The Lord of the Rings

The Author

John Ronald Reul Tolkien was born on 3rd January, 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. He moved to England at the age of three. His parents died very early. In 1915 he had to join the army and fought in the first World War. In 1920 his academical future started. First he became lecturer of English in Leeds and then professor in Oxford. In 1937 his first book was published. It was called "The Hobbit or There and Back again". In 1954/55 his great breakthrough, "The Lord of the Rings", was published. It has had about 50.000.000 readers only in the USA. Later more books of J. R. R. Tolkien were published and he died after a life of 82 years on 2nd September, 1973.

The Lord of the Rings

BOOK ONE:

The Hobbit Bilbo Baggins celebrated his eleventy-first birthday. Hobbits are little creatures, like dwarfs, and their favourite employments are sleeping and eating. Every inhabitant of Hobbiton and of the other villages around was invited. There was very much to eat and there were many presents, because if a Hobbit has a birthday party, he gives presents to his guests. During the celebration Bilbo proclaimed that he would leave Hobbiton and that his cousin Frodo would be his heir. All guests were very surprised and a few minutes later, while Gandalf the wizard was arranging some fireworks, Bilbo disappeared. After half an hour he met Gandalf and gave him a golden ring. Gandalf should give this ring to Frodo. It was the ONE ring of the Dark Lord. The owner of the ring could get invisible if he put it onto his finger. Bilbo got this ring by chance. While he was wandering through the shire, that's the land where Bilbo lived, he lost his way in a cave. There he saw the ring lying on the earth. He took it and a few minutes later he met an ugly creature called Gollum. Gollum and Bilbo played a game and Bilbo won. But Gollum was very unfair. He tried to find his ring, but he didn't know that Bilbo had it. When he found out, he tried to catch Bilbo. But Bilbo could escape. So he became the owner of the ring. Then Bilbo left and Gandalf didn't know if he would ever see him again.

Frodo was very depressed. But Gandalf told him that Bilbo wanted Frodo to destroy the ring and save the world. He also told him that the ring could only be destroyed in the fire it was made in. And this fire was in Mordor, the land where Sauron lived. Frodo knew that it was very dangerous because Sauron would try to get his ring back. But this was not very important to him. He and three friends of his, Sam, Merry and Pippin, wanted to leave Hobbiton. He told everybody that he was going to live in Buckland. He didn't tell his friends anything about the ring or his mission. But a short while before he left Hobbiton, he talked to Gandalf about the ring once again. Sam overheard them but Gandalf saw him. So Sam had to promise to come with Frodo and to tell nothing to any­body else.

Then Gandalf had to leave Frodo and he wasn't able to tell him when he would be back. He warned him never to use the ring. Then Frodo and his friends really left Hobbiton. After some time of travelling they noticed a black rider who followed them. He was one of the nine ring ghosts. They tried to hide and they could escape him temporarily.

Most of the time they were travelling they were in a forest. There they also met Gildor Inglorin and his Elven-friends. After some days they got to Mr. Maggot's farm. Mr. Maggot made a delicious meal for them and then he took them to the Brandywine Bridge. After another few days they finally arrived at Buckland. There Frodo's friends told him that they wouldn't leave him. First Frodo was very angry with Sam because he told the secret to them. But then he was really happy to have friends like them. They decided to avoid the east road. There, so they thought, they would be an easy target for the black riders. Because of this they went through the old forest. That was a very dangerous place, because the trees there hated all creatures that are able to move. Although the four friends were very careful, they were nearly killed by the trees. But they got unexpected help. A little man called Tom Bombadil crossed their way and rescued them. They found out that he was the guard of the "Old Forest". Tom took them with him into his house, where his wife Goldberry was, and he provided them very well.

After some days they left Tom and he warned them never to go to a hillgrave. He also taught them a song. They should sing it if they were in troubles or danger. Then they left Tom. They got on fast and at midday they made a little rest. All of them fell asleep. When Frodo woke up again, it was very late. He wasn't able to find his friends. So he searched for them. He didn't notice that he came very close to a hillgrave. The ghost who lived there captivated Frodo. Frodo fainted and when he woke up, he was under the earth. His friends were lying next to him. It seemed as if there was no way out. Suddenly he remembered the song of Tom Bombadil. Only a few seconds after he had sung it, Tom came and he helped them out of the prison.

After they had thanked Tom once again, they left. One day later they arrived at Bree. There the doorward looked at them very surprised. In Bree they went to a hotel called "The Prancing Pony". The owner, a man called Barliman Butterbur, welcomed them in a friendly way. The friends stayed in the overcrowded pub for a while and Frodo sang a little song. While he was standing on the table and singing, he slipped and while he fell down, the ring slipped onto his finger. At once he got invisible. Nobody in the restaurant talked when this happened. Frodo and his friends have been hated in the village since then, because nobody in Bree liked wizards.

Everybody except a man called strider left the pub. Mr. Butterbur warned Frodo and his friends of this man, but they found out that he was a good friend of Gandalf's, the wizard. Strider, or Aragorn, because that was his real name, helped them to reach the house of Elrond the High Elve, which was in Rivendell. There, so they thought, Gandalf would be too. The only one who distrusted Aragorn was Sam.

This evening they didn't sleep very well. The black riders, or ring ghosts, how Aragorn called them, were riding through the village.

The next morning they went to Rivendell. They were travelling all day and in the evening they arrived at the hill Weathertop. There they rested. But when they were sitting round the fire, they were not feeling safe. Frodo got that afraid that he used the golden ring. That was a mistake because the ring ghosts attacked him. Now they were very mighty because Frodo was half in their world now. That was because of the ring. One of the ring ghosts stabbed Frodo with a knife into his shoulder. Frodo was very lucky because he turned around at the right time. So the ring ghost missed his target, Frodo's heart. But Frodo only stayed alive because when he was lying on the ground and writhing, the ring slipped from his finger. That was why his friends saw him and Strider was able to help him.

The next morning they left and Frodo was carried by a pony. Frodo felt bad all the time and so they came forward only very slowly. But then the Elve Glorfindel was riding along their way. He told them that he had been searching for them very long. Frodo sat on Glorfindel's horse and now they could travel on faster. But when they nearly arrived at the ford the nine black riders came out. The horse which Frodo was sitting on reacted immediately. It ran on and Frodo could escape. But nothing that happened behind him was noticed by Frodo. He fainted at the back of the horse.

SECOND BOOK:

When Frodo woke up, he was in the house of Elrond. The Elves had found him and nursed him for four days. Gandalf the wizard and all his friends were there, too. They told him that the Loudwater River had taken the ring ghosts with it in a magic way. But they were sure that they were still alive. Bilbo, who had left Hobbiton, was also in Elrond's house. Frodo was very happy about that.

Elrond, the Highelve, held an assembly, where hey decided how the ring should be destroyed. Everybody there, Elladan, Elrohir, Arwen, Glóin and all the others, agreed, that it could only be destroyed in the land of Mordor. Besides, a fellowship was arranged, which consisted of nine people. Frodo, who owned the ring, was on of them. The eight others, Gandalf, Aragorn, Pippin, Merry, Sam, Gimli the Dwarf, Legolas the Elve and Boromir the fighter from Minas Tirith, had the order to help Frodo and to protect him. They did it voluntarily. Bilbo was very worried about Frodo. Later he would find out that his fear was not unfounded.

Then the day of departure was coming. Frodo and Bilbo were very sad. First they wanted to go over the Caradhras Mountain, but it didn't want them to do so. Well, so it seemed. At the top of the hill there was a very heavy blizzard. For the people it was hard to move on. But Legolas walked over the snow as if it was normal ground. For the Hobbits and the Dwarf it was impossible.

That was why they decided to go the dangerous way through Khazad-dûm, also called Moria. It was an old Dwarf-town under the earth. That should be their disaster. First everything was good. Gandalf was walking in front of them and his magic wand was shining like a torch. But they were chased. A gigantic horde of Orcs trapped them later. For a short while they could escape but then the Orcs caught them. The fellowship might have had a chance, but a Balrog, a gigantic creature made of pure darkness, helped the Orcs. Gandalf fought with him on a narrow bridge.

So his friends could escape but Gandalf and Balrog fell down the bridge into never-ending depths. Aragorn, who became their leader after Gandalf's death, brought them out of the cave of Khazad-dûm.

After walking in the darkness for many days, they saw daylight again, so they made a little rest. All were very sad because a good friend of theirs had died. But Aragorn advised them to hurry up. He said that the Orcs wouldn't wait until they were able to bear Gandalf's death. So they continued walking and they came into a forest called Lothlórien.

Lothlórien was a very mysterious place. For hundreds of years the Elves had been living there. But the forest was said to be a dangerous place. Almost nobody who had ever been in Lothlórien came out alive again. But the fellowship was very lucky. The Elves, who lived in the forest, were friendly to them. In the town of the Elves they could rest for a long time and ask the wise Celeborn, the ruler of the Elves, for help. His wife Galdriel also helped him as well as she could.

Then, after a few days, they had to leave the Elves. Galadriel gave everyone of them a present which would help them later in their lives. Everyone was dressed in Elve-clothes. So nobody was able to see them at first sight. They also got some Elve-boats, so they could travel down the Nimrodel until they came to the waterfalls of Rauros. Besides, Sam took a rope which was made by the Elves. It was very thin but extremely loadable.

The voyage on the river was not too difficult, but after a time they found out that they were hunted by a creature which made their blood run cold. Later they found out that this creature was Gollum, the former owner of the ring. At Sarn Gebir they stopped to decide which way they should go. Boromir wanted to go back to Minas Tirith to protect his hometown.

When Frodo was alone for a little while, Boromir tried to attack him and get the ring. For a moment he was mentally deranged. But Frodo could escape and he decided to go to Mordor alone. Since he didn't come to them again, his friends started searching for him. At the moment, when Frodo was going to travel on, Sam found him and told him that he would never leave him. So the fellowship of the ring broke into parts and Frodo and Sam went to Mordor alone to destroy the ring and stop Sauron, the Dark Lord.

THIRD BOOK:

Merry and Pippin were attacked by the Orcs but Boromir came and helped them. He fought very bravely but the Orcs were too many, and so they killed him. They kidnapped Merry and Pippin. When the three others, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli, found Boromir's dead body, they decided to bury him. They put him into a boat, his sword was put over his chest and the weapons of his enemies were put next to his feet. Then they went away.

They found out very fast that Frodo and Sam were missing and they weren't able to find a track of Merry and Pippin. Instead of this, they found the tracks of many Orcs. Aragorn, who was a ranger, found out, that Merry and Pippin had been kidnapped by the Orcs. He also thought Frodo wanted to save his friends. He didn't want them to goto Mordor with him. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli decided to search for Merry and Pippin.

On their way they met a big army of riders who came from Rohan. Éomer, the Third Marshal of Riddenmark as he was called, was the leader of this army. He gave the three friends some horses, but they had to promise that they would bring the horses back. Besides, they told them that they had met a horde of Orcs and killed all of them. Then they had burnt them. This information made Aragorn and the others feel sad, because they were afraid that their friends had been killed, too.

But that wasn't true. While Boromir was being buried, the two Hobbits could escape although Uglúk and Grishnákh were very careful. In the orcish horde there were two groups: the group of the White Hand and their emperor Saruman, the White, and the group of the Great Eye and their emperor Sauron, the Dark Lord. Merry and Pippin ran into the forest Fangorn, which was next to them and which was a very dangerous place. The Orcs couldn't follow the, because they were attacked by the riders of Rohan.

The two Hobbits were walking into the forest deeper and deeper. Suddenly they met Fangorn, who was also called Treebeard. Fangorn was an Ent and because of him the forest was called Fangorn, because he was its protector. Ents are creatures that look like trees, but they can move, they can talk and they are intelligent. Treebeard took them into his house where they told him about the danger coming from Mordor. And he told them about Saruman, the White, who was the chief of the wise council. Saruman wanted to rule the world. So he asked many Orcs to help him and now he threatened the countries around his. Trees of Fangorn were cut down because Saruman said so. So the Ents decided in a council to fight Saruman. During the council, which lasted for more than three days, Merry and Pippin lived in the house of an Ent called Bregalad, who was also called Quickbeam.

During these days Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli were searching for Merry and Pippin. After a long time they found a track of them. When they rested in the evening, an old man who was dressed in grey clothes came to them. They found out that this man was Gandalf, the wizard. The three friends were very happy to see him again. He told them that he had only stayed alive because he had been lucky. But he didn't want to talk about this story very much. The three friends noticed that Gandalf had changed. Since Saruman had become crazy, Gandalf was now the new "White", the chief of the council. And he was the only one who was able to stop Saruman. So Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli decided to go with Gandalf to Théoden, who was the King of Rohan, and ask him for help.

Théoden wanted to help them, and he and all his military forces went to Helms Deep. From there they wanted to destroy Saruman and all his servants. But a traitor, the evil Gríma, who was the advisor of the king, told Saruman about their plans. So when they were in Helms Deep, they were roughly 2.000 people, but an unbelievably big army of 10.000 Orcs attacked them. They would surely have died but then they got unexpected help from the Ents. So they were able to defeat the Orcs. On their side hardly nobody died. But one of the dead people was Háma, the loyal doorward and his loyal servant.

With the help of the Ents Saruman became a prisoner in his own tower in Isengard. Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas, Merry Pippin and Gandalf were together again. But Gandalf didn't seem to be surprised to see Treebeard there. It was obviously a plan of his own. Treebeard was willing to care for Saruman because Saruman didn't want to give up. In order to protect his master, Gríma threw a christal ball down on Gandalf. But the ball didn't hit Gandalf. Pippin caught the ball and when he looked into it, he saw the Great Eye. For a short time he was shocked and Gandalf knew that this stone was a Palantír, which Saruman had been able to contact Sauron with.

After the victory the whole army went to Minas Tirith. Gandalf, Merry, Pippin, Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn came with them. There they wanted to defeat the city against the evil Sauron.

FOURTH BOOK:

During this time nobody thought about Frodo and Sam. Meanwhile these two were very near the land of Mordor. They were able to catch Gollum, and he promised to take them to the border of the dark land. They went through the Dead-Marshes and they really arrived at the border after a week or so. But they continued being afraid of Gollum. And they were right. For once he tried to steal Frodo's ring. But after they had seen him doing that, he seemed to be humbler than ever before.

At the border they met Faramir and his men. Faramir was Boromir's brother and his mission was to attack an army of Sauron. He took Frodo and Sam with him into their hideout. Their they could sleep and they got a lot of food. Then they had to go on. But it was impossible for them to get through the black gate, which seemed to be the only way into the dark land. But Gollum knew another way. In the mountains there was a tunnel which took them into the land of Mordor.

On their way to the mountains they saw the city of the ring ghosts. They also saw how the king of the Nazgûls, they were called so, too, went away with an army, bigger than they could think of. For Frodo there seemed to be no hope. But just when he wanted to give up, he felt new courage and also rage in himself. And this feeling made him continue.

There was one thing Gollum hadn't told them about the tunnel, namely that Kankra, a gigantic spider monster, lived in the tunnel. Kankra could poison Frodo and she took him into her cobwebs. She felt quite save, because Gollum attacked Sam. But Sam was able to free himself and Gollum ran away. When Sam saw his master lying on the ground, he got that angry that he ran berserk. He attacked Kankra and hurt her that much that she ran away. Then Sam looked at Frodo and he thought he was dead. So he took the ring to finish the greatest mission a Hobbit ever had to do.

But then he noticed some Orcs, who were standing next to his master. He used the ring and so he could hear what the Orcs said. Sam found out that Kankra never ate dead flesh, she only stunned her victims. So Sam found out that his friend was still alive. The Orcs took him into their tower, where he should be a prisoner until HE, the Dark Lord, would have "talked" to him. Sam tried to free his friend and master, but when he reached the door of the tower, it was already closed. He was now alone in the land of the evil enemy. Frodo was still alive but he was a prisoner of the enemy.

FIFTH BOOK:

Pippin and Gandalf reached Minas Tirith. It was a gigantic city which was built on seven levels. The seventh and also the highest level was the level where the ruler of Gondor lived. They talked to Denethor, who was the Steward of Minas Tirith. He and his ancestors had ruled Gondor since the last king died without any children. Denthor was very surprised about the Hobbit Pippin, and after he had looked at him for a while, Pippin became one of the city guards. So he wanted to show Denethor that a Hobbit was a good fighter. Pippin also told him about the death of his son - Boromir.

While Gandalf and Denethor were having a discussion, Pippin was walking through the city. He met Beregond, who was a city guard, too. He and his son Bergil showed Pippin the city Minas Tirith. They also talked about the events of the last weeks. Besides, they watched the coming of many leaders with their armies, because the city and the whole land Gondor were preparing for a war against the Great Eye. And during all this time a big darkness came from the east, it was like a big cloud, but much more frightening.

While Gandalf and Pippin were in Minas Tirith, the riders of Rohan with Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas and Merry were on their way. Gandalf's horse was much faster. Later 30 rangers of Aragorn's clan came to them, and so did the sons of Elrond, Elladan and Elrohir. They wanted to fight with them against Sauron. But they left the riders after a few hours and Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas went with them. They went to the Paths of the Death. When the army of King Théoden reached Edoras, the fortress of the king, Merry swore the king ever lasting loyalty. So he became one of the king's people, but when Théoden and his army were going to help Minas Tirith, Merry should stay in Edoras. But a rider called Dernhelm took Merry with him on his horse and nobody saw him. So the army went to help the capital of Gondor.

Aragorn and his men reached the caves of the death. They were damned, because they had broken an oath. Aragorn talked to their leader and they decided to help Aragorn, and so they went to Minas Tirith through the mountains.

But it looked as if the city would be beaten before any help reached it. Faramir, Denethor's other son, had not reached the city. And now it was besieged by the Orcs. Very often the Nazgûls, the ring ghosts, flew over the city and their cries made everybody's blood run cold. Then Faramir came back, but he was dangerously wounded. He was taken to his father's room and Denethor tried to burn him and his son because there seemed to be no more hope.

But Rohan's riders came at the right moment. They attacked the Orcs, but King Théoden was killed in the fight. Dernhelm turned out as Éowyn, the sister of Éomer. She was dressed like a man because she knew that Théoden would never have allowed her to come with him. She and Merry destroyed the king of the ring ghosts, but both got hurt very dangerously. In spite of the help of the Rohan people they seemed to lose the fight. And now the evil pirates from the north were coming, too.

But in reality they were Aragorn and his men. They killed the pirates with the help of the deaths and now they attacked the Orcs. So the city was freed. Gandalf and Pippin saved Faramir, but his father died in the flames. Faramir, Éowyn and Merry were taken into the Houses of Healing. There they were provided very well. But they seemed to die. Then Aragorn came, he was the descendant of the kings of Gondor, and he cured the three patients. But Aragorn didn't want to take the crown. First he wanted the people of Gondor and Rohan to follow him.

He wanted to go to the Black Gate with an army of 6.000 men and excite the attention of Sauron and his force. So Frodo and Sam should be able to solve their mission easier.

When they reached the Black Gate, an ambassador of Sauron brought Frodo's clothes and armour. Everybody was horrified and every hope seemed to be lost. But they didn't want to give up. A big battle started at the Black Gate and the border of Mordor.

SIXTH BOOK:

During the battle at Minas Tirith, Sam entered the tower where his master Frodo was caught. He saw that all the Orcs had killed each other in a big quarrel. Only one of them could escape. Sam searched for Frodo and after half an hour he found him. Frodo was very weak and naked. Sam got some orc-clothes, and so they started their way to Mount Doom, Orodruin. But they had to be careful because they were hunted. Frodo was very depressed first, but when he heard, that Sam had got his ring, he got crazy for a moment and took it away from Sam. One second later his mind was clear again and now they felt the power of the ring.

While they were going through the deserted and infertile country they heard some Orcs talking about Gollum. He was free and in the land of Mordor. So they were more careful than before. But they had a bigger problem: food. They found something to eat and a little bit of water, but it was only enough to reach Mount Doom and not for the way back.

After unbelievable strains they reached Mount Doom. But when Frodo should throw the ring into a gorge filled with fire, he couldn't. The ring was stronger than he was. And then he used it. Many things happened in this moment. Frodo got invisible. Sauron's attention was fixed on Mount Doom now. The Nazgûl flew to Mount Doom. Sam was hit by something. Gollum, who suddenly appeared, started fighting with Frodo. He bit off Frodo's finger but when he had the ring, he fell down into the gorge. So Frodo's mission was fulfilled. But they had no hope to come home ever again.

As they were lying on the ground and waiting for death, Gandalf came and helped them. He was riding on Gwaihir, the king of the eagles. Landorval and Meneldor, two of his subjects, were there, too. They saved Frodo and Sam and flew away with them. Everything the Dark Lord had created was destroyed and he had died with his country.

Frodo and Sam became well again. They met all their friends again. And while they were having a big party, Faramir and Éowyn fell in love. They decided to get married and Faramir became the Duke of Ithilien. Aragorn married Arwen and together they ruled the land of Gondor. Éomer became King of Rohan.

Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin started their journey home. They visited Bilbo in Rivendell and then they reached the Shire. But everything there had changed completely. A man who called himself "the Chief", who oppressed the people of the Shire, and 300 humans had changed the whole country. Trees were chopped, houses destroyed, the humans were plundering the cities of the Hobbits and everybody who didn't do what the "Chief" said was arrested.

The four friends got very angry. They had defeated Sauron, so they could defeat anybody else. They were able to rouse the people of the Shire and together they killed the "Chief", who was nobody else than Saruman. After that all the people of the Shire tried to heal the wounds of their loved country.

Sam married the girl he had loved ever before and he became mayor of Hobbiton and had many children. And Frodo, Bilbo, Galadriel, Elrond, Gandalf and all the Elves sailed across the ocean back to the island where they had come from long, long time before.

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