by J.R.R. Tolkien, 1937, 1938, 1966
- Gandalf and the 13 dwarves come to the Shire and recruit Bilbo to go on their adventure to recover their gold and treasure from Smaug, the Dragon in the Lonely Mountain.
- Three trolls almost ate them but Gandalf appeared and saved them by mimicking their voices and keeping them arguing until sunrise when they turned to stone forever. They got swords and plunder.
- Rivendell and Elrond
- Into the Misty Mountains, terrible storm, shelter in cave, grabbed by goblins and pulled into the Mines of Moria. Gandalf kills the Great Goblin and they escape temporarily but the goblins sneak up and kidnap them. Bilbo gets knocked out and when he wakes up, he is alone in the dark and finds the ring. Then Gollum, then the riddle game. Last riddle, “What have I got in my pocket?” Gollum can’t guess and is going to get his ring and realizes it is lost and Bilbo has it. Bilbo discovers the ring makes him invisible and he follows Gollum to the exit–the back-door– and escapes through it before the goblins can close it on him.
- Bilbo finds the dwarves and Gandalf and they go as far as they can before dark – climb trees – Wargs and goblins surround them and are going to burn them. Eagles come and rescue them.
- Gandalf takes them to Beorn – the skin-changer – and he takes care of them.
- Gandalf leaves them at the entrance of Mirkwood. Don’t leave the path. When they are almost through they leave the path trying to beg the wood elves for food. They are taken prisoner by the wood elves. Bilbo uses the ring. They escape in barrels on the river.
- The Lake Men take care of them and take them to the foot of the Lonely Mountain.
- They find the secret door into the mountain. Bilbo sneaks down a long passageway and sees Smaug asleep on immense treasure. He steals a golden cup and brings it back to the cowardly dwarves. Smaug wakes up and goes on a rampage because he notices the cup is missing. They hide in the passageway right before Smaug destroys the outside of the mountain there. The next day Bilbo is sent down to see if Smaug is back on the treasure. He was and pretended to be asleep. Bilbo and Smaug go into a riddle game. Bilbo says he is a barrel-rider. That made the dragon go to Lake Town and destroy it except Bard saved the townspeople and killed Smaug by saving his last arrow for the unprotected part of Smaug’s chest.
- While Smaug is away destroying Lake-Town, Bilbo and the dwarves are stuck in the tunnel not knowing if Smaug is with the treasure. Bilbo goes to the treasure alone and finds the Arkenstone and hides it in his deepest pocket although he knows Thorin wants it more than anything. The Dwarves investigate the treasure once they are assured Smaug is not there, and Thorin is overcome with gold lust. They make their way to a rock chamber on the side of the mountain to wait for Smaug to return.
- The thrush and a raven tell them that Smaug is dead and that Lake-men and Elves are on their way to see the treasure and they ought to share some with them and make peace. Thorin refuses and they rush back to the mountain and build a wall to block the entrance. Bard and elves come to Thorin to make peace – and to ask for some share of the treasure since they killed Smaug but in the process, their town is destroyed. Thorin refuses! Sends word by raven to Dain, son of Thain, to come to the Lonely Mountain and defend the treasure. 500 Dwarves are on their way and still the men ask for some recompense and still Thorin refuses.
- Bilbo sneaks out and meets with Bard and the Elven-king and gives Bard the Arkenstone. Bard uses that as a bargaining tool and Bilbo tells Thorin that Bilbo gave him the Arkenstone and Thorin banishes Bilbo cruelly, agrees to Bard’s terms – a portion of the hoard for the Arkenstone. Bard will return in a day with the stone, for his share of treasure.
- Then Dain and his 500 dwarves appear. When war is about to start, the goblins and a huge army approach form the north. Dwarves, men, Elves, and Gandalf fight a terrible battle against the goblins. Eventually win with the help of Beorn (as a giant bear) and eagles. Thorin asks Bilbo for forgiveness and dies from his battle wounds. Also, Fili and Kili. The men and elves get treasure from Dain. Bilbo and Gandalf return to the Shire.
The movie, The Hobbit – saw it 1/5/13 with Mom. 3 hours long. Battles with Orcs. Really disappointing! Too much battle! Part 1 of 3. Here is a review of the movie, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. “High fantasy, 2 [maybe 2.5, can’t tell] stars out of 4, PG-13. The first in Peter Jackson’s “Hobbit” trilogy has everything you want in a J.R.R. Tolkien-based fantasy adventure and more. Too much more. Whiz-bang technology as well as excessive battle sequences make this return to Middle-earth less exhilarating than exhausting. Recounting quest of hobbit Bilbo Baggins and 13 dwarves, Jackson has not outdone himself so much as indulged himself. There are glimmers of less-muddled magic to come: Martin Freeman makes an amiable, honorable Bilbo, and Ian McKellen continues to cast a wizardly spell as Gandalf the Gray. At area theaters in 2D, 3D and IMAX. (Kennedy) 169 minutes.”