You think Bilbo was unprepared? Get a load of these guys.
A Sword Instead of a Walking Stick
“Good morning! Treasure-inspectors!”
Quick! Dump it down the loo!
The Thrush
A thrush by any other name might not be the sort that knocks.
Stupid is as Stupid Does
No matter how many times you read a book, you can always learn something new you'd overlooked.
To Thieve or Not to Thieve
I've been having a bit of a muse this morning regarding Bilbo's burglarious services to Thorin & Co. I'm not a legal expert, but I'd be interested to hear other people's thoughts: One of Bilbo's protestations is the vast extent of the treasure when measured against the efforts of one small hobbit burglar: "...you cannot... Continue Reading →
Black Emperors
When at last poor little Bilbo . . . poked his head out of the leaves he was nearly blinded . . . The sun was shining brightly . . . he saw all round him a sea of dark green ruffled here and there by the breeze. And there were hundreds [of]... Continue Reading →
Gollum’s ‘Character’
Someone over on Quora asked what we learn of Gollum's character from the Riddles in the Dark chapter. I think it's a really interesting character study as we actually learn a great deal about Gollum from the riddle game. First, let’s look at a summary of the riddles in their proper order, with Gollum’s in... Continue Reading →
Bilbo the Cheat
It is an interesting thing to note that the original MS had Bilbo become an even greater cheat at the Riddling Game than we might care to see. Not only did he ask the "What have I got in my pocket?" question, which was arguably not a fair question or a proper riddle (like many,... Continue Reading →
Whence the Cloak & Hood?
It was a dwarf with a blue beard tucked into a golden belt, and very bright eyes under his dark-green hood. As soon as the door was opened, he pushed inside, just as if he had been expected. He hung his hooded cloak on the nearest peg, and “Dwalin at your service!” he said with... Continue Reading →
The Mathom-house 