Chapter 10, The Hunt for the Ring Summary

Saruman and Gandalf are both on the White Council. Saruman is jealous of Gandalf's power, however, and is suspicious of everything Gandalf says. He also secretly wants the Ring, and isn't sure where to find it; but he thinks that Gandalf might know where it is. Since Gandalf talks so much about the "Little People" (the Halflings, or Hobbits), Saruman becomes interested in them, mistakenly thinking that they must be connected to the Ring somehow, otherwise someone as important as Gandalf wouldn't be interested in them. Saruman goes in disguise many times to the Shire where the Hobbits live, until he knows it very well. He also openly derides Gandalf for smoking the Halfling pipe-weed; but he tries smoking it himself, in secret, and discovers that he likes it a lot. Afterwards he...