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out of the 'third phase' manuscript (see p. 18). Before the new version of the chapter was completed, however (see note 12), my father changed Gollum's original name from Digol (through Deagol) to Smeagol, and introduced a rider telling the story of Deagol and his murder:

    He had a friend called Deagol, of similar short, sharper-eyed but not so quick and strong. They were roaming together, when in the mud of a river-bank, under the twisted roots of an ancient thorn-tree,(6) Deagol found the Ring. Smeagol came up behind him, just as he was washing the mud off, and the Ring gleamed yellow.
    'Give us that, Deagol my love,' said Smeagol over his friend's shoulder.
    'Why?' said Deagol.
    'Because it's my birthday...

    The remainder of the inserted text is virtually word for word as in FR
    (p. 62). On this new story see pp. 27-8.

    Very substantial rewriting begins again with Gandalf's discussion of Gollum's motives (FR pp. 63-6; for the previous versions see VI.79-80, 261-2, 320-2). Here there is more than one draft preceding the new manuscript B, and the relations between these texts are not entirely clear, though they differ chiefly only in the placing of certain elements. I give this passge in the form of B, with some variants from the drafts A recorded in the notes.

    'Gollum!' said Frodo. 'Do you mean the very Gollum-creature that Bilbo met? Is that his history? How loathsome!'
    'I think it is a sad story,' said the wizard, 'and it might have happened to others, even to some hobbits I have known.'
    'I can't believe Gollum was connected with hobbits, however distantly,' said Frodo with some heat. 'What an abominable idea!'
    'It is true all the same,' replied Gandalf. 'It is suggested even by Bilbo's own account; and partly explains the very curious events. There was a lot in the background of their minds and memories that was very similar: Bilbo and Gollum understood one another (if you think of it) better than hobbits have ever understood dwarves or goblins, or even elves. Think of the riddles they both knew, for one thing!'
    'But why did Gollum start the Riddle-game, or think of giving up the Ring at all?' asked Frodo.(7)
    'Because he was altogether miserable, and yet could not make up his wretched mind. Don't you realize that he had possessed the Ring for ages, and the torment was becoming unendurable?
    He was so wretched that he knew he was wretched, and had at last understood what caused it. There was nothing more to find out, nothing left but darkness, nothing to do but furtive eating and regretful remembering. Half his mind wanted above all to be rid of the Ring, even if the loss killed him. But he hated parting with it as much as keeping it. He wanted to hand it on to someone else, and to make him wretched too.'
    'Then why didn't he give it to the Goblins?'
    'Gollum would not have found that amusing! The Goblins were already beastly and miserable. And anyway he was afraid of them: naturally he had no fancy for an invisible goblin in the tunnels. But when Bilbo turned up half his mind saw that he had a marvellous chance; and the other half was angry and frightened, and was thinking how to trap and eat Bilbo. So he tried the Riddle-game, which might serve either purpose: it would decide the question for him, like tossing up. Very hobbit-like, I call that. But of course, if it had really come to the point of handing the Ring over, he would have immediately desired it terribly, and have hated Bilbo fiercely. It was lucky for Bilbo that things were arranged otherwise.'
    'But how was it that Gollum did not realize that he had got rid of it, if Bilbo had the Ring already?'
    'Simply because he had only lost it for a few hours: not nearly long enough for him to feel any change in himself. And also he had not given it away of his own free will: that is an important point. All the same I have always thought that the strangest thing about Bilbo's whole adventure was his finding the Ring like that: just putting his hand on it in the