Chapter I

An Unexpected Party
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of
worms and an ooy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat! it
was
a hobbit"hole, and that means comfort.
It had a perfectly round door li#e a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass #nob in the
exact middle. $he door opened on to a tube"shaped hall li#e a tunnel! a very comfortable tunnel without
smo#e, 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. $he tunnel wound on and on, going fairly
but
not %uite straight into the side of the hill " $he &ill, as all the people for many miles round called it "
and
many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the
hobbit! bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries 'lots of these(, wardrobes 'he had whole rooms devoted
to
clothes(, #itchens, dining"rooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. $he best
rooms were all on the left"hand side 'going in(, for these were the only ones to have windows, deep"set
round windows loo#ing over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river.
$his hobbit was a very well"to"do hobbit, and his name was )aggins. $he )agginses had lived in
the neighbourhood of $he &ill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not
only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything
unexpected! you could tell what a )aggins would say on any %uestion without the bother of as#ing him.
$his is a story of how a )aggins had an adventure, found himself doing and saying things altogether
unexpected. &e may have lost the neighbours* respect, but he gained"well, you will see whether he
gained
anything in the end.
$he mother of our particular hobbit + what is a hobbit, I suppose hobbits need some description
nowadays, since they have become rare and shy of the )ig People, as they call us. $hey are 'or were( a
little people, about half our height, and smaller than the bearded -warves. &obbits have no beards.
$here
is little or no magic about them, except the ordinary everyday sort which helps them to disappear
%uietly
and %uic#ly when large stupid fol# li#e you and me come blundering along, ma#ing a noise li#e
elephants
which they can hear a mile off. $hey 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 thic#
warm
brown hair li#e the stuff on their heads 'which is curly(. have long clever brown fingers, good"natured
faces, and laugh deep fruity laughs 'especially after dinner, which they have twice a day when they can
get it(. Now you #now enough to go on with. As I was saying, the mother of this hobbit " of )ilbo
)aggins, that is " was the fabulous )elladonna $oo#, one of the three remar#able daughters of the /ld
$oo#, head of the hobbits who lived across $he 0ater, the small river that ran at the foot of $he &ill. It
was often said 'in other families( that long ago one of the $oo# ancestors must have ta#en a fairy wife.
$hat was, of course, absurd, but certainly there was still something not entirely hobbit"li#e about them,
"
and once in a while members of the $oo#"clan would go and have adventures. $hey discreetly
disappeared, and the family hushed it up. but the fact remained that the $oo#s were not as respectable
as
the )agginses, though they were undoubtedly richer. Not that )elladonna $oo# ever had any
adventures
after she became 1rs. )ungo )aggins. )ungo, that was )ilbo*s father, built the most luxurious
hobbithole
for her 'and partly with her money( that was to be found either under $he &ill or over $he &ill or
across $he 0ater, and there they remained to the end of their days. 2till it is probable that )ilbo, her
only
son, although he loo#ed and behaved exactly li#e a second edition of his solid and comfortable father,
got
something a bit %ueer in his ma#eup from the $oo# side, something that only waited for a chance to
come
out. $he chance never arrived, until )ilbo )aggins was grown up, being about fifty years old or so, and
living in the beautiful hobbit"hole built by his father, which I have 3ust described for you, until he had
in
fact apparently settled down immovably.
)y some curious chance one morning long ago in the %uiet of the world, when there was less noise
and more green, and the hobbits were still numerous and prosperous, and )ilbo )aggins was standing
at
his door after brea#fast smo#ing an enormous long wooden pipe that reached nearly down to his woolly
toes 'neatly brushed( " 4andalf came by. 4andalf5 If you had heard only a %uarter of what I have heard
about him, and I have only heard very little of all there is to hear, you would be prepared for any sort I
of
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again An Unexpected Party
4
remar#able tale. $ales and adventures sprouted up all over the place wherever he went, in the most
extraordinary fashion. &e had not been down that way under $he &ill for ages and ages, not since his
friend the /ld $oo# died, in fact, and the hobbits had almost forgotten what he loo#ed li#e. &e had
been
away over $he &ill and across $he 0ater on business of his own since they were all small hobbit"boys
and hobbit"girls.
All that the unsuspecting )ilbo saw that morning was an old man with a staff. &e had a tall
pointed blue hat, a long grey cloa#, a silver scarf over which a white beard hung down below his waist,
and immense blac# boots.
64ood morning57 said )ilbo, and he meant it. $he sun was shining, and the grass was very green.
)ut 4andalf loo#ed at him from under long bushy eyebrows that stuc# out further than the brim of his
shady hat. 60hat do you mean,7 be said. 6-o you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good
morning whether I want not. or that you feel good this morning. or that it is morning to be good on,7
6All of them at once,7 said )ilbo. 6And a very fine morning for a pipe of tobacco out of doors,
into the bargain. If you have a pipe about you, sit down and have a fill of mine5 $here*s no hurry, we
have
all the day before us57 $hen )ilbo sat down on a seat by his door, crossed his legs, and blew out a
beautiful grey ring of smo#e that sailed up into the air without brea#ing and floated away over $he
&ill.
68ery pretty57 said 4andalf. 6)ut I have no time to blow smo#e"rings this morning. I am loo#ing
for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it*s very difficult to find anyone.7
6I should thin# so " in these parts5 0e are plain %uiet fol# and have no use for adventures. Nasty
.disturbing uncomfortable things5 1a#e you late for dinner5 I can9t thin# what anybody sees in them,7
said our 1r. )aggins, and stuc# one thumb behind his braces, and blew out another even bigger
smo#ering.
$hen he too# out his morning letters, and begin to read, pretending to ta#e no more notice of the old
man. &e had decided that he was not %uite his sort, and wanted him to go away. )ut the old man did
not
move. &e stood leaning on his stic# and gaing at the hobbit without saying anything, till )ilbo got
%uite
uncomfortable and even a little cross.
64ood morning57 he said at last. 60e don*t want any adventures here, than# you5 :ou might try
over $he &ill or across $he 0ater.7 )y this he meant that the conversation was at an end.
60hat a lot of things you do use 4ood morning for57 said 4andalf. 6Now you mean that you want
to get rid of me, and that it won*t be good till I move off.7
6Not at all, not at all, my dear sir5 ;et me see, I don*t thin# I #now your name,7
6:es, yes, my dear sir " and I do #now your name, 1r. )ilbo )aggins. And you do #now my
name, though you don*t remember that I belong to it. I am 4andalf, and 4andalf means me5 $o thin#
that
I should have lived to be good"morninged by )elladonna $oo#*s son, as if I was selling buttons at the
door57
64andalf, 4andalf5 4ood gracious me5 Not the wandering wiard that gave /ld $oo# a pair of
magic diamond studs that fastened themselves and never came undone till ordered, Not the fellow who
used to tell such wonderful tales at parties, about dragons and goblins and giants and the rescue of
princesses and the unexpected luc# of widows* sons, Not the man that used to ma#e such particularly
excellent firewor#s5 I remember those5 /ld $oo# used to have them on 1idsummer*s <ve. 2plendid5
$hey used to go up li#e great lilies and snapdragons and laburnums of fire and hang in the twilight all
evening57 :ou will notice already that 1r. )aggins was not %uite so prosy as he li#ed to believe, also
that
he was very fond of flowers. 6-ear me57 she went on. 6Not the 4andalf who was responsible for so
many
%uiet lads and lasses going off into the )lue for mad adventures. Anything from climbing trees to
visiting
<lves " or sailing in ships, sailing to other shores5 )less me, life used to be %uite inter " I mean, you
used
to upset things badly in these parts once upon a time. I beg your pardon, but I had no idea you were still
in
business.7
60here else should I be,7 said the wiard. 6All the same I am pleased to find you remember
something about me. :ou seem to remember my firewor#s #indly, at any rate, land that is not without
hope. Indeed for your old grand"father $oo#*s sa#e, and for the sa#e of poor )elladonna, I will give you
what you as#ed for.7
6I beg your pardon, I haven*t as#ed for anything57
6:es, you have5 $wice now. 1y pardon. I give it you. In fact I will go so far as to send you on
this adventure. 8ery amusing for me, very good for you and profitable too, very li#ely, if you ever get
over it.7
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again An Unexpected Party
5
62orry5 I don*t want any adventures, than# you. Not today. 4ood morning5 )ut please come to tea
" any time you li#e5 0hy not tomorrow, Come tomorrow5 4ood"bye57
0ith that the hobbit turned and scuttled inside his round green door, and shut it as %uic#ly as he
dared, not to seen rude. 0iards after all are wiards.
60hat on earth did I as# him to tea for57 he said to him"self, as he went to the pantry. &e had only
3ust had brea# fast, but he thought a ca#e or two and a drin# of something would do him good after his
fright. 4andalf in the meantime was still standing outside the door, and laughing long but %uietly. After
a
while he stepped up, and with the spi#e of his staff scratched a %ueer sign on the hobbit*s beautiful
green
front"door. $hen he strode away, 3ust about the time when )ilbo was finishing his second ca#e and
beginning to thin# that he had escape adventures very well.
$he next day he had almost forgotten about 4andalf &e did not remember things very well, unless
he put them down on his <ngagement $ablet! li#e this! 4andalf 9=a 0ednesday. :esterday he had been
too flustered to do anything of the #ind. >ust before tea"time there came a tremendous ring on the
frontdoor
bell, and then he remembered5 &e rushed and put on the #ettle, and put out another cup and saucer
and an extra ca#e or two, and ran to the door.
6I am so sorry to #eep you waiting57 he was going to say, when he saw that it was not 4andalf at
all. It was a dwarf with a blue beard tuc#ed into a golden belt, and very bright eyes under his dar#"
green
hood. As soon a the door was opened, he pushed inside, 3ust as if he had been expected.
&e hung his hooded cloa# on the nearest peg, and 6-walin at your service57 he said with a low
bow.
6)ilbo )aggins at yours57 said the hobbit, too surprised to as# any %uestions for the moment.
0hen the silence that followed had become uncomfortable, he added! 6I am 3ust about to ta#e tea. pray
come and have some with me.7 A little stiff perhaps, but he meant it #indly. And what would you do, if
an uninvited dwarf came and hung his things up in your hall without a word of explanation,
$hey had not been at table long, in fact they had hardly reached the third ca#e, when there came
another even louder ring at the bell.
6<xcuse me57 said the hobbit, and off he went to the door.
62o you have got here at last57 was what he was going to say to 4andalf this time. )ut it was not
4andalf. Instead there was a very old"loo#ing dwarf on the step with a white beard and a scarlet hood.
and he too hopped inside as soon as the door was open, 3ust as if he had been invited.
6I see they have begun to arrive already,7 he said when he caught sight of -walin*s green hood
hanging up. &e hung his red one next to it, and 6)alin at your service57 he said with his hand on his
breast.
6$han# you57 said )ilbo with a gasp. It was not the correct thing to say, but they have begun to
arrive had flustered him badly. &e li#ed visitors, but he li#ed to #now them before they arrived, and he
preferred to as# them himself. &e had a horrible thought that the ca#es might run short, and then he"as
the
host! he #new his duty and stuc# to it however painful"he might have to go without.
6Come along in, and have some tea57 he managed to say after ta#ing a deep breath.
6A little beer would suit me better, if it is all the same to you, my good sir,7 said )alin with the
white beard. 6)ut I don*t mind some ca#e"seed"ca#e, if you have any.7
6;ots57 )ilbo found 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 round seed"ca#es which
he had ba#ed that afternoon for his after"supper morsel.
0hen he got bac# )alin and -walin were tal#ing at the table li#e old friends 'as a matter of fact
they were brothers(. )ilbo plumped down the beer and the ca#e in front of them, when loud came a
ring
at the bell again, and then another ring.
64andalf for certain this time,7 he thought as he puffed along the passage. )ut it was not. It was
two more dwarves, both with blue hoods, silver belts, and yellow beards. and each of them carried a
bag
of tools and a spade. In they hopped, as soon as the door began to open")ilbo was hardly surprised at
all.
60hat can I do for you, my dwarves,7 he said. 6?ili at your service57 said the one. 6And @ili57
added the other. and they both swept off their blue hoods and bowed.
6At yours and your family*s57 replied )ilbo, remembering his manners this time.
6-walin and )alin here already, I see,7 said ?ili. 6;et us 3oin the throng57
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again An Unexpected Party
6
6$hrong57 thought 1r. )aggins. 6I don*t li#e the sound of that. I really must sit down for a minute
and collect my wits, and have a drin#.7 &e had only 3ust had a sip"in the corner, while the four dwarves
sat around the table, and tal#ed about mines and gold and troubles with the goblins, and the
depredations
of dragons, and lots of other things which he did not understand, and did not want to, for they sounded
much too adventurous"when, ding"dong"a"ling"* dang, his bell rang again, as if some naughty little
hobbitboy
was trying to pull the handle off. 62omeone at the door57 he said, blin#ing. 62ome four, I should say
by the sound,7 said @ili. 6)e"sides, we saw them coming along behind us in the distance.7
$he poor little hobbit sat down in the hall and put his head in his hands, and wondered what had
happened, and what was going to happen, and whether they would all stay to supper. $hen the bell rang
again louder than ever, and he had to run to the door. It was not four after all, t was @I8<. Another
dwarf
had come along while he was wondering in the hall. &e had hardly turned the #nob, be"x(re they were
all
inside, bowing and saying 6at your service7 one after another. -ori, Nori, /ri, /in, and 4loin were
their
names. and very soon two purple hoods, a grey hood, a brown hood, and a white hood were hanging on
the pegs, and off they marched with their broad hands stuc# in their gold and silver belts to 3oin the
others. Already it had almost become a throng. 2ome called for ale, and some for porter, and one for
coffee, and all of them for ca#es. so the hobbit was #ept very busy for a while.
A big 3ug of coffee bad 3ust been set in the hearth, the seed"ca#es were gone, and the dwarves
were starting on a round of buttered scones, when there came"a loud #noc#. Not a ring, but a hard rat"
tat
on the hobbit*s beautiful green door. 2omebody was banging with a stic#5
)ilbo rushed along the passage, very angry, and altogether bewildered and bewuthered"this was
the most aw#ward 0ednesday he ever remembered. &e pulled open the door with a 3er#, and they all
fell
in, one on top of the other. 1ore dwarves, four more5 And there was 4andalf behind, leaning on his
staff
and laughing. &e had made %uite a dent on the beautiful door. he had also, by the way, #noc#ed out the
secret mar# that he had put there the morning before.
6Carefully5 Carefully57 he said. 6It is not li#e you, )ilbo, to #eep friends waiting on the mat, and
then open the door li#e a pop"gun5 ;et me introduce )ifur, )ofur, )ombur, and especially $horin57
6At your service57 said )ifur, )ofur, and )ombur standing in a row. $hen they hung up two
yellow hoods and a pale green one. and also a s#y"blue one with a long silver tassel. $his last belonged
to
$horin, an enormously important dwarf, in fact no other than the great $horin /a#enshield himself,
who
was not at all pleased at falling flat on )ilbo*s mat with )ifur, )ofur, and )ombur on top of him. @or
one
thing )ombur was immensely fat and heavy. $horin indeed was very haughty, and said nothing about
service. but poor 1r. )aggins said he was sorry so many times, that at last he grunted 6pray don*t
mention
it,7 and stopped frowning.
6Now we are all here57 said 4andalf, loo#ing at the row of thirteen hoods"the best detachable
party hoods"and his own hat hanging on the pegs. 6Auite a merry gathering5
I hope there is something left for the late"comers to eat and drin#5 0hat*s that, $ea5 No than#
you5 A little red wine, I thin#, for me.7 6And for me,7 said $horin. 6And raspberry 3am and apple"tart,7
said )ifur. 6And mince"pies and cheese,7 said )ofur. 6And por#"pie and salad,7 said )ombur. 6And
more
ca#es"and ale"and coffee, if you don*t mind,7 called the other dwarves through the door.
6Put on a few eggs, there*s a good fellow57 4andalf called after him, as the hobbit stumped off to
the pantries. 6And 3ust bring out the cold chic#en and pic#les57
62eems to #now as much about the inside of my larders as I do myself57 thought 1r. )aggins,
who was feeling positively flummoxed, and was beginning to wonder whether a most wretched
adventure
had not come right into his house. )y the time he had got all the bottles and dishes and #nives and for#s
and glasses and plates and spoons and things piled up on big trays, he was getting very hot, and red in
the
face, and annoyed.
6Confusticate and bebother these dwarves57 he said aloud. 60hy don*t they come and lend a
hand,7 ;o and behold5 there stood )alin and -walin at the door of the #itchen, and @ili and ?ili behind
them, and before he could say #nife they had whis#ed the trays and a couple of small tables into the
parlour and set out everything afresh.
4andalf sat at the head of the party with the thirteen, dwarves all round! and )ilbo sat on a stool at
the fireside, nibbling at a biscuit 'his appetite was %uite ta#en away(, and trying to loo# as if this was all
perfectly ordinary and. not in the least an adventure. $he dwarves ate and ate, and tal#ed and tal#ed,
and
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again An Unexpected Party
7
time got on. At last they pushed their chairs bac#, and )ilbo made a move to collect the plates and
glasses.
6I suppose you will all stay to supper,7 he said in his politest unpressing tones. 6/f course57 said
$horin. 6And after. 0e shan*t get through the business till late, and we must have some music first.
Now
to clear up57
$hereupon the twelve dwarves"not $horin, he was too important, and stayed tal#ing to 4andalf3umped
to their feet and made tall piles of all the things. /ff they went, not waiting for trays, balancing
columns of plates, each with a bottle on the top, with one hand, while the hobbit ran after them almost
s%uea#ing with fright! 6please be careful57 and 6please, don*t trouble5 I can manage.7 )ut the dwarves
only started to sing!
Chip the glasses and crac# the plates5
)lunt the #nives and bend the for#s5
$hat*s what )ilbo )aggins hates "
2mash the bottles and burn the cor#s5
Cut the cloth and tread on the fat5
Pour the mil# on the pantry floor5
;eave the bones on the bedroom mat5
2plash the wine on every door5
-ump the croc#s in a boiling bawl.
Pound them up with a thumping pole.
And when you*ve finished, if any are whole,
2end them down the hall to roll 5
$hat*s what )ilbo )aggins hates5
2o, carefully5 carefully with the plates5
And of course they did none of these dreadful things, and everything was cleaned and put away
safe as %uic# as lightning, while the hobbit was turning round and round in the middle of the #itchen
trying to see what they were doing. $hen they went bac#, and found $horin with his feet on the fender
smo#ing a pipe. &e was blowing the most enormous smo#e"rings, and wherever he told one to go, it
went"up the chimney, or behind the cloc# on the man"telpiece, or under the table, or round and round
the
ceiling. but wherever it went it was not %uic# enough to escape 4andalf. Pop5 he sent a smaller
smo#ering
from his short clay"pipe straight through each one of $horin*s. $he 4andalf*s smo#e"ring would go
green and come bac# to hover over the wiard*s head. &e had %uite a cloud of them about him already,
and in the dim light it made him loo# strange and sorcerous. )ilbo stood still and watched"he loved
smo#e"rings"and then be blushed to thin# how proud he had been yesterday morning of the smo#e"
rings
he had sent up the wind over $he &ill.
6Now for some music57 said $horin. 6)ring out the instruments57
?ili and @ili rushed for their bags and brought bac# little fiddles. -ori, Nori, and /ri brought out
flutes from somewhere inside their coats. )ombur produced a drum from the hall. )ifur and )ofur
went
out too, and came bac# with clarinets that they had left among the wal#ing"stic#s -walin and )alin
said!
6<xcuse me, I left mine in the porch57 6>ust bring mine in with you,7 said $horin. $hey came bac# with
viols as big as themselves, and with $horin9s harp wrapped in a green cloth. It was a beautiful gold"en
harp, and when $horin struc# it the music began all at once, so sudden and sweet that )ilbo forgot
everything else, and was swept away into dar# lands under strange moons, far over $he 0ater and very
far from his hobbit"hole under $he &ill.
$he dar# came into the room from the little window that opened in the side of $he &ill. the
firelight flic#ered"it was April"and still they played on, while the shadow of 4andalf*s beard wagged
against the wall.
$he dar# filled all the room, and the fire died down, and the shadows were lost, and still they
played on. And suddenly first one and then another began to sing as they played, deep"throated singing
of
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again An Unexpected Party
8
the dwarves in the deep places of their ancient homes. and this is li#e a fragment of their song, if it can
be
li#e their song without their music.
@ar over the misty mountains cold
$o dungeons deep and caverns old
0e must away ere brea# of day
$o see# the pale enchanted gold.
$he dwarves of yore made mighty spells,
0hile hammers fell li#e ringing bells
In places deep, where dar# things sleep,
In hollow halls beneath the fells.
@or ancient #ing and elvish lord
$here many a gloaming golden hoard
$hey shaped and wrought, and light they caught
$o hide in gems on hilt of sword.
/n silver nec#laces they strung
$he flowering stars, on crowns they hung
$he dragon"fire, in twisted wire
$hey meshed the light of moon and sun.
@ar over the misty mountains cold
$o dungeons deep and caverns old
0e must away, ere brea# of day,
$o claim our long"forgotten gold.
4oblets they carved there for themselves
And harps of gold. where no man delves
$here lay they long, and many a song
0as sung unheard by men or elves.
$he pines were roaring on the height,
$he winds were moaning in the night.
$he fire was red, it flaming spread.
$he trees li#e torches biased with light,
$he bells were ringing in the dale
And men loo#ed up with faces pale.
$he dragon*s ire more fierce than fire
;aid low their towers and houses frail.
$he mountain smo#ed beneath the moon.
$he dwarves, they heard the tramp of doom.
$hey fled their hall to dying "fall
)eneath his feet, beneath the moon.
@ar over the misty mountains grim
$o dungeons deep and caverns dim
0e must away, ere brea# of day,
$o win our harps and gold from him5
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again An Unexpected Party
9
As they sang the hobbit felt the love of beautiful things made by hands and by cunning and by
magic moving through him, a fierce and 3ealous love, the desire of the hearts of dwarves. $hen
something
$oo#ish wo#e up inside him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine"trees
and
the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a wal#ing"stic#. &e loo#ed out of the
window. $he stars were out in a dar# s#y above the trees. &e thought of the 3ewels of the dwarves
shining
in dar# caverns. 2uddenly in the wood beyond $he 0ater a flame leapt up""probably somebody lighting
a
wood"fire"and he thought of plundering dragons settling on his %uiet &ill and #indling it all to flames.
&e
shuddered. and very %uic#ly he was plain 1r. )aggins of )ag"<nd, Under"&ill, again.
&e got up trembling. &e had less than half a mind to fetch the lamp, and more than half a mind to
pretend to, and go and hide behind the beer barrels in the cellar, and not come out again until all the
dwarves had gone away. 2uddenly he found that the music and the singing had stopped, and they were
all
loo#ing at him with eyes shining in the dar#.
60here are you going,7 said $horin, in a tone that seemed to show that he guessed both halves of
the hobbit*s mind.
60hat about a little light,7 said )ilbo apologetically.
60e li#e the dar#,7 said the dwarves. 6-ar# for dar# business5 $here are many hours before
dawn.7
6/f course57 said )ilbo, and sat down in a hurry. &e missed the stool and sat in the fender,
#noc#ing over the po#er and shovel with a crash.
6&ush57 said 4andalf. 6;et $horin spea#57 And this is bow $horin began.
64andalf, dwarves and 1r. )aggins5 0e are not together in the house of our friend and fellow
conspirator, this most excellent and audacious hobbit"may the hair on his toes never fall out5 all praise
to
his wine and ale5"7 &e paused for breath and for a polite remar# from the hob"bit, but the compliments
were %uite lost on"poor )ilbo )aggins, who was wagging his mouth in protest at being called
audacious
and worst of all fellow conspirator, though no noise came out, he was so flummoxed. 2o $horin went
on!
60e are met to discuss our plans, our ways, means, policy and devices. 0e shall soon before the
brea# of day start on our long 3ourney, a 3ourney from which some of us, or perhaps all of us 'except
our
friend and counsellor, the ingenious wiard 4andalf( may never return. It is a solemn moment. /ur
ob3ect
is, I ta#e it, well #nown to us all. $o the estimable 1r. )aggins, and perhaps to one or two of the
younger
dwarves 'I thin# I should be right in naming ?ili and @ili, for instance(, the exact situation at the
moment
may re%uire a little brief explanation"7
$his was $horin*s style. &e was an important dwarf. If he had been allowed, he would probably
have gone on li#e this until he was out of breath, without telling any one there *anything that was not
#nown already. )ut he was rudely interrupted. Poor )ilbo couldn*t bear it any longer. At may never
return
he began to feel a shrie# coming up inside, and very soon it burst out li#e the whistle of an engine
coming
out of a tunnel. All the dwarves sprang )p #noc#ing over the table. 4andalf struc# a blue light on the
end
of his magic staff, and in its firewor# glare the poor little hobbit could be seen #neeling on the hearth"
rug,
sha#ing li#e a 3elly that was melting. $hen he fell flat on the floor, and #ept on calling out 6struc# by
lightning, struc# by lightning57 over and over again. and that was all they could get out of him for a
long
time. 2o they too# him and laid him out of the way on the drawing"room sofa with a drin# at his elbow,
and they went bac# to their dar# business.
6<xcitable little fellow,7 said 4andalf, as they sat down again. 64ets funny %ueer fits, but he is
one of the best, one of the best"as fierce as a dragon in a pinch.7
If you have ever seen a dragon in a pinch, you will realie that this was only poetical exaggeration
applied to any hobbit, even to /ld $oo#*s great"granduncle )ullroarer, who was so huge 'for a hobbit(
that he could ride a horse. &e charged the ran#s of the goblins of 1ount 4ram in the )attle of the
4reen
@ields, and #noc#ed their #ing 4ol"firnbul*s head clean off with a wooden club. It sailed a hundred
yards
through the air and went down a rabbit hole, and in this way the battle was won and the game of 4olf
invented at the same moment.
In the meanwhile, however, )ullroarer*s gentler descendant was reviving in the drawing"room.
After a while and a drin# he crept nervously to the door of the parlour. $his is what he heard, 4loin
spea#ing! 6&umph57 'or some snort more or less li#e that(. 60ill he do, do you thin#, It is all very well
for 4andalf to tal# about this hobbit being fierce, but one shrie# li#e that in a moment of excitement
would be enough to wa#e the dragon and all his relatives, and #ill the lot of us. I thin# it sounded more
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again An Unexpected Party
10
li#e fright than excitement5 In fact, if it bad not been for the sign on the door, I should have been sure
we
had come to the wrong house. As soon as I clapped eyes on the little fellow bobbing and puffing on the
mat, I had my doubts. &e loo#s more li#e a grocer"than a burglar57
$hen 1r. )aggins turned the handle and went in. $he $oo# side had won. &e suddenly felt he
would go without bed and brea#fast to be thought fierce. As for little fellow bobbing on the mat it
almost
made him really fierce. 1any a time afterwards the )aggins part regretted what he did now, and he said
to himself! 6)ilbo, you were a fool. you wal#ed right in and put your foot in it.7
6Pardon me,7 he said, 6if I have overheard words that you were saying. I don*t pretend to
understand what you are tal#ing about, or your reference to burglars, but I thin# I am right in believing7
'this is what he called being on his dignity( 6that you thin# I am no good. I will show you. I have no
signs
on my door"it was painted a wee# ago", and I am %uite sure you have come to the wrong house. As
soon
as I saw your funny faces on the door"step, I had my doubts. )ut treat it as the right one. $ell me what
you want done, and I will try it, if I have to wal# from here to the <ast of <ast and fight the wild
0ereworms
in the ;ast -esert. I bad a great"great"great"granduncle once, )ullroarer $oo#, and " 7
6:es, yes, but that was long ago,7 said 4loin. 6I was tal#ing about you. And I assure you there is a
mar# on this door"the usual one in the trade, or used to be. )urglar wants a good 3ob, plenty of
<xcitement and reasonable Beward, that*s how it is usually read. :ou Can say <xpert $reasure"hunter
instead of )urglar if you li#e. 2ome of them do. It*s all the same to us. 4andalf told us that there was a
man of the sort in these parts loo#ing for a >ob at once, and that he had arranged for a meeting here this
0ednesday tea"time.7
6/f course there is a mar#,7 said 4andalf. 6I put it there myself. @or very good reasons. :ou
as#ed me to find the fourteenth man for your expedition, and I chose 1r. )aggins. >ust let any one say I
chose the wrong man or the wrong house, and you can stop at thirteen and have all the bad luc# you
li#e,
or go bac# to digging coal.7
&e scowled so angrily at 4loin that the dwarf huddled bac# in his chair. and when )ilbo tried to
open his mouth to as# a %uestion, he turned and frowned at him and stuc# oat his bushy eyebrows, till
)ilbo shut his mouth tight with a snap. 6$hat*s right,7 said 4andalf. 6;et*s have no more argument. I
have
chosen 1r. )aggins and that ought to 5Dte enough for all of you. If I say he is a )urglar, a )urglar he is,
or will be when the time comes. $here is a lot more in him than you guess, and a deal more than he has
any idea of himself. :ou may 'possibly( all live to than# me yet. Now )ilbo, my boy, fetch the lamp,
and
let*s have little light on this57
/n the table in the light of a big lamp with a red shad he spread a piece of parchment rather li#e a
map.
6$his was made by $hror, your grandfather, $horin, he said in answer to the dwarves* excited
%uestions. 6It is a plan of the 1ountain.7
6I don*t see that this will help us much,7 said $horin disappointedly after a glance. 6I remember
the 1ountain well enough and the lands about it. And I #now where 1ir#wood is, and the 0ithered
&eath where the great dragons bred.7
6$here is a dragon mar#ed in red on the 1ountain, said )alin, 6but it will be easy enough to find
him without that, if ever we arrive there.7
6$here is one point that you haven*t noticed,7 said the wiard, 6and that is the secret entrance. :ou
see that rune on the 0est side, and the hand pointing to it from the other runes,EE $hat mar#s a hidden
passage to the ;ower &alls.
6It may have been secret once,7 said $horin, 6but how do we #now that it is secret any longer,
/ld 2maug had lived there long enough now to find out anything there is to #now about those caves.7
6&e may"but he can*t have used it for years and years. 60hy,7
6)ecause it is too small. *@ive feet high the door and three may wal# abreast* say the runes, but
2maug could not creep into a hole that sie, not even when he was a young dragon, certainly not after
devouring so many of the dwarves and men of -ale.7
6It seems a great big hole to me,7 s%uea#ed )ilbo 'who had no experience of dragons and only of
hobbit"holes( &e was getting excited and interested again, so that he forgot to #eep his mouth shut. &e
EE ;oo# at the map at the beginning of this boo#, and you will see the runes there.
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again An Unexpected Party
11
loved maps, and in his hall there hung a large one of the Country Bound with all his favourite wal#s
mar#ed on it in red in#. 6&ow could such a large door be #ept secret from everybody outside, apart
from
the dragon,7 he as#ed. &e was only a little hobbit you must remember.
6In lots of ways,7 said 4andalf. 6)ut in what way this one has been hidden we don*t #now without
going to see. @rom what it says on the map I should guess there is a closed door which has been made
to
loo# exactly li#e the side of the 1ountain. $hat is the usual dwarves* method" I thin# that is right, isn*t
it,7 6Auite right,7 said $horin.
6Also,7 went on 4andalf, 6I forgot to mention that with the map went a #ey, a small and curious
#ey. &ere it is57 he said, and handed to $horin a #ey with a long barrel and intricate wards, made of
silver. 6?eep it safe57
6Indeed I will,7 said $horin, and he fastened it upon a fine chain that hung about his nec# and
under his 3ac#et. 6Now things begin to loo# more hopeful. $his news alters them much for"the better.
2o
far we have had no clear idea what to do. 0e thought of going <ast, as %uiet and careful as we could, as
far as the ;ong ;a#e. After that the trouble would begin.7
6A long time before that, if I #now anything about the loads <ast,7 interrupted 4andalf.
60e might go from there up along the Biver Bunning,7 went on $horin ta#ing no notice, 6and so
to the ruins of -ale"the old town in the valley there, under the shadow of the 1ountain. )ut we none of
us
li#ed the idea of the @ront 4ate. $he river runs right out of it through the great cliff at the 2outh of the
1ountain, and out of it comes the dragon too"far too often, unless he has changed.7
6$hat would be no good,7 said the wiard, 6not without a mighty 0arrior, even a &ero. I tried to
find one. but warriors are busy fighting one another in distant lands, and in this neighbourhood heroes
are
scarce, or simply lot to be found. 2words in these parts are mostly blunt, and axes are used for trees,
and
shields as cradles or dish"covers. and dragons are comfortably far"off 'and therefore legendary(. $hat is
why I settled on burglary"especially when I remembered the existence of a 2ide"door. And here is our
little )ilbo )aggins, the burglar, the chosen and selected burglar. 2o now let*s get on and ma#e some
plans.7
68ery well then,7 said $horin, 6supposing the burglar"expert gives us some ideas or suggestions.7
&e turned with moc#"politeness to )ilbo.
6@irst I should li#e to #now a bit more about things,7 said he, feeling all confused and a bit sha#y
inside, but so far still loo#ishly determined to go on with things. 6I mean about the gold and the dragon,
and all that, and how it got there, and who it belongs to, and so on and further.7
6)less me57 said $horin, 6haven*t you got a map, and didn*t you hear our song, and haven*t we
been tal#ing about all this for hours,7
6All the same, I should li#e it all plain and clear,7 said he obstinately, putting on his business
manner 'usually reserved for people who tried to borrow money off him(, and doing his best to appear
wise and prudent and professional and live up to 4andalf*s recommendation. 6Also I should li#e to
#now
about ris#s, out"of"poc#et expenses, time re%uired and remuneration, and so forthF"by which he meant!
60hat am I going to get out of it, and am I going to come bac# alive,7
6/ very well,7 said $horin. 6;ong ago in my grandfather $hror*s time our family was driven out
of the far North, and came bac# with all their wealth and their tools to this 1ountain on the map. It had
been discovered by my far ancestor, $hrain the /ld, but now they mined and they tunnelled and they
made huger halls and greater wor#shops "and in addition I believe they found a good deal of gold and a
great many 3ewels too. Anyway they grew immensely rich and famous, and my grandfather was ?ing
under the 1ountain again and treated with great reverence by the mortal men, who lived to the 2outh,
and
were gradually spreading up the Bunning Biver as far as the valley overshadowed by the 1ountain.
$hey
built the merry town of -ale there in those days. ?ings used to send for our smiths, and reward even
the
least s#ilful most richly. @athers would beg us to ta#e their sons as apprentices, and pay us handsomely,
especially in food"supplies, which we never bothered to grow or find for ourselves. Altogether those
were
good days for us, and the poorest of us had money to spend and to lend, and leisure to ma#e beautiful
things 3ust for the. fun of it, not to spea# of the most marvellous and magical toys, the li#e of which is
not
to be found in the world now"a"days. 2o my grandfather*s halls became full of armour and 3ewels and
carvings and cups, and the toy"mar#et of -ale was the wonder of the North.
6Undoubtedly that was what brought the dragon. -ragons steal gold and 3ewels, you #now, from
men and elves and dwarves, wherever they can find them. and they guard their plunder as long as they
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again An Unexpected Party
12
live 'which is practically forever, unless they are #illed(, and never en3oy a brass ring of it. Indeed they
hardly #now a good bit of wor# from a bad, though they usually have a good notion of the current
mar#et
value. and they can*t ma#e a thing for themselves, not even mend a little loose scale of their armour.
$here were lots of dragons in the North in those days, and gold was probably getting scarce up there,
with
the dwarves flying south or getting #illed, and all the general waste and destruction that dragons ma#e
going from bad to worse. $here was a most specially greedy, strong and wic#ed worm called 2maug.
/ne
day he flew up into the air and came south. $he first we heard of it was a noise li#e a hurricane coming
from the North, and the pine"trees on the 1ountain crea#ing and crac#ing in the wind. 2ome of the
dwarves who happened to be outside 'I was one luc#ily "a fine adventurous lad in those days, always
wandering about, and it saved my life that day("well, from a good way off we saw the dragon settle on
our mountain in a spout of flame. $hen he came down the slopes and when he reached the woods they
all
went up in fire. )y that time all the bells were ringing in -ale and the warriors were arming. $he
dwarves
rushed out of their great gate. but there was the dragon waiting for them. None escaped that way. $he
river rushed up in steam and a fog fell on -ale, and in the fog the dragon came on them and destroyed
most of the warriors"the usual unhappy story, it was only too common in those days. $hen he went
bac#
and crept in through the @ront 4ate and routed out all the halls, and lanes, and tunnels, alleys, cellars,
mansions and passages. After that there were no dwarves left alive inside, and he too# all their wealth
for
himself. Probably, for that is the dragons* way, he has piled it all up in a great heap far inside, and
sleeps
on it for a bed. ;ater he used to crawl out of the great gate and come by night to -ale, and carry away
people, especially maidens, to eat, until -ale was ruined, and all the people dead or gone. 0hat goes on
there now I don*t #now for certain, but I don*t suppose anyone lives nearer to the 1ountain than the far
edge of the ;ong ;a#e now"a"days.
6$he few of us that were well outside sat and wept in hiding, and cursed 2maug. and there we
were unexpectedly 3oined by my father and my grandfather with singed beards. $hey loo#ed very grim
but they said very little. 0hen I as#ed how they had got away, they told me to hold my tongue, and said
that one day in the proper time I should #now. After that we went away, and we have had to earn our
livings as best we could up and down the lands, often enough sin#ing as low as blac#smith"wor# or
even
coalmining. )ut we have never forgotten our stolen treasure. And even now, when I will allow we have
a
good bit laid by and are not so badly offF"here $horin stro#ed the gold chain round his nec#"Fwe still
mean to get it bac#, and to bring our curses home to 2maug"if we can.
6I have often wondered about my father*s and my grandfather*s escape. I see now they must have
had a private 2ide"door which only they #new about. )ut apparently they made a map, and I should
li#e
to #now how 4andalf got hold of it, and why it did not come down to me, the rightful heir.7
6I did not *get hold of it,* I was given it,7 said the wiard.
6:our grandfather $hror was #illed, you remember, in the mines of 1oria by Aog the 4oblin " 7
6Curse his name, yes,7 said $horin.
6And $hrain your father went away on the twenty"first of April, a hundred years ago last
$hursday, and has never been seen by you since " 7
6$rue, true,7 said $horin.
60ell, your father gave me this to give to you. and if I have chosen my own time and way of
handing it over, you can hardly blame me, considering the trouble I had to find you. :our father could
not
remember his own name when he gave me the paper, and he never told me yours. so on the whole I
thin#
I ought to be praised and than#ed. &ere it is,7 said he handing the map to $horin.
6I don*t understand,7 said $horin, and )ilbo felt he would have li#ed to say the same. $he
explanation did not seem to explain.
6:our grandfather,7 said the wiard slowly and grimly, 6gave the map to his son for safety before
he went to the mines of 1oria. :our father went away to try his luc# with the map after your
grandfather
was #illed. and lots of adventures of a most unpleasant sort he had, but he never got near the 1ountain.
&ow he got there I don*t #now, but I found him a prisoner in the dungeons of the Necromancer.7
60hatever were you doing there,7 as#ed $horin with a shudder, and all the dwarves shivered.
6Never you mind. I was finding things out, as usual. and a nasty dangerous business it was. <ven
I, 4andalf, only 3ust escaped. I tried to save your father, but it was too late. &e was witless and
wandering, and had forgotten almost everything except the map and the #ey.7 60e have long ago paid
the
goblins of 1oria,7 said $horin. 6we must give a thought to the Necromancer.7 6-on*t be absurd5 &e is
an
The Hobbit, or There and Back Again An Unexpected Party
13
enemy %uite beyond the powers of all the dwarves put together, if they could all be collected again
from
the four corners of the world. $he one thing your father wished was for his son to read the map and use
the #ey. $he dragon and the 1ountain are more than big enough tas#s for you57
6&ear, hear57 said )ilbo, and accidentally said it aloud, 6&ear what,7 they all said turning
suddenly towards him, and he was so flustered that he answered 6&ear what I have got to say57 60hat*s
that,7 they as#ed.
60ell, I should say that you ought to go <ast and have a loo# round. After all there is the 2idedoor,
and dragons must sleep sometimes, I suppose. If you sit on the doorstep long enough, I daresay you
will thin# of something. And well, don*t you #now, I thin# we have tal#ed long enough for one night, if
you see what I mean. 0hat about bed, and an early start, and all that, I will give you a good brea#fast
before you go.7
6)efore we go, I suppose you mean,7 said $horin. 6Aren*t you the burglar, And isn*t sitting on the
door"step your 3ob, not to spea# of getting inside the door, )ut I agree about bed and brea#fast. I li#e
eggs with my ham, when starting on a 3ourney! fried not poached, and mind you don*t brea# *em.7
After all the others had ordered their brea#fasts without so much as a please 'which annoyed )ilbo
very much(, they all got up. $he hobbit had to find room for them all, and filled all his spare"rooms and
made beds on chairs and sofas, before he got them all stowed and went to his own little bed very tired
and
not altogether happy. /ne thing he did ma#e his mind up about was not to bother to get up very early
and
coo# everybody else*s wretched brea#fast. $he $oo#ishness was wearing off, and he was not now %uite
so
sure that he was going on any 3ourney in the morning. As he lay in bed he could hear $horin still
humming to himself in the best bedroom next to him!
@ar over the misty mountains cold
$o dungeons deep and caverns old
0e must away, ere brea# of day,
$o find our long"forgotten gold.
)ilbo went to sleep with that in his ears, and it gave him very uncomfortable dreams. It was long
after the brea# of day, when he wo#e up.