 | |
| Chapter of The Fellowship of the Ring | |
| At the Sign of the Prancing Pony | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Number | 9 |
| Synopsis | |
| Event | Frodo comes to the Prancing Pony; he meets Strider and Barliman Butterbur. |
| Date | 29 September 3018 |
| Location | The Prancing Pony |
| Navigation | |
| Preceded by | Fog on the Barrow-downs |
| Followed by | Strider (chapter) |
Our names and our business are our own, and this does not seem a good place to discuss them.
At the Sign of the Prancing Pony is the ninth chapter of the first book in The Fellowship of the Ring. The main characters are Frodo Baggins, Strider and Barliman Butterbur - who are each introduced in this chapter - Meriadoc Brandybuck, Peregrin Took and Samwise Gamgee.
The chapter tells of the arrival of the four Hobbits at the village of Bree and their visit to the Prancing Pony inn. The Hobbits meet proprietor, Barliman Butterbur, rent a room, and sit to drink in the common room, where Frodo accidentally puts on The One Ring and causes a commotion. He meets Strider and is invited to separate private conversations with each of Strider and Butterbur.
The presence of a Ranger and appearance of a mysterious dark figure create an underlying sense of uncertainty and danger.
Overview
The chapter begins with the narrator describing a little about the village of Bree, located at the end of the East Road on an ancient and well-traveled crossroads. The village was populated mostly by Men who, according to legend, were descended from the first Men to migrate to Western Middle-earth. In the areas outside Bree-land lived a different group of Men known as the Rangers, whose origins were not known to Bree-folk. The Rangers wandered the land and often brought news from outside, but were not friends of the Bree-folk.
Quite a few Hobbit families lived around Bree and coexisted peacefully with the Men (though they lived in separate communities). These Hobbit settlements were said to be older than The Shire, and their inhabitants were distantly related to the Brandybucks. Hobbit visits to and from The Shire were said to have dwindled in recent times.
Bree had an ancient inn (the Prancing Pony) which was a popular meeting place for travelers; so much so that the innkeeper was considered a very important person in the village.
The chapter here continues where the preceding chapter ends.
The Hobbits arrival at Bree
Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin rode up to Bree's western gate after nightfall and found it shut. A gatekeeper named Harry spotted them, however, and asked where they were going and who they were. Frodo revealed very little, saying only that they'd come from Buckland and were headed to the inn. Merry identified himself as a Brandybuck, which placated Harry and he opened the gate for them, mentioning that there may be other visitors who have been asking questions about four Hobbits arriving in Bree. Frodo speculated to himself whether Harry might have spoken about Gandalf, though he found Harry suspicious. As the Hobbits entered Bree, a dark figure climbed over the wall and crept into the village.
At the inn
When Sam saw the inn, he became suspicious and recommended seeking out a Hobbit family to stay with. Frodo reminded him that Tom Bombadil had recommended the inn and spoken well of its proprietor, Barliman Butterbur.
The Hobbits took their ponies into the courtyard, where they encountered Barliman. After introductions, Barliman seemed to recall something related to four Hobbits, but couldn't remember what it was. He apologized that the inn was unusually busy. He found them a room suitable for Hobbits and had their ponies taken to his stables.
The Hobbits settled in and washed. Barliman returned with food and drinks, which the Hobbits found familiar and reassuring. Barliman invited the Hobbits to the common-room to share in the merriment and news, but did not press them to go. Frodo, Sam and Pippin decided to go, whereas Merry decided to stay behind, saying he might go for a walk later. He reminded the others that they should remain careful, while Pippin advised Merry to stay indoors.
In the common-room were many different people, including Men, Dwarves and local Hobbits. Barliman introduced everybody. Some of the local Hobbits turned out to be Underhills - the pseudonym which Frodo had been using. As a result, the Hobbits welcomed him gladly as a long-lost relation, but also questioned him thoroughly. Frodo invented an explanation to his journey: He was interested in history and geography, and was traveling in the hope of collecting information for a book on Hobbits living outside the Shire. This caused the Hobbits to volunteer excessive amounts of information, but Frodo showed disinterest and soon sat alone.
The Men and Dwarves discussed troubles in the south, worried that large numbers of people may come up the North Road, seeking refuge from something. The local Hobbits, however, were more interested in hearing news from the Shire, and pressed Sam and Pippin for information about the "Shire Underhills".
Strider
Frodo, meanwhile, noticed a man watching him closely from the corner of the room. The man seemed well-traveled, and was smoking a pipe, his face shadowed by a heavy hood. Frodo asked Butterbur who the man was. Butterbur explained that he was one of the Rangers who occasionally showed up at the inn. He didn't know the man's name, but his nickname in Bree was "Strider" on account of his long legs and frequent travels. Butterbur appeared to think it strange that Frodo asked about Strider, but was called away before he could complete his thought.
Strider motioned Frodo to join him, which Frodo did. Strider introduced himself and warned Frodo to stop his friends from talking too much. Frodo realized that Pippin, having entranced the local Hobbits with stories about the Shire, had begun telling the story of Bilbo's farewell party - which ended with him putting on The One Ring and vanishing into thin air. Frodo became alarmed that Pippin might mention the Ring.
Frodo's troubled performance
With Strider's prodding to take action, Frodo got on a table and began to talk, fidgeting with the Ring in his pocket as he did and fighting a sudden urge to put it on. All attention turned to Frodo as he spoke:
We are all very much gratified by the kindness of your reception, and I venture to hope that my brief visit will help to renew the old ties of friendship between the Shire and Bree.
Frodo's audience called for a song. Off the top of his head, Frodo began singing a song about an inn, which the locals appreciated so much that they asked to hear it again. Frodo obliged, but got carried away and began dancing on the table-top. He fell off the table and to everyone's amazement, he suddenly disappeared into thin air.
The other guests eyed Sam and Pippin suspiciously, regarding them as friends of a traveling magician of some sort. A Bree-lander and a traveler from the south, who had been whispering together all evening, made their way out of the room, followed by Harry the gatekeeper.
Frodo, meanwhile, made his way to Strider's corner and there took off the Ring, not knowing how it came to be on his finger. Strider chastised him:
Well? Why did you do that? Worse than anything your friends could have said! You have put your foot in it! Or should I say your finger?
Frodo tried obfuscating, but Strider appeared to know exactly what had happened. He invited Frodo to speak with him later, saying he had something to tell Frodo of some importance to them both.
Barliman Butterbur arrived and the guests began questioning him about Frodo's disappearance. Frodo stepped forward to show that he hadn't vanished, saying that he'd simply crawled away under the tables. The guests didn't believe this story, and grumbled about the quality of the evening's entertainment. They soon left, one after another, until none were left but the Hobbits, Strider, and Butterbur.
Butterbur asked Frodo to promise not to cause any further trouble, but also reassured Frodo that the event would not affect his business negatively - saying that the mystery would only draw people back to the inn to discuss it. Frodo excused himself, saying that he wished to go to bed. Butterbur asked to speak to him in private about something he'd just remembered, before they left in the morning.
With two invitations to private talks, Frodo became suspicious that everyone there - including Butterbur - was hiding some dark secret.