Frodo and the other Hobbits gathered the next day in the living room at teatime, and, as the day before, Frodo began to tell what had happened to him. Words seemed to come easily to him, like the flow of a dam that breaks after containing a sleeping lake for too long.

'Before I took the path of Cirith Ungol again, I ventured near the tower and into the rubble. I had to find, if I could, something to fill Shagrat's bag. I found the same black bread, a bundle of dried meat which, to this day, I dare not wonder what kind it was, and managed to reach the well where I could fill my flask and a gourd which I picked up there and that still contained a bit of sticky liquor. I think I rested under a boulder for at least a whole day to regain my strength before reaching Shelob's tunnel. I was still terrified to face the monster, and all I had was Shagrat's knife and my mithril shirt to protect me — and it had failed me the first time! So I took my time to return to the cursed place, taking small steps and listening for the slightest noise that might indicate danger.
When I finally got there — I don't know how to tell you this without making you all sick! Many stones had fallen down in front of the entrance, which had been the way out for Sam and me, if you remember. Some huge boulders had fallen down and an unbearable smell emanated from there. It was still dark, so I did not immediately find out where it came from. It was only when I got closer that I understood: the stones that had come loose from the mountain had crushed Shelob! She was lying there, her legs curled up under her, her abdomen pierced by the rock and letting out a stream of black, foul-smelling blood. I remember throwing up, once more.
But I was relieved that the dreaded monster would not come to harm me as I crossed her lair, and I was now quite sure that I would not meet any orcs. I still had to find a way to get into the tunnel; the entrance was blocked by the stones and rocks that had collapsed when the earth had shaken.'

The Hobbits listening to Frodo were holding their breath. Sam, who had fought the giant spider and could see what it looked like, could only imagine how Frodo must have felt when he saw that this terrible creature had perished in such a trivial way. He was glad, however, that Frodo had been ridden of the dreaded obstacle; the thought that he would have had to face Shelob again had filled him with terror.

Frodo, sitting very close to Sam in a cozy loveseat, took a sip of his tea before continuing.

'Once I had spotted a way through, I managed to sneak into the cave without too much difficulty. I don't know if minutes or hours had passed as I groped around in the dark, but I remember the terrifying roar of the rocks when the earth shook again, very slightly. And I knew, then, because the air suddenly changed, that the passage was closed.'

Pippin let out a shocked exclamation.

'Closed... on both sides?' he asked, and squeezed Merry's hand so hard that his cousin winced.

'I wasn't sure, but I felt it must be so, yes.'

'And was it really?' Merry asked.

'Yes, it was. I don't know how long it took me to cross the maze of stones: it was completely dark, and only my instinct guided me to what I thought was the way out. But when I finally breathed a trickle of fresh air, so faint that I thought I was dreaming it, there was no more doubt. Everywhere I touched, my hands could only find fallen rocks and stones. I tried to climb the rubble, thinking that the way out would be just on the other side, but when I got to the top I hit my head on the ceiling of the cave! I tumbled all the way down and, as I continued my blind exploration, I realised that I was a prisoner.'

Sam shivered and wrapped his arm a little tighter around Frodo.

'I thought I was going crazy. I couldn't see anything, nothing at all. I had to get out. I couldn't be stuck there, not after all I'd done. I thought of you, Sam, and I wept, thinking how you'd grieve if I had to die in that sordid tomb. I wanted to live, to see the Shire and all of Middle-earth now rid of evil! But I felt condemned to end my days away from all my loved ones, in this darkness and stench.
But then I got myself together: this scree was new, perhaps I could, with patience, clear it up. So I ate some bread, took a sip of water, and set to work. I don't remember exactly how the days went by, I relied on my sense of smell to determine in which direction to dig, which stone to move to clear a passage. I was exhausted at first, driven by urgency and terror. Soon, my food and water supplies ran out. I had to leave this part of the cave in search of water and food. When I could not find a spring, I decided to lick the walls of the cave where water drops were slowly flowing downing. This way, I could fill my flask, but it was a very slow business, and I had to leave it in place for several days for it to be full. In the meantime, I slept a lot.'

Frodo paused, his breath panting a little. Sam felt him hesitate.

'What about food?' Fatty asked in a soft voice, 'Have you managed to catch some salamander, maybe?'

'Oh... for that... my friends, I don't know if it is appropriate to tell you.'

'We're here to hear what you need to tell us,' Merry whispered with encouragement, 'Nothing you say will change our opinion of you, Frodo.'

Frodo swallowed, took a deep breath and, in a trembling voice, he said:

'For the food, to tell the truth, it wasn't the hardest part. Shelob had... a well-stocked larder, so to speak.'

Sam stifled a sob. He had seen with his own eyes what this larder was all about. To imagine Frodo had had to feed himself like that was unthinkable. He felt Frodo's body spasm against him but, after a deep breath, the discomfort passed.

'The first time, I gave back everything I had swallowed. The idea, more than the taste, was unbearable. But soon both my body and my head realised that it was either eat this or die. And I hadn't spent endless hours in total darkness only to starve to death. Every day, I felt it, I was getting closer to the exit. I say every day, but I didn't know the difference between day and night. I dug with my fingers and the orc's knife, I moved stones, I pushed rocks, and then I slept. I slept so much.
The first time the tunnel I had started to form in the rubble collapsed, I thought I would have to give up and let myself die. A big rock had fallen on my foot, and I felt, since I couldn't see it, that it was swollen and twisted.'

In front of his mute audience, Frodo stretched out his right foot: the bruising was still visible and would never go away, and the bones had mended unevenly. Tears rolling silently down his cheeks, Sam gently took Frodo's ankle and placed the injured foot in his lap.

'Oh, Mr. Frodo,' he murmured.

'I can hardly believe that the outcome of this story is you sitting here among us and having tea,' Fredegar whispered.

'Me neither,' replied Frodo, with a laugh and tears in his eyes.

There was another silence during which everyone came to their senses a little. Sam stroked with great care the foot that he kept holding on his knees and Frodo gave him a smile that was meant to be comforting but which brought tears to both of their eyes. Frodo wiped his tears with the back of his sleeve and continued his story.

'In my misfortune, though, I was lucky: when my tunnel had collapsed, it had made a small opening in another place. I could feel the air coming in, fresher, less smelly and, after a time I couldn't measure precisely, I felt the first small animals coming to take refuge in my cave. Then, I understood that summer was coming to an end: I had been crawling in the dark for months. I started digging, scratching, and moving stones again. Now I could see a small ray of pale light, and I could tell the difference between day and night. My eyes were so accustomed to the complete darkness that I did not immediately understand what I was seeing. In the shadows, I managed to catch some fat field mice that came to spend winter in the cave. This must seem strange to you, but I thought I had never tasted anything so good.'

'I can understand you,' said Pippin in a small voice. 'Even the worst piece of mouldy bread must be a feast under these circumstances.'

'Yes, exactly. And then, after a while, I realised that if there were now mice in that cave, perhaps the evil in this land had left for good! This gave me hope and I went on with my work. I became more methodical, using the larger stones to secure the passage. When I finally cleared a way out, I felt, like a punch in the face, the cold, damp air of an autumn night sweep over me.'

'Hurrah!' exclaimed Fatty and Pippin, who had been holding their breath for most of the story.

'I would have liked to rejoice as you do, but the starlight was so blinding that I crawled back in my hole for many hours before I dared come out for good.'

'Oh, Frodo,' sighed Merry, 'what an ordeal you have overcome!'

'I think I cried when I finally made it out. It was raining. I just stayed there in the falling rain, lying on the ground. After a while I remember taking off all my clothes and rubbing my body to get rid of the filth from that cave. I even tried to clean my rags; what strange thoughts we have in those moments! I filled my flask and my water skin, and drank from my cupped hands since the rain was coming down so heavily. It did not bode well for the way down the stairs, but it did not matter to me.'

Frodo paused again to catch his breath. Sam felt that he was trembling slightly, or was he the one shivering? He pressed himself a little closer to Frodo, gently rubbing his arms as if to warm him up. He imagined him naked, skinny, in the rain near the tunnel exit, in that dark and rocky landscape. In autumn, he had said. Where was he in the autumn of that year? In Rivendell, most certainly, or perhaps already on his way to Bree or Frogmorton. Regret clutched at his throat so tightly that he could only burst into tears to breathe. Burying his face against Frodo's shoulder, he couldn't help but cry his heart out.

'Sam,' Frodo whispered, comforting him, 'I know now, there's nothing you could have done to prevent that. But you mustn't be sad. Because I understood, at that moment, when I finally came out of that disgusting hole, that the world had changed. The air was filled with this new freshness. It made me all confused. I carefully went down the steps of the secret staircase. Sometimes I had to take some risks because the face of the mountain had broken in places, but I went down nonetheless. Terrified of being seen by anyone, I walked at night and slept during the day in the shade of the rocks. It was bitterly cold and yet I avoided the rays of the sun which now shone even in this desolate part of the world.
When I finally approached Minas Morgul, the home of the Nazgûl seemed strangely harmless. It was like lighting a lamp to dispel the shadows that worry children and give them nightmares, and discovering that what they were afraid of was just a coat left on a chair. There was nothing but a mere stone tower there, standing like a grotesque empty shell. I think I laughed like a lunatic at that moment.'

Too exhausted to give any more details about his adventure, Frodo briefly summarised what had followed his months of confinement in Shelob's cave. Scared at the idea of meeting orcs or even Men, Frodo had taken hidden paths, slowly going up the Anduin. He had found shelter from the cold of winter, and had managed to find some food by hunting and gathering what he could. During those long icy months, he had had to stop moving forward. The abandoned hut where he had taken refuge was still equipped with one or two moth-eaten blankets and he had even managed to make fire. When spring had returned, Frodo had found it difficult to leave his shelter, gradually losing the sense of his journey and the hope of seeing his friends again. When he explained this, all the Hobbits gathered around him and hugged him tightly, tears of joy and sorrow running down their cheeks.