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Chapter¡¡03
Three¡¡is¡¡pany
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'Don't¡¡be¡¡absurd£¡'¡¡said¡¡Gandalf¡£¡¡'I¡¡am¡¡not¡¡warning¡¡you¡¡against¡¡leaving¡¡an¡¡address¡¡at¡¡the¡¡postoffice£¡¡¡But¡¡you¡¡are¡¡leaving¡¡the¡¡Shire¡¡¡£¡¡and¡¡that¡¡should¡¡not¡¡be¡¡known£»¡¡until¡¡you¡¡are¡¡far¡¡away¡£¡¡And¡¡you¡¡must¡¡go£»¡¡or¡¡at¡¡least¡¡set¡¡out£»¡¡either¡¡North£»¡¡South£»¡¡West¡¡or¡¡East¡¡¡£¡¡and¡¡the¡¡direction¡¡should¡¡certainly¡¡not¡¡be¡¡known¡£'
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'But¡¡you¡¡cannot¡¡see¡¡very¡¡far£»'¡¡said¡¡Gandalf¡£¡¡'Neither¡¡can¡¡I¡£¡¡It¡¡may¡¡be¡¡your¡¡task¡¡to¡¡find¡¡the¡¡Cracks¡¡of¡¡Doom£»¡¡but¡¡that¡¡quest¡¡may¡¡be¡¡for¡¡others£º¡¡I¡¡do¡¡not¡¡know¡£¡¡At¡¡any¡¡rate¡¡you¡¡are¡¡not¡¡ready¡¡for¡¡that¡¡long¡¡road¡¡yet¡£'
'No¡¡indeed£¡'¡¡said¡¡Frodo¡£¡¡'But¡¡in¡¡the¡¡meantime¡¡what¡¡course¡¡am¡¡I¡¡to¡¡lake£¿'
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'Rivendell£¡'¡¡said¡¡Frodo¡£¡¡'Very¡¡good£º¡¡I¡¡will¡¡go¡¡east£»¡¡and¡¡I¡¡will¡¡make¡¡for¡¡Rivendell¡£¡¡I¡¡will¡¡take¡¡Sam¡¡to¡¡visit¡¡the¡¡Elves£»¡¡he¡¡will¡¡be¡¡delighted¡£'¡¡He¡¡spoke¡¡lightly£»¡¡but¡¡his¡¡heart¡¡was¡¡moved¡¡suddenly¡¡with¡¡a¡¡desire¡¡to¡¡see¡¡the¡¡house¡¡of¡¡Elrond¡¡Halfelven£»¡¡and¡¡breathe¡¡the¡¡air¡¡of¡¡that¡¡deep¡¡valley¡¡where¡¡many¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Fair¡¡Folk¡¡still¡¡dwelt¡¡in¡¡peace¡£
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'Yes£»¡¡I¡¡shall¡¡be¡¡moving¡¡this¡¡autumn£»'¡¡he¡¡said¡£¡¡'Merry¡¡Brandybuck¡¡is¡¡looking¡¡out¡¡for¡¡a¡¡nice¡¡little¡¡hole¡¡for¡¡me£»¡¡or¡¡perhaps¡¡a¡¡small¡¡house¡£'
As¡¡a¡¡matter¡¡of¡¡fact¡¡with¡¡Merry's¡¡help¡¡he¡¡had¡¡already¡¡chosen¡¡and¡¡bought¡¡a¡¡little¡¡house¡¡at¡¡Crickhollow¡¡in¡¡the¡¡country¡¡beyond¡¡Bucklebury¡£¡¡To¡¡all¡¡but¡¡Sam¡¡he¡¡pretended¡¡he¡¡was¡¡going¡¡to¡¡settle¡¡down¡¡there¡¡permanently¡£¡¡The¡¡decision¡¡to¡¡set¡¡out¡¡eastwards¡¡had¡¡suggested¡¡the¡¡idea¡¡to¡¡him£»¡¡for¡¡Buckland¡¡was¡¡on¡¡the¡¡eastern¡¡borders¡¡of¡¡the¡¡Shire£»¡¡and¡¡as¡¡he¡¡had¡¡lived¡¡there¡¡in¡¡childhood¡¡his¡¡going¡¡back¡¡would¡¡at¡¡least¡¡seem¡¡credible¡£
Gandalf¡¡stayed¡¡in¡¡the¡¡Shire¡¡for¡¡over¡¡two¡¡months¡£¡¡Then¡¡one¡¡evening£»¡¡at¡¡the¡¡end¡¡of¡¡June£»¡¡soon¡¡after¡¡Frodo's¡¡plan¡¡had¡¡been¡¡finally¡¡arranged£»¡¡he¡¡suddenly¡¡announced¡¡that¡¡he¡¡was¡¡going¡¡off¡¡again¡¡next¡¡morning¡£¡¡'Only¡¡for¡¡a¡¡short¡¡while£»¡¡I¡¡hope£»'¡¡he¡¡said¡£¡¡'But¡¡I¡¡am¡¡going¡¡down¡¡beyond¡¡the¡¡southern¡¡borders¡¡to¡¡get¡¡some¡¡news£»¡¡if¡¡I¡¡can¡£¡¡I¡¡have¡¡been¡¡idle¡¡longer¡¡than¡¡I¡¡should¡£'
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When¡¡they¡¡had¡¡sung¡¡many¡¡songs£»¡¡and¡¡talked¡¡of¡¡many¡¡things¡¡they¡¡had¡¡done¡¡together£»¡¡they¡¡toasted¡¡Bilbo's¡¡birthday£»¡¡and¡¡they¡¡drank¡¡his¡¡health¡¡and¡¡Frodo's¡¡together¡¡according¡¡to¡¡Frodo's¡¡custom¡£¡¡Then¡¡they¡¡went¡¡out¡¡for¡¡a¡¡sniff¡¡of¡¡air£»¡¡and¡¡glimpse¡¡of¡¡the¡¡stars£»¡¡and¡¡then¡¡they¡¡went¡¡to¡¡bed¡£¡¡Frodo's¡¡party¡¡was¡¡over£»¡¡and¡¡Gandalf¡¡had¡¡not¡¡e¡£
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