Indeed, for Three Purposes! First of all, to tell you that I am immensely fold of you all, and that eleventy-one years is too short a time to live among such excellent and admirable hobbits.

I don't know half of you as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.

Secondly to celebrate my birthday. Cheers again. I should say: OUR birthday. For it is, of course, also the birthday of my heir and nephew, Frodo. He comes of age and into his inheritance today. Together we score one hundred and forty-four. Your numbers were chosen to fit this remarkable total: One Gross, if I may use the expression.

It is also, if I may be allowed to refer to ancient history, the anniversary of my arrival by barrel at Esgaroth on the Long Lake; though the fact that it was my birthday slipped my mind on that occasion. I was only fifty-one then, and birthdays did not seem so important. The banquet was very splendid, however, though I had a bad cold at the time, I remember, and could only say 'thag you very buch'. I now repeat it more correctly: Thank you very much for coming to my little party.

Thirdly and finally, I wish to make an ANNOUNCEMENT.

I regret to announce that- though as I said, eleventy-one years is too short a time to spend among you- this is the END. I am going. I am leaving NOW. GOOD-BYE!