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Poems and Tales of Middle-Earth:
(illustration by John Howe) |
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(Gandalf's song for Minas Tirith)
"Tall ships and tall kings
Three times three,
What brought they from the foundered land
Over the flowing sea?
Seven stars and seven stones
And one white tree."
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The Lord of the Rings
Part II. The Two Towers
Quotes from Tolkien's Novel
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| Isengard: The Palantír. |
"Pippin sat with his knees drawn up and the ball between them. He bent low over it,
looking like a greedy child stooping over a bowl of food, in a corner away from others. He drew his cloak aside and gazed at it.
The air seemed still and tense about him. At first the globe was dark, black as jet, with the moonlight gleaming on
its surface. Then there came a faint glow and stir in the heart of it, and it held his eyes, so that now he could not
look away. Soon all the inside seemed on fire; the ball was spinning, or the lights within were revolving. Suddenly
the lights went out. He gave a gasp and struggled; but he remained bent, clasping the ball with both hands. Closer and
closer he bent, and then became rigid; his lips moved soundlessly for a while. Then with a strangled cry he fell back
and lay still."
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" 'So this is the thief!' said Gandalf. Hastily he cast his cloak over the globe
where it lay. 'But you, Pippin! This is a grievous turn to things!' He knelt by Pippin's body; the hobbit was lying on
his back, rigid, with unseeing eyes staring up at the sky. 'The devilry! What mischief has he done - to himself, and
to all of us?' The wizard's face was drawn and haggard."
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" 'Ganfalf!' he cried. 'Gandalf, forgive me!'
'Forgive you?' said the wizard. 'Tell me first what you have done!'
'I, I took the ball and looked at it,' stammered Pippin; 'and I saw things that frightened me.
And I wanted to go away, but I couldn't. And then he came and questioned me; and he looked at me, and, and that is
all I remember.'
'That won't do,' said Gandalf sternly. 'What did you see, and what did you say?'
Pippin shut his eyes and shivered, but said nothing. They all stared at him in silence, except
Merry who turned away. But Gandalf's face was still hard. 'Speak!' he said.
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" 'Then suddenly he [Sauron] seemed to see me, and he laughed at me. It was
cruel. It was like being stabbed with knives.' " [Pippin]
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" 'Alas for Saruman! It was his downfall, as I now perceive. Perilous to us all
are the devices of an art deeper than we possess ourselves. Yet he must bear the blame. Fool! to keep it secret, for
his own profit. No word did he ever speak of it to the Council. We had not yet given thought to the fate of the
palantiíri of Gondor in its ruinous wars. [...]'
'What did the Men of old use them for?' asked Pippin, delighted and astonished at getting
answers to so many questions, and wondering how long it would last."
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" 'But I should like to know - ' Pippin began.
'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of
inquisitiveness, I shall spend the rest of my days in answering you.' "
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