it。 Hark at itsinging about sleep now！ This won't do at all！'
He pulled himself to his feet； and staggered off to see what had beeof the ponies。 He found that two had wandered on a good way along the path；
and he had just caught them and brought them back towards the others； when heheard two noises； one loud； and the other soft but very clear。 One was thesplash of something heavy falling into the water； the other was a noise likethe snick of a lock when a door quietly closes fast。
He rushed back to the bank。 Frodo was in the water close to the edge； anda great tree…root seemed to be over him and holding him down； but he was notstruggling。 Sam gripped him by the jacket； and dragged him from under theroot； and then with difficulty hauled him on to the bank。 Almost at once hewoke； and coughed and spluttered。
'Do you know； Sam；' he said at length； 'the beastly tree _threw_ me in！ Ifelt it。 The big root just twisted round and tipped me in！'
'You were dreaming I expect； Mr。 Frodo；' said Sam。 'You shouldn't sit insuch a place； if you feel sleepy。'
'What about the others？' Frodo asked。 'I wonder what sort of dreams theyare having。'
They went round to the other side of the tree； and then Sam understoodthe click that he had heard。 Pippin had vanished。 The crack by which he hadlaid himself had closed together； so that not a chink could be seen。 Merry wastrapped： another crack had closed about his waist； his legs lay outside； butthe rest of him was inside a dark opening； the edges of which gripped like apair of pincers。
Frodo and Sam beat first upon the tree…trunk where Pippin had lain。 Theythen struggled frantically to pull open the jaws of the crack that held poorMerry。 It was quite useless。
'What a foul thing to happen！' cried Frodo wildly。 'Why did we ever einto this dreadful Forest？ I wish we were all back at Crickhollow！' He kicked
the tree with all his strength； heedless of his own feet。 A hardly perceptibleshiver ran through the stem and up into the branches； the leaves rustled andwhispered； but with a sound now of faint and far…off laughter。
Sam。
'I suppose we haven't got an axe among our luggage； Mr。 Frodo？' asked
'I brought a little hatchet for chopping firewood；' said Frodo。 'Thatwouldn't be much use。'
'Wait a minute！' cried Sam； struck by an idea suggested by firewood。 'Wemight do something with fire！'
'We might；' said Frodo doubtfully。 'We might succeed in roasting Pippinalive inside。'
'We might try to hurt or frighten this tree to begin with；' said Samfiercely。 'If it don't let them go； I'll have it down； if I have to gnaw it。'
He ran to the ponies and before long came back with two tinder…boxes and ahatchet。
Quickly they gathered dry grass and leaves； and bits of bark； and made apile of broken twigs and chopped sticks。 These they heaped against the trunkon the far side of the tree from the prisoners。 As soon as Sam had struck aspark into the tinder； it kindled the dry grass and a flurry of flame andsmoke went up。 The twigs crackled。 Little fingers of fire licked against thedry scored rind of the ancient tree and scorched it。 A tremor ran through thewhole willow。 The leaves seemed to hiss above their heads with a sound of painand anger。 A loud scream came from Merry； and from far inside the tree theyheard Pippin give a muffled yell。
'Put it out！ Put it out！' cried Merry。 'He'll squeeze me in two； if youdon't。 He says so！'
'Who？ What？' shouted Frodo； rushing round to the other side of the tree。
'Put it out！ Put it out！' begged Merry。 The branches of the willow beganto sway violently。 There was a sound as of a wind rising and spreadingoutwards to the branches of all the other trees round about； as though theyhad dropped a stone into the quiet slumber of the river…valley and set upripples of anger that ran out over the whole Forest。 Sam kicked at the littlefire and stamped out the sparks。 But Frodo； without any clear idea of why hedid so； or what he hoped for； ran along the path crying _help！ help！ help！_Itseemed to him that he could hardly hear the sound of his own shrill voice： itwas blown away from him by the willow…wind and drowned in a clamour of leaves；
as soon as the words left his mouth。 He felt desperate： lost and witless。
Suddenly he slopped。 There was an answer； or so he thought； but it seemedto e from behind him； away down the path further back in the Forest。 Heturned round and listened； and soon there could be no doubt： someone wassinging a song； a deep glad voice was singing carelessly and happily； but itwas singing nonsense：
Hey dol！ merry dol！ ring a dong dillo！
Ring a dong！ hop along！ fal lal the willow！
Tom Bom； jolly Tom； Tom Bombadillo！
Half hopeful and half afraid of some new danger； Frodo and Sam now bothstood still。 Suddenly out of a long string of nonsense…words （or so theyseemed） the voice rose up loud and clear and burst into this song：
Hey！ e merry dot！ derry dol！ My darling！
Light goes the weather…wind and the feathered starling。
Down along under Hill； shining in the sunlight；
Waiting on the doorstep for the cold starlight；
There my pretty lady is。 River…woman's daughter；
Slender as the willow…wand； clearer than the water。
Old Tom Bombadil water…lilies bringinges hopping home again。 Can you hear him singing？
Hey！ e merry dol！ deny dol！ and merry…o；
Goldberry； Goldberry； merry yellow berry…o！
Poor old Willow…man； you tuck your roots away！
Tom's in a hurry now。 Evening will follow day。
Tom's going home again water…lilies bringing。
Hey！ e derry dol！ Can you hear me singing？
Frodo and Sam stood as if enchanted。 The wind puffed out。 The leaves hungsilently again on stiff branches。 There was another burst of song； and thensuddenly； hopping and dancing along the path； there appeared above the reedsan old battered hat with a tall crown and a long blue feather stuck in theband。 With another hop and a bound there came into view a man； or so itseemed。 At any rate he was too large and heavy for a hobbit； if not quite tallenough for one of the Big People； though he made noise enough for one；
slumping along with great yellow boots on his thick legs； and charging throughgrass and rushes like a cow going down to drink。 He had a blue coat and a longbrown beard； his eyes were blue and bright； and his face was red as a ripeapple； but creased into a hundred wrinkles of laughter。 In his hands hecarried on a large leaf as on a tray a small pile of white water…lilies。
'Help！' cried Frodo and Sam running towards him with their handsstretched out。
'Whoa！ Whoa！ steady there！' cried the old man； holding up one hand； andthey stopped short； as if they had been struck stiff。 'Now； my little fellows；
where be you a…going to； puffing like a bellows？ What's the matter here then？
Do you know who I am？ I'm Tom Bombadil。 Tell me what's your trouble！ Tom's ina hurry now。 Don't you crush my lilies！'
'My friends are caught in the willow…tree；' cried Frodo breathlessly。
'Master Merry's being squeezed in a crack！' cried Sam。
'What？' shouted Tom Bombadil； leaping up in the air。 'Old Man Willow？
Naught worse than that； eh？ That can soon be mended。 I know the tune for him。
Old grey Willow…man！ I'll freeze his marrow cold； if he don't behave himself。
I'll sing his roots off。 I'll sing a wind up and blow leaf and branch away。
Old Man Willow！' Setting down his lilies carefully on the grass； he ran to thetree。 There he saw Merry's feet still sticking out – the rest had already beendrawn further inside。 Tom put his mouth to the crack and began singing into itin a low voice。 They could not catch the words； but evidently Merry wasaroused。 His legs began to kick。 Tom sprang away； and breaking off a hangingbranch smote the side of the willow with it。 'You let them out again； Old ManWillow！' he said。 'What be you a…thinking of？ You should not be waking。 Eatearth！ Dig deep！ Drink water！ Go to sleep！ Bombadil is talking！' He thenseized Merry's feet and drew him out of the suddenly widening crack。
There was a tearing creak and the other crack split open； and out of itPippin sprang； as if he had been kicked。 Then with a loud snap both cracksclosed fast again。 A shudder ran through the tree from root to tip； andplete silence fell。
'Thank you！' said the hobbits； one after the other。
Tom Bombadil burst out laughing。 'Well； my little fellows！' said he；
stooping so that he peered into their faces。 'You shall e home with me！ Thetable is all laden with yellow cream； honeyb； and white bread and butter。
Goldberry is waiting。 Time enough for questions around the supper table。 Youfollow after me as quick as you are able！' With that he picked up his lilies；
and then with a beckoning wave of his hand went hopping and dancing along thepath eastward； still singing loudly and nonsensically。
Too surprised and too relieved to talk； the hobbits followed after him asfast as they could。 But that was not fast enough。 Tom soon disappeared infront of them； and the noise of his singing got fainter and further away。
Suddenly his voice came floating back to them in a loud halloo！
Hop along； my little friends； up the Withywindle！
Tom's going on ahead candles for to kindle。
Down west sinks the Sun： soon you will be groping。
When the night…shadows fall； then the door will open；
Out of the window…panes light will twinkle yellow。
Fear no alder black！ Heed no hoary willow！
Fear neither root nor bough！ Tom goes on before you。
Hey now！ merry dot！ We'll be waiting for you！
After that the hobbits heard no more。 Almost at once the sun seemed to
sink into the trees behind them。 They thought of the slanting light of eveningglittering on the Brandywine River； and the windows of Bucklebury beginning togleam with hundreds of lights。 Great shadows fell across them； trunks andbranches of trees hung dark and threatening over the path。 White mists beganto rise and curl on the surface of the river and stray about the roots of thetrees upon its borders。 Out of the very ground at their feet a shadowy steamarose and mingled with the swiftly falling dusk。
It became difficult to follow the path； and they were very tired。 Theirlegs seemed leaden。 Strange furtive noises ran among the bushes and reeds oneither side of them； and if they looked up to the pale s