CHAPTER 1: THE UNEXPECTED JOURNEY
Many ages ago, before man recorded his history, it was the time of Middle Earth. [Music] When man lived together with elves, dwarves, wizards, goblins, dragons, and hobbits in the lands of Middle Earth. In a region known as the Shire, there was a village named Hobbiton. There, in a hole in the ground, lived a hobbit. It was not a dirty, wet hole filled with insects and a bad smell. It was also not a dry hole with sand on the floors and nothing to sit down on or to eat. It was a hobbit hole, and that means comfort. Everyone knows that hobbits are small, quiet creatures. They live small, quiet lives in comfortable homes underground. They never ever visit the world outside, and they certainly never go on adventures. But this is the story of a very special hobbit, a hobbit who went on an adventure, and what an exciting adventure it was. His name was Bilbo Baggins.
What is a hobbit, after all? Before we continue, it is important to explain what exactly a hobbit is. Hobbits are a little people. They are half the size of us big people, which is what they call us. They are smaller and shorter than the dwarves. Dwarves have very long beards; hobbits do not have beards. Hobbits are timid, and they do not like to be around us big people. They have very little or no magic at all. The only magic they have is the ordinary kind of magic that helps them disappear quickly and quietly when big people like you and me appear. We make a noise like elephants, and the hobbits can hear us from very far away. Hobbits are generally fat in the stomach. They like to wear clothes with bright colors, mainly green and yellow. They do not wear shoes because their feet have strong natural bottoms, and on the top of their feet, they have thick brown hair that is like the hair on their heads, which is curly. They have happy faces, and they like to laugh loudly and often, especially after dinner, which they eat twice a day when they can. Now you know enough about hobbits to continue the story.
One beautiful Wednesday morning, Bilbo Baggins was standing in his garden in front of his hobbit hole. He was smoking a very long pipe made of wood when Gandalf appeared. Gandalf, the last time Bilbo had seen Gandalf, he was a young hobbit. So, the only thing Bilbo saw that morning was an old man with a long wooden stick that he used to help him walk. He had a tall blue hat with a point at the top. His cloak was long and gray. He wore a silver scarf around his neck, and over everything was his long white beard that came all the way down below his waist. On his feet, he wore large black boots.
"Good morning," said Bilbo, and he meant it. The day was beautiful and warm, but Gandalf looked at him in a confused way. "What do you mean?" he said. "Do you wish me a good morning, or do you mean that the morning is good, or do you mean that you feel good this morning, or that it is a morning that you can be good on?" "All of them at the same time," said Bilbo, "and it is a very fine morning to smoke a pipe outside too. If you have a pipe, sit down, and I will give you some of my tobacco. There's no hurry; we have all day." Then Bilbo sat down on a seat by his door and blew a beautiful gray ring of smoke that floated up into the air and flew away over the hill. "Very pretty," said Gandalf, "but I do not have time to blow smoke rings this morning. I am looking for someone to come on an adventure with me, and it's very difficult to find anyone. I imagine that it would be difficult in this area. We hobbits are simple and quiet folk, and we do not want any adventures. They are very uncomfortable things; they make you late for dinner. I don't understand why anyone likes them," said our Mr. Baggins.
He blew another smoke ring that was bigger than the first one. Then he took out his morning letters from his pocket and began to read, pretending not to see the old man. Bilbo had decided that he wanted the old man to go away, but the old man did not move. He stood there holding his stick and looking at the hobbit without saying anything until Bilbo became very uncomfortable and even a little angry.
"Good morning," he finally said. "We don't want any adventures here, thank you. You can look over the hill or across the water for adventurers." This is how Bilbo decided to end the conversation.
"You do use 'Good morning' for many things," said Gandalf. "Now you mean that you want me to go away and that the day will not be good until I am gone."
"That is not what I mean, not at all, my dear sir. Let me see, I don't think I know your name, but I know your name, Mr. Bilbo Baggins. And you do know my name, but you don't remember that I belong to it. I am Gandalf, and Gandalf means me."
"Gandalf? Gandalf! Good gracious me, forgive me. You are the mysterious wizard who used to tell such wonderful stories at parties about dragons and goblins and giants and of princesses and treasure, the man who used to make excellent fireworks. I remember those; they were the most extraordinary fireworks in all the land. I'm happy to see you remember something about me. You seem to have nice memories of my fireworks, and that is a good thing. So, because of that, I will give you what you asked for."
"I'm sorry, forgive me, but I haven't asked for anything."
"Yes, you have, twice now. You asked for me to forgive you, and so I will give you my forgiveness. In fact, I will give you even more. I will give you this adventure. It will be very amusing for me and very good for you, and profitable too if you return from it."
"Sorry, I don't want any adventures, thank you. Not today. Good morning. But please come to tea anytime you like. Why not tomorrow? Come tomorrow. Goodbye." Bilbo turned around and went into his hobbit home as quickly as possible without seeming rude. Wizards, after all, are wizards, and you do not want to make them angry.
"Why did I ask him to come to tea?" he asked himself. He had just eaten breakfast, but he needed some more cake after his encounter with the wizard. He was feeling very nervous. After Bilbo entered his home, Gandalf was still outside the door, laughing quietly to himself.
After some time, with the point of his staff, he marked Bilbo's beautiful green door with a strange symbol. Then he walked away. At that same time, Bilbo ate his second piece of cake and was feeling like he had escaped adventures.
CHAPTER 2: UNEXPECTED PARTY
The next day, Bilbo forgot completely about Gandalf. Just before tea time, there was a very loud ring on his front doorbell, and then he remembered Gandalf. He quickly prepared some tea and cake and ran to the door.
"I am so sorry to keep you waiting," is what he was going to say, but when he opened the door, he saw that it was not Gandalf at all. It was a dwarf with a long blue beard and very bright eyes. On his head was a dark green hood. As soon as Bilbo opened the door, the dwarf came inside as if he had been invited.
"Dwalin at your service," he said, leaning forward in a low bow. He took off his hood and hung it on the wall in the corridor.
"Bilbo Baggins at your service," said the hobbit. He was too surprised to ask any questions. They looked at each other for a moment. Soon, the silence became uncomfortable, and Bilbo said, "I am just about to have some tea. Would you like to have some with me?"
Bilbo sat down at the table with Dwalin. He was not sure what to say to the dwarf. Suddenly, there was another ring at the door, a much louder ring than the first.
"Excuse me," said the hobbit, and he went to answer the door.
"So, you are finally here," that was what he was going to say to Gandalf this time, but it was not Gandalf. Instead, there was a very old-looking dwarf with a white beard and a red hood. He also came inside as soon as Bilbo opened the door, like he had been invited to.
"I can see they have started to arrive already," he said when he saw Dwalin's green hood hanging on the wall. He hung his own red hood next to it.
"Balin at your service," he said in a loud voice.
"Thank you," said Bilbo, trying to catch his breath. It was not the correct thing to say, but "they have started to arrive" had made him very confused. He liked visitors, but he liked to know them before they arrived, and he preferred to invite them himself. But Bilbo thought he was a very good host to his guests and said, "Come inside and have some tea."
"I would prefer some beer if you do not mind, my good sir," said Balin with the white beard, "And I would love some cake if you have any."
"Lots," Bilbo answered in surprise. He ran to fill a glass of beer and get some cake he had just made. He was going to eat it after dinner. When he got back, Balin and Dwalin were talking at the table like old friends. As a matter of fact, they were brothers. Bilbo put the beer and the cake down in front of them.
Suddenly, there was a loud ring at the bell again, and then another. "It must be Gandalf this time," he thought as he hurried to the door, but it was not. It was two more dwarves, both had blue hoods, silver belts, and yellow beards. Each of them carried a bag of tools and a shovel. As soon as Bilbo opened the door, they stepped inside.
"Bilbo was not surprised at all. "What can I do for you, my dwarves?" he said.
"Keely at your service," said one, "and Fili," said the other, and they both took off their blue hoods and leaned forward in a low bow. "At your service."
"And your families?" answered Bilbo. He remembered to be polite this time.
"Dwalin and Balin are here already, I see," said Keely. "Let's join the crowd."
"Crowd," thought Mr. Baggins, "I don't like the sound of that. I need to sit down for a moment and think."
Soon, the bell began to ring again, and in came Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, and Gloin. Bilbo showed them to the dining room, where all the other dwarves were sitting, talking, eating his food, and drinking his tea and beer. Suddenly, there was a loud knock on his door. Bilbo ran down the corridor. He was very angry and very confused. This was the strangest day he could remember. He opened the door, and they all fell into the corridor in a large pile: more dwarves, four more dwarves, and there was Gandalf behind all of them. He was holding his staff and laughing. He had made a large hole in the beautiful door with his staff. He had also knocked out the secret symbol that he had put there the morning before.
"Let me introduce Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, and especially Thorin. Now we are all here," said Gandalf.
Everyone asked for something different to eat and drink, and Bilbo realized that he would not have any food for his breakfast tomorrow. At this moment, Bilbo was feeling very confused. It seemed like the adventure Gandalf had spoken about was already in his house. Bilbo was becoming annoyed. The dwarves ate and drank and talked at the table while Thorin, a very important-looking dwarf, spoke to Gandalf. Thorin was smoking a pipe and blowing enormous smoke rings wherever he wanted them to go. Bilbo sat and watched him. He loved smoke rings, and then he felt embarrassed because he had been so proud of the smoke rings he had blown in his garden yesterday morning.
"Now it's time for some music," said Thorin. "Bring out the instruments."
The youngest dwarves, Fili and Kili, ran to get their instruments. They came back with vials as big as themselves and with Thorin's harp. It was a beautiful golden harp, and when Thorin played it, the music began. The dwarves sang in deep voices about their ancient homes in caverns far away. They sang of a great kingdom under the Lonely Mountain far to the east. They sang of treasure and gold and jewels. Then, the dwarves sang of the great tragedy: the destruction of Erebor by Smaug, the evil dragon that came and stole their gold and killed their people. They sang about their desire to return to the Lonely Mountain and take back their kingdom and their gold.
As Bilbo listened, something strange woke up inside him. The melody and words transported Bilbo away into distant lands under mysterious skies, far away from his hobbit hole under the hill. He wanted to go there and see the mountain the dwarves were singing about. He wanted to explore the caves and caverns and feel the dwarvish gold in his fingers. He wanted to carry a sword instead of a walking stick. He looked out his window at the stars in the sky; he thought about the treasure under the mountain far away.
Suddenly, in the fireplace, the fire burned bright and hot, probably just a piece of wood changing position, and he thought of the fire from the terrible dragon from their song, the dragon that stole the dwarves' gold. He felt afraid, and very quickly, he was playing "Mr. Baggins of Hobbiton" again.
The music stopped suddenly, and Thorin began to speak. "Gandalf, dwarves, and burglar bargains," Bilbo was surprised at Thorin's words and asked, "What do you mean when you say 'burglar Baggins'?"
"If you prefer, you can say 'expert treasure hunter,'" answered Thorin.
"Well, yes, I prefer that," Bilbo said, but he was still confused.
Thorin continued, "We are here tonight in the house of our friend, this most excellent hobbit." Thorin then lifted his glass of beer and said, "May the hair on his toes never fall out."
The other dwarves and Gandalf all raised their glasses and said at the same time, "Here, here."
"We shall soon start on our long journey," said Thorin, "A journey from which some of us, or perhaps all of us, may never return."
When Thorin said, "May never return," Bilbo began to feel a shout of fear building up inside him, and soon it came out like the whistle of a boiling pot of tea. All the dwarves jumped up in surprise; they knocked over the table. Gandalf raised a hand and calmed everyone in the room. Soon, Thorin continued, "I believe all of us know what our objective is."
"All of us?" asked Bilbo. "It is not well known to me, really."
"Then we must inform our burglar," said Thorin. "We dwarves will return to Lonely Mountain far to the east, beyond the Misty Mountains and past the Forest of Mirkwood, and we will take back what Smaug the dragon stole from us. Smaug came in the night and killed my people and forced my grandfather, King Under the Mountain, to run for his life. He burned down the town of Dale and stole my people's gold. He is still there in the mountain on a vast pile of our golden jewels. Curse the dragons!" all the dwarves yelled.
As all the dwarves yelled, the poor little hobbit was so terrified that he fell to the floor and began shaking like a jelly. He continued calling out, "Hit by lightning! Hit by lightning!" over and over again, and that was all he would say for some time. So the dwarves took him and put him on the sofa in another room with a glass of water nearby, and they went back to the living room to talk about their business.
"Mr. Baggins can become very excited sometimes," said Gandalf as they sat down again, "But he is one of the best thieves, one of the best, as brave as a knight when you need him the most."
After relaxing for a few moments and after drinking the water that was next to him on the sofa, Bilbo returned silently to the door of his living room, and this is what he heard the dwarves saying, "Do you think he is right for our adventure?"
Gandalf says he is very brave, but one scream like that in a moment of excitement will wake up the dragon and all his relatives and kill us all. I think he sounded more afraid than excited; I have my doubts. He looks more like a grocer than a burglar.
When he heard these words, the adventurous side of Bilbo came out. He suddenly felt that he would go without bed and breakfast if people thought he was brave. Many times later, the calm, timid side of Bilbo regretted what he did next.
"Pardon me," he said, "but I heard what you said about me. I do not understand very well what you all are talking about or why you are calling me burglar, but I think I am correct to believe that you think I will not be good for your adventure. Well, I will prove to you that I will be good for you. Tell me what you want me to do, and I will try it, even if I have to walk from my peaceful hobbit home to the East of East and fight the terrible fire dragons of Morgoth."
Gandalf interrupted Bilbo and said to Thorin and the dwarves, "Do you see? Brave and fierce like a knight. There are 13 of you dwarves, and 13 is a very unlucky number. Mr. Baggins will be the 14th member of your party. 14 is a much luckier number, a very splendid lucky number you have chosen for us, Gandalf," Thorin said ironically. "I will not argue anymore," said Gandalf. "I chose Mr. Baggins, and that should be enough for all of you. If I say he is a burglar, then he is a burglar, or he will be when he needs to be. There is more in him than you can see, and a lot more than he knows himself. You may possibly all live to thank me for my decision."
"Now, Bilbo, my good hobbit, get the lamp so we have some light." In the light of the lamp, Gandalf placed a map with many words and markings on it. "This was made by Thror, your grandfather, Thorin. It is a plan of the mountain. You can see here there is a marking that shows a secret entrance. I'm sure Smaug has discovered this entrance; he has lived there for so many years," said Thorin in a disappointed voice.
"The passage is much too small for Smaug, even when he was a young worm, but it is big enough for a burglar to enter," Gandalf said, looking at Bilbo. Bilbo almost fainted again from the thought of going into a secret passage to confront Smaug the dragon.
"Also," continued Gandalf, "there is a key that goes with the map, a small and interesting key. Here it is," he said and handed the key to Thorin. It was made of silver. "Keep it safe," Gandalf instructed. "I will," said Thorin, and he put the key on a chain he wore around his neck and under his jacket.
"Now, things are beginning to look more hopeful. This key will allow us to enter the secret passage without Smaug knowing we are there. That is why I thought of burglary, especially when I remembered the existence of a secret door," said Gandalf.
"And here is our little Bilbo Baggins, the burglar, the chosen and selected burglar. So now let's continue and make some plans."
"But I must know, Gandalf, how you got the map," said Thorin to the wizard.
"Your grandfather Thror was killed, you remember, in the mines of Moria by Azog the goblin.
"Curse his name, yes," said Thorin. "But before he died, he gave this map to his son, Thrain, your father. He tried to return to Lonely Mountain, but his adventure ended before he arrived there. I found him a prisoner in the dungeons of the Necromancer. Your father gave the map and the key to me there. We must consider the power and danger of the Necromancer," said Thorin.
"Do not be absurd, Thorin," Gandalf interjected. "He is an enemy who is more powerful than all the dwarves together. The one thing your father wanted was for you to read the map and use the key. Do not worry about the Necromancer right now. The dragon and the mountain are tasks that are big enough for you."
"Here, here," said Bilbo, accidentally speaking out loud.
"Here you are, what?" all the dwarves asked, looking towards Bilbo.
Embarrassed, Bilbo replied, "Hear what I have to say."
"What do?" they asked.
"Well, I think you should go east and have a look around. After all, there is a secret door, and dragons must sleep sometimes, I imagine. If you sit next to the door long enough, I am sure you will think of something. And, well, I think we have talked long enough for one night if you understand what I mean. What about bed and an early start? I will give you a good breakfast before you go."
"Before we go, I suppose you mean," said Thorin. "Aren't you the burglar? And isn't sitting next to the secret door your job? Not to mention getting inside the door. But I agree about bed and breakfast. I like six eggs with my ham when starting on a journey."
After all the others had ordered their breakfasts without even saying please, which annoyed Bilbo very much, they all got up. The hobbit had to find room for all of them. He filled all his rooms and made beds on chairs and sofas. Finally, he went to his own little bed, feeling very tired and not very happy. One thing he decided before falling asleep was that he was not going to wake up to make all their breakfasts. He was feeling the timid side of his hobbitness, and he was not so sure that he was going on any journey in the morning.
As he lay in bed, he could hear Thorin singing to himself in the bedroom next to him:
"Far over the misty mountains cold,
To dungeons deep and caverns old,
We must away, ere break of day,
To seek our pale enchanted gold."
Bilbo went to sleep with that song in his ears, and it gave him very uncomfortable dreams. It was long after the break of day when he finally woke up.
CHAPTER 3 ROAST MUTTON
Bilbo woke up suddenly. As he walked to the kitchen, he realized that his nightmares from the night before were not bad dreams at all. What a terrible mess there was in the kitchen! Not only had the dwarves left without waking Bilbo up, but they had also used every bowl, plate, cup, and glass for breakfast and had not washed anything. He was relieved that they were gone, but he also felt a little disappointed.
"Don't be silly, Bilbo Baggins," he said to himself. "Just imagine you climbing mountains and fighting dragons at your age."
He began to eat some cake, which helped him forget the adventures from the night before. Suddenly, Gandalf appeared.
"My dear Hobbit, what are you doing here?" Gandalf said. "Did you not see the message?"
"What message?" said poor Mr. Baggins, very confused all over again.
"Confusticate and be bother all Hobbits!" Gandalf said in frustration. He walked over to the living room table and picked up a note that was left there. It was written on Bilbo's own paper, which was very expensive.
This is what the message said:
"Thorin and Company to Burglar Baggins,
Good morning,
We thank you for your hospitality and we accept your professional assistance on our journey.
Terms:
Cash when the job is finished, but only 1/14 of the total (if any). All traveling expenses are guaranteed. Funeral expenses, if necessary, will be paid by our representatives.
We did not think it was necessary to wake you up, so we have left already in order to make all necessary preparations. We will wait for you at the Green Dragon Inn in Bywater at 11 AM sharp. Please be punctual.
Sincerely,
Thorin and Company"
"You have only 10 minutes to get to the Green Dragon Inn," said Gandalf.
"But—" said Bilbo.
"There is no time for it," said the wizard.
"But—" said Bilbo again.
"No time for that either. Fly, you fool!"
Until the day he died, Bilbo had no idea how he left his comfortable hobbit home without a hat, walking stick, or any money. He threw Gandalf his house keys and ran as fast as his furry little feet could carry him down the road, past the big mill, across the water, and then on for another mile to Bywater. Just as the clock was striking 11, he realized he had left without a pocket handkerchief.
The dwarves were waiting for Bilbo when he arrived, out of breath and confused all over again. There were many ponies, and each of them carried all kinds of baggage: food, tools, and other important equipment. There was also a very small pony especially for Bilbo.
"Up you go, Mr. Burglar. Let us begin our journey," said Thorin as this very unexpected party began walking down the path towards the Lonely Mountain, far away to the east.
Soon Gandalf arrived on a beautiful white horse. He brought many things from Bilbo's home, including a lot of pocket handkerchiefs and Bilbo's pipe and tobacco.
Bilbo was very happy. After that, the party traveled along the path very happily, singing songs and telling stories. Bilbo began to think that adventures were not such terrible things. For the first few days of their journey, they traveled through familiar lands where people were friendly and sang songs that Bilbo recognized.
Soon, they entered the Lone Lands, where there were no people, no inns, and the roads were more difficult to travel. The hills around them began to get bigger and bigger, and on some of them, there were old castles that did not look very comfortable. It began to rain and it did not stop for many days. Travel became miserable; it was cold and wet. But even with the difficult conditions, the party continued eastward towards the Misty Mountains.
"I'm sure the rain has made all our food and dry clothing wet," thought Bilbo. "I haven't even burgled yet, but I'm tired of burgling and everything that has to do with it. I wish I was at home in my nice hole next to the fire under a warm blanket." It was not the last time Bilbo wished that.
Night was falling as the party needed to stop and find a dry place to sleep. The dwarves, and especially the hobbit, were anxious to begin cooking dinner. But it was not until that moment that they realized that Gandalf was not with them. So far, he had come all the way with them, but the group was not sure if he was part of the adventure or only keeping them company for a while. Gandalf had eaten the most food, talked the most, and laughed the most, but now he simply was not there.
They decided to make camp right where they were, in a wet patch under some trees. It was impossible to light a fire with all the rain.
"What a perfect time for a wizard to be helpful," complained Thorin.
Lightning suddenly cracked in the night, and one of the ponies ran away in terror. Fíli and Kíli tried to run after it and catch it, but the poor animal jumped into a river and drowned with most of the food they had for the night and the breakfast for the next day.
"We have lost the pony and dinner," said Kíli when he and Fíli returned without the beast.
"And breakfast," said Fíli. "But we saw a light in the distance. Maybe we should go and see what it is."
The dwarves argued about this decision for some time, some saying it was too dangerous in this area so close to the mountains, and others saying that maybe there might be some food and protection from the weather. Thunder sounded again and it began to pour even more than before.
"There are 14 of us, after all," said Thorin, "and we have a burglar with us." That decided the matter. So, the dwarves, hobbit, and remaining ponies all walked off, wet and miserable, in the direction of the light.
Suddenly, the red light was very bright through the trees.
"Now it is the burglar's turn," said Thorin. "Go and discover as much as you can about the light. See if there are people there and if it is safe," he said to Bilbo. "Now hurry and come back quickly if all is well. If not, come back if you can. If you can't, hoot twice like a barn owl and once like a screech owl and we will try to help you."
Thorin gave the hobbit a push and Bilbo ran off towards the light before he could explain that he did not know how to hoot like any owl. But hobbits can move perfectly quietly in the forest; they are very proud of this ability, and not even an owl would have heard Bilbo on this night. So naturally, he was able to walk right next to the fire, and this is what he saw:
Three very large persons sitting around a very large fire. They were cooking lamb on long pieces of wood and licking their fingers. What a wonderful smell there was! There was also a barrel of good drink near the fire, and they were drinking out of large cups. But they were trolls—obviously trolls. Even Bilbo could see that. Their large faces, their size, and the shape of their legs, not to mention the way they were talking, which was very rude and not appropriate for dinner parties.
"Mutton yesterday, mutton today, and blimey, if it don't look like mutton again tomorrow," said one of the trolls.
"Never a thinkin' be a main flesh for a long time," said another troll. "What will William be thinkin' to bring us to this here region anyway?" said Bert, and hit the arm of William, who was taking a drink from his cup.
William choked and coughed. "Shut your mouths, you swine! All you do is complain like a couple of goblin pups at your mutton. Shut your gobs!" said William.
Now Bilbo was no fool. He had read a lot about trolls in the comfort of his hobbit hole in Hobbiton, of course, and he knew that trolls would eat him or a dwarf or a man faster than a hobbit could blink an eye. But he did not want to return to the dwarves with nothing; he was a burglar after all. So, while Bert and Tom went to get more drink, Bilbo snuck up to William and put his little hand in his big pocket and closed his fingers around a money bag.
He thought, "I did it! This is the beginning of a fine career as a burglar." But as Bilbo pulled the heavy money bag out, William turned around and grabbed Bilbo by the neck before he could escape.
"Oi! Who are you?"
"Blimey, look who I caught me here," said William.
"Who are you?" said the others as they came into the light of the fire.
"How am I supposed to know? What are you?" asked William.
"Bilbo Baggins, a bur—a hobbit," said poor Bilbo, shaking in terror and wondering how to make a noise like an owl before they ate him.
"A burr-a-hobbit?" they said, a bit confused. Trolls are not the smartest creatures in Middle-earth.
"What were you doing in my pocket?" asked William. "Hey fellas, maybe there'd be more of them around and we can make a pie. Are there any more of you barrel-bits sneaking around here?" he asked Bilbo, picking him up by the toes.
"Yes, lots!" cried Bilbo before he remembered not to talk about his friends. "No, not at all, not a single one," he said immediately after.
"What do you mean, 'lots' and 'none at all'?" asked William. "I say we roast him alive right now."
Bert looked at Bilbo and said, "We can pull him into pieces and eat him raw."
Tom shook his head and said, "No, let's sit on him and turn him into jelly."
The trolls, as trolls often do, began to argue about the many ways to cook and eat a hobbit. They started fighting and rolling around on the ground around the fire. When William dropped Bilbo, he had time to find a place to hide. Bilbo did not go far, though; he was too scared and in too much pain to run away.
While the trolls were fighting and Bilbo was resting, the dwarves heard the noises and came to investigate. They walked right into the light of the fire. The moment Tom saw the dwarves, he gave a tremendous howl. Now, if you did not know it, trolls absolutely detest dwarves. When Tom screamed, William and Bert stopped fighting immediately, and before the dwarves knew what happened, the trolls had captured them and put each and every one of them in a dirty sack.
At that moment, Gandalf returned, but no one saw him. The trolls had just decided to roast the dwarves now and eat them later. But a voice said, "Let's not roast them; it will take too long." Bert thought it was William and said, "Stop the argument again, William, or we will take all night!"
William looked angrily at Bert and said, "Who's arguing?"
"You're arguing," Bert replied to William.
"Liar!" screamed William, and they all started fighting again.
"Stop it!" yelled Tom. "The night is about to end, and dawn comes early here. Let's eat them!"
Then a voice said loudly, "Don't take you all and turn you to stone!"
At that moment, the light from the rising sun came over the hill. The trolls raised their hands to cover their faces and were about to scream, but they never made a sound. The trolls were turned to stone where they stood. Birds came in the dawn and sat on their stone heads and sang a morning song. Trolls, as you probably know, must be out of the sun before the day starts or they return to the elements they are made from and never move again. That is what happened to Bert, Tom, and William—they turned to stone in the sunlight.
"Excellent," said Gandalf as he came from behind a tree and helped Bilbo to his feet. Then Bilbo understood it was the wizard's voice that distracted the trolls and caused them to fight until the sun came up and turned them to stone.
The unhappy dwarves were rescued from their sacks. They thanked Gandalf and suggested that Bilbo not steal from trolls in the future.
"Stop complaining," said Gandalf. "We must find the trolls' cave. I'm sure we will find something we can use on our journey."
With a key they found on William, they opened the door to a cave they discovered nearby. The smell was terrible when they entered the dark space, but there was a lot of food, clothing, and many other useful things the trolls had stolen and kept in the cave. There were many pots of gold coins and several beautiful swords of various shapes and sizes.
Gandalf and Thorin each took one of these swords, and Bilbo took a small knife in a leather scabbard. It would only be a pocket knife for a troll, but it was like a long sword for a hobbit.
"These look like good blades," said the wizard, drawing one of the swords from its scabbard and looking at it curiously. "These swords were not made by any troll or by any iron master among men in these parts or in these days. When we can read this ancient writing on the blades, we will know more about them."
They left the troll cave with a good amount of gold, food, and drink. Because their night had been disturbed, they slept until the afternoon. When they woke up, they buried the pots of gold in a secret location in case they returned and prepared to continue their journey.
"Where did you go?" Thorin asked Gandalf as they rode their ponies along the road.
"To look ahead," he answered.
"And why did you come back when we needed you the most?" Thorin asked.
"To look behind," said Gandalf.
"What on Middle-earth do you mean, Gandalf?" asked Thorin in frustration.
"I went ahead to see what was on the road. It will soon become dangerous and difficult. But I met some friends from Rivendell on the way. They told me about some trolls that were making trouble near the road. You will reach Rivendell in a few days, and we will speak with Elrond, who is master there. But Thorin, please be more careful next time, or this journey will be a very short one."
Thorin looked at Gandalf and said, "Thank you, great wizard."
CHAPTER 4 A SHORT REST
The journey continued for many days, and they began to feel the danger that was all around them. There was very little food in the bags, and at night their ponies ate better than they did. One morning, they crossed a river that was wide and shallow. The water made a pleasant sound as it flowed over the rocks. Bilbo could not identify exactly what he was feeling, but he sensed a magic that was in the river as they crossed to the other side. They continued on, and Bilbo could see that the mountains were much closer than before.
"Is that the mountain?" asked Bilbo, looking at a dark peak in the distance.
"Of course not," said Gandalf. "That is only the Misty Mountains. We must go through them or over them or under them to the other side. And after that, we must travel a very long way before we reach the mountain where Smaug sleeps on our treasure."
Gandalf was leading the party. "We must pay attention to the road, or we will be lost in the wilderness," he said. "We need food, supplies, and rest in a safe place before we cross the Misty Mountains."
The dwarves asked him where they were going, and he answered, "We are going towards the beautiful valley of Rivendell, where Elrond lives. I sent a message by my friends. He is expecting us."
"I have found the path!" cried Gandalf. "We are close now." They all could hear the sound of water falling, and the scent of the trees was clean and fresh. In the distance, they could see the light of fires and torches. It was Rivendell, one of the last homes of the Elves in Middle-earth.
"It feels like Elves," thought Bilbo as they approached a bridge that crossed a small river. They could hear the voices of Elves now, singing and talking in the darkness.
They stayed for fourteen days at that house, and it was difficult for them to leave. Bilbo felt like he could stay there forever and ever, even if he could fly back to his comfortable hobbit home in the Shire. But there is very little to tell about their stay with Elrond, the master of the house and a friend of Gandalf. Elrond's part in the story of Bilbo's great adventure is only a small one, but an important one, as you will see.
He was a great Elf warrior and leader, a descendant of Men and Elves. He was noble and strong and as wise as a wizard. He knew all about ancient writing and languages, and he was able to read the strange symbols on the swords Gandalf and Thorin found in the troll cave.
"These are not troll swords," said Elrond as he examined them. "They are very old. They were made by the High Elves of the West. They were made in the great city of Gondolin for the Goblin Wars. The runes on these swords give their names. Thorin, your sword is called Orcrist, the Goblin-Cutter in the ancient language of Gondolin. It was a famous blade. This sword, Gandalf, was Glamdring, the Foe-Hammer. The king of Gondolin used it himself. You may need them as soon as you cross the Misty Mountains. But show me your map."
Thorin gave the map to Elrond, and he looked at it for a long time. The moon was shining bright in the night sky, and Elrond held up the map, and the moonlight came through it.
"What is this?" he said. "There are moon letters here next to the visible words that identify the secret door."
"What are moon letters?" asked the hobbit, full of excitement.
"Moon letters are magical letters that can only be seen when the moon shines behind them. They were invented by the Dwarves," explained Elrond.
"What do they say?" asked Gandalf and Thorin together.
Elrond began to read, "Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks, and the last light of the setting sun on Durin's Day will shine on the keyhole."
"Durin?" said Thorin. "He was the father of the fathers of the race of Dwarves and my ancestor. I am his heir. But we have lost the skill to know when Durin's Day is, except that it is a day between autumn and winter."
"Is there any more writing on the map?" asked Gandalf.
"None that I can read with this moon," answered Elrond. "Perhaps you will learn more on your journey."
The next morning was a perfect summer day, beautiful and warm. The party rode away from Rivendell as the Elves sang and danced. Their hearts were ready for more adventure, and they were prepared for the next phase of their journey: to cross over the Misty Mountains.
The journey continued for many days, and they began to feel the danger that was all around them. There was very little food in the bags, and at night their ponies ate better than they did.
One morning, they crossed a river that was wide and shallow. The water made a pleasant sound as it flowed over the rocks. Bilbo could not identify exactly what he was feeling, but he sensed a magic that was in the river. As they crossed to the other side, they continued on, and Bilbo could see that the mountains were much closer than before.
"Is that the mountain?" asked Bilbo, looking at a dark peak in the distance.
"Of course not," said Gandalf. "That is only the Misty Mountains. We must go through them or over them or under them to the other side, and after that, we must travel a very long way before we reach the mountain where Smaug sleeps on our treasure."
Gandalf was leading the party. "We must pay attention to the road, or we will be lost in the wilderness," he said. "We need food, supplies, and rest in a safe place before we cross the Misty Mountains."
The dwarves asked him where they were going, and he answered, "We are going towards the beautiful Valley of Rivendell, where Elrond lives. I sent a message by my friends; he is expecting us."
"I have found the path!" cried Gandalf. "We are close now." They all could hear the sound of water falling, and the scent of the trees was clean and fresh. In the distance, they could see the light of fires and torches.
It was Rivendell, one of the last homes of the Elves in Middle-earth. "It feels like elves," thought Bilbo as they approached a bridge that crossed a small river. They could hear the voices of Elves now, singing and talking in the darkness.
They stayed for 14 days at that house, and it was difficult for them to leave. Bilbo felt like he could stay there forever and ever, even if he could fly back to his comfortable hobbit home in the Shire.
But there is very little to tell about their stay with Elrond, the master of the house and a friend of Gandalf. Elrond's part in the story of Bilbo's great adventure is only a small one but an important one, as you will see. He was a great Elf warrior and leader, a descendant of Men and Elves. He was noble and strong and as wise as a wizard. He knew all about ancient writing and languages, and he was able to read the strange symbols on the swords Gandalf and Thorin found in the troll cave.
"These are not troll swords," said Elrond as he examined them. "They are very old. They were made by the High Elves of the West. They were made in the great city of Gondolin for the Goblin Wars. The runes on these swords give their names. Thorin, your sword is called Orcrist, the Goblin Cutter, in the ancient language of Gondolin. It was a famous blade. This sword, Gandalf, is Glamdring, the Foe-Hammer. The king of Gondolin used it himself. You may need them as soon as you cross the Misty Mountains. But show me your map."
Elrond continued. Thorin gave the map to Elrond, and he looked at it for a long time. The moon was shining bright in the night sky, and Elrond held up the map so the moonlight came through it. "What is this?" he said. "There are moon letters here next to the visible words that identify the Secret Door."
"What are moon letters?" asked Bilbo, full of excitement.
"Moon letters are magical letters that can only be seen when the moon shines behind them. They were invented by the Dwarves," explained Elrond.
"What do they say?" asked Gandalf and Thorin together.
Elrond began to read. "Stand by the gray stone when the thrush knocks, and the last light of the setting sun on Durin's Day will shine on the keyhole."
"Durin!" said Thorin. "He was the father of the fathers of the race of Dwarves and my ancestor. I am his heir. But we have lost the skill to know when Durin's Day is, except that it is a day between autumn and winter."
"Is there any more writing on the map?" asked Gandalf.
"None that I can read with this moon," answered Elrond. "Perhaps you will learn more on your journey."
The next morning was a perfect summer day, beautiful and warm. The party rode away from Rivendell as the Elves sang and danced. Their hearts were ready for more adventure, and they were prepared for the next phase of their journey: to cross over the Misty Mountains.
CHAPTER 5: OVERHILL AND UNDERHILL
There were many paths that went up the mountains, and many passes that went over the mountains to the other side, but most of the paths were deceptions and were not safe. Most of the passes were full of evil things and terrible danger. With the advice of Elrond and the memory of Gandalf, they followed the right path up to the right pass.
But even the plans of wise wizards like Gandalf and good friends like Elrond can go wrong when you travel on dangerous adventures, and this adventure was dangerous. The plans did go wrong.
Everything was going well until there was a terrible thunderstorm, like a great battle in the sky. The lightning crashed onto the mountain peaks, and the sound of thunder filled the night and rolled into every cave and cavern. Bilbo had never seen or imagined anything like it. The wind and rain blew in every direction, and the party was cold and wet.
"We cannot stay here," said Thorin. "We will be blown off the mountain by the wind, or we will drown in the rain, or we will be hit by lightning, or we will freeze in the cold."
"Well, if you know a safe place to stay, take us there," said Gandalf, who was feeling very irritable. He was quite afraid of the lightning too.
The argument ended when Fíli and Kíli went to look for a safer place. They were the youngest dwarves and they had the best eyes. It is always better to look for something if you want to find it, even if you find something you were not expecting. Soon Fíli and Kíli came back.
"We have found a dry cave," they said. "Not far from here on the path. We can all fit inside, even the ponies."
"Have you explored the cave carefully?" asked the wizard. Gandalf knew that caves in the mountains were usually occupied with something.
"Yes, yes," they said. But everybody knew that they could not have looked too carefully. They had returned too quickly.
"It isn't that big, and it does not go far back."
That, of course, is the dangerous part about caves. You do not know how far they go back or what is waiting for you inside. But the wind and rain and lightning were too much for the party, so they followed the path for a short time, and there, behind a rock, was a hole in the side of the mountain. It felt good to hear the sound of the storm outside and not all around them.
But the wizard was not going to take any risks. He lit up his staff, and with its light, they explored the cave from front to back. They lit no fire; Gandalf would not allow it. They made their blankets comfortable, and they began to fall asleep.
It was a good thing that Bilbo was with them. He slept badly and had very scary dreams. He dreamed that a hole in the wall at the back of the cave got bigger and bigger, but he could not call out. He could only look. Suddenly he woke up and saw that part of his dream was true. There was a hole at the back of the cave. He was just in time to see the last of the ponies disappearing into it.
He gave a very loud yell—as loud a yell as a hobbit can give, which is surprising for their size. Out jumped the goblins, big goblins, lots of goblins. The dwarves and hobbit were all grabbed and carried back into the hole before they knew what was happening.
But not Gandalf. Bilbo's yell woke him up, and when the goblins came to grab him, there was a tremendous flash like lightning in the cave, and several goblins fell dead. The hole at the back of the cave closed with a loud crack, and Bilbo and the dwarves were on the wrong side of it.
Where was Gandalf?
The goblins carried them along the passage, deep, deep into the mountain where goblins like to live. The passages were confusing, but the goblins knew their way like you know your way to the nearest post office. They took the party down, down into the dark, and laughed in horrible voices as they went.
Bilbo was more unhappy than when the troll had picked him up by his toes. He wished again and again for his comfortable hobbit home and not for the last time. The goblins pushed, pulled, scratched, and bit them as they ran for a very long time until they came into a large cavern with a huge red fire in the middle. It was full of goblins.
The ponies were already there in a corner, and the goblins were looking through the baggage, smelling it, touching it, and fighting over it. It was the last time Bilbo and the dwarves saw the ponies, including the little pony that was especially for Bilbo.
Bilbo and the dwarves were pushed towards another corner of the cavern, and there in the shadows sat a tremendous goblin with a huge head. Armed goblins were standing around him with axes and curved swords. Goblins are cruel and bad-hearted; they make no beautiful things, but they make clever things. Hammers, axes, swords, daggers, and also instruments of torture they make very well. They can mine and tunnel almost as well as the dwarves when they want to, or they use their prisoners to do the work for them until they die from lack of food, water, and light.
"Who are these miserable persons?" said the Great Goblin.
"Dwarfs and this," said one of the goblins, pushing Bilbo so that he fell onto the ground. "We found them hiding in our front cave. What do you have to say for yourselves? Are you spies? Murderers? Friends of elves? Thieves, I imagine?"
"Thorin at your service," he replied. It was not a very good response to a goblin king, but it was polite enough. "We were looking for protection from the storm. The cave seemed like a convenient place. We had no intention to inconvenience goblins in any way."
"That was true," added Thorin.
"So you say," said the Great Goblin. "So you say. What are you doing here in the mountains in the first place? And where are you coming from? And where are you going? In fact, I would like to know all about you. It will not help you though, Thorin Oakenshield. I know who you are. Tell me now or I will prepare something very uncomfortable for you."
Thorin was not sure exactly what to say at the moment, especially when he could not tell the truth to the Goblin King. So he invented a story about visiting relatives on the other side of the Misty Mountains.
"He is a liar, oh great one," said one of the goblins. "They killed several of us back in the cave with lightning, and he is carrying this." The goblin showed the sword Thorin had taken from the troll cave.
The Great Goblin knew the sword immediately. He gave a great howl of anger when he saw it.
Bilbo was more unhappy than when the troll had picked him up by his toes. He wished again and again for his comfortable hobbit home and not for the last time. The goblins pushed, pulled, scratched, and bit them as they ran for a very long time until they came into a large cavern with a huge red fire in the middle. It was full of goblins. The ponies were already there in a corner, and the goblins were looking through the baggage, smelling it, touching it, and fighting over it. It was the last time Bilbo and the dwarves saw the ponies, including the little pony that was especially for Bilbo.
Bilbo and the dwarves were pushed towards another corner of the cavern, and there in the shadows sat a tremendous goblin with a huge head. Armed goblins were standing around him with axes and curved swords. Goblins are cruel and bad-hearted; they make no beautiful things, but they make clever things. Hammers, axes, swords, daggers, and also instruments of torture they make very well. They can mine and tunnel almost as well as the dwarves when they want to, or they use their prisoners to do the work for them until they die from lack of food, water, and light.
"Who are these miserable persons?" said the Great Goblin.
"Dwarfs and this," said one of the goblins, pushing Bilbo so that he fell onto the ground. "We found them hiding in our front cave. What do you have to say for yourselves? Are you spies? Murderers? Friends of elves? Thieves, I imagine?"
"Thorin at your service," he replied. It was not a very good response to a goblin king, but it was polite enough. "We were looking for protection from the storm. The cave seemed like a convenient place. We had no intention to inconvenience goblins in any way."
"That was true," added Thorin.
"So you say," said the Great Goblin. "So you say. What are you doing here in the mountains in the first place? And where are you coming from? And where are you going? In fact, I would like to know all about you. It will not help you though, Thorin Oakenshield. I know who you are. Tell me now or I will prepare something very uncomfortable for you."
Thorin was not sure exactly what to say at the moment, especially when he could not tell the truth to the Goblin King. So he invented a story about visiting relatives on the other side of the Misty Mountains.
"He is a liar, oh great one," said one of the goblins. "They killed several of us back in the cave with lightning, and he is carrying this." The goblin showed the sword Thorin had taken from the troll cave.
The Great Goblin knew the sword immediately. He gave a great howl of anger when he saw it, and all the goblin soldiers made a tremendous noise. The sword had killed hundreds of goblins in the past when the elves of Gondolin hunted them in the hills or killed them on their castle walls. The elves had named the sword Orchrist, Goblin-Cutter, but the goblins just called it Biter. They hated it and hated even more anyone who carried it.
"Elf friends!" the Great Goblin shouted. "Cut them, beat them, bite them, chew them, take them away and throw them in dark holes full of snakes and never let them see the light again!"
He was so angry that he jumped off his chair and ran towards Thorin with his mouth open, ready to bite Thorin's head right off. At that moment, all the lights in the cavern went out. The large fire turned into a column of blue smoke that rose all the way to the ceiling of the cavern and turned into a hot white light. The light fell in burning particles among the goblins, and they began to scream in fear and pain. The smoke from the fire and the burning goblins filled the cavern, making it impossible to see anything. The goblins began to bite and kick and fight as if they had all gone mad.
Suddenly, a sword burned white in its own light. Bilbo saw the sword cut right through the Great Goblin as he stood in the smoke. He was killed instantly, and the goblin soldiers all ran away from the sword in terror. The sword went back into its scabbard.
"Follow me, quick! They will come after us," said a voice in the darkness, and before Bilbo understood what was happening, he was running as fast as he could run at the back of the line of dwarves down a dark passage. Soon he could not hear the sound of the screaming goblins.
"Run faster, faster," said the voice. "I can hear them coming."
They ran for a long time down black passages. Dori, who was at the back of the line next to Bilbo, put the hobbit on his shoulders and began to run again on and on in the dark. Then Gandalf lit up his staff; of course, it was Gandalf. He took out his sword again, and again it burned with a bright light. It burned in anger when there were goblins nearby, and now it was as bright as blue fire after killing the Great Goblin.
"Are we all here?" asked Gandalf. Thorin began counting.
"Two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven... Where are Fili and Kili? Here they are. Twelve, thirteen, and here's Mr. Baggins. Fourteen. Well, it could be worse, but it could be much better—no ponies, no food, and we do not know where we are going. And there are many angry goblins who want to eat us. Let's go."
On they went as fast as they could. They could hear the goblins getting closer and closer, so they ran faster than ever, and poor Bilbo could not keep up, so the dwarves took turns carrying him on their backs. But goblins travel faster than dwarves in the dark, and these goblins knew the way. The dwarves heard their yells and cries as they got closer and closer. Soon they could see the red of the goblin torchlight behind them, and they were getting terribly tired.
"Why, oh why did I ever leave my hobbit hole?" said poor Mr. Baggins, bouncing up and down on Bombur's back.
"Why, oh why did we ever bring a hobbit on a treasure hunt?" said poor Bombur, who was very fat and having difficulty staying with the party.
"Turn around, Thorin, and draw your sword!" shouted Gandalf.
The goblins came around the corner, and Glamdring and Orcrist were waiting for them. Many goblins fell dead to these terrible blades. The goblins turned around and ran away, but they did not go far. The bravest and fastest goblins extinguished their torches and took off their iron shoes. These ran forward as quickly and silently as the wind in the dark, and the dwarves and Gandalf did not hear them when they came up quietly behind them. Suddenly, Dori, who was at the back of the line and carrying Bilbo, shouted out. A goblin grabbed him, and he fell, and the hobbit rolled off his shoulders into the darkness, bumped his head on a rock, and remembered nothing more.
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