The Hobbit J.r.r Tolkien There and Back Again Houghton Mifflin Co. Boston

Chapter 1 An Unexpected Party

In a pigsty in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, moisture hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor still a dry out, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that ways comfort.

It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact center. The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without fume, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats - the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly just not quite straight into the side of the hill - The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called information technology - and many niggling round doors opened out of it, outset on one side so on some other. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to apparel), kitchens, dining-rooms, all were on the aforementioned floor, and indeed on the aforementioned passage. The best rooms were all on the left-paw side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deep-set circular windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping downward to the river.

This hobbit was a very well-to-do hobbit, and his proper name was Baggins. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of The Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not but because most of them were rich, only also considering they never had any adventures or did annihilation unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on whatever question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, found himself doing and proverb things altogether unexpected. He may accept lost the neighbours' respect, merely he gained-well, you will see whether he gained anything in the end.

The mother of our item hobbit. . . what is a hobbit? I suppose hobbits need some description nowadays, since they have get rare and shy of the Big People, as they call us. They are (or were) a footling people, about one-half our summit, and smaller than the bearded Dwarves. Hobbits have no beards. There is little or no magic about them, except the ordinary everyday sort which helps them to disappear quietly and quickly when big stupid folk like you and me come blundering along, making a dissonance similar elephants which they can hear a mile off. They are inclined to be at in the stomach; they dress in bright colours (chiefly green and yellow); wear no shoes, because their feet grow natural leathery soles and thick warm brown hair like the stuff on their heads (which is curly); accept long clever brownish fingers, good-natured faces, and laugh deep fruity laughs (especially after dinner, which they have twice a twenty-four hour period when they can get it). Now you know enough to proceed with. Every bit I was saying, the mother of this hobbit - of Bilbo Baggins, that is - was the fabulous Belladonna Took, one of the three remarkable daughters of the Old Took, head of the hobbits who lived beyond The Water, the minor river that ran at the foot of The Hill. It was oft said (in other families) that long ago i of the Took ancestors must have taken a fairy married woman. That was, of course, absurd, only certainly there was still something not entirely hobbit-like nigh them, - and once in a while members of the Took-clan would go and take adventures. They discreetly disappeared, and the family hushful it up; but the fact remained that the Tooks were not equally respectable as the Bagginses, though they were undoubtedly richer. Non that Belladonna Took ever had any adventures after she became Mrs. Bungo Baggins. Bungo, that was Bilbo's father, built the well-nigh luxurious hobbit-pigsty for her (and partly with her money) that was to be found either nether The Colina or over The Loma or across The H2o, and there they remained to the end of their days. Notwithstanding it is probable that Bilbo, her only son, although he looked and behaved exactly like a second edition of his solid and comfortable father, got something a bit queer in his makeup from the Took side, something that merely waited for a take chances to come out. The hazard never arrived, until Bilbo Baggins was grown upward, being about l years onetime or and so, and living in the beautiful hobbit-pigsty built by his male parent, which I take but described for you, until he had in fact plainly settled down immovably.

Past some curious chance i morning long ago in the tranquillity of the world, when there was less racket and more greenish, and the hobbits were still numerous and prosperous, and Bilbo Baggins was standing at his door after breakfast smoking an enormous long wooden pipe that reached nearly down to his woolly toes (neatly brushed) - Gandalf came by. Gandalf! If you had heard only a quarter of what I take heard almost him, and I accept merely heard very little of all there is to hear, you would be prepared for any sort I of remarkable tale. Tales and adventures sprouted up all over the place wherever he went, in the most extraordinary fashion. He had non been down that mode under The Hill for ages and ages, not since his friend the Old Took died, in fact, and the hobbits had about forgotten what he looked like. He had been abroad over The Hill and across The Water on business concern of his own since they were all small hobbit-boys and hobbit-girls.

All that the unsuspecting Bilbo saw that morning was an former homo with a staff. He had a tall pointed blue chapeau, a long grey cloak, a silver scarf over which a white beard hung downwardly below his waist, and immense black boots. "Adept morning!" said Bilbo, and he meant information technology. The lord's day was shining, and the grass was very green. But Gandalf looked at him from nether long bushy eyebrows that stuck out further than the brim of his shady hat. "What practice you mean?" be said. "Practice you wish me a good forenoon, or mean that information technology is a good morning whether I want not; or that you lot feel practiced this morn; or that it is forenoon to exist good on?"

"All of them at one time," said Bilbo. "And a very fine morning for a pipe of tobacco out of doors, into the bargain. If you lot accept a pipage well-nigh you, sit down and take a make full of mine! In that location'due south no bustle, we accept all the solar day before united states!" Then Bilbo sat downward on a seat by his door, crossed his legs, and blew out a beautiful grey band of smoke that sailed up into the air without breaking and floated away over The Hill.

"Very pretty!" said Gandalf. "But I have no time to blow smoke-rings this morning. I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it's very difficult to detect anyone. "

I should call up so - in these parts! We are plain repose folk and have no employ for adventures. Nasty agonizing uncomfortable things! Brand y'all tardily for dinner! I can't call up what everyone sees in them, said our Mr. Baggins, and stuck one pollex behind his braces, and blew out some other even bigger smoke-ring. Then he took out his forenoon messages, and begin to read, pretending to take no more discover of the former homo. He had decided that he was non quite his sort, and wanted him to get away. But the former human being did not motility. He stood leaning on his stick and gazing at the hobbit without maxim annihilation, till Bilbo got quite uncomfortable and even a little cross.

"Good morning time!" he said at final. "We don't want any adventures hither, thank you! Yous might effort over The Colina or across The Water. " By this he meant that the conversation was at an end.

"What a lot of things you do utilize Good morn for!" said Gandalf. "Now you mean that yous want to become rid of me, and that it won't be good till I move off. "

"Not at all, non at all, my honey sir! Let me see, I don't remember I know your proper name?"

"Yeah, yes, my dear sir - and I do know your name, Mr. Bilbo Baggins. And you practise know my name, though you don't remember that I belong to it. I am Gandalf, and Gandalf means me! To think that I should accept lived to be expert-morninged by Belladonna Took's son, as if I was selling buttons at the door!" "Gandalf, Gandalf! Good gracious me! Not the wandering wizard that gave Old Took a pair of magic diamond studs that fastened themselves and never came undone till ordered? Non the swain who used to tell such wonderful tales at parties, about dragons and goblins and giants and the rescue of princesses and the unexpected luck of widows' sons? Not the human that used to make such particularly excellent fireworks! I think those! Old Took used to have them on Midsummer's Eve. Spl

endid! They used to become up similar great lilies and snapdragons and laburnums of burn and hang in the twilight all evening!" Y'all will discover already that Mr. Baggins was not quite so prosy as he liked to believe, also that he was very fond of flowers. "Honey me!" she went on. "Not the Gandalf who was responsible for so many quiet lads and lasses going off into the Blue for mad adventures. Anything from climbing trees to visiting Elves - or sailing in ships, sailing to other shores! Bless me, life used to be quite inter - I hateful, yous used to upset things badly in these parts once upon a time. I beg your pardon, only I had no idea you were even so in business concern. " "Where else should I exist?" said the wizard. "All the aforementioned I am pleased to find you recollect something about me. Y'all seem to recall my fireworks kindly, at any charge per unit, land that is non without hope. Indeed for your old grand-male parent Took's sake, and for the sake of poor Belladonna, I will requite you what you asked for. "

"I beg your pardon, I haven't asked for anything!"

"Yes, you have! Twice now. My pardon. I give it you. In fact I will become so far as to ship you on this adventure. Very amusing for me, very good for you and profitable as well, very likely, if you ever get over it. "

"Sad! I don't want whatever adventures, thanks. Non today. Good morning!

Just please come to tea - any time you like! Why not tomorrow? Come up tomorrow!

Good-bye!"

With that the hobbit turned and scuttled inside his circular green door, and close it equally quickly as he dared, non to seen rude. Wizards later all are wizards.

"What on earth did I enquire him to tea for!" he said to him-self, as he went

to the pantry. He had only just had pause fast, merely he thought a cake or two and a drink of something would do him proficient after his fright. Gandalf in the meantime was notwithstanding standing outside the door, and laughing long but quietly. After a while he stepped up, and with the fasten of his staff scratched a queer sign on the hobbit's cute dark-green front-door. So he strode away, just most the time when Bilbo was finishing his second cake and beginning to think that he had escape adventures very well.

The next day he had almost forgotten about Gandalf. He did not think things very well, unless he put them down on his Appointment Tablet: similar this:

Gandalf 'a Midweek. Yesterday he had been as well flustered to do annihilation of the kind. Merely earlier tea-time there came a tremendous band on the front-door bell, and and then he remembered! He rushed and put on the kettle, and put out some other cup and saucer and an extra cake or two, and ran to the door. "I am so deplorable to keep you lot waiting!" he was going to say, when he saw that it was not Gandalf at all. It was a dwarf with a blue beard tucked into a golden chugalug, and very bright eyes nether his light-green hood. As soon a the door was opened, he pushed within, but equally if he had been expected. He hung his hooded cloak on the nearest peg, and "Dwalin at your service!" he said with a low bow.

"Bilbo Baggins at yours!" said the hobbit, likewise surprised to enquire any questions for the moment. When the silence that followed had become uncomfortable, he added: "I am simply most to take tea; pray come and take some with me. " A little strong perhaps, but he meant it kindly. And what would you practise, if an uninvited dwarf came and hung his things up in your hall without a word of explanation?

They had not been at table long, in fact they had hardly reached the third cake, when in that location came another even louder band at the bell. "Excuse me!" said the hobbit, and off he went to the door. "Then yous have got here at last!" was what he was going to say to Gandalf this time. But it was non Gandalf. Instead there was a very old-looking dwarf on the step with a white beard and a carmine hood; and he too hopped inside as shortly as the door was open up, just as if he had been invited. "I see they take begun to make it already," he said when he caught sight of Dwalin's green hood hanging upwards. He hung his red one next to it, and "Balin at your service!" he said with his hand on his breast.

"Thank you!" said Bilbo with a gasp. Information technology was not the right matter to say, but they have begun to get in had flustered him desperately. He liked visitors, but he liked to know them before they arrived, and he preferred to enquire them himself. He had a horrible thought that the cakes might run brusk, and and so he-as the host: he knew his duty and stuck to it however painful-he might have to get without.

"Come up along in, and have some tea!" he managed to say after taking a deep breath.

"A little beer would suit me meliorate, if it is all the same to you, my practiced sir," said Balin with the white beard. "But I don't mind some block-seed-block, if you lot take any. "

"Lots!" Bilbo institute himself answering, to his own surprise; and he found himself scuttling off, too, to the cellar to fill a pint beer-mug, and to the pantry to fetch two beautiful circular seed-cakes which he had broiled that afternoon for his after-supper morsel.

When he got back Balin and Dwalin were talking at the table like sometime friends (as a matter of fact they were brothers). Bilbo plumped down the beer and the cake in forepart of them, when loud came a ring at the bell over again, and and so some other ring.

"Gandalf for certain this time," he thought as he puffed along the passage. But it was not. It was 2 more dwarves, both with bluish hoods, silver belts, and yellow beards; and each of them carried a bag of tools and a spade. In they hopped, equally soon as the door began to open-Bilbo was hardly surprised at all.

"What tin can I do for you lot, my dwarves?" he said. "Kili at your service!"

said the ane. "And Fili!" added the other; and they both swept off their blue hoods and bowed.

"At yours and your family'south!" replied Bilbo, remembering his manners this fourth dimension.

"Dwalin and Balin here already, I see," said Kili. "Let us join the throng!"

"Throng!" thought Mr. Baggins. "I don't like the sound of that. I really must sit down for a minute and collect my wits, and have a drink. " He had simply but had a sip-in the corner, while the four dwarves sat around the tabular array, and talked about mines and golden and troubles with the goblins, and the depredations of dragons, and lots of other things which he did not understand, and did non want to, for they sounded much as well adventurous-when, ding-dong-a-ling-' dang, his bell rang once more, as if some naughty trivial hobbit-boy was trying to pull the handle off. "Someone at the door!" he said, blinking. "Some four, I should say past the audio," said Fili. "Be-sides, we saw them coming along behind us in the distance. "

The poor piddling hobbit sat down in the hall and put his head in his easily, and wondered what had happened, and what was going to happen, and whether they would all stay to supper. Then the bell rang once again louder than ever, and he had to run to the door. Information technology was non 4 after all, information technology was Five. Some other dwarf had come along while he was wondering in the hall. He had hardly turned the knob, be-x)re they were all inside, bowing and saying "at your service" one after another. Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, and Gloin were their names; and very before long two purple hoods, a grey hood, a brown hood, and a white hood were hanging on the pegs, and off they marched with their wide hands stuck in their gold and silverish belts to join the others. Already information technology had well-nigh go a throng. Some chosen for ale, and some for porter, and 1 for coffee, and all of them for cakes; so the hobbit was kept very decorated for a while. A big jug of java bad just been set up in the hearth, the seed-cakes were gone, and the dwarves were starting on a round of buttered scones, when at that place came-a loud knock. Not a ring, simply a hard rat-tat on the hobbit'south cute green door. Somebody was banging with a stick!

Bilbo rushed along the passage, very angry, and altogether bewildered and bewuthered-this was the almost awkward Wed he e'er remembered. He pulled open the door with a jerk, and they all fell in, 1 on top of the other. More dwarves, four more! And there was Gandalf behind, leaning on his staff and laughing. He had fabricated quite a dent on the cute door; he had also, by the way, knocked out the secret marker that he had put at that place the morning time earlier. "Carefully! Carefully!" he said. "It is not similar you, Bilbo, to go on friends waiting on the mat, and so open the door like a pop-gun! Let me introduce Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, and especially Thorin!" "At your service!" said Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur standing in a row. Then they hung up two xanthous hoo

ds and a stake green one; and likewise a heaven-blue one with a long silver tassel. This concluding belonged to Thorin, an enormously of import dwarf, in fact no other than the great Thorin Oakenshield himself, who was not at all pleased at falling flat on Bilbo's mat with Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur on superlative of him. For 1 thing Bombur was immensely fat and heavy. Thorin indeed was very haughty, and said zilch about service; but poor Mr. Baggins said he was pitiful and then many times, that at last he grunted "pray don't mention it," and stopped frowning.

"At present we are all here!" said Gandalf, looking at the row of thirteen hoods-the best detachable party hoods-and his own hat hanging on the pegs. "Quite a merry gathering!

I promise at that place is something left for the late-comers to eat and drink! What'south that? Tea! No give thanks you! A little scarlet wine, I think, for me. " "And for me," said Thorin. "And raspberry jam and apple-tart," said Bifur. "And mince-pies and cheese," said Bofur. "And pork-pie and salad," said Bombur. "And more cakes-and ale-and java, if you lot don't heed," called the other dwarves through the door.

"Put on a few eggs, there'southward a good boyfriend!" Gandalf called afterwards him, as

the hobbit stumped off to the pantries. "And only bring out the cold chicken and pickles!"

"Seems to know as much about the inside of my larders equally I do myself!" thought Mr. Baggins, who was feeling positively flummoxed, and was get-go to wonder whether a most wretched adventure had not come up right into his business firm. By the time he had got all the bottles and dishes and knives and forks and glasses and plates and spoons and things piled up on big trays, he was getting very hot, and cherry-red in the face, and bellyaching.

"Confusticate and bebother these dwarves!" he said aloud. "Why don't they come and lend a manus?" Lo and behold! there stood Balin and Dwalin at the door of the kitchen, and Fili and Kili backside them, and earlier he could say knife they had whisked the trays and a couple of small-scale tables into the parlour and set out everything anew.

Gandalf sat at the head of the party with the 13, dwarves all round: and Bilbo sat on a stool at the fireside, nibbling at a biscuit (his appetite was quite taken away), and trying to expect as if this was all perfectly ordinary and. not in the least an gamble. The dwarves ate and ate, and talked and talked, and time got on. At last they pushed their chairs dorsum, and Bilbo fabricated a motility to collect the plates and spectacles. "I suppose you lot will all stay to supper?" he said in his politest unpressing tones. "Of course!" said Thorin. "And afterward. Nosotros shan't get through the concern till late, and we must have some music first. Now to clear up!" Thereupon the twelve dwarves-not Thorin, he was too of import, and stayed talking to Gandalf-jumped to their anxiety and made tall piles of all the things. Off they went, not waiting for trays, balancing columns of plates, each with a bottle on the pinnacle, with one hand, while the hobbit ran after them almost squeaking with fearfulness: "please be careful!" and "delight, don't problem! I can manage. " Just the dwarves merely started to sing:

"Fleck the glasses and fissure the plates!

Blunt the knives and curve the forks!

That's what Bilbo Baggins hates-

Smash the bottles and burn the corks!

Cut the cloth and tread on the fat!

Pour the milk on the pantry flooring!

Leave the bones on the bedroom mat!

Splash the wine on every door!

Dump the crocks in a boiling bawl;

Pound them up with a thumping pole;

And when you've finished, if any are whole,

Transport them downwards the hall to roll !

That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!

So, carefully! advisedly with the plates!"

And of course they did none of these dreadful things, and everything was cleaned and put abroad prophylactic as quick as lightning, while the hobbit was turning round and circular in the center of the kitchen trying to see what they were doing. And then they went back, and found Thorin with his feet on the fender smoking a pipe. He was blowing the nigh enormous fume-rings, and wherever he told one to go, it went-up the chimney, or behind the clock on the homo-telpiece, or under the table, or round and round the ceiling; simply wherever it went it was non quick enough to escape Gandalf. Popular! he sent a smaller fume-ring from his short dirt-pipe directly through each one of Thorin's. The Gandalf's smoke-ring would go green and come back to hover over the sorcerer'southward head. He had quite a cloud of them most him already, and in the dim lite information technology made him wait strange and sorcerous. Bilbo stood still and watched-he loved smoke-rings-and then be blushed to call up how proud he had been yesterday morning of the smoke-rings he had sent up the wind over The Colina. "Now for some music!" said Thorin. "Bring out the instruments!"

Kili and Fili rushed for their bags and brought back petty fiddles;

Dori, Nori, and Ori brought out flutes from somewhere within their coats; Bombur produced a drum from the hall; Bifur and Bofur went out too, and came dorsum with clarinets that they had left amongst the walking-sticks Dwalin and Balin said: "Excuse me, I left mine in the porch!" "Simply bring mine in with y'all," said Thorin. They came back with viols every bit big as themselves, and with Thorin'south harp wrapped in a light-green cloth. Information technology was a cute gold-en harp, and when Thorin struck it the music began all at in one case, so sudden and sugariness that Bilbo forgot everything else, and was swept away into dark lands under strange moons, far over The Water and very far from his hobbit-hole nether The Hill. The dark came into the room from the niggling window that opened in the side of The Hill; the firelight flickered-it was April-and withal they played on, while the shadow of Gandalf's beard wagged against the wall. The dark filled all the room, and the fire died downwardly, and the shadows were lost, and yet they played on. And of a sudden first one and then another began to sing as they played, deep-throated singing of the dwarves in the deep places of their aboriginal homes; and this is like a fragment of their song, if information technology tin can be like their vocal without their music.

"Far over the misty mountains cold

To dungeons deep and caverns quondam

We must away ere intermission of day

To seek the pale enchanted golden.

The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,

While hammers fell like ringing bells

In places deep, where dark things sleep,

In hollow halls below the fells.

For ancient king and elvish lord

There many a gloaming golden hoard

They shaped and wrought, and low-cal they defenseless

To hide in gems on hilt of sword.

On silver necklaces they strung

The flowering stars, on crowns they hung

The dragon-burn down, in twisted wire

They meshed the low-cal of moon and sun.

Far over the misty mountains cold

To dungeons deep and caverns former

We must away, ere break of solar day,

To claim our long-forgotten gold.

Goblets they carved there for themselves

And harps of gold; where no human being delves

There lay they long, and many a song

Was sung unheard past men or elves.

The pines were roaring on the height,

The winds were moaning in the night.

The burn down was red, it flaming spread;

The trees like torches biased with light,

The bells were ringing in the dale

And men looked upwardly with faces stake;

The dragon'due south ire more fierce than fire

Laid low their towers and houses frail.

The mountain smoked beneath the moon;

The dwarves, they heard the tramp of doom.

They fled their hall to dying -fall

Beneath his feet, beneath the moon.

Far over the misty mountains grim

To dungeons deep and caverns dim

We must abroad, ere break of day,

To win our harps and gilt from him!"

Every bit they sang the hobbit felt the love of beautiful things made by easily

and by cunning and by magic moving through him, a trigger-happy and jealous honey, the want of the hea

rts of dwarves. Then something Tookish woke upward inside him, and he wished to go and come across the great mountains, and hear the pine-copse and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking-stick. He looked out of the window. The stars were out in a dark sky above the trees. He idea of the jewels of the dwarves shining in dark caverns. Suddenly in the forest beyond The Water a flame leapt up - probably somebody lighting a woods-fire-and he thought of plundering dragons settling on his quiet Hill and kindling it all to flames. He shuddered; and very quickly he was plain Mr. Baggins of Bag-Stop, Under-Colina, again. He got upward trembling. He had less than half a mind to fetch the lamp, and more than than half a listen to pretend to, and go and hide behind the beer barrels in the cellar, and not come out once again until all the dwarves had gone abroad. Suddenly he found that the music and the singing had stopped, and they were all looking at him with eyes shining in the dark.

"Where are yous going?" said Thorin, in a tone that seemed to testify that he guessed both halves of the hobbit's mind.

"What most a footling low-cal?" said Bilbo apologetically.

"We similar the dark," said the dwarves. "Nighttime for dark business! At that place are many hours before dawn. "

"Of course!" said Bilbo, and sabbatum down in a hurry. He missed the stool and sabbatum in the fender, knocking over the poker and shovel with a crash. "Hush!" said Gandalf. "Let Thorin speak!" And this is bow Thorin began. "Gandalf, dwarves and Mr. Baggins! We are not together in the house of our friend and fellow conspirator, this almost excellent and audacious hobbit-may the hair on his toes never fall out! all praise to his wine and ale!-" He paused for jiff and for a polite remark from the hob-bit, but the compliments were quite lost on-poor Bilbo Baggins, who was wagging his oral fissure in protestation at being called audacious and worst of all fellow conspirator, though no noise came out, he was then flummoxed. So Thorin went on:

"Nosotros are met to hash out our plans, our ways, ways, policy and devices. We shall soon earlier the break of 24-hour interval start on our long journey, a journey from which some of united states of america, or maybe all of us (except our friend and counsellor, the ingenious wizard Gandalf) may never render. It is a solemn moment. Our object is, I take it, well known to us all. To the estimable Mr. Baggins, and perhaps to ane or two of the younger dwarves (I recall I should be right in naming Kili and Fili, for instance), the exact situation at the moment may require a niggling brief explanation-" This was Thorin'south style. He was an important dwarf. If he had been allowed, he would probably take gone on like this until he was out of jiff, without telling any one there 'annihilation that was non known already. But he was rudely interrupted. Poor Bilbo couldn't bear it whatever longer. At may never return he began to feel a shriek coming up inside, and very presently it outburst out similar the whistle of an engine coming out of a tunnel. All the dwarves sprang Bp knocking over the table. Gandalf struck a blue light on the end of his magic staff, and in its firework glare the poor fiddling hobbit could exist seen kneeling on the hearth-rug, shaking like a jelly that was melting. Then he cruel flat on the floor, and kept on calling out "struck past lightning, struck by lightning!" over and over once again; and that was all they could get out of him for a long fourth dimension. So they took him and laid him out of the way on the cartoon-room sofa with a drink at his elbow, and they went dorsum to their night business organization.

"Excitable footling young man," said Gandalf, equally they saturday downwards again. "Gets funny queer fits, but he is ane of the best, one of the best-as fierce equally a dragon in a compression. "

If you have ever seen a dragon in a compression, you lot will realise that this was

just poetical exaggeration applied to any hobbit, fifty-fifty to Old Took'southward great-

granduncle Bullroarer, who was so huge (for a hobbit) that he could ride a

horse. He charged the ranks of the goblins of Mount Gram in the Battle of the

Dark-green Fields, and knocked their king Gol-firnbul'southward head clean off with a

wooden club. It sailed a hundred yards through the air and went down a rabbit hole, and in this mode the battle was won and the game of Golf invented at the same moment.

In the meanwhile, however, Bullroarer's gentler descendant was reviving in the cartoon-room. Later on a while and a drinkable he crept nervously to the door of the parlour. This is what he heard, Gloin speaking: "Humph!" (or some snort more or less like that). "Will he practice, do you think? It is all very well for Gandalf to talk about this hobbit being fierce, only i shriek like that in a moment of excitement would be enough to wake the dragon and all his relatives, and impale the lot of u.s.. I think it sounded more like fright than excitement! In fact, if it bad not been for the sign on the door, I should have been certain nosotros had come up to the incorrect house. Every bit soon every bit I clapped eyes on the little fellow bobbing and puffing on the mat, I had my doubts. He looks more like a grocer-than a burglar!"

Then Mr. Baggins turned the handle and went in. The Took side had won. He suddenly felt he would become without bed and breakfast to be idea vehement. Equally for little fellow bobbing on the mat it almost made him really fierce. Many a time afterward the Baggins part regretted what he did now, and he said to himself: "Bilbo, you were a fool; you walked right in and put your foot in it. "

"Pardon me," he said, "if I take overheard words that you lot were saying. I don't pretend to understand what y'all are talking about, or your reference to burglars, but I think I am right in assertive" (this is what he chosen being on his nobility) "that you think I am no good. I will evidence you. I take no signs on my door-it was painted a week ago-, and I am quite sure yous accept come to the wrong firm. Every bit soon as I saw your funny faces on the door-stride, I had my doubts. But treat information technology as the right one. Tell me what y'all want washed, and I will try it, if I have to walk from hither to the East of East and fight the wild Were-worms in the Concluding Desert. I bad a great-great-not bad-granduncle once, Bullroarer Took, and -" "Aye, yeah, just that was long ago," said Gloin. "I was talking about y'all. And I assure you there is a mark on this door-the usual one in the trade, or used to be. Burglar wants a proficient chore, plenty of Excitement and reasonable Advantage, that'due south how information technology is usually read. You lot ^an say Adept Treasure-hunter instead of Infiltrator if you like. Some of them do. It's withal to us. Gandalf told usa that there was a human of the sort in these parts looking for a Task at once, and that he had arranged for a coming together here this Midweek tea-fourth dimension. "

"Of course at that place is a marker," said Gandalf. "I put it at that place myself. For very proficient reasons. You asked me to find the fourteenth homo for your expedition, and I chose Mr. Baggins. Merely permit whatever one say I chose the incorrect man or the incorrect house, and you tin can stop at thirteen and take all the bad luck you lot similar, or go back to digging coal. "

He scowled so angrily at Gloin that the dwarf huddled back in his chair; and when Bilbo tried to open his mouth to ask a question, he turned and frowned at him and stuck oat his bushy eyebrows, till Bilbo shut his mouth tight with a snap. "That's right," said Gandalf. "Let's have no more argument. I have chosen Mr. Baggins and that ought to !6te enough for all of you. If I say he is a Burglar, a Infiltrator he is, or will be when the time comes. There is a lot more in him than you approximate, and a bargain more than he has any idea of himself. Yous may (possibly) all alive to thank me yet. At present Bilbo, my boy, fetch the lamp, and let'south have little light on this!"

On the tabular array in the light of a big lamp with a blood-red shad he spread a piece of parchment rather like a map.

"This was made past Thror, your grandfather, Thorin, he said in answer to the dwarves' excited questions. "It is a programme of the Mount. " "I don't see that this will help u.s. much," said Thorin disappointedly afterwards a glance. "I remember the Mountain well enough and the lands well-nigh it. And I know where Mirkwood is, and the Withered Heath where the groovy dragons bred. "

"There is a dragon marked in red on the Mount, said Balin, "but it volition be easy enough to find him without that, if ever nosotros arrive there. " "In that location is ane point that you haven't noticed," said the sorcerer, "and that is the hugger-mugger archway. You see that rune on the West side, and the mitt pointing to information technology from the other runes? That marks a hidden passage to the Lower Halls.

"It may have been secret once," said Thorin, "but how practise

we know that it is secret any longer? Old Smaug had lived in that location long enough now to find out anything there is to know about those caves. "

"He may-but he can't have used it for years and years. "Why?" "Because it is besides pocket-sized. 'Five anxiety high the door and 3 may walk beside' say the runes, simply Smaug could not creep into a hole that size, not fifty-fifty when he was a young dragon, certainly not after devouring so many of the dwarves and men of Dale. "

"It seems a slap-up large hole to me," squeaked Bilbo (who had no experience of dragons and only of hobbit-holes) He was getting excited and interested once again, so that he forgot to go along his mouth close. He loved maps, and in his hall there hung a big one of the State Round with all his favourite walks marked on information technology in red ink. "How could such a large door be kept cloak-and-dagger from everybody outside, autonomously from the dragon?" he asked. He was only a niggling hobbit you lot must remember.

"In lots of means," said Gandalf. "But in what fashion this ane has been subconscious nosotros don't know without going to run into. From what it says on the map I should guess there is a closed door which has been made to look exactly similar the side of the Mountain. That is the usual dwarves' method - I think that is correct, isn't it?" "Quite right," said Thorin.

"Likewise," went on Gandalf, "I forgot to mention that with the map went a central, a modest and curious central. Hither it is!" he said, and handed to Thorin a primal with a long barrel and intricate wards, made of silverish. "Keep it safe!" "Indeed I will," said Thorin, and he fastened it upon a fine chain that hung near his neck and nether his jacket. "Now things begin to look more hopeful. This news alters them much for-the better. So far we have had no articulate idea what to do. We idea of going East, as tranquility and conscientious as we could, every bit far every bit the Long Lake. Afterwards that the trouble would begin. " "A long time before that, if I know anything about the loads East," interrupted Gandalf.

"We might get from at that place upward forth the River Running," went on Thorin taking no discover, "then to the ruins of Dale-the onetime town in the valley in that location, nether the shadow of the Mountain. But we none of us liked the idea of the Front Gate. The river runs right out of information technology through the cracking cliff at the Southward of the Mount, and out of it comes the dragon too-far too often, unless he has changed. "

"That would be no good," said the wizard, "not without a mighty Warrior, even a Hero. I tried to find one; but warriors are decorated fighting one some other in distant lands, and in this neighbourhood heroes are deficient, or simply lot to be found. Swords in these parts are by and large edgeless, and axes are used for trees, and shields as cradles or dish-covers; and dragons are comfortably far-off (and therefore legendary). That is why I settled on break-in-especially when I remembered the existence of a Side-door. And here is our piddling Bilbo Baggins, the burglar, the called and selected infiltrator. So at present let's get on and make some plans. "

"Very well then," said Thorin, "supposing the burglar-good gives united states some ideas or suggestions. " He turned with mock-politeness to Bilbo. "Beginning I should like to know a flake more about things," said he, feeling all confused and a fleck shaky inside, but so far still lookishly determined to become on with things. "I mean about the gold and the dragon, and all that, and how it got there, and who information technology belongs to, and and then on and farther. " "Anoint me!" said Thorin, "haven't you got a map? and didn't you hear our song? and haven't we been talking nigh all this for hours?"

"Withal, I should like it all plain and clear," said he

obstinately, putting on his business manner (normally reserved for people who tried to borrow money off him), and doing his all-time to appear wise and prudent and professional and live up to Gandalf's recommendation. "Too I should like to know well-nigh risks, out-of-pocket expenses, fourth dimension required and remuneration, so forth"-by which he meant: "What am I going to become out of it? and am I going to come back alive?"

"O very well," said Thorin. "Long ago in my grandfather Thror's fourth dimension our family was driven out of the far Due north, and came back with all their wealth and their tools to this Mount on the map. It had been discovered by my far ancestor, Thrain the Erstwhile, but at present they mined and they tunnelled and they fabricated huger halls and greater workshops -and in addition I believe they found a proficient deal of gold and a great many jewels too. Anyway they grew immensely rich and famous, and my grandpa was Male monarch nether the Mountain again and treated with neat reverence by the mortal men, who lived to the Southward, and were gradually spreading upward the Running River as far as the valley overshadowed by the Mount. They congenital the merry town of Dale there in those days. Kings used to send for our smiths, and reward even the least adept well-nigh richly. Fathers would beg united states to have their sons as apprentices, and pay u.s.a. handsomely, especially in food-supplies, which nosotros never bothered to abound or notice for ourselves. Birthday those were good days for united states, and the poorest of us had money to spend and to lend, and leisure to brand beautiful things just for the. fun of it, not to speak of the most marvellous and magical toys, the like of which is not to be plant in the world now-a-days. So my grandpa'due south halls became full of armour and jewels and carvings and cups, and the toy-marketplace of Dale was the wonder of the Due north.

"Undoubtedly that was what brought the dragon. Dragons steal gold and jewels, y'all know, from men and elves and dwarves, wherever they can detect them; and they baby-sit their plunder as long as they live (which is practically forever, unless they are killed), and never savour a brass band of it. Indeed they hardly know a practiced bit of work from a bad, though they normally have a good notion of the current market value; and they can't brand a thing for themselves, not even mend a niggling loose scale of their armour. There were lots of dragons in the North in those days, and gold was probably getting scarce upwards there, with the dwarves flying south or getting killed, and all the general waste and destruction that dragons make going from bad to worse. There was a near specially greedy, strong and wicked worm called Smaug. One day he flew up into the air and came south. The offset we heard of it was a noise like a hurricane coming from the Due north, and the pine-trees on the Mountain creaking and nifty in the wind. Some of the dwarves who happened to be exterior (I was one luckily -a fine audacious lad in those days, ever wandering about, and it saved my life that twenty-four hour period)-well, from a practiced way off we saw the dragon settle on our mountain in a spout of flame. Then he came down the slopes and when he reached the woods they all went upward in fire. By that fourth dimension all the bells were ringing in Dale and the warriors were arming. The dwarves rushed out of their not bad gate; but there was the dragon waiting for them. None escaped that mode. The river rushed upwards in steam and a fog roughshod on Dale, and in the fog the dragon came on them and destroyed most of the warriors-the usual unhappy story, it was merely besides mutual in those days. Then he went dorsum and crept in through the Front Gate and routed out all the halls, and lanes, and tunnels, alleys, cellars, mansions and passages. Later that there were no dwarves left live inside, and he took all their wealth for himself. Probably, for that is the dragons' way, he has piled it all up in a great heap far within, and sleeps on information technology for a bed. Later he used to crawl out of the great gate and come by nighttime to Dale, and comport away people, especially maidens, to swallow, until Dale was ruined, and all the people dead or gone. What goes on at that place now I don't know for sure, just I don't suppose anyone lives nearer to the Mount than the far edge of the Long Lake now-a-days.

"The few of united states of america that were well exterior sabbatum and wept in hiding, and cursed Smaug; and there we were unexpectedly joined by my father and my gramps with singed beards. They looked very grim just they said very little. When I asked how they had got away, they told me to concord my tongue, and said that one day in the proper time I should know. After that we went abroad, and we accept had to earn our livings as best nosotros could upwardly and down the lands, oftentimes enough sinking as low as blacksmith-piece of work or even coalmining. But we take never forgotten our stolen treasure. And even now, when I will allow we have a practiced bit laid past and are not so badly off"-here Thorin stroked the gold chain round his cervix-"we still mean to go it back, and to bring our curses home to Smaug-if we can.

"I have often wondered about my father'southward and my grandfather's escape. I encounter now they must take had a private Side-doo

r which only they knew about. But apparently they fabricated a map, and I should like to know how Gandalf got hold of it, and why it did non come down to me, the rightful heir. " "I did non 'get hold of information technology,' I was given information technology," said the wizard. "Your grandfather Thror was killed, you remember, in the mines of Moria by Azog the Goblin -" "Curse his name, yes," said Thorin.

"And Thrain your father went abroad on the twenty-first of April, a hundred years ago last Th, and has never been seen by you since-" "True, true," said Thorin.

"Well, your father gave me this to give to yous; and if I have chosen my ain time and way of handing information technology over, y'all can hardly blame me, considering the problem I had to find you. Your begetter could not remember his own name when he gave me the paper, and he never told me yours; and then on the whole I think I ought to be praised and thanked. Here information technology is," said he handing the map to Thorin. "I don't understand," said Thorin, and Bilbo felt he would take liked to say the same. The explanation did not seem to explain. "Your grandfather," said the wizard slowly and grimly, "gave the map to his son for safety before he went to the mines of Moria. Your father went away to attempt his luck with the map after your granddad was killed; and lots of adventures of a most unpleasant sort he had, but he never got near the Mountain. How he got at that place I don't know, but I found him a prisoner in the dungeons of the Necromancer. "

"Whatever were y'all doing there?" asked Thorin with a shudder, and all the dwarves shivered.

"Never you mind. I was finding things out, as usual; and a nasty dangerous business organization information technology was. Even I, Gandalf, only just escaped. I tried to save your father, but it was likewise late. He was witless and wandering, and had forgotten almost everything except the map and the key. " "We have long ago paid the goblins of Moria," said Thorin; "we must give a idea to the Necromancer. " "Don't be absurd! He is an enemy quite beyond the powers of all the dwarves put together, if they could all be collected again from the 4 corners of the globe. The 1 thing your male parent wished was for his son to read the map and use the key. The dragon and the Mountain are more than big enough tasks for you lot!"

"Hear, hear!" said Bilbo, and accidentally said information technology aloud, "Hear what?" they all said turning suddenly towards him, and he was so flustered that he answered "Hear what I accept got to say!" "What'due south that?" they asked. "Well, I should say that you lot ought to get East and take a expect round.

Afterwards all there is the Side-door, and dragons must slumber sometimes, I suppose.

If yous sit down on the doorstep long enough, I daresay y'all will think of something. And well, don't yous know, I think we take talked long enough for one dark, if you run across what I mean. What near bed, and an early on start, and all that? I will give you a good breakfast before you go. "

"Earlier nosotros go, I suppose you mean," said Thorin. "Aren't you the burglar? And isn't sitting on the door-pace your chore, non to speak of getting inside the door? But I concur about bed and breakfast. I like eggs with my ham, when starting on a journey: fried non poached, and mind y'all don't interruption 'em. "

After all the others had ordered their breakfasts without so much as a please (which annoyed Bilbo very much), they all got upwards. The hobbit had to observe room for them all, and filled all his spare-rooms and fabricated beds on chairs and sofas, before he got them all stowed and went to his own trivial bed very tired and not altogether happy. One thing he did brand his heed up about was non to carp to go upward very early on and cook everybody else'southward wretched breakfast. The Tookishness was wearing off, and he was non now quite and so sure that he was going on any journeying in the morning. As he lay in bed he could hear Thorin withal humming to himself in the all-time chamber next to him:

"Far over the misty mountains common cold

To dungeons deep and caverns sometime

Nosotros must away, ere intermission of day,

To find our long-forgotten gold. "

Bilbo went to slumber with that in his ears, and it gave him very uncomfortable dreams. It was long afterwards the intermission of day, when he woke upwardly.

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