Rire sur la Terre du Milieu

[Elendil]

Incontestablement

‘I was coming over the mountains with a friend or two ...’ said the wizard.
‘Or two? I can only see one, and a little one at that,’ said Beorn.

[...]

‘One or three you meant, I see!’ said Beorn.

[...]

‘There was a terrible storm; the stone-giants were out hurling rocks, and at the head of the pass we took refuge in a cave, the hobbit and I and several of our companions ...’
‘Do you call two several?’
‘Well, no. As a matter of fact there were more than two.’
‘Where are they? Killed, eaten, gone home?’
‘Well, no. They don't seem all to have come when I whistled. Shy, I expect.

[...]

‘As soon as we were asleep,’ went on Gandalf, ‘a crack at the back of the cave opened; goblins came out and grabbed the hobbit and the dwarves and our troop of ponies—’
Troop of ponies? What were you - a travelling circus? Or were you carrying lots of goods? Or do you always call six a troop?’
'O no! As a matter of fact there were more than six ponies, for there were more than six of us - and well, here are two more!’

[...]

I thought to myself “even if they were not all chained together, what can a dozen do against so many?” ’
‘A dozen! That's the first time I've heard eight called a dozen. Or have you still got some more jacks that haven't yet come out of their boxes?’

[...]

‘We counted ourselves and found that there was no hobbit. There were only fourteen of us left!’
‘Fourteen! That's the first time I've heard one from ten leave fourteen. You mean nine, or else you haven't told me yet all the names of your party.’

[...]

They yelled with delight and sang songs making fun of us. Fifteen birds in five firtrees ...’
‘Good heavens!’ growled Beorn. ‘Don't pretend that goblins can't count. They can. Twelve isn't fifteen and they know it.’