a walk in Prirechye, maybe someone there will agree.

It seems that it couldn’t be clearer – the conversation is over. But the stubborn old man did not want to leave.

“What a charm your “good morning” is,” he said. “Now it means that you want to get rid of me, and until this happens, the morning will not be truly good.”

- Not at all, good sir, not at all! Sorry, I'm not sure I know your name...

- Really, good sir? Here I am your name I know perfectly well, Bilbo Baggins, and you know mine too, although you don’t remember that it’s mine. I am Gandalf, and Gandalf is me! Just think what I've lived to see - having a good morning at the door with Belladonna Took's son! It's like a wandering merchant!

- Gandalf? Wait, wait... Isn't this the same wizard Gandalf who gave Old Took the emerald cufflinks? Yes, not simple ones, but magical ones: once you fasten it, that’s it, you can’t unfasten it, no matter how hard you try, until the right word don't say anything. The same Gandalf, the master of fire fun? How, how, I remember this! - Old Took usually invited Gandalf to the Hobbitation closer to the solstice. And Gandalf always responded to his request and amused the hobbits with fireworks, which made the night as bright as day. It was wonderful! At dusk, the crackers flew into the sky and blossomed there as yellow lilies, red poppies, snow-white broom flowers... - These are miracles! You are the same Gandalf, because of whom so many hobbits left home and went to God knows where! They say that you invited them to visit the elves - to climb trees, swim in boats... You really confused everyone with your tall tales. There are dragons and goblins 1
Goblins - in English folklore - creatures similar to people, but ugly, evil, live in caves.

Saved princesses, fearless warriors... We humbly thank you, we don’t need this. I apologize, of course, but I didn’t even think you were still alive.

- What will happen to me? – the magician grinned. - I'm glad you remembered me. My fireworks, anyway. Anything is better than nothing. Respecting the memory of your grandfather Old Took and your mother Belladonna, I give you what you asked for.

- Well, forgive me generously, I didn’t ask for anything.

- Really? You have already asked me for forgiveness twice. So, I’ll give it to you. I’ll be honest, I wandered into this distance just for you. Come with me. This adventure promises to be amusing for me and useful for you - and very profitable. Agree, my dear.

- Sorry! I don’t need any adventures, thank you! Just not today! Good morning! Please come for tea... You are welcome! Tomorrow. Yes, come tomorrow. Best wishes. - With these words the hobbit hurriedly ducked behind the round green door. True, he immediately regretted his haste. Still rude. And with sorcerers, you know, it’s better to be more polite: never mind, they’ll get angry.

- And why did I invite him to tea? - Mr. Baggins asked himself sadly, heading to the pantry. He had only recently had breakfast, but he felt that he needed a snack—to chew on his fright, so to speak.

And Gandalf, having laughed it off, went to the door and with the end of his staff drew a strange sign on it. Then he turned and walked away. Meanwhile, Bilbo, finishing the second pie, gradually calmed down and was already mentally congratulating himself on how cleverly he got rid of the terrible adventure.

By the next morning the hobbit - he was so frivolous - had almost forgotten about Gandalf. He usually wrote down all the important things that needed to be done on a special tablet. If he hadn't been scared half to death the day before, he might have written down something like: "Gandalf, tea, Wednesday." And so - Bilbo got so excited that he completely forgot about his useful habit.

It's time to drink tea. Then the doorbell rang furiously, and Bilbo remembered! He put the pot on the fire, took out a second cup and saucer, put two more pies on the plate and ran to the door.

“I'm sorry for keeping you waiting,” was what he was going to say to Gandalf.

But it turned out that it was not Gandalf who came at all. A dwarf was looking intently at Bilbo from the threshold! Wearing a dark green cloak with a hood, with a gray beard tucked under a gold belt. As soon as the door opened, the dwarf rushed inside as if he was being chased.

Throwing his cloak onto the nearest hook, he bowed low and said:

- Dwalin, at your service. “His eyes were unusually clear.

“Bilbo Baggins, to yours,” answered the hobbit, too amazed to ask any questions. There was silence. When it became uncomfortable to remain silent any longer, Bilbo said, “I was just about to drink tea.” Please join us. – The tea may have already cooled down, but cordiality, as you know, comes first. And then I say: what would you do if an uninvited gnome came to visit you and, without explaining anything, he hung his cloak in your hallway?

They didn't sit at the table for long. Both had just started on the third pie when the bell rang louder than before.

“I beg your pardon,” the hobbit apologized and hurried to the door.

“You have come at last,” he was going to tell Gandalf. But again it was not Gandalf. On the threshold stood a wise, venerable dwarf with a white beard and a scarlet cloak. Like the first, he burst into the hallway without asking as soon as the door swung open.

“I see they’re slowly catching up,” he said, noticing Dwalin’s dark green cloak. Having hung his on the hook, the dwarf put his hand to his chest and introduced himself: “Balin, at your service.”

“Very glad,” replied Bilbo with a sigh. Of course, it was not very polite to sigh, but he was struck by Balin’s words: “they are slowly catching up.” The hobbit loved guests, but he preferred to invite good acquaintances to his house, and not at all suspicious characters from the street. Suddenly a terrible thought occurred to the hobbit: now the dwarves will eat all the pies, and he will have nothing left. Alas, there’s no escape - the owner must treat the guests so that they leave satisfied... “Come in,” he squeezed out. -Drink tea with us.

“If my request doesn’t bother you, sir,” Balin responded, “I’d rather have beer.” However, I have nothing against pies. Especially if they contain cumin.

- As many as you like. – Bilbo himself was amazed at his answer. He went to the cellar and filled the pint glass to the brim with beer. 2
A pint is an English measure of capacity, equal to 0.57 liters.

A mug, then looked into the pantry and grabbed two wonderful pies with caraway seeds, which I personally baked for myself for the evening.

Balin and Dwalin, sitting in the hall, chatted like bosom friends (in truth, they were brothers). Bilbo put the beer and a plate of pies on the table, and then the bell rang twice in a row.

“Now it’s sure to be Gandalf,” thought Bilbo, running to the door. However, he was again deceived in his expectations. As soon as the door opened, two dwarfs jumped into the hallway - both in blue cloaks, belted with silver sashes. Their beards were the color of straw, and they held bags of tools and shovels in their hands. Bilbo decided not to be surprised.

- How can I be of assistance, good gentlemen? - he asked.

“Kili, at your service,” said one dwarf.

“And Fili,” added the second. Both took off their cloaks and bowed.

- Very nice. Bilbo Baggins. – The hobbit finally remembered his good manners.

“I see Balin and Dwalin are already here,” said Kili. - The company is gathering.

"Company? – Mr. Baggins repeated mentally. - Oh, I don’t like this at all. Perhaps we should sit in a corner, drink something and think.”

As soon as he took a sip from the mug, four dwarves, meanwhile, sat around the table, talking about mines and gold, about fights with goblins and dragons, and about something else completely incomprehensible to a simple hobbit, about something clearly adventurous - the bell began to ring again, so loudly, as if some worthless little hobbit was trying to tear it off.

“It looks like there are four at once,” Fili noted. - Well, yes, we saw them along the way.

The poor hobbit ran out into the hallway and sat down straight on the floor, clasping his head in his hands. What is this? Are they all going to stay for lunch? The bell rang again, even louder, and Bilbo went to open it. There were not four guests, but five. As soon as the door was opened a crack, everyone found themselves inside. One after another they bowed and said: “At your service.” The names of the newly arrived dwarves were Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin and Gloin. Soon two crimson cloaks, gray, brown and white, were already hanging on hooks, and the owners of the cloaks headed into the hall. And indeed the company. Some ordered ale, some ordered porter, some ordered coffee, and everyone unanimously demanded pies. The hobbit was very busy for some time.

A large jug of coffee was placed by the fire; The cumin pies ran out, and the dwarves began to eat flatbreads with butter. And then there was a loud knock. Someone beat him roughly with a stick - boom-boom-boom! - by the wonderful green door.

Bilbo was angry and at the same time completely confused - he had never had such a confused day. He ran to open it. When the door swung open, four gnomes burst into the hallway, making a pile of mala. And on the threshold, leaning on his unchanging staff, stood a satisfied Gandalf. There was a deep dent on the door, but the sign drawn by the magician the day before had miraculously disappeared.

“Be careful, Mr. Baggins,” said the sorcerer. - Come on, is that you, Bilbo? First you keep your friends at the door, and then you open the door without warning... Let me introduce you to Bifur, Bofur, Bombur and, of course, Thorin.

“At your service,” Bifur, Bofur and Bombur said in unison, standing in a row.

The dwarves hung two yellow cloaks on free hooks, one light green and one sky blue with a long silver tassel. The last cloak belonged to Thorin, a very important dwarf who was none other than the great Thorin Oakshield himself. Thorin was clearly angry, probably because he had entered the house in such an inappropriate manner, and at the very bottom, under Bifur, Bofur and fat Bombur. At first he maintained a gloomy silence, but when Mr. Baggins apologized for the hundredth time, Thorin changed his anger to mercy, muttered: “Let's forget about it,” and stopped frowning.

“Everything is assembled,” said Gandalf, glancing at the cloaks on the hooks. – A cheerful company has arrived! I hope those who are late won't go hungry? What do we have there? Tea? No, thank you. I think I'll have some red wine.

“Me too,” Thorin supported.

- And I’ll have raspberry jam and Apple pie, added Bifur.

“And I’ll have a sweet cheese pie,” Bofur ordered.

“And I’ll have pork pie and salad,” said Bombur.

- And we still have pies, ale and coffee! - the other dwarves shouted.

Bilbo trudged into the pantry.

- Please, grab a couple more eggs! - Gandalf shouted after him. – And don’t forget the cold chicken and all kinds of pickles!

“He seems to know the contents of my storerooms as well as I do!” - thought the completely confused Mr. Baggins. Is this really the adventure the sorcerer spoke about? Collecting and placing bottles and dishes, glasses and plates, cutlery and food on trays, the hobbit became exhausted, his face turning purple from running around. Finally he got angry.

- What a nasty bunch of people these gnomes are! – he said loudly. - No, to help!

And then the door to the closet swung open. Balin and Dwalin, Fili and Kili appeared on the threshold. Before the hobbit had time to gasp, they snatched the trays from his hands and rushed back to the hall, grabbing two small tables from the hallway on the way - just in case.

Gandalf sat at the head of the table, surrounded by thirteen dwarves, and Bilbo perched on a stool by the hearth. He gnawed on a cookie (oddly enough, all his appetite had disappeared somewhere) and pretended, rather unsuccessfully, that what was happening was not strange to him, that he had long been accustomed to this. The dwarves ate and ate, talked and talked, and time passed. Finally they fell away from the table. Bilbo stood up to collect the plates.

- I assume you will have dinner with me? – he inquired in the most polite tone he could muster.

“Of course,” Thorin responded. “We can talk about business in the evening, but now it would be nice to listen to music... Come on, one or two!”

He himself remained sitting at the table and continued to talk about something with Gandalf, and the rest of the dwarves jumped up in unison. Having built tall columns from dirty dishes, each of which was topped with a bottle, they rushed with them to the kitchen, and the poor hobbit ran around, squeaking in fear: “Please, be careful! Don’t worry, I’ll do it myself!” Making fun of him, the dwarfs sang:

Hit the dishes! Break the glass!
Hit the plates and bottles!
Out of spite for Bilbo Baggins
Bend the knives, ruin the forks!
We are the whole house upside down,
Table, benches, stools!
And then every gnome
Throw some leftovers in his bed!
A pot and a poker!
Where's my big stick?
There is no stick - hit with your foot,
After all, it’s not ours, we don’t mind!
Out of spite for Bilbo Baggins...
Hey, take it easy - there's glass here! 3
The poems are translated by V. G. Tikhomirov.

Of course, they didn’t do anything so terrible; While the unfortunate hobbit was spinning around like an eel in the middle of the kitchen, trying to see what was actually going on, all the dishes were washed and placed on the shelves safe and sound, and all this was done in the blink of an eye. Then everyone returned to the hall and saw that Thorin, with his feet on the fireplace grate, was sitting with a pipe in his mouth. He released thick rings of smoke that scattered around the room, whichever way - at Thorin's request: crawling up the fireplace, climbing behind the clock on the shelf, hiding under the table, or simply circling under the ceiling; but they moved too slowly to elude Gandalf. Puff! – the sorcerer puffed on his short clay pipe, released a ring of smoke, and it slipped through all of Thorin’s rings. Then it turned green, returned to the magician and fluttered above his head. And since he was already covered in smoke rings, he looked somehow otherworldly, even witchcraft. Bilbo stood and watched as if enchanted - he also liked to blow rings; and suddenly he blushed, remembering that just yesterday he was proud of his pathetic rings.

“Now the music,” Thorin said. - Carry the tools.

The gnomes ran into the hallway. Kili and Fili rummaged in their bags and took out small violins; Dori, Nori and Ori took out flutes from under their cloaks; Bombur rolled the drum; Bifur and Bofur returned with clarinets, which they apparently left there in the hallway, along with their traveling staves. Dwalin and Balin said in unison: “Sorry, I’ll be right there.” And Thorin, turning to them, asked: “Then bring it to me too.” They brought two viols, each the size of a dwarf, and Thorin's harp, wrapped in green cloth. It was a wonderful golden harp; As soon as Thorin touched its strings, music began to sound, unexpectedly so beautiful that Bilbo forgot about everything in the world and seemed to find himself in strange lands under an unknown star, far, far from the Riverside and from his precious Bag-on-the-Krucha.

It was already dusk outside, and the dwarves were still playing and playing, and on the wall, Gandalf’s bearded shadow swayed to the beat of the music.

It became completely dark, the fire in the hearth went out, and the dwarves continued to play. And suddenly they started singing - one started, and soon the others joined him; This is how their ancestors sang in their caves. This is what the dwarves sang (if, of course, poetry without music can be called a song):

It's time for us to go! Time to go home!

A great treasure lies, cursed,
Treasures lie piled high!
And our grandfathers and fathers
Blacksmiths did magic there,
And sometimes under that Mountain
It was as if bells were ringing.
Stones in the hilt of a sword
They set them straight, the light was contained in them, -
The Elven prince looked, marveling,
On a sword that burns like a candle.
The star one was suitable for rings,
Dragon fire - for the crown,
A Moonlight- in any subject,
And the sage caught the light in the net.
It's time for us to go! Time to go home!
There, behind the mountains, there, under the Mountain,
A great treasure lies, cursed,
Treasures lie piled high!
There, in the depths, far from everyone,
Harps, songs, laughter sounded -
Neither man nor elf forever
They didn’t know about those songs...
The pine trees hummed in the wind,
The winds roared in the Jurassic,
The fire was red and the forest was burning,
Like a hot fire.
The alarm sounds over the city,
And the townspeople look up:
The dragon is flying, he will destroy
Houses and towers - everything in a row.
The mountain is smoking, every dwarf
I heard footsteps like thunder:
The dragon has come - he will destroy
The whole family and ours will take over the house!
It's time for us to go! Time to go home!
There, behind the mountains, there, under the Mountain,
A great treasure lies, cursed,
Treasures lie piled high!

While the dwarves sang, it seemed to the hobbit that a love for beautiful things, man-made or created by magic, was gradually pouring into him, a fierce and jealous love, the eternal torment of the dwarfs' hearts. And suddenly the thirst for wandering inherited from the Tuks awakened in him, and he wanted to go on a journey with the dwarves, wanted to see the Great Mountains with his own eyes, hear the rustle of pine trees and the roar of waterfalls, go down into caves, carry a sword instead of a club... Bilbo looked out the window. Stars sparkled above the dark forest, reminding the hobbit of the semi-precious stones of the gnomes. Suddenly a flame shot up in the forest - someone must have lit a fire - and Bilbo thought that it was a dragon flying here to burn Krucha. He shuddered and became himself again - the old Mr. Baggins from Baggins-on-Kruche. (You must have already guessed that Bilbo was only pretending to be an ordinary hobbit - both in front of others and in front of himself: in fact, all sorts of fables, like those that Gandalf brought to the Hobbit, were much dearer to him than everyday worries and everyday troubles. )

He stood up. Actually, the hospitable host should have brought a lamp - and inner voice persistently advised to leave the room, supposedly to get a lamp, and not to return again until the gnomes had gone home. After all, you can hide in the cellar behind the beer kegs... Suddenly Bilbo realized that the music had died down and that all the dwarves were looking at him carefully, their eyes glowing in the darkness.

-Where are you going? – Thorin asked in such a tone as if he had guessed the hobbit’s intentions.

– How about the light? – Bilbo said pleadingly.

– We like the dark! - the gnomes began to shout. - Dark things must be done in the dark. It's time before it's dawn.

- As you say. “Bilbo sat down hastily. But since he sat down at random, he missed and sat down on the fireplace grate instead of a chair. There was a crash and a poker and dustpan fell to the floor.

- Shh! - Gandalf hissed. Let Thorin speak.

And Thorin began:

- Gandalf, the dwarves and Mr. Baggins! We gathered in our house good friend and a companion, very outstanding in all respects and an undaunted hobbit - may the hair never fall out on his feet! May his wine and ale be famous! “He took a breath, apparently expecting words of gratitude from Bilbo, but these dubious pleasantries completely left the hobbit speechless. After waiting in vain for some time, Thorin continued: “We met to discuss our intentions and decide what our further actions would be.” Soon, even before daylight, we have to go to long haul. It is very likely that some of us may not return from this journey at all; some - or even all of us, except, of course, our old friend and adviser, the skilled sorcerer Gandalf. Our goal, I believe, is well known to everyone. But for the venerable Mr. Baggins and for the young dwarves - say, for Fili and Kili, I think they will not be offended by me - perhaps I need to explain something, at least briefly...

Thorin was all in those words. If he was not interrupted, he could continue in the same vein as long as he could breathe, managing to say absolutely nothing new. But now Thorin was rudely interrupted. Poor Bilbo couldn't stand it. The phrase “we may not return” finished off the hobbit. A scream arose inside him, which very soon burst out - like a whistle bursting out of the chimney of a steam locomotive. The dwarves jumped up in unison and drummed their fists on the table. Gandalf raised his staff, at the end of which a blue light flashed, and everyone saw that the hobbit was kneeling on the rug in front of the hearth and trembling from head to toe. As soon as he saw the light at the end of the staff, Bilbo fell backwards shouting: “Lightning! Lightning!" Attempts to bring the hobbit to his senses were unsuccessful. Then the gnomes carried Mr. Baggins into the living room, laid him on the sofa and put a glass of water next to him, and they themselves returned to their dark affairs.

“I’m worried, poor fellow,” said Gandalf when everyone sat down at the table again. “Things happen to him, but he really is one of the best.” Fierce like an angry dragon.

If you've ever seen an angry dragon, you've already guessed that the magician exaggerated slightly. To put it bluntly, Old Took’s great-great-grandfather, Bullborer, who was so tall for a hobbit that he could even climb onto a horse without outside help, did not deserve such a comparison. At the Battle of the Green Fields, Bullbear fought his way single-handedly through the ranks of the goblins of Mount Graham and struck off the head of their leader, Golfimbul, with his club. After flying a hundred yards through the air, Golfimbul's head fell to the ground and rolled into a rabbit hole. Thus the victory was won and the game of golf was invented.

Meanwhile, the timid descendant of Bykobor gradually recovered, drank some water and carefully approached the door to the hall. They talked about him there.

- Ha! – said Gloin (the dwarf’s tone expressed extreme contempt). - Do you think he can handle it? Gandalf is free to talk about his ferocity, but one such cry will be enough to awaken the dragon and destroy us all. In my opinion, he screamed out of fear, and not at all from joy. If it weren't for your mark on the door, Gandalf, I would have decided that we were in the wrong house. As soon as I saw this fat weirdo, doubts began to overcome me. He looks more like a grocer than a breadwinner.

Then Mr. Baggins opened the door and slipped into the hall. The wanderlust inherited from the Tuks took over. He suddenly realized that he could do just fine without a soft bed and a second breakfast, if only they really considered him as fierce as a dragon. And he was offended and angry at the “fat weirdo.”

Then Bilbo more than once regretted his decision and repeated to himself: “What a fool you are, my dear! Well, why did you go there?” But that was later.

“I beg your pardon,” he said with dignity. - I accidentally overheard your conversation... Honestly, I don’t understand what you’re talking about, what kind of earners, but you really made a mistake with me. I'll prove it to you. I just painted my door a week ago, there are no marks on it, and you are clearly in the wrong place. As soon as I saw your alien faces, I doubted... Well, oh well. Tell me what is required of me, and I will try to do it, even if I have to reach the eastern reaches and fight the wild werewolves in the Extreme Desert. My great-great-great-great-grandfather Bykobor...

“Let’s leave him alone,” Gloin interrupted. - What's the point of rummaging about the past? I was talking about you. As for the mark on the door, I can assure you there was one. And do you know which one? It meant: “An experienced miner is looking for Good work, with a reasonable degree of risk and solid reward." If the word “getter” confuses you, you can put it differently - say, “treasure hunter,” which is the same thing. And in general, we came here on the advice of Gandalf, he told us about you: they say, on Wednesday a certain breadwinner is having a tea party and is ready to talk about work.

They swam and swam; It was slowly getting light and getting warmer. The river rounded a steep cliff on the left along the current, at the foot of this cliff the breakers foamed. The cliff was left behind, and suddenly the forested shores disappeared somewhere! And then he saw Bilbo!

The river seemed to split into hundreds of tiny winding streams, into lakes and whirlpools dotted with islands; however, the main channel has been preserved. An endless plain stretches from edge to edge. And far ahead, a dark peak of a mountain rested against the clouds. Its nearest neighbors to the northeast were not visible from here, and it rose alone above the plain. Lonely Mountain! It would seem that the hobbit should have been happy when he saw the goal of the journey - after all, he had climbed so far, overcome so many obstacles to get to this mountain - but at first glance he did not like it (and this is putting it mildly).

Listening to the chatter of the raftsmen, Bilbo realized that he was very lucky to be able to see the Lonely Mountain - even from such a distance.

It turned out that happiness smiled on them and the gnomes (poor, poor gnomes) much more widely than they realized. The raftsmen talked about river trade, about how everyone uses the river - after all, the roads through Mirkwood have disappeared or cannot be passed along them; They talked about the lawsuit between people and forest elves - who should pay duties for river trade. About the fact that everything here has completely changed since the times when gnomes lived under the Mountain (now for many those times seemed like just old wives’ tales). And even the news about local affairs that I received in last years Gandalf, are already pretty outdated. The rains muddied the river, several earthquakes occurred (some claimed that the dragon was to blame for everything; by the way, the dragon was remembered only with a curse, nodding his head towards the Mountain), the swamps along the banks became more and more extensive, the paths disappeared one after another; foot and horsemen who set out to break new paths disappeared without a trace. The elven path, the same one that Thorin and company chose on the advice of Beorn, was no longer used by almost anyone. The river alone provided a safe route from the edge of Mirkwood to the plain in the shadow of the Lonely Mountain - as long as the river was guarded by the Elven King.

Mr. Baggins, as you can see, without suspecting it himself, chose the only road that did not promise particularly major troubles. Bilbo, who was chattering his teeth from the cold, would probably be glad to learn that the news about the fate of the dwarves had reached the ears of Gandalf and that he, having hastily completed all his affairs (they do not concern us, so we will not talk about them), hurries to Thorin’s rescue. However, the hobbit knew none of this.

He knew this: that he was hungry and terribly chilled, and the river flowed and flowed, and no city was visible, but only the gloomy Mountain was visible, creepy Mountain. The river turned south, and the Mountain, fortunately, moved somewhat away. By evening, all the streams and rivulets again merged into one mighty stream, which rushed forward with a roar between the steep rocky banks.

At sunset, at last time smoothly turning east, the forest river burst into Long Lake.

The mouth turned out to be wide, on both banks there were stone gates rising like cliffs, with pebbles piled at their feet. Long Lake! Bilbo could not even imagine that it would be truly vast - like the sea. The opposite shore was barely visible; the far, northern end was not visible at all. Bilbo remembered the map: over there, where the stars of the Cart twinkle, the Running River flows into the lake; its waters, together with the waters of the forest river, feed the Long Lake, which arose on the site of a deep gorge. At the southern end of the lake, the water again breaks out into the open and rushes into unknown lands. From there, from the south, muffled thunder could be heard in the evening silence - the roar of waterfalls.

Not far from the mouth of a forest river, in a bay protected by a rocky cape, stood a strange city, which the elves mentioned in a conversation overheard by a hobbit in wine cellars royal palace. On the shore, on land, there were only a few houses, and the city itself was built on the water - more precisely, on a wooden platform supported by many thick piles; a long bridge was thrown onto the shore. People lived in the city. These were brave people who were not afraid of the dragon. They traded with the elves who lived in the upper reaches of the river, selling them goods coming from the south, but trade now was not the same as in the old days, when the rich city of Dol flourished in the north. In those days, entire flotillas often came here, some ships delivered gold, and others brought warriors in armor; in those days wars were fought and things were done that had long since become legends. Now, during the drought, rotten pillars of the old platform protruded from the water - nothing more remained of the once great city.

However, residents of the lake city rarely remembered all this. True, some happened to sing songs about the dwarves Thror and Thrain from the Durin tribe, about the dragon, about the destruction of the glorious Valley. There were also those who composed songs about the coming return of Thror and Thrain: they say, gold will then flow from the mountain gates in a stream, and people will again settle on the plain and laughter will sound. Of course, these were just songs, beautiful tales, and treated them accordingly - as long as they didn’t interfere with business.

As soon as the raft was noticed from the city, boats immediately appeared, from which they greeted the raftsmen. Soon the barrels were taken out of the main current and driven into the bay, to the pier. Part of the container was to be taken by people from the east, and the remaining townspeople would be refilled with goods, and the elves would deliver them to their cave in the forest. In the meantime, the raft was simply tied to the pier, and the raftsmen, together with those who met them, went to the city for a feast.

If they had had a chance to see what happened on the shore at nightfall, they would probably have been amazed, if not frightened. Bilbo dragged into the shallow water the first of those barrels that were sitting especially deep in the water. Moans were heard from inside; when the lid fell into the water, an exhausted gnome climbed out of the barrel. Wet straw stuck out in his disheveled beard, his gaze was wild, like that of a dog who had been chained up and then ignored for a whole week; The dwarf's legs gave way - somehow making his way to the shore, he collapsed on his back with a groan. It turned out to be Thorin Oakshield, but he could only be recognized by his gold chain and his cap with a silver tassel, once sky blue, but now dirty and torn. The journey in the barrel had so exhausted Thorin that he did not immediately understand who was standing in front of him, and his first words were not very polite.

Are you alive or not, my sir Thorin? - Bilbo got angry. He probably just forgot that he himself had time to eat and breathe enough fresh air that his arms and legs were not numb. - Finally understand, we are free! If you still want to get your treasure - it is yours, not mine - then rub your feet and help me free the others while no one sees us.

Of course, Thorin heeded the voice of reason, stood up with a groan and began to help the hobbit. The two of them quickly found the necessary barrels. Only six responded to the knocking and shouts. Floundering in the cold water, Bilbo and Thorin released them, and the dwarves trudged ashore. Clearly no one was going to thank him for the rescue.

Balin and Dwalin suffered more than the others, and one could not count on them. Bifur and Bofur, although they suffered less, simply lay down on the shore and refused to do anything. But Fili and Kili smiled - they groaned, but they smiled. It must be that the young people don’t care (after all, for the dwarves these two were still very young); Or maybe there was plenty of straw in their barrels and they hardly hurt themselves - just a couple of bruises and three scratches.

There must have been apples in that barrel before,” Feeley said. - I smelled of them all over. What a mockery - you’re as hungry as a dog, you’re completely chilled and you can’t even move, and here you smell like apples! Now I won’t be able to look at apples for the rest of my days!

Fili and Kili came to the aid of Thorin and Bilbo. With the four of us things went faster. Soon the other six were found. Poor Bombur was either asleep or unconscious; Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin and Gloin almost drowned in their vessels. One by one they were carefully carried to shore.

“Well, everything is assembled,” said Thorin. - Looks like we were born under a lucky star; besides, it doesn’t hurt us to thank Mr. Baggins. He has the right to hope for our gratitude, although personally I would prefer a more... um... quiet way of transportation. At your service, Mr. Baggins! Now it would be nice to eat and rest... By the way, what are we going to do?

“Let’s go into town,” answered Bilbo. - Don't sit on the shore.

Leaving the others to gather strength, Thorin, Bilbo, Fili and Kili moved along the shore towards the bridge. There was a guard booth at the entrance to the bridge, but the watch there was not very vigilant, because, by and large, there was no one to guard the city from. The inhabitants of Esgaroth were friends with the forest elves, and disagreements - such as litigation over who should pay to whom - had almost no effect on this friendship. No one else lived nearby; it even got to the point that some youths publicly declared that they did not believe these stories about the dragon - and made fun of the old men who claimed that they had seen Smaug in their youth. It is not surprising, therefore, that the guards were having fun in their booth and did not hear either how the gnomes climbed ashore, or how the four scouts approached the bridge. Imagine their surprise when Thorin crossed the threshold of the booth.

Who is this? What do you need? - the guards shouted, grabbing their weapons.

I am Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King of the Undermountain Kingdom! - the dwarf answered proudly.

Despite his tattered clothes and dirty cap, he truly looked like a king. There was a sparkle on his chest gold chain, the look was gloomy and firm. - I'm back and I want to see your mayor.

What started here! The guards ran around, began to fuss, the most clueless ones jumped out, expecting to see the Mountain that had suddenly turned golden and the waters of the lake colored yellow.

The captain of the guard stepped forward.

And who is this? - he asked, pointing to Fili and Kili and Bilbo.

“The sons of my father’s daughter,” Thorin answered, “Fili and Kili from the Darin tribe, as well as Mr. Baggins, who came with us from the west.”

If you come in peace, said the captain, leave your weapons here.

“We have no weapons,” Thorin responded. It was true: the elves took everything - both the knives and the Orcrist. Bilbo didn't mention his blade just in case. “We don’t need it, we didn’t come with enmity, but as friends.” Besides, fighting an entire city would be madness. Take us to the mayor.

“He’s at a feast,” the captain explained.

Especially! - Fili, tired of the ceremonies, intervened. - Don't you see - we can barely stand on our feet from fatigue and hunger! And our comrades are waiting on the shore, who didn’t even have the strength to stand up. Lead, otherwise the mayor will give you a beating later.

Follow me,” the captain ordered. Accompanied by six guards, the dwarves and the hobbit walked across the bridge to the city market. It was located in the city center. Houses on high platforms lined up in an arc, surrounding the water surface; from them many ladders descended to the water; wooden parapets stretched along the embankment. One of the mansions sparkled with lights, and a roar of voices could be heard from there. The squad headed there. Having crossed the threshold, everyone froze, blinded by the bright light.

Before the captain of the guard could utter a word, Thorin exclaimed:

I am Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror, King of the Undermountain Kingdom! I'm back!

Everyone jumped up. The mayor jumped from his enormous chair. The most astonished of all were the raft elves sitting at the lower end of the table. Having pushed their way to the city governor, they started talking vying with each other:

These are the prisoners of our king! We put them in prison because they walked around our forest without permission and annoyed us in every possible way. And how did they manage to escape?

This is true? - the mayor asked Thorin. He himself would rather trust the elves than some vagabond who declares himself the heir of the Undermountain Kingdom. Did it even exist, this very kingdom?

Almost,” replied Thorin. - The King of the Elves detained us on false charges. But neither bars nor bolts are an obstacle to a just cause! And then, since when have elves ruled the Long Lake? I am addressing the city ruler of Esgaroth, and not the raftsmen of the elven king!

The city ruler looked from Thorin to the elves and back. He did not at all want to quarrel with the Elven King, who was a powerful lord; he didn’t listen too much to all sorts of songs, fortunately he had other, more important things to do - trade, duties, goods from the south, and the like. But the city residents thought differently, and soon everything was decided by itself, without the participation of the city governor. The news of the return of the dwarves quickly spread throughout Esgaroth. Excited exclamations were heard everywhere, crowds gathered in the streets. Someone sang an ancient song about the return of the king; no one cared that Thror's grandson had returned, and not Thror himself. Others picked it up, and the song flew over the lake:

The rightful king will come, Prince of silver fountains, With throne and crown He will accept power and rejoice. In their golden chambers He will tune the harp in the old way, And songs among the gold, As of old, they will sound again. Boron will grow along the slopes, The grass is as tall as before The silver gushes like a fountain, And a river of gold flows. And from the Mountain to the Sea The whole earth will rejoice, Not knowing more grief Welcome to the king!

In fact, the song was much longer; it was sung to the sounds of harps and violins and loud screams. Everything was mixed up. To tell the truth, even the most decrepit grandfather in Esgaroth would not have remembered such turmoil. The forest elves became thoughtful and even a little scared. Maybe their king really was wrong? The mayor realized that he had no choice but to submit to the general opinion and pretend that he believed that Thorin was who he said he was. So he sat Thorin in his chair. Fili and Kili sat next to each other. Bilbo also found a place at the table; Oddly enough, they didn’t ask him about anything, and no one demanded that the dwarves explain who this little guy was.

A little later, the rest of the dwarves were brought to Esgaroth. They were greeted with no less delight. First they fed everyone, then they smeared drugs on their scratches and bruises, and then they put them in spacious house- in a word, the reception was most cordial. Boats with rowers were always ready at the service of Thorin and company, and a huge crowd seethed under the windows of the house day and night; people had fun, sang songs and directly roared in ecstasy, as soon as one of the gnomes appeared at the window.

The songs were different - both old and completely new. The new ones spoke of the death of the dragon and of ships hurrying down the river with rich gifts from the new King-under-the-Mountain. These songs were composed mainly at the insistence of the city ruler; the dwarves didn’t really like them, but they had to endure it. They rushed around with travelers like they were carrying a sack. During the week, the gnomes had a good meal and rested, trimmed and combed their beards, put on dresses of their favorite colors and walked around with proud gait. Thorin looked as if he had already gained his inherited kingdom by chopping Smaug into small pieces.

The dwarves treated the little hobbit better day by day. They drank to his health, patted him on the back in a friendly manner, no longer grumbled or scolded him for every little thing - in a word, they took care of him in every possible way, which was very useful, since Bilbo was not in the mood for fun. The mere thought of the terrible Mountain, under which the dragon also lay, made him tremble; In addition, he had a terrible cold. For three days in a row the hobbit did not go outside, and all his speeches at feasts consisted of one phrase:

Baoe paibo!

By that time, the raftsmen had returned to Mirkwood, and a real commotion began in the royal palace. I don’t know what happened to the commander of the guard and the cupbearer, but I think they got into trouble. Of course, out of caution, the dwarves did not say a word about the stolen keys or the journey in barrels, and Bilbo wisely did not put on the ring. Speculation and rumors multiplied, but nothing was certain; except that none of the elves doubted the involvement of the mysterious Mr. Baggins in the escape. Be that as it may, now the elf king knew where the dwarves were going and why.

Great, he said to himself. - We'll see. No one will carry any treasures through the forest without my consent. And in my opinion, the gnomes will not return. The dragon will eat them whole - and rightly so! - The king did not believe one bit that the dwarves seriously wanted to fight the dragon. They were probably planning to rob Smaug or something like that. And all this once again proves how much wiser elves are than people! (However, you will soon see that the king was not entirely right in his suspicions.) The Lord of the Elves sent scouts throughout the Wilderness and began to wait.

By the end of the second week of the dwarves' stay in Esgaroth, Thorin began to think about continuing the campaign. Before the delight of the townspeople has time to cool down, we must ask for help. There is no need to hesitate. Therefore, having seized the right moment, Thorin informed the city governor and his advisers that he and his companions would soon go to the Mountain.

The mayor was incredibly surprised. What if, he thought, Thorin really is a descendant of ancient kings? After all, he did not believe that the aliens were actually going to penetrate under the Mountain and defeat Smaug; he considered them scammers who would reveal themselves sooner or later. But you and I know how wrong he was. Thorin was truly the grandson of Thror, and as for the trip to the Lonely Mountain, no one knows what a dwarf, burning with a thirst for revenge or eager to return his property, is capable of.

However, the city ruler did not regret the departure of the gnomes. It was burdensome to maintain them; and besides, the appearance of uninvited guests turned the life of the townspeople into an endless holiday, causing all business to come to a standstill. “Let them go,” he thought. “We’ll see how Smaug greets them.”

“Of course, O Thorin, son of Thrain, son of Thror,” said the city ruler. - I understand you perfectly. Since you say that the time is near when the ancient prophecy will be fulfilled, it means that it is so. We will provide you with all possible assistance and believe that you will not forget about this when you gain your throne.

And so, despite the late autumn with its piercing winds, three ships were equipped in Esgaroth to row up the Running River. On board were the dwarves, Mr. Baggins and substantial supplies of provisions. The horses and ponies were sent in a roundabout way, having agreed to meet the drivers at the appointed place. From the steps of the town hall, the city governor and his advisers wished the travelers good luck. The townspeople sang and waved their hands. The white oars sank into the water with a splash, and the ships slowly moved away from the pier. Thus began the last leg of the journey to the Lonely Mountain. Everyone rejoiced noisily, and only Bilbo did not share the general joy.

Hobbits are a cheerful, but at the same time thorough little people. They are just like people, only half as tall as we are, and their legs are overgrown with hair, and they live not in houses, but in “holes” - comfortable dwellings dug in the ground. Their country is called Shire, and both people and elves live around it - very similar to people, but noble and immortal. And in the mountains live long-bearded gnomes, masters of stone and metal. So, our hobbit's name is Bilbo Baggins; This is a wealthy middle-aged hobbit, a gourmet and a songwriter. One fine day, his friend, the kind and powerful wizard Gandalf, passing him off as a professional thief, sends thirteen dwarves to him so that he can help the dwarves take away their treasures from a fire-breathing dragon. Many years ago, a dragon captured their cave city and lay there on a pile of treasures; it is unknown how to get to it, and the road to the distant mountains is difficult and dangerous, it is guarded by goblins and giant trolls. And what’s even worse is that these ferocious and infinitely cruel creatures are subordinate to the powerful ruler of the Dark Kingdom, the enemy of all that is good and bright.

Why did the wizard send the meek Bilbo on such a dangerous journey? It seems that the hobbits were chosen by providence to fight the Dark Kingdom - but this will be revealed much later, but for now the expedition led by Gandalf sets off. The dwarves and the hobbit almost die when they meet the trolls; Gandalf saves them by turning the robbers to stone, but the next ambush in the goblin cave is much more dangerous. Twice, three times, fierce goblins attack the company, the dwarves flee the dungeon, leaving Bilbo lying unconscious in the darkness.

This is where the real story begins, which will be continued in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Poor Bilbo comes to his senses and crawls through the tunnel on all fours, not knowing where. His hand comes across a cold object - a metal ring, and he automatically puts it in his pocket. He crawls further and feels for water. Here, on an island in the middle of an underground lake, Gollum has been living for many years - a bipedal creature the size of a hobbit, with huge glowing eyes and flipper-like legs. Gollum eats fish; sometimes he manages to catch the goblin. Having examined Bilbo in the darkness, he swims up to the hobbit in a boat, they introduce themselves. Alas, Bilbo says his name... Gollum would like to eat Bilbo, but he is armed with a sword, and they begin to play riddles: if the hobbit wins, Gollum will lead him to the exit from the dungeon. It turns out they both love riddles. Bilbo wins, but not entirely honestly, asking: “What’s in my pocket?”

Gollum lost the ring in his pocket. This is a magical Ring of Power, the creation of the Lord of the Dark Kingdom, but neither Gollum nor Bilbo know about it. Gollum only knows that he loves “his charm” more than anything in the world and that by putting it on his finger, he becomes invisible and can hunt goblins. Having discovered the loss, Gollum rushes at Bilbo in a rage, and he, while running away, accidentally puts on the Ring. Becomes invisible, eludes Gollum and catches up with his company.

They move further towards the mountains. Giant eagles, friends of the wizard, save them from the pursuit of goblins, soon after this Gandalf leaves the dwarves and Bilbo - he has his own affairs, and without him the company gets into trouble over and over again. Either they are almost eaten by giant spiders, or they are captured by forest elves, and each time Bilbo helps everyone out: he puts on a ring and becomes invisible. Truly a homebody hobbit turned out to be a godsend for the gnomes... Finally, after many adventures, the company climbs into the mountains, to the lost possessions of the gnomes, and begins to look for a secret door leading to the dungeon. They search for a long time, unsuccessfully, until Bilbo, on a whim, discovers the entrance.

The time comes to go inside, to explore, and the cautious dwarves want Bilbo to do this, promise him a rich share of the spoils - and he goes. Not because of the money, I think, but because of the thirst for adventure that awoke in him.

In the darkness of the dungeon, a crimson light glows. A huge, reddish-golden dragon reclines in a cave on piles of treasure, snoring, emitting smoke from its nostrils. He sleeps, and the brave hobbit steals a huge golden cup. The gnomes' delight knows no bounds, but the dragon, having discovered the loss, in a rage burns the surroundings of their camp, kills their ponies... What to do?

Bilbo climbs into the cave again, starts a conversation with the dragon from a safe hiding place and, through cunning, finds out that the monster’s diamond shell has a hole in its chest. And when he tells the dwarves about this, the wise old blackbird hears him.

Meanwhile, the dragon is furious at the hobbit's annoying advances. He takes to the air again to burn out the only human city remaining at the foot of the mountains. But there he is struck by a black arrow from Bard, the captain of the archers, a descendant of the kings of this country: the wise blackbird managed to retell Bilbo’s words to the captain.

The events don't end there. The quarrelsome leader of the dwarves quarrels with Bilbo, Bard and even Gandalf over trifles; it almost comes to a battle, but at that time an invasion of goblins and werewolves begins. Humans, elves and dwarves unite against them and win the battle. Bilbo finally goes home to the Shire, having refused the fourteenth share of the dwarven treasure that was promised to him - to transport such wealth would require a whole caravan and an army to guard it. He takes away two chests of gold and silver on a pony and from now on can live in complete contentment.

And the Ring of Power remains with him.

Tolkien, John Ronald Ruel, fairy tale "The Hobbit or There and Back Again"

Genre: literary magical epic tale

The main characters of the fairy tale "The Hobbit or There and Back Again" and their characteristics

Bilbo Baggins, a small but very brave hobbit. He himself was unaware of his courage until he went on a journey that turned his life upside down.
Thorin Oakenshield, brave and proud, king of the dwarves. Strives to return to his native caves or at least win treasures from the terrible dragon
Gandalf. A cunning and wise magician who saved travelers many times. He works well with flames. He constantly plays tricks and casts mystery on his actions.
Balin, Dvalin, Kili, Fili, Dori, Nori, Oin, Ori, Gloin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur. Thorin's dwarves.

The shortest summary of the fairy tale "The Hobbit or There and Back Again" for reader's diary in 6 sentences

One day the hobbit Bilbo Baggins went on a journey with the dwarves
They went a long way, fought with trolls and orcs, and in the caves of the orcs Bilbo found a magic ring.
But the mountains were behind them, and the travelers were captured by the elves, from where Bilbo rescued them.
Finally, the dwarves made their way to the Lonely Mountain, and the dragon Smaug died in battle with the inhabitants of Lake Town
Treasures overshadowed Thorin's mind and only through Bilbo's efforts did disaster not happen
The great battle of the five armies took place and Bilbo was finally able to return home.

The main idea of the fairy tale "The Hobbit or There and Back Again"
You can never say in advance what this or that person is capable of; it all depends on the circumstances in which he finds himself.

What does the fairy tale "The Hobbit or There and Back Again" teach?
The fairy tale teaches courage, bravery, courage. Teaches resourcefulness and dexterity. Teaches cunning, the ability to deceive the enemy. Teaches you to find a way out in any situation and never leave your friends in a difficult situation or in trouble. It teaches that good will still win, no matter how strong and insidious evil is.

Review of the fairy tale "The Hobbit or There and Back Again"
I really liked it, it was funny and carefree in places, and even scary tale. I read with fascination about the adventures of the little hobbit, who unexpectedly turned out to be persistent and decisive, capable of not only standing up for himself. but also to help your stronger and more experienced friends.
There are many adventures in this fairy tale, many different scary, unusual creatures, and magic reigns in it.

Proverbs for the fairy tale "The Hobbit or There and Back Again"
Gruzdev called himself get in the body.
I didn’t think of living richly, but I had to.
Keep your word, don’t run with the wind.
You won't be puzzled by the resourceful one.
Die yourself, but help your comrade.

Read summary, brief retelling fairy tales "The Hobbit or There and Back Again" by chapters:
1. Unexpected guests.
That day Bilbo met Gandalf, but since he did not immediately recognize him, he greeted him rather coolly. To put it mildly, he advised me to go through the forest.
But Gandalf did not leave. Or rather, he left to return, but not alone.
And so the next day the dwarves begin to gather to Bilbo. Not very well-mannered and clean, unceremonious, but cheerful and friendly. They eat a lot and sing songs, and then begin to discuss dark plans for the return of their native mountain and gold.
Bilbo, unwittingly, finds himself drawn into this enterprise. He finds out how the dwarves lost the Lonely Mountain, how the dragon Smough settled in it, and, filled with courage, decides to go on a journey with the dwarves under the guise of a burglar.
2. Roast lamb
The next morning, Bilbo and the dwarves set out. The weather was very rainy for July and it was not fun to go.
In the evening, the travelers discovered that Gandalf had disappeared, and then a pony ran away from them. The completely upset gnomes stopped for the night. At the same time, the dwarves notice a distant fire.
Bilbo discovers three mountain trolls who were roasting lamb. He decides to show the dwarves what a real burglar is.
But the trolls catch Bilbo, and then all the dwarves. Only the appearance of Gandalf saves the travelers, because he forces the trolls to wait for dawn, when they turn to stone.
Among the looted troll treasures, Bilbo finds himself an excellent dagger.
3. Respite.
The weather continued to gloom, and soon Gandalf announced that the travelers should stop at Rivindell, the home of the elves of Elrond.
The dwarves and Bilbo have fun in the company of the elves, and Elrond tells them about the swords discovered on the trolls.
Then Elrond finds an inscription on the map in lunar letters and says that the dwarves must arrive at the place on the day of the Last Autumn Moon, then the beam will show the location of the keyhole.
4. Over the mountain and under the mountain.
The dwarves set off further on their journey, and while crossing the mountains there was a severe thunderstorm. The dwarves found a cave and decided to wait out the bad weather in it.
But when the dwarves fell asleep, many orcs came out of a secret passage in the cave and grabbed the dwarves. Only Ganjalf, as usual, disappeared somewhere.
The orcs dragged the prisoners and soon threw them on the floor at the feet of the main orc, a huge one with a large head.
Then the orcs found a sword in the luggage - the Orc Crusher, and went into a frenzy. They wanted to tear the dwarves to pieces and Bilbo along with them, but then the light went out and the lord of the okrov fell dead with a hole in his chest.
Then the light came on and Gandalf hurried the dwarves. On the way, the dwarves had to fight with the orcs several times, and during one of the fights Bilbo fell behind.
5. Riddles in the dark
For some time, Bilbo wandered in complete darkness, picked up some kind of ring in the tunnel, and then, following the sound of drops, walked out to the shore of an underground lake.
He did not know that it was here that Gollum lived, who, of course, immediately noticed Bilbo, but could not understand who he was. Gollum swam across the lake and in a whistling whisper asked who this stranger was. Gollum addressed himself exclusively to my beauty.
Gollum and Bilbo began to play riddles. First, Gollum wished about a mountain, and Bilbo wished about teeth. Then Gollum made a wish about the wind, and Bilbo made a wish about the Sun. Then Gollum made a wish about darkness, and Bilbo made a wish about eggs. Then came a riddle about a fish and a man on a stool. Finally, Gollum made a wish about the time, and Bilbo only miraculously guessed.
Not knowing what else to ask, Bilbo asks what is in his pocket. And Gollum does not guess correctly after three attempts. Gollum angrily runs after magic ring, which was its charm. This ring could make people invisible. With his help, Gollum hopes to easily deal with Bilbo.
Not finding the ring, Gollum realizes what was in Bilbo's pocket and returns to kill him. But Bilbo accidentally puts on the ring and Gollum runs past. Pain follows Gollum and he leads him out.
Bilbo slips past the orc guards and is freed.
6. Out of the frying pan and into the fire
Bilbo was lucky. Having got out of the cave, he almost immediately found the gnomes and the wizard arguing over him. But Bilbo suddenly appeared, causing a great commotion.
He told how he escaped from the orcs and Gollum without mentioning the ring, and the respect in the eyes of the dwarves increased.
Everyone hurried to get away from the Misty Mountains before nightfall. They went down the scree and then heard the howl of wolves - these were evil wargs who were hurrying to meet the orcs, because today they were supposed to attack human villages together.
The dwarves and Gandalf quickly climbed into the trees. The wizard began throwing fire cones at the wargs, but this did not help much. And then the orcs arrived and things got really bad.
But salvation came in the form of Eagles, who became interested in the noise in the forest. They carried the travelers away and finally gave them something to eat.
7. An unprecedented haven.
The eagles carried the travelers even further from the mountains and Gandalf promised to soon introduce everyone to the werewolf Beorn, a strong and terrible man. Therefore, Gandalf introduced the dwarves to Beon one by one, which caused the giant to laugh.
Beorn sheltered the travelers and personally checked the news they brought. He liked the news of the Great Orc being killed.
Then the travelers left. And on the edge of Mirkvod it was time for them to part with Gandalf, who was going somewhere on his own business. Gandalf told them to be careful and not to leave the path.

8. Spiders and flies
The gnomes walked through the forest for a very long time, but there was no end to it. Once they even had to cross a stormy stream, in which Bombur almost drowned. Bilbo climbed trees several times, but could not see the end of the forest.
And then the gnomes began to notice the lights of the fires, around which people who looked like elves were feasting. They ran towards this fire, the fires disappeared and the dwarves completely lost their way.
And then the spiders attacked the dwarves. They quickly swaddled all the dwarves except Bilbo, who put the ring back on. Bilbo followed the spiders, and even killed one of them, and then began to distract, to lead the spiders away from the dwarves.
When the spiders were far away, Bilbo returned and freed the dwarves.
But then the spiders returned and the battle began. The dwarves soon ran out of steam, and Bilbo had to reveal his secret with the ring. He again distracted the spiders and finally the gnomes were freed.
But they lost Thorin.
And at this time Thorin was captured by the forest elves. They were not evil, but they did not like aliens and did not trust them. Therefore, when Thorin refused to answer their questions, they put him in prison.
9. Free in barrels
But the rest of the gnomes, as soon as they escaped from the spiders, were also caught by the elves. Not very kindly, the dwarves were tied up and taken to the cave palace of the elf king. There the gnomes were placed in a separate cell.
Only Bilbo, thanks to the ring, escaped capture. He followed the elves and ended up in their palace.
There he settled down for two weeks. I found a cell with dwarves, discovered and encouraged Thorin, and also found another way out of the palace other than the bridge.
This was the basement from which empty barrels were shipped. Bilbo watched for the moment when the head of the cellar got drunk with the head of the dungeons. He stole the keys and freed the gnomes.
Then the gnomes climbed into 13 barrels. The elves came and pushed the barrels into the water, cursing that they were too heavy.
But Bilbo had to swim outside.
When the barrels washed up in shallow water, Bilbo became very cold and went to the village, where he refreshed himself a little. But soon the raft elves appeared and tied the barrels together to send them down the river.
10. Warm welcome
Floating on barrels, Bilbo saw the Lonely Mountain grow, and then the Long Lake opened, more like a sea. The barrels were brought here, to the city of Esgaroth.
As soon as the elf raftmen left, Bilbo freed the captains. The dwarves were badly crushed, but they were still glad to be rescued.
Thorin majestically entered the city and ordered the guards to lead themselves to the mayor. The mayor was just at a feast with the elves and they recognized the dwarves.
But Thorin declared that he was the king under the mountain and he returned. The inhabitants of the city warmly welcomed Thorin and his companions, and soon the dwarves ate and rested.
And then Thorin announced that he was going to the Lonely Mountain to return his treasures. The travelers boarded boats and set off across the lake.
11. On the threshold
Two days later, the boats were already ascending the Bystraya River to the Lonely Mountain. Then the dwarves mounted ponies and soon reached the foot of the Mountain.
They carefully examined main entrance, but it was probably guarded by a dragon - it was full of crows and black smoke was coming out.
Then the dwarves walked around the mountain and began to look for the secret door.
Bilbo accidentally found it and the dwarves tried for a long time to open it with crowbars and picks, but the tools were powerless against the enchanted door.
Finally Bilbo remembered the rune letters. They advised to wait last day autumn, and it has just arrived. And in the evening, as soon as the sun disappeared beyond the horizon, its last ray illuminated a keyhole in the wall into which Thorin’s key fit. Door opened.
12. What awaited them inside
The dwarves were afraid to go inside and Bilbo had to do it.
Bilbo was also scared, but he walked along the corridor to Smaug's lair. He was asleep and snoring loudly. Therefore, Bilbo even risked stealing the golden thicket, which the dwarves were very happy about.
But then Smaug woke up and saw that the golden cup was gone. He got angry and flew off to look for the thieves. The dwarves hastily disappeared into a secret passage, but the ponies were less fortunate.
And Smough realized that the thieves came from the river. He spun around in the sky, but then got tired and went back to sleep.
The dwarves persuaded Bilbo to sneak into the treasury once again.
But Smaug was on his guard. He spoke to Bilbo without seeing him, and Bilbo told Smaug too much, trying to distract him.
Smaug realized that the Lake People had helped the dwarves. But Bilbo also saw several fallen scales on the dragon’s chest.
Bilbo ran away and told all this to the dwarves, and along with the dwarves, Bilbo listened to the old blackbird talk.
Then Smaug arrived and began to destroy the mountainside. The gnomes found themselves in a cave. And Smaug, not finding anyone, got angry and flew to Lake Town.
13. While the owner was not at home
The dwarves discovered that they were locked in a cave and decided to take a good look around.
They walked to the end of the tunnel and Bilbo fell down onto a pile of gold. He could not see anything in the darkness and the dwarves threw him a torch. Bilbo climbed through the mountains of gold and accidentally noticed the Arkenstone, the greatest value of the treasury.
Bilbo put the Arkenstone in his pocket, deciding that this would be his reward for his efforts.
Finally, the gnomes decided to go down. They rejoiced at the treasures and Thorin even gave Bilbo a mithril chain mail.
But it was necessary to decide what to do next, and the dwarves set off through the caves to the central gate. Smaug was still missing. Then the dwarves decided to move to a distant sentry post and hide there.
They had lunch and looked anxiously into the distance. But huge flocks of birds were circling there. Night was falling.

14. Fire and water
In Lake City, they noticed a fire above the Lonely Mountain, but did not immediately realize that it was a dragon. Then panic began.
Residents of the city did not resist the flames pouring from the sky for long, and began to hastily leave the city. Houses were collapsing and fire was burning everywhere. Few dared to continue shooting at the dragon.
Suddenly an old blackbird landed on the Bard's shoulder. He told about the hole in the dragon's scales that Bilbo found.
Bran had one last arrow left, a black one from the dwarven forges, which he always saved for emergencies. And now this case has come.
Bran pulled his bow and the arrow went completely into the dragon's chest. The dragon collapsed, destroying the remains of Esgaroth.
Residents blamed the mayor, then Thorin, but Bard thought differently. He remembered the treasures of the dwarves, and decided to restore Dale, a city that stood near the Lonely Mountain. Moreover, Bard was a descendant of the kings of Dale.
The elves also learned about the death of Smaug, who also remembered the treasures of the dwarves.
And so, while the inhabitants began to restore Esgaroth, the elves and human warriors began to prepare for a campaign on the Lonely Mountain.
15. Clouds are gathering
Meanwhile, the dwarves remained in the dark, fearing the worst. But the old raven brought them news of the death of Smaug and that Bard, an honest and straightforward man, was going to rebuild Dale. But Bard's help will cost Thorin money.
Thorin was overcome by greed and decided not to share his treasures with anyone. He asked the raven to convey the message to Dain, who could come to his aid. The dwarves hastily began to block the old gate with stones.
Therefore, when people and elves approached the mountain, they were greatly surprised by the new stonework.
When Bard began to appeal to Thorin's conscience and ask for a twelfth share of the treasure, Thorin answered the challenge with an arrow.
16. Night thief
Thorin searched unsuccessfully for the Arkenstone and did not find it. The Dwarves of Dain were two days' journey from the Lonely Mountain. Bilbo realized that he had to do something to prevent men, dwarves and elves from killing each other.
He secretly left the Lonely Mountain and went to Bard and the bark of elves. There he gave them the Arkenstone, saying that now they could negotiate with Thorin. Everyone praised Bilbo very much, but predicted a difficult conversation with Thorin. Suddenly, in the camp, Bilbo saw Gandalf, who also encouraged him and said that events were nearing an end.
Bilbo returned to the dwarf caves.
17. Thunder and lightning
The next morning the Bard and the Elven King came to Thorin again and showed him the Arkenstone. Bilbo admitted that it was he who gave the stone to Bard. Thorin wanted to kill Bilbo, but Gandalf stopped him. And Bilbo said that he would give his fourteenth share of the treasure to men and elves.
Thorin agreed to this exchange, and sent Bilbo away.
The night has passed. Dain's troops appeared. They were determined, because through the ravens they already knew that the Arkenstone was with the people. A great battle was about to break out.
But a shadow fell. And Gandalf shouted that the orcs and wargs were approaching, and the skies were covered with clouds of bats. The great battle finally began, but the opponents were different.
The battle was brutal. There were a great number of orcs, they crowded out people, dwarves and elves. But at the decisive moment, a handful of brave men from the caves struck them in the rear - it was Thorin and his comrades.
At this time the eagles appeared, and Bilbo lost consciousness.
18. Way back
When Bilbo came to his senses, he was helped to the camp. Gandalf was delighted with the hobbit and led him into Thorin’s tent. Thorin was badly wounded. He said goodbye to Bilbo and died.
Thorin was buried under the mountain with the Arkenstone placed on his chest.
Dain became king under the mountain and gave the fourteenth part of the treasure to Bard, who kept part for himself, sent part to the elves, and part to the mayor of Lake-town.
Even Bilbo received two chests, one with silver, the other with gold.
Bilbo rode home, and the king of the elves called him Friend of the elves.
19. Happy ending
Bilbo rode with Gandalf, visited Elrond's house, took some of the trolls' buried gold, and returned home in the middle of the auction. His house and property were sold under the hammer.
Bilbo spent a long time convincing his relatives that he was alive, and he had to buy back part of his property. Then he discovered that his reputation among the hobbits had suffered greatly, but he was not very upset.
And one day he was visited by Ganadalf and Balin, one of Thorin's dwarves. They had a good time and reminisced about old times.

Drawings and illustrations for the fairy tale "The Hobbit or There and Back Again"

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Introduction

1. The emergence of writing in ancient Mesopotamia

2 Literature in ancient Mesopotamia

3. The history of the creation of the “Epic of Gilgamesh”

4. The Epic of Gilgamesh

Conclusion

Literature

Introduction

At the turn of the 4th-3rd millennium BC. In the Sumerian cities of the Southern Mesopotamia, the first clay tablets appeared with samples of archaic writing, which arose on the basis of a system of three-dimensional clay symbols-chips, which were used for accounting in the temple households of Sumer.

The advent of writing played a huge role in the formation and consolidation of the new culture of ancient society, with the advent of which new forms of storing and transmitting information became possible. The advent of writing contributed to the development of literature.

Ancient Mesopotamian literature is a single, despite bilingualism, literature of the peoples who inhabited the area between the Euphrates and Tigris in the 3rd-1st millennium BC - the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians and Assyrians.

New trends, images and themes appeared in literature and art. Many poems, legends, myths, and songs were written. The most important monument of Sumerian literature was the cycle of tales about Gilgamesh, the legendary king of the city of Uruk, who ruled in the 18th century. BC. In these tales, the hero Gilgamesh is presented as the son of a mere mortal and the goddess Ninsun, and his wanderings around the world in search of the secret of immortality are described in detail. The legends of Gilgamesh and the legends of the Flood had a very strong influence on world literature and culture and on the culture of neighboring peoples, who accepted and adapted the legends to their national life.

1. Appearancewriting in ancient Mesopotamia

The most significant contribution of the Sumerians to the history of world culture is the invention of writing. Writing became a powerful accelerator of progress in all areas of human activity: with its help, property accounting and production control were established, economic planning became possible, a stable education system appeared, the volume of cultural memory increased, as a result of which the new kind tradition, based on following the canon of the written text. The Sumerians wrote with their fingers (sticks) on damp clay; they called this activity cuneiform. After the Sumerians remained great amount clay cuneiform tablets.

Sumerian writing contains logograms (or ideograms), which are read as whole words, signs for vowels, and also consonants together with vowels (but not consonants alone). To make it easier for the reader to navigate when reading complex texts, which often resembled puzzles, scribes used special determiners to indicate wooden tools or objects, names of professions, numerous plants, etc. .

Akkadian language is attested in Southern Mesopotamia from the first half III millennium BC, when the speakers of this language borrowed cuneiform from the Sumerians and began to widely use it in their everyday life. From this same time, intensive processes of interpenetration of the Sumerian and Akkadian languages began, as a result of which they learned many words from each other. But the predominant source of such borrowings was the Sumerian language. .

One of the greatest achievements of Babylonian and Assyrian culture was the creation of libraries. In Ur, Nippur and other cities, starting from the 2nd millennium BC, for many centuries scribes collected literary and scientific texts, and thus extensive private libraries arose.

Among all the libraries in the Ancient East, the most famous was the library of the Assyrian king Ashurbanipal (669-c. 635 BC), carefully and with great skill collected in his palace in Nineveh. For her, throughout Mesopotamia, scribes made copies of books from official and private collections or collected the books themselves. The library of Ashurbanipal contained royal annals, chronicles of the most important historical events, collections of laws, literary works and scientific texts. In total, more than 30,000 tablets and fragments have been preserved, which reflect the achievements of Mesopotamian civilization. At the same time, the library of Ashurbanipal was the first systematically collected library in the world, where clay books were placed in a certain order. Many books were presented in several copies so that two or more readers could use the necessary texts at the same time. .

Our knowledge is only an interpretation of “cuneiform” sources, most of them translated and rewritten by priests of later cultures, for example, “The Epic of Gilgamesh” or the poem “Enuma Elish” dating back to the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC.

2. Lliterature in ancient Mesopotamia

In terms of the number of surviving works, cuneiform literature far surpasses all other literature of Antiquity, except Greek and Roman. True, the volume of cuneiform literary works is for the most part small: it was difficult to write lengthy texts on heavy and bulky clay tiles. Therefore, even the largest cuneiform literary monuments contain no more than two to three thousand lines. Sumerian literature has come down to us mainly in the records of the 19th-18th centuries. BC. The Mesopotamian tradition is characterized by the presence of so-called literary catalogs. The oldest catalog discovered dates back to the 1st millennium BC. Catalogs are lists in which the titles of works are recorded in the first lines of text. Literary texts have been found in many private homes. Sumerian catalogs note 87 literary works. For some of them, the authors are indicated, but often semi-mythical personalities, sometimes deities, appear in their capacity.

By genre these are: poetic recordings of myths; epic tales; prayers; hymns to kings and gods; psalms; wedding love songs; lamentations - funeral ones, about national disasters; from didactic works - teachings, edifications; fables; Proverbs and sayings. Special genre composed works about the destruction of Sumerian cities due to raids by neighboring tribes. “Lament for the death of the inhabitants of Ur” (at the end of the 21st century BC) was very popular, which describes terrible details about the suffering of women, old people and children who suffered from hunger, burned in houses on fire and drowned in the river. The most famous monument Sumerian literature is a cycle epic tales O legendary hero Gilgamesh. .

The oldest monuments in the Akkadian language date back to the middle of 3 thousand BC. e. The displacement of the Sumerian language by Akkadian did not mean the destruction of Sumerian culture, a merger took place cultural traditions. This is also noticeable in mythology. All Akkadian deities are either of Sumerian origin or were identified with Sumerians. .

Babylonian literature is also characterized by literary catalogs. The catalogs sometimes indicate the authorship of the texts, but in some cases this is far from plausible - “recorded from the mouth of a horse.” As an example author's work is the epic "About Etana", the author of which is considered to be Lu-Nanna. .

In the first half of the 11th century. BC. The poem "Babylonian Theodicy" appears. Unlike most ancient Eastern literary works, which are anonymous, we know the author of this poem. He was a certain Esagil-kini-ubbib, who served as a priest-exorcist at the royal court. It sets out in a vivid form the religious and philosophical ideas that worried the Babylonians. “Theodicy” is built in the form of a dialogue between an innocent sufferer and his friend. Throughout the entire work, the sufferer denounces unrighteousness and evil, sets out his claims to the gods and complains about the injustice of social orders. Friend seeks to refute these arguments. The author of the work does not express his attitude to the essence of the dispute and does not impose his opinion on the reader or listener. 10th century BC dates back interesting work entitled “Slave, Obey Me,” permeated with a pessimistic attitude towards life and its vicissitudes. It contains a dialogue between a master and his slave. Bored from idleness, the gentleman lists a variety of desires that he would like to fulfill. The slave first supports the master's intentions and expresses his arguments in favor of their implementation. Then, when the master refuses to implement them, the slave always argues that all human actions are useless and meaningless. The slave inspires the master that one should not do good to people, because after death, villains, righteous people, nobles, and slaves are equal and no one will distinguish them from each other by their skulls. At the end of the work, the slave convinces his master, fed up with life, that the only good lies in death. Then the master expresses a desire to kill his slave. But he is saved by pointing out the inevitability of the imminent death of the master himself. .

The “Poem on the Creation of the World”, created on 7 tablets, is of great artistic value. The purpose of the poem: to justify the exaltation of something almost unknown before the 19th-18th centuries. BC. the city of Babylon and its local deity Marduk. The time of creation of the poem is no earlier than the 18th century. BC. .

3. History of the Epic of Gilgamesh

One of the most famous works Sumerian literature is considered to be the "Epic of Gilgamesh". Twelve cuneiform tablets from Assurbanipal's library encapsulate the national epic of the hero, later translated into Akkadian.

The epic tells the story of the legendary king of Uruk Gilgamesh, his savage friend Enkidu and the search for the secret of immortality. One of the chapters of the epic, the story of Utnapishtim, who saved humanity from global flood, is very reminiscent of the biblical story of Noah's Ark, suggesting that the epic was familiar even to the authors of the Old Testament.

According to Epic researchers, the first songs about Gilgamesh were created at the end of the first half of the third millennium BC. e. The first tablets that have reached our time were created 800 years later. The creation of the Akkadian version of the poem, which probably finally took shape in the last third of the third millennium BC, dates back to around this time. e. In the second millennium BC. e. in Palestine and Asia Minor, another version of the Akkadian poem was created - the “peripheral” one. The translation of the Epic into the Hurrian and Hittite languages also dates back to this time...

From the end of the second millennium to the 7th-6th centuries BC. the final version of the Epic was created - “Nineveh”, which was found in the library of Ashurbanipal.

The oldest texts are written in Sumerian. However, the most important is the Akkadian version, which is a huge artistic achievement. .

The Epic was based on both mythological motifs based on religious beliefs Sumerians and historical legends. Gilgamesh was a historical figure - a lugal of the Sumerian city of Uruk around 2800-2700 BC. e. His name, which in Sumerian is conventionally rendered as “Bilgames,” is mentioned in a Sumerian tablet with a list of Sumerian rulers of the early 2nd millennium BC. e. But quite early on, Gilgamesh began to be deified. From the 18th century BC. e. his name in the form "Bilgemes" or "Bilgames" is mentioned among the Sumerian deities. Numerous legends arose around him in which he was represented divine hero, son of the goddess Ninsun and the hero Lugalbanda. .

Later, the name Gilgamesh became very popular in Babylon, the Hittite kingdom and Assyria; he was associated with the image of a hero fighting animals, his companion being a half-bull, half-man hero. Later it was believed that Gilgamesh was a deity who protects people from demons and a judge of the underworld. His images were placed at the entrance to the house, because it was believed that in this way he was protected from evil spirits.

Several Sumerian tales and songs have survived to this day in which Gilgamesh is mentioned: the poem about Gilgamesh and Akka, the king of Kish, “Gilgamesh and the Mountain of the Living,” “Gilgamesh and the Heavenly Bull,” “Gilgamesh and the Willow.” The exact time of their creation is unknown. At the time of their creation, Gilgamesh was no longer remembered as a historical figure. At the same time, these works belonging to the genre epic poem, are primitive in content and archaic in form, which is very different from the Akkadian poem about Gilgamesh.

The Epic of Gilgamesh, the famous king of Uruk in Mesopotamia, was written in a time that was completely forgotten until archaeologists began excavating the ruined cities of the Middle East in the 19th century. The discovery of the epic is due, firstly, to the curiosity of two Englishmen, and then to the work of many scientists who collected, copied and translated the clay tablets on which the poem was written. This work continues in our time, and many gaps are filled from year to year.

3. The Epic of Gilgamesh

writing Akkadian language epic

The epic tells the story of the demigod Gilgamesh, a mighty warrior and king of Uruk. No one could compare with him in strength, and he brought countless troubles to people, “raging in the flesh.” They prayed to the gods to appease the king of Uruk. And so the goddess Aruru, heeding them, “plucked off the clay, threw it to the ground, blinded Enkidu, created a hero,” who could curb the fury of Gilgamesh. His body was covered with wool, he lived among animals, “he knew neither people nor the world.” By protecting the animals from the hunters, he caused them to hate him, but they could not do anything with him. .

In despair, the hunters went to Uruk and fell at the feet of King Gilgamesh, begging to be delivered from their hated enemy. Gilgamesh resorted to cunning, advising the hunters to take the harlot Shamhat to Enkidu - let her seduce him. That's what they did. And “the harlot gave him pleasure, the work of women.” When he had had enough of Enkidu’s affection, he discovered that his body had weakened and “his understanding had become deeper.” The animals abandoned him, and then Shamhat reproached him, saying why he was walking with the beast: “I will take you to Uruk, where the mighty Gilgamesh lives.” Enkidu agreed and declared that he would fight Gilgamesh. Shamhat began to exhort him to show prudence, for in prophetic dreams the king of fenced Uruk was destined to have a friend appear, and he, Enkidu, would be that friend.

On the way to Uruk, Shamhat teaches Enkidu to wear clothes, eat bread, and, having arrived in Uruk, Enkidu blocks the entrance to the marriage chamber, where only Gilgamesh had the right to enter. The people of Uruk recognize him as their hero. The heroes grappled in battle, but were equal in strength, and Gilgamesh took him to his mother Ninsun, where they fraternize, but Enkidu cries because he has nowhere to apply his strength. .

Gilgamesh invites him to go on a campaign against Humbaba, the guardian of the cedar forests in Lebanon. Enkidu tries to dissuade Gilgamesh, telling him how dangerous Humbaba’s forest and Humbaba himself, whom the gods endowed with strength and courage, are dangerous, but Gilgamesh convinces Enkidu that human life is already short, and it is better to die as a hero, who will be remembered for centuries, than in obscurity. The elders of Uruk also try to dissuade him, but then they bless him and ask Enkidu to take care of the king. Before the campaign, they visit Queen Ninsun, who is also worried about her son and makes a sacrifice to the god Shamash.

On the way to the cedar forest, Gilgamesh has dreams that Enkidu interprets as predictions of victory over Humbaba, but in the end they turn to the god Shamash for guidance, and he tells them to immediately attack Humbaba while he is wearing only one of the seven terrible robes. The heroes are afraid to enter the forest, but Gilgamesh encourages Enkidu, and they enter the domain of Humbaba and begin to cut down cedars, the appearance of Humbaba frightens them, but the support of Shamash causes the friends to attack the guardian of the forest and kill him and his seven robes-rays.

The goddess Ishtar invites Gilgamesh to become her husband, but he refuses, saying that she had many husbands, and now they are all either killed or bewitched. The embittered Ishtar asks Ana to create a bull capable of killing the hero, but Gilgamesh and Enkidu defeat the bull with coordinated actions. Enkidu has a dream that the gods Anu and Enlil want to kill him, although Shamash intercedes on his behalf. Gilgamesh wants to pray to Enlil, but Enkidu dissuades him, and he turns to Shamash, cursing the hunter and harlot Shamhat, but Shamash points out to Enkidu what Shamhat gave him, and he cancels his curse, replacing it with a blessing. .

Enkidu falls ill and soon dies. Gilgamesh is sad and orders a statue of his brother to be made. Gilgamesh goes into the desert, on a journey, realizing his mortality after the death of his friend, he is afraid of death. Traveling, he reaches the edge of the world, where he meets a scorpion man and tells him about his sadness and that he wants to find Utnapishtim, the only person who received immortality (according to some sources - the ancestor of Gilgamesh), and ask him about life and death. The scorpion man says that the path to the country of Dilmun, where the gods settled Utnapishtim, which lies through a long cave, is terrible and not walked by people - only the gods walk this way. Gilgamesh is not afraid, and the scorpion man blesses him.

Gilgamesh didn't master it the first time hard way- he was frightened and returned; on the second attempt, he passed the cave and found himself in a beautiful garden of precious stone trees. There he meets the mistress of the gods Siduri, who, frightened, closes herself in the house from him, and at first does not believe that he is Gilgamesh, since he is dirty and thin, he has to tell his story.

She tries to convince him that immortality is not due to a person, there is no need to waste time searching - it is better to enjoy life, but Gilgamesh asks her how to find Utnapishtim, and she says that, except for Shamash, no one will be able to cross, and only Urshanabi, the shipbuilder Utnapishtim, who has idols in the forest, can help.

Urshanabi helps Gilgamesh reach Utnapishtim. Gilgamesh tells him about his grief and asks how Utnapishtim managed to become equal to the gods.

Utnapishtim tells the story of a flood in which only he survived, and the gods took him to themselves, but for Gilgamesh the gods cannot be gathered for council. Utnapishtim tells Gilgamesh that there is a flower at the bottom of the ocean that gives eternal youth, he gets it and decides to first test it on the elders of Uruk. But on the way back, the snake steals the flower and Gilgamesh returns empty-handed.

Some interpretations also include a continuation in which Gilgamesh meets his brother Enkidu, who has emerged from the afterlife, and tells about the hard life in the world of the dead (the ancient Sumerians had a rather gloomy idea of the afterlife, unlike, for example, the Egyptians). After which Gilgamesh resigns himself to the fate of a mortal.

Conclusion

The most ancient inhabitants of Mesopotamia created high culture, which had an extremely strong influence on further development of all humanity, becoming the property of many countries and peoples. On the territory of Mesopotamia, many features of material and spiritual culture arose and took shape, which for a long time determined the entire subsequent course of world history.

The prestige of Mesopotamian culture in writing was so great that in the second half of the 2nd millennium BC. BC, despite the decline in the political power of Babylonia and Assyria, the Akkadian language and cuneiform writing became a means of international communication throughout the Middle East. The text of the agreement between Pharaoh Ramesses II and the Hittite king Hattusili III was drawn up in Akkadian. The pharaohs even write to their vassals in Palestine not in Egyptian, but in Akkadian.

Scribes at the courts of the rulers of Asia Minor, Syria, Palestine and Egypt diligently studied the Akkadian language, cuneiform and literature.

Sumerian and Akkadian ritual, "scientific" and literary texts copied and translated into other languages throughout the entire range of cuneiform writing.

The Sumerians created the first poems in history - about the “Golden Age”, and wrote the first elegies. They are the authors of the world's oldest medical books - collections of recipes

The civilization of Ancient Mesopotamia had a huge influence on ancient, and through it, on the medieval culture of Europe, on the Middle East, and ultimately on world culture New and Contemporary times.

Literature

1. Dyakonov I.M. History of the ancient east. - M.: Nauka, 1983.

2. Kramer S.N. The story begins in Sumer. M., 1991.

3. Oppenheim A. Ancient Mesopotamia. M., 1990.

4. Turaev B.A. History of the Ancient East. - Mn.: Harvest, 2004. - 752 p.

5. Afanasyeva V., Lukonin V., Pomerantseva N. The art of the ancient East ( Small story arts). M., 1976.

6. Afanasyeva V.K. Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Epic images in art. - M.: Nauka, 1979. - 219 p. - (Culture of the peoples of the East).

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