ill voice： itwas blown away from him by the willow…wind and drowned in a clamour of leaves；
as soon as the words left his mouth。 He felt desperate： lost and witless。
Suddenly he slopped。 There was an answer； or so he thought； but it seemedto e from behind him； away down the path further back in the Forest。 Heturned round and listened； and soon there could be no doubt： someone wassinging a song； a deep glad voice was singing carelessly and happily； but itwas singing nonsense：
Hey dol！ merry dol！ ring a dong dillo！
Ring a dong！ hop along！ fal lal the willow！
Tom Bom； jolly Tom； Tom Bombadillo！
Half hopeful and half afraid of some new danger； Frodo and Sam now bothstood still。 Suddenly out of a long string of nonsense…words （or so theyseemed） the voice rose up loud and clear and burst into this song：
Hey！ e merry dot！ derry dol！ My darling！
Light goes the weather…wind and the feathered starling。
Down along under Hill； shining in the sunlight；
Waiting on the doorstep for the cold starlight；
There my pretty lady is。 River…woman's daughter；
Slender as the willow…wand； clearer than the water。
Old Tom Bombadil water…lilies bringinges hopping home again。 Can you hear him singing？
Hey！ e merry dol！ deny dol！ and merry…o；
Goldberry； Goldberry； merry yellow berry…o！
Poor old Willow…man； you tuck your roots away！
Tom's in a hurry now。 Evening will follow day。
Tom's going home again water…lilies bringing。
Hey！ e derry dol！ Can you hear me singing？
Frodo and Sam stood as if enchanted。 The wind puffed out。 The leaves hungsilently again on stiff branches。 There was another burst of song； and thensuddenly； hopping and dancing along the path； there appeared above the reedsan old battered hat with a tall crown and a long blue feather stuck in theband。 With another hop and a bound there came into view a man； or so itseemed。 At any rate he was too large and heavy for a hobbit； if not quite tallenough for one of the Big People； though he made noise enough for one；
slumping along with great yellow boots on his thick legs； and charging throughgrass and rushes like a cow going down to drink。 He had a blue coat and a longbrown beard； his eyes were blue and bright； and his face was red as a ripeapple； but creased into a hundred wrinkles of laughter。 In his hands hecarried on a large leaf as on a tray a small pile of white water…lilies。
'Help！' cried Frodo and Sam running towards him with their handsstretched out。
'Whoa！ Whoa！ steady there！' cried the old man； holding up one hand； andthey stopped short； as if they had been struck stiff。 'Now； my little fellows；
where be you a…going to； puffing like a bellows？ What's the matter here then？
Do you know who I am？ I'm Tom Bombadil。 Tell me what's your trouble！ Tom's ina hurry now。 Don't you crush my lilies！'
'My friends are caught in the willow…tree；' cried Frodo breathlessly。
'Master Merry's being squeezed in a crack！' cried Sam。
'What？' shouted Tom Bombadil； leaping up in the air。 'Old Man Willow？
Naught worse than that； eh？ That can soon be mended。 I know the tune for him。
Old grey Willow…man！ I'll freeze his marrow cold； if he don't behave himself。
I'll sing his roots off。 I'll sing a wind up and blow leaf and branch away。
Old Man Willow！' Setting down his lilies carefully on the grass； he ran to thetree。 There he saw Merry's feet still sticking out – the rest had already beendrawn further inside。 Tom put his mouth to the crack and began singing into itin a low voice。 They could not catch the words； but evidently Merry wasaroused。 His legs began to kick。 Tom sprang away； and breaking off a hangingbranch smote the side of the willow with it。 'You let them out again； Old ManWillow！' he said。 'What be you a…thinking of？ You should not be waking。 Eatearth！ Dig deep！ Drink water！ Go to sleep！ Bombadil is talking！' He thenseized Merry's feet and drew him out of the suddenly widening crack。
There was a tearing creak and the other crack split open； and out of itPippin sprang； as if he had been kicked。 Then with a loud snap both cracksclosed fast again。 A shudder ran through the tree from root to tip； andplete silence fell。
'Thank you！' said the hobbits； one after the other。
Tom Bombadil burst out laughing。 'Well； my little fellows！' said he；
stooping so that he peered into their faces。 'You shall e home with me！ Thetable is all laden with yellow cream； honeyb； and white bread and butter。
Goldberry is waiting。 Time enough for questions around the supper table。 Youfollow after me as quick as you are able！' With that he picked up his lilies；
and then with a beckoning wave of his hand went hopping and dancing along thepath eastward； still singing loudly and nonsensically。
Too surprised and too relieved to talk； the hobbits followed after him asfast as they could。 But that was not fast enough。 Tom soon disappeared infront of them； and the noise of his singing got fainter and further away。
Suddenly his voice came floating back to them in a loud halloo！
Hop along； my little friends； up the Withywindle！
Tom's going on ahead candles for to kindle。
Down west sinks the Sun： soon you will be groping。
When the night…shadows fall； then the door will open；
Out of the window…panes light will twinkle yellow。
Fear no alder black！ Heed no hoary willow！
Fear neither root nor bough！ Tom goes on before you。
Hey now！ merry dot！ We'll be waiting for you！
After that the hobbits heard no more。 Almost at once the sun seemed to
sink into the trees behind them。 They thought of the slanting light of eveningglittering on the Brandywine River； and the windows of Bucklebury beginning togleam with hundreds of lights。 Great shadows fell across them； trunks andbranches of trees hung dark and threatening over the path。 White mists beganto rise and curl on the surface of the river and stray about the roots of thetrees upon its borders。 Out of the very ground at their feet a shadowy steamarose and mingled with the swiftly falling dusk。
It became difficult to follow the path； and they were very tired。 Theirlegs seemed leaden。 Strange furtive noises ran among the bushes and reeds oneither side of them； and if they looked up to the pale sky； they caught sightof queer gnarled and knobbly faces that gloomed dark against the twilight； andleered down at them from the high bank and the edges of the wood。 They beganto feel that all this country was unreal； and that they were stumbling throughan ominous dream that led to no awakening。
Just as they felt their feet slowing down to a standstill； they noticedthat the ground was gently rising。 The water began to murmur。 In the darknessthey caught the white glimmer of foam； where the river flowed over a shortfall。 Then suddenly the trees came to an end and the mists were left behind。
They stepped out from the Forest； and found a wide sweep of grass welling upbefore them。 The river； now small and swift； was leaping merrily down to meetthem； glinting here and there in the light of the stars； which were alreadyshining in the sky。
The grass under their feet was smooth and short； as if it had been mownor shaven。 The eaves of the Forest behind were clipped； and trim as a hedge。
The path was now plain be