Chapter 11 - On the Doorstep

Transcription

1 Chapter 11 - On the Doorstep The townsmen row Bilbo and the dwarves up the lake for three days. They disembark near the Lonely Mountain, and the townsmen row away in fear. The travelers set out through Desolation of the Dragon, a waste land, toward the Mountain. They gaze out on the ruined and abandoned town of Dale. They camp near the mountain and unexpectedly find its secret door, but cannot open it. Over a period of days, the dwarves use all kinds of tools to try to open the door, but have no success. Thorin comments that autumn is almost at an end; the next day, Bilbo hears a thrush cracking a snail on a stone near the door and is suddenly reminded of Elrond's story about the keyhole being revealed on Durin's Day. Bilbo and the dwarves wait for the setting sun to reveal the hidden keyhole, and Thorin opens the door with the key Gandalf gave him with the map. Chapter 11 Bilbo and the dwarves make use of the supplies and ponies the men of the town give them, and take two days to ride to Smaug s Desolation, the area around the Mountain that Smaug has claimed for himself. They are not cheery as they ride, since they know that they are nearing the end of their journey, and it might be an unpleasant end. The group reaches the remains of Dale, which is in ruins. Thorin and Balin note sadly that the Dale was green and beautiful before Smaug destroyed it. Bilbo sees smoke rising from the Mountain, and assumes that Smaug must still be there. Balin says that he s probably right, but that Smaug could be gone for a time, with the underground halls still full of his smell. The dwarves are afraid of what they ll encounter in the mountain, and have little spirit for their quest. Bilbo, surprisingly, is eager to use the map to find the secret passageway. However, after many days of looking, they do not succeed in finding it. Autumn is almost over, and winter is about to begin: at this point in the quest, the entire group, even Bilbo, begins to despair. Bilbo looks to the West and thinks fondly of his home. The dwarves suggest that he try to enter the Kingdom under the Mountain through the Main Gate; Bilbo turns down this suggestion immediately, since he d likely to run into Smaug, and the dwarves reluctantly accept his decision. Several days after they arrive at the Lonely Mountain, there is a new moon in the sky and the sun is setting. Bilbo sees a thrush knocking a snail against the rock, and this sight reminds him of the message Elrond read on the map: he realizes that he has found the secret entrance, and it is Durin s Day, the dwarf New Year. This means that the group can open the passageway. As the sun sets that evening, a single red ray of light shines on the side of the mountain; a rock falls, illuminating a keyhole, just as Elrond predicted. Quickly, Thorin produces his key, turns it in the keyhole, and opens a door into the side of the Lonely Mountain.

2 Chapter 12 - Inside Information Thorin prevails upon Bilbo to enter the Mountain. Bilbo slips on his ring and descends through the tunnel. He feels the heat of Smaug the dragon and hears its snoring and, in a moment of great bravery, he determines to go on despite his fear. He then comes upon the dragon alone, asleep on a pile of unimaginable treasure gold, gems, weapons, and vessels. Bilbo seizes one cup and flees to the outside where the dwarves greet him. Smaug awakes and discovers that a cup has been taken. Outraged, he bursts forth from the mountain and perches on top of it. Bilbo and the dwarves run back inside the mountain; Bombur and Bofur must be hauled up by rope from the valley below. Smaug hunts for the thief outside on the mountain, but eventually comes back to his lair to sleep. The dwarves turn to Bilbo for leadership. He decides to go back down to Smaug and see if he can find his weak spot. Bilbo is invisible because he is wearing his ring, but Smaug can smell him. They talk about the treasuretrove and the dwarves' intent to reclaim it. All the while, Bilbo is looking for Smaug's weak spot, which he finally spies near his left breast. Finally, Bilbo emerges from the mountain, weakened from his experience. He is annoyed by a thrush nearby. Bilbo and the dwarves discuss Smaug; Bilbo is fearful that Smaug will attack Lake-town. He urges the dwarves to move to the safety of the tunnel. There they praise Bilbo's bravery and tell tales about the treasure, describing some of the legendary items including the Arkenstone of Thrain, a large white jewel. Just in time, the dwarves shut the secret door, preventing Smaug from entering. Enraged, the dragon smashes the door and heads toward Laketown. Chapter 13 - Not at Home The dwarves are trapped in darkness, not knowing where Smaug is. Bilbo decides to go down the tunnel once again, and the dwarves watch as he makes his way. After he is in the dragon's lair, Bilbo pockets the Arkenstone, making excuses to himself for the theft. He drops his torch and yells for help in the darkness. The dwarves come to rescue him and when they see the hoard, they begin going through it, putting on some of the golden armor and picking up weapons and jewels. In an attempt to get out of the Mountain, Bilbo and the dwarves follow the Running River to light and find themselves at the Front Gate, overlooking Dale. Afraid of Smaug, they move on and take shelter in a rock room near the mountain.

3 Chapter 14 - Fire and Water The story flashes back to the point two days before, when Smaug smashed in the door of the Mountain in a range. The men of Lake-town saw the flashes produced by Smaug's destruction and at first thought it was the King under the Mountain and his gold. Alerted, they were therefore prepared for something and foiled the dragon's first attempts to attack Lake-town. But Smaug continued to assault the town and eventually set fire to it, destroying everything. Those who survived tried to escape by getting into the water. One of the archers defending the town, Bard, a descendant of Girion, holds out against Smaug with his arrows. Taking advice from a thrush, he shoots Smaug in his soft spot the place near his left breast that Bilbo had spied some time before. Victorious, Bard is declared king but the Master of Lake-town objects and reminds his people of the problem of the dwarves. Birds carry the news of the death of Smaug. The Elvenking comes to the aid of Lake-town and marches north to the Mountain, eleven days after the devastation caused by Smaug. Chapter 15 - The Gathering of the Clouds The thrush that had attracted Bilbo's attention outside the secret door to the Lonely Mountain is revealed to be Roäc son of Carc. He tells Bilbo and the dwarves that Smaug is dead and that they should not trust the Master of Lake-town, but Bard. Thorin, assuming his ancestral role as King under the Mountain, sends the thrush for Dain in the Iron Hills. Thorin wants to go back to the Mountain. The dwarves work to fortify the mountain against the Elvenking; as they work, the ravens bring them news. The elves pitch camp and make merry; the dwarves then make merry, as well. Bard approaches to parley with Thorin. He refuses as long as Bard's men ally with elves. Bard's men leave and then his banner-bearers return with a demand for part of the hoard if they come to the aid of the dwarves. Thorin refuses and tells them to consider themselves under siege. Chapter 16 - A Thief in the Night Thorin looks for the Arkenstone, the most valuable object in the hoard. A raven brings the news that Dain is coming with five hundred dwarves. Bilbo takes the Arkenstone and goes to Bombur, who is on guard during the night, and volunteers to take his watch for him. When Bombur agrees, he puts on his ring of invisibility and goes to the elves. He asks to be taken to Bard, and gives Bard the Arkenstone to use in negotiating peace with Thorin. As Bilbo leaves camp, Gandalf reappears. Bilbo continues to use his cleverness, resorting here even to deception in order to avert the battle that is developing and allow peace to be negotiated. He takes advantage of Bombur, the foolish dwarf who fell into the enchanted stream, and uses the ring's power of invisibility to be taken to Bard. In giving Bard the Arkenstone, he takes a great risk: It is not his property; it belongs to

4 Thorin. Bilbo also assumes that his judgment and motives are superior to those of Thorin, who is willing to go to war for the treasure in Smaug's lair. These final chapters seem to suggest the folly of war. Bilbo's development along the journey, which he thought was in preparation for slaying a dragon, now seems to be have been for the cause of peacemaking. Chapter 17 - The Clouds Burst Bard comes to Thorin and produces the Arkenstone. Bilbo explains how it has come into his possession, which enrages Thorin. Gandalf then appears. Thorin promises Bard to redeem the stone with one-fourteenth of the hoard. Bard goes out to meet Dain, approaching with his five hundred dwarves, and refuses to allow him to pass. Elvenking wants a reconciliation, but the dwarves strike. Gandalf warns of the Wargs and Goblins that may attack. The Battle of Five Armies takes place: the Goblins and wild wolves (Wargs) oppose the elves, men, and dwarves. The eagles who earlier saved Bilbo and the dwarves from the Wargs approach. Bilbo is struck with a stone and passes out. In this chapter, the Battle of Five Armies occurs, and Bilbo reprises some of his former hobbit behavior when he is knocked unconscious by a stone, which puts an end to any further heroism on his part. Thorin's greed and his anger over the theft of the Arkenstone put into motion the many alliances and enmities among the different creatures of this world. These relationships had developed over time, some without understandable cause, some maintained simply because historically they have always been. The message seems clear, in this book written in the years before World War II: Peacekeeping is endangered by those motivated by personal and material gain and the unquestioning allegiance to longstanding political relationships. Chapter 18 - The Return Journey Bilbo regains consciousness and is carried to Thorin, who is dying after having been wounded in the battle. He finds that the eagles have routed the Goblins from the Mountain and that Beorn, too, has come to their aid. Thorin is buried with the Arkenstone and Orcrist; Kili and Fili, who also died in battle, are buried, too. One-fourteenth of the hoard is given to Bard and some is given to Bilbo. Bilbo leaves with Gandalf, Elvenking, and Beorn and spends yuletide with Beorn, staying with him till spring.

5 Bilbo has a last chance to see Thorin, wounded fatally in battle. Bilbo himself does not suffer such a fate, but neither will he be commemorated as a hero. Thorin is buried as a hero, with his treasured jewel and his sword, accompanied in death as he was in life by his loyal companions Kili and Fili. There is a sense that an entire way of living in the world is buried with him. Justice is served when Bard is granted a share of the dwarves' treasure, as Thorin had promised him, and when Bilbo is given some of the treasure, as well, for Bilbo has proven absolutely essential to the recovery of that treasure. But it is with a sense of relief and some weariness after the battle that Bilbo turns toward home in the company of Gandalf. Chapter 19 - The Last Stage On May 1, Bilbo returns to Elrond and then goes on to his house, which is being sold at auction, because he is presumed dead. The story ends with Bilbo settled once again in his hobbit-hole, more comfortable than ever before and yet thinking back on his great adventure. In this final chapter, Bilbo reflects on the adventurous year he has spent in the company of the dwarves. Although he is returning home, Gandalf tells him what Bilbo himself knows, that he is not the hobbit he once was. It is somewhat symbolic of his new self that his house and furnishings are being sold; there has been a sort of death to the old Bilbo Baggins. You are told that from this time onward, Bilbo is thought to be unusual, even a bit odd; that he likes to write poetry and visit elves. You understand, then, that his adventures have indeed changed him in some permanent ways. He resembles his mother's family, the Tooks.