are sometimes useful you see), and some had been more poisoned.
     In this way they rescued Kili, Bifur, Bofur, Don and Nori. Poor old
Bombur was so exhausted-he was the fattest and had been constantly
pinched and poked-that he just rolled off the branch and fell plop on
to the ground, fortunately on to leaves, and lay there. But there were
still five dwarves hanging at the end of the branch when the spiders
began to come back, more full of rage than ever. Bilbo immediately
went to the end of the branch nearest the tree-trunk and kept back
those that crawled up. He had taken off his ring when he rescued Fili
and forgotten to put it on again, so now they all began to splutter
and hiss:
     “Now we see you, you nasty little creature! We will eat you and leave
your bones and skin hanging on a tree. Ugh! he’s got a sting has he?
Well, we’ll get him all the same, and then we’ll hang him head
downwards for a day or two.”
     While this was going on, the other dwarves were working at the rest of
the captives, and cutting at the threads with their knives. Soon all
would be free, though it was not clear what would happen after that.
The spiders had caught them pretty easily the night before, but that
had been unawares and in the dark. This time