[Sam, in the middle of a field of corn, emerges onto a small path between the rows of tall vegetables. He looks back and forth.]

Sam: "Mister Frodo? Frodo! Frodo!"

[Frodo appears round the bend in the path, looking puzzled.]

Sam: "I thought I'd lost you."

Frodo: "What are you talking about?"

Sam: "It's just something Gandalf said."

Frodo: "What did he say?"

Sam: "'Don't you lose him, Samwise Gamgee!' And I don't mean to."

Frodo: "Sam, we're still in the Shire! What could possibly happen?"

[Suddenly, Pippin bursts from the cornfield and knocks over Frodo. Merry, close behind, knocks over Sam. Both have an armful of vegetables]

Pippin: "Frodo? Merry! It's Frodo Baggins."

Merry: "Hello Frodo!"

Sam: "Get off him!" [hauls Pippin off Frodo] "Frodo? Are you all right?"

Frodo: "What's the meaning of this?"

Merry: "Hold this." [hands vegetables to Sam]

Sam: "You've been into Farmer Maggot's crop!"

[They hear a dog barking and an angry, yelling voice. Pippin grabs Frodo and runs, followed by Merry. Sam does a double take on the produce in his hands, drops them and runs after the others.]

Farmer Maggot: [brandishing a scythe] "Hoi! You get back here! Wait till I get this through you! Get out of my fields! You'll know the devil if I catch up with you!"

Merry: "'Dunno why he is so upset. It's only a couple of carrots!"

Pippin: "And some cabbages. And those few bags of potatoes that we lifted last week and, and the mushrooms the week before!"

Merry: "Yes Pippin! My point is, he is clearly overreactin'. Run!"

[Pippin, Frodo and Merry stop just before the edge of a gorge.]

[Sam slams into them from behind and all four hobbits roll down the hill.]

[At the bottom, they end up in a tangled heap, spitting various bits of forest from their mouths. Pippin has landed just in front of a pile of droppings.]

Pippin: "Ooh! That was close."

Merry: "Oowwww! I think I've broken something." [pulls out a broken carrot]

Sam: "Trust a Brandybuck and a Took!"

Merry: "What?! That was just a detour, a shortcut."

Sam: "A shortcut to what?"

Pippin: "Mushrooms!"

[Sam and Merry rush towards the mushrooms, followed by Pippin. Frodo, standing, looks down the road.]

Pippin: "That's mine!"

[Collective 'mmmm's abound as they savour the mushrooms.]

Merry: "Here is a nice one Sam."

Frodo: "I think we should get off the road."

[Sounds something can be heard, coming up the road.]

Frodo: "Get off the road! Quick!"

[The hobbits grab their things and cross the road, hopping over and then crawling beneath a large overhanging tree root. The sound of hoof steps are heard.]

Sam: "Shhh! Stop it! Be quiet!"

[Merry and Pippin stop jostling each other. Frodo looks up through a small gap and sees a black horse, and a Rider, clothed and hooded in black.]

[The Black Rider leaps from his horse. He approaches the tree root and rests his armored hand on it, hissing and sniffing.]

[Insects and earthworms start coming out of their holes. Frodo enters a trance, tempted to wear the Ring as his finger strains towards it.]

[Sam realises this and he reaches over and hits Frodo in the arm, startling him out of his the trance.]

[Frodo jerks the Ring away from his finger. Merry throws a bag full of vegetables into the forest to distract the Rider, who whirls away and follows the sound. The hobbits make a break for it. They run a short distance and then stop, gasping.]

Merry: "What was that?"

[Frodo stares at the Ring in his palm but says nothing.]