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SUMMARY: At the Sign of the Prancing Pony.
The chapter begins with a description of Bree and its inhabitants, descendants of the first men that wandered into the west of Middle Earth. In the wild lands beyond Bree lived tall dark men called Rangers, thought to have strange powers of sight and hearing and to understand the languages of birds and beasts.
The four hobbits arrive at Bree after nightfall and are questioned by the gatekeeper, who tells them there are queer people abroad. After they passed the gate, a dark figure climbs it and enters the village. They arrive at the inn and are welcomed by the innkeeper Barliman Butterbur, and are showed into their rooms, served supper and invited to join the company (a group of dwarves, another of men from the south and some local men and hobbits) in the common room. They all agree except Merry who says he would rather stay or take a walk. In the common room they are questioned by the locals and Frodo explains that he’s writing a book about hobbits living outside the Shire. After some conversation Frodo notices a strange-looking man sitting in the shadows and learns from Butterbur that he’s a Ranger called Strider. Strider invites him to sit down by him and doubting that Frodo’s name was Underhill, advises him to prevent his friends from feeling too comfortable and talking too much. Frodo, fearing Pippin would mention the Ring by accident jumps up and stands on a table and begins to talk, but suddenly has the desire to slip on the Ring and feels the suggestion comes from something or someone in the room. He resists the temptation, and begins a song when asked by a local hobbit. Excited by its success, Frodo leaps in the air while singing, slips, rolls off the table and disappears, to the astonishment of the whole room. A Breelander, a southern man and the gatekeeper leave the room afterwards. Frodo crawls under the tables and sits by Strider. Calling him Baggins, Strider says he did worse than his friends could have done and tells him that he wants to talk to Frodo about something of importance to both. Frodo agrees and comes forward into the light and shows himself, causing an uproar that ends the entertainment for the evening. Mr. Butterbur approaches him and says that he had reminded something that Frodo should know and asks to have a talk with him, and he accepts to this too.
SUMMARY: Strider
The three hobbits return to their parlour, Merry isn’t there. Strider follows them and says that he will tell Frodo what he knows and offer some advice in exchange for a reward: taking him along in their journey. He says that he had overheard the conversation between the hobbits and Tom Bombadil outside Bree and had followed them because he was looking for a hobbit named Frodo Baggins, for he was carrying outside the Shire a secret that concerned him and his friends. He mentions that two black horsemen had passed through Bree and that more were coming for he knew those riders. He tells them that some of the Breelanders are not to be trusted, specially Bill Ferny who quitted the common room after Frodo’s accident and could sell news of the hobbits to the riders. He said the hobbits will have to escape the next day and that he can take them by paths seldom trodden. He exclaims that he riders are terrible and his face is drawn as if in pain. Sam distrusts him, but Frodo doubts saying that he is not really as he chose to look. Strider replies that they will never get to Rivendell on their own, that trusting him is their only choice.
They are interrupted by Butterbur’s entrance. He begins apologizing, for he was asked by Gandalf to look out for hobbits of the Shire, and for one named Baggins that would travel as Underhill. Gandalf had asked him three months before to send a message to the Shire, for he had to be off in a hurry. But Butterbur couldn’t find anybody willing to take the message, and being a busy man, he had forgotten about it. He then tells them that black riders had been looking for Baggins, and Frodo says he fears they may come from Mordor. Butterbur offers to help and Frodo orders breakfast for early next morning, for they should leave as soon as possible. They notice than that Merry hasn’t returned from his walk and Butterbur promises he would send someone to look for him.
The hobbits read the letter. In it Gandalf says that Frodo should leave Bag End before the end of July at the latest, and that he may meet a friend of his on the road, a man dark, lean and tall called Strider by some people, but whose actual name is Aragorn, quoting a verse that applied to him. After this Strider reveals that he is Aragorn son of Arathorn and that he bears the sword that was broken. It is settled then that they will follow Strider and make for Weathertop, a hill north of the Road halfway to Rivendell. He expresses his worries about Gandalf’s absence.
Merry came in with a rush saying that he had seen Black Riders in the village when he went out for a walk and tried to follow them but felt terrified, turned back and something came behind him and he fell over. Nob, the hobbit Butterbur had sent to look for him, found him asleep nigh Bill Ferny’s house surrounded by shadows that fled as he came near. He woke Merry who ran back to the inn. They decide then not to go to their rooms. Nob ruffled up the bed clothes and put a bolster down in a middle of each bed and makes an imitation of Frodo’s head with a mat. They go to sleep in the parlour while Strider watches by the door.