Monday, July 12, 2004
The hobbit and the three trolls
Finally, the promised translation of the short-story about the hobbit and the three trolls:
He climbed painfully up the hill, grabbing the bare rocks with his badly scratched hands and pushing behind him with his little furry feet. Finally, he reached the summit and stood up to contemplate the little promising landscape. As far as his keen sight could reach he was surrounded by an arid plain with scarce vegetation. This was a dire situation for a lonely hobbit to find himself in!
He was trying not to give in to desperation, when he noticed some promising-looking trees with wide leaves on the corner of his eye. A closer look made him realize that a promontory down the other side of the hill had hidden from his first inspection a small ravine from which a singing sound of flowing water reached his thirsty ears. He meandered down to it and a tiny valley unveiled in front of him. It had a humid microclimate and a quick stream of clear water run through the middle of it. New hope rose in his heart, as he run down the slope and his bare feet stepped on the cold grass. He looked around as he walked, smiling at the fern and caressing the wild flowers as he went. Then he reached the stream and kneeled down to drink from it. As he enjoyed the refreshing liquid in his mouth and the sprinkling sound of the running water, he let his attention drift for a few seconds, as he remembered good old times in his home town.
When he came back to reality, a big, ugly face was staring back at him from the other side of the water. He jumped up startled, and looked transfixed at the apparition from the water world. When he realized it was the reflection of a big troll that was standing right behind him, it was too late. A huge hand with fingers thick as branches reached at him and grabbed his neck, closing around it in a solid lock. He tried to fight the grip and free himself, but it was useless. The troll raised easily his hand with the little hobbit hanging from it, and looked at his defenseless prey with a crooked grin.
- Mmmm, small but tender...! It'll be a perfect breakfast! He! He! - He murmured.
Without any more fuss, he turned around and started a clumsy trot towards an opening in the woods a short distance from the water stream. The hobbit was transported still hanging from his neck, desperately holding to his captor's big, hairy wrist and forearm with both his arms and legs, just to prevent the wide swaying movements to snap his neck.
When the troll reached the clearing, two other creatures, as big and as ugly, were waiting for him there. They immediately noticed his prey and dedicated an amazed look to the small and strange being that still fought, if not to get free, at least for some air.
- What's that?! - They both exclaimed almost at the same time.
- Don't know! It's breakfast, me thinks!
The waiting party shrugged and started readying some cooking utensils. The hunter troll just sat on a rock and laid his burden in front of him. The hobbit was greatly relieved at seeing himself back on the ground and free of the asphyxiating grip. He looked around and tried to evaluate his chances of escape. The troll probably interpreted correctly his intentions and said matter-of-factly:
- If you try to escape I'll just step on you and crash you with all my weight, so you better don't think about it... I don't want to spoil all your entrails on the ground!...
The hobbit stayed frozen on the spot looking up at his captor's impassive face. The big monster was right. Once in the woods he could hide and no troll would be able to find him, but his opportunities while in the open were really slim. He needed to think of something.
- It's a pity I only have one head!
The three trolls stopped their activities and looked back at the hobbit, staring incredulously at him as if they could not believe it had just talked to them. Then, in their slow thinking process, they started to realize that what he had said had a meaning and started to analyze it. Then they wondered on the implications of that meaning. Then they came to a sudden realization and their eyes opened widely. They looked at each other, slowly going from one of their companions to the next.
- He's right! - They all said at the same time.
Then, after a brief silence:
- What are we gonna do?!
The hunter troll shouted very loudly:
- I will eat the head! I got the thing, and I'll eat the head!
One of the other two, who looked older and much more dirty than the rest, said:
- No, I'm the boss and I'll eat the head. You can do whatever you want with the rest!
The third troll said:
- We can share the head! We can split it in three parts, right?
- No way! - said the hunter - I want the whole head for me!
- You can't share a head! - said the old one - The contents would spill out and be wasted! I want to eat it whole! Crunchy and juicy! It'll be all for me! You get to eat the body, which is bigger than the head!
They went on arguing and as the quarrel heated up, the hunter troll stood up and walked towards his comrades with an aggressive expression. He completely forgot that the only thing that kept the little hobbit on his spot was his attentive vigilance and the threat that he would crash him if he moved. The angry troll just shouted and waved his arms, ready to fight with his pals for their now unattended breakfast.
The hobbit stood still until he was sure the troll could not see him and he then grabbed the opportunity and started moving quickly but silently towards the trees. Soon he was running as fast as his short legs would allow him and in a few seconds he reached the woods, while he could still hear the trolls shouting to each other about how to dismember and share his body.
Once in the woods, he knew he was safe, because the bad sight and clumsiness of a troll were no rival for the ability to hide and to move silently among the vegetation of a hobbit. So, while he continued his journey, trying to forget his recent experience, he mused that it may be a pity he only had one head, but it was certainly good luck he did have one head!
He climbed painfully up the hill, grabbing the bare rocks with his badly scratched hands and pushing behind him with his little furry feet. Finally, he reached the summit and stood up to contemplate the little promising landscape. As far as his keen sight could reach he was surrounded by an arid plain with scarce vegetation. This was a dire situation for a lonely hobbit to find himself in!
He was trying not to give in to desperation, when he noticed some promising-looking trees with wide leaves on the corner of his eye. A closer look made him realize that a promontory down the other side of the hill had hidden from his first inspection a small ravine from which a singing sound of flowing water reached his thirsty ears. He meandered down to it and a tiny valley unveiled in front of him. It had a humid microclimate and a quick stream of clear water run through the middle of it. New hope rose in his heart, as he run down the slope and his bare feet stepped on the cold grass. He looked around as he walked, smiling at the fern and caressing the wild flowers as he went. Then he reached the stream and kneeled down to drink from it. As he enjoyed the refreshing liquid in his mouth and the sprinkling sound of the running water, he let his attention drift for a few seconds, as he remembered good old times in his home town.
When he came back to reality, a big, ugly face was staring back at him from the other side of the water. He jumped up startled, and looked transfixed at the apparition from the water world. When he realized it was the reflection of a big troll that was standing right behind him, it was too late. A huge hand with fingers thick as branches reached at him and grabbed his neck, closing around it in a solid lock. He tried to fight the grip and free himself, but it was useless. The troll raised easily his hand with the little hobbit hanging from it, and looked at his defenseless prey with a crooked grin.
- Mmmm, small but tender...! It'll be a perfect breakfast! He! He! - He murmured.
Without any more fuss, he turned around and started a clumsy trot towards an opening in the woods a short distance from the water stream. The hobbit was transported still hanging from his neck, desperately holding to his captor's big, hairy wrist and forearm with both his arms and legs, just to prevent the wide swaying movements to snap his neck.
When the troll reached the clearing, two other creatures, as big and as ugly, were waiting for him there. They immediately noticed his prey and dedicated an amazed look to the small and strange being that still fought, if not to get free, at least for some air.
- What's that?! - They both exclaimed almost at the same time.
- Don't know! It's breakfast, me thinks!
The waiting party shrugged and started readying some cooking utensils. The hunter troll just sat on a rock and laid his burden in front of him. The hobbit was greatly relieved at seeing himself back on the ground and free of the asphyxiating grip. He looked around and tried to evaluate his chances of escape. The troll probably interpreted correctly his intentions and said matter-of-factly:
- If you try to escape I'll just step on you and crash you with all my weight, so you better don't think about it... I don't want to spoil all your entrails on the ground!...
The hobbit stayed frozen on the spot looking up at his captor's impassive face. The big monster was right. Once in the woods he could hide and no troll would be able to find him, but his opportunities while in the open were really slim. He needed to think of something.
- It's a pity I only have one head!
The three trolls stopped their activities and looked back at the hobbit, staring incredulously at him as if they could not believe it had just talked to them. Then, in their slow thinking process, they started to realize that what he had said had a meaning and started to analyze it. Then they wondered on the implications of that meaning. Then they came to a sudden realization and their eyes opened widely. They looked at each other, slowly going from one of their companions to the next.
- He's right! - They all said at the same time.
Then, after a brief silence:
- What are we gonna do?!
The hunter troll shouted very loudly:
- I will eat the head! I got the thing, and I'll eat the head!
One of the other two, who looked older and much more dirty than the rest, said:
- No, I'm the boss and I'll eat the head. You can do whatever you want with the rest!
The third troll said:
- We can share the head! We can split it in three parts, right?
- No way! - said the hunter - I want the whole head for me!
- You can't share a head! - said the old one - The contents would spill out and be wasted! I want to eat it whole! Crunchy and juicy! It'll be all for me! You get to eat the body, which is bigger than the head!
They went on arguing and as the quarrel heated up, the hunter troll stood up and walked towards his comrades with an aggressive expression. He completely forgot that the only thing that kept the little hobbit on his spot was his attentive vigilance and the threat that he would crash him if he moved. The angry troll just shouted and waved his arms, ready to fight with his pals for their now unattended breakfast.
The hobbit stood still until he was sure the troll could not see him and he then grabbed the opportunity and started moving quickly but silently towards the trees. Soon he was running as fast as his short legs would allow him and in a few seconds he reached the woods, while he could still hear the trolls shouting to each other about how to dismember and share his body.
Once in the woods, he knew he was safe, because the bad sight and clumsiness of a troll were no rival for the ability to hide and to move silently among the vegetation of a hobbit. So, while he continued his journey, trying to forget his recent experience, he mused that it may be a pity he only had one head, but it was certainly good luck he did have one head!
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