How did it happen in the movie?
After Frodo has his little Ring-accident, the hooded stranger called Strider pulls him up to his room and scares the living daylights out of him. Sam, Merry and Pippin come bursting into the room to save their friend, but Strider turns out to be a good guy after all.
When later that night the Ringwraith enter Bree and attack the Hobbits sleeping in their beds, they only kill a couple of feather mattresses. Strider explains to the companions, who sought shelter in his room, that the Ringwraith are a sort of ghosts.


Anke Eissmann – Strider Reveals His Identity

How did it happen in the book?
As you can notice from my short summary, there really isn’t much scene there. However, the events in 1.X. Strider are rather important.
– When the Hobbits return from the common room to their quarters, they find Strider sitting there, waiting for them. It turns out that old Butterbur had forgotten to hand Frodo a letter from Gandalf explaining that he was somewhat delayed, and that they had to make for Rivendell with the aid of a friend of his… called Strider. After some tricks with a broken sword and much talk about danger, Frodo decides to trust the Ranger.
– During their talk about the Black Riders, Merry returns from his evening stroll. He had an encounter with a Ringwraith just outside the Prancing Pony: he felt as if a shadow was creeping near. Strider is concerned by this news, and advises the Hobbits to spend the night in his quarters. With the aid of Nob they make the beds look slept in – Nob even made a nice imitation of Frodo’s head with a woollen mat, or so he claims.
In the next chapter, 1.XI. A Knife in the Dark, we learn that the Ringwraith broke into the Hobbits’ room that night and destroyed the beds and imitation-guests.

The changes made in this chapter are probably mostly about time: the conversation between Frodo, Pippin, Sam and Strider is a rather lengthy one and may not have worked on-screen. However, it has a rather large impact on some characters:
– Obviously, the character of Strider was changed quite a bit by leaving this scene out: in the book we learn a bit more about Strider a lot earlier in the story than in the movie, where we have to wait until The Council of Elrond to get a fuller picture of who he is. In the movie, the link to Gandalf isn’t mentioned which makes him a potential threat a lot longer. There’s also the matter of Narsil not being carried around by our dear Ranger, but kept neatly at Rivendell. In the book, one of the most memorable moments is when Strider pulls a broken sword.
A nice touch is that some lines from this chapter made their way into the movie by means of a small scene on the FOTR EE, an addition to The Road to Weathertop.
– Somewhat less important, but still worth mentioning, is the change to Gandalf: in the movie the wizard arranges to meet them in the Prancing Pony Inn, where the Hobbits obviously expect to find him when they arrive. In the book, Gandalf promises he’ll travel with them but when he’s late for their meeting the Hobbits leave without him. They don’t expect any help to come and when it does – in the shape of Strider – they are most suspicious.
However, it is most like Gandalf to arrange for a guide and give fate a little hand. It also points ahead to his tale at the council about his imprisonment at Isengard. Also, the friendship between Gandalf and Aragorn is already established here. Though never in the foreground, it is an important aspect of both these characters and their part in the story.
– The changes in this chapter also have a great effect on Merry who is really one of the most down-to-earth Hobbits in the book. By leaving out little episodes like his encounter with the wraith, he is reduced enormously as a character.
– Finally, the difference between the Ringwraith in the movie and the book becomes very clear when one compares there two chapters: in the book they are more like a menacing presence, whereas they are more ‘fleshed out’ and more present in the movies.

Mistakes
– Not so much a mistake as a huge big change: Strider is not wearing Narsil so when he pulls his sword out it’s not broken. What a disappointment!

Borrowed Lines
– When Sam barges into the room he says ‘Let him go, or I’ll have you, Longshanks!’ This name is used in the book by Bill Ferny when the company leaves Bree: mocking Strider he shouts: ‘Morning, Longshanks! Off early? Found some friends at last?’
– Strider’s reaction to Sam’s words is: ‘You have a stout heart, little Hobbit’. In the book he uses these words to compliment Merry after he’s told his tale about his encounter with the wraith: ‘You have a stout heart.’

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Related Information
Interesting Links
Our Gallery has screencaps of Strider.

A transcript of Lord Of the Rings: Fellowship Of the Ring can be found in our Film Fun & Facts section.

A summary of Lord Of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring can be found in Elrond's Library.

Some articles that are related to this sequence:
- Our Maps Gallery has a detailed map of Bree and the Prancing Pony Inn
It also has The Dúnedain of the North which provides with some more background on the character of Strider, and the Rangers.

Forum threads related to this sequence:
You can discuss this sequence in Sequence by sequence #8: At the Sign of the Prancing Pony.
The Book Club also discusses this chapter 1.X. Strider.

Take a look at how some artists interpreted this sequence:
- At the Inn of the Prancing Pony by Hildebrandt
- Strider Reveals His Identity by Eissman
- Bree by Night by Britton
- The Nazgûl enter Bree by Montanini
- The Ringwraiths in Bree by Ralph Bakshi
- Bill the Pony by *Varda*
- Bill the Pony by John Howe
- Sam and Bill the Pony by Michael Green

Not pleased with the book or the movie, take a look here: