On my fourth trek through Middle-earth, this is what I saw:

Four traveling hobbits

Three rings for the elf kings

Two shades of Gandalf

And One Ring to rule them all

Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin threw open the door and ran into the room.

"Did someone say refreshments?"

"Yes, I did," Gandalf the White said. "Help yourselves. And since when has this room had a door? We all had to appear."

"Who knows? Let's eat!"

The four hobbits loaded up their plates with food.

A few minutes later, Frodo looked around. "I thought this was a Christmas song. This room doesn't look very festive."

Everyone else looked, too. They had to agree, the room didn't have much in the way of decorations. Or furniture, for that matter. Or anything else.

For a while they really got busy. The two Gandalfs conjured up a fireplace and lots of red and green candles that even burned red and green flames. The hobbits strung garlands and wreaths out of lettuce and tomatoes, since there was plenty of salad but nothing else remotely green or plantlike. The three elven rings…well, no one was sure what they were doing, but the result was lots of comfy couches and armchairs and beanbag chairs. And the ends justify the means, even when you have no idea what the means were. So no one asked.

The one ring just sulked in Gandalf the Grey's pocket. On the whole, it had liked the open floor better than being in a pocket that smelled like…well, Gandalf's robes.

They all settled down in the chairs to finish eating. Those that had digestive systems, that is. The rings just settled down into the chairs, without eating.

"Suddenly, it's quite quiet in here," Gandalf the White said. "Don't you think so, Gandalf the Grey?"

"Huh?" It certainly didn't seem quiet to Gandalf the Grey. Or, was he the only one who was hearing the ring's constant whispering? "Put me one, put me on, put me on…"

"Oh, yes, as you say, very quiet. I wonder what's going to happen next?"

"You are going to happen next," the one ring whispered. "You can be the event that shatters the peace. Go on. Put me on. Put me on! PUT ME ON!"

Gandalf the Grey couldn't help himself. His hand started moving toward his pocket. No matter how hard he tried he couldn't stop.

"Somebody help me!" he cried.