towers

854 the two towers
while he took out his knife, cleaned and whetted it, and began
to dress the rabbits. He was not going to leave Frodo alone
asleep even for a few minutes.
‘Now, Gollum,’ he said, ‘I’ve another job for you. Go and
fill these pans with water, and bring ’em back!’
‘Sméagol will fetch water, yes,’ said Gollum. ‘But what
does the hobbit want all that water for? He has drunk, he has
washed.’
‘Never you mind,’ said Sam. ‘If you can’t guess, you’ll
soon find out. And the sooner you fetch the water, the sooner
you’ll learn. Don’t you damage one of my pans, or I’ll carve
you into mincemeat.’
While Gollum was away Sam took another look at Frodo.
He was still sleeping quietly, but Sam was now struck most
by the leanness of his face and hands. ‘Too thin and drawn
he is,’ he muttered. ‘Not right for a hobbit. If I can get these
coneys cooked, I’m going to wake him up.’
Sam gathered a pile of the driest fern, and then scrambled
up the bank collecting a bundle of twigs and broken wood;
the fallen branch of a cedar at the top gave him a good supply.
He cut out some turves at the foot of the bank just outside
the fern-brake, and made a shallow hole and laid his fuel in
it. Being handy with flint and tinder he soon had a small blaze
going. It made little or no smoke but gave off an aromatic
scent. He was just stooping over his fire, shielding it and
building it up with heavier wood, when Gollum returned,
carrying the pans carefully and grumbling to himself.
He set the pans down, and then suddenly saw what Sam
was doing. He gave a thin hissing shriek, and seemed to be
both frightened and angry. ‘Ach! Sss – no!’ he cried. ‘No!
Silly hobbits, foolish, yes foolish! They mustn’t do it!’
‘Mustn’t do what?’ asked Sam in surprise.
‘Not make the nassty red tongues,’ hissed Gollum. ‘Fire,
fire! It’s dangerous, yes it is. It burns, it kills. And it will bring
enemies, yes it will.’
‘I don’t think so,’ said Sam. ‘Don’t see why it should, if
you don’t put wet stuff on it and make a smother. But if it