THE HOBBIT

CHAPTER 1 TO 4 SUMMARY

Chapter 1: An Unexpected Party

Bilbo Baggins is a peaceful and domestic hobbit who enjoys living in his cosy hole in The Hill.
His life is quite wonderful by hobbits' standards, which is to say, there is no excitement and
there are plenty of meals each day. Bilbo is the only son of Belladonna Took and the Tooks are
a wealthy family but Belladonna and a few of the others had adventurous streaks and they
were not nearly as respectable as the Bagginses. In this story, Bilbo is going to lose his
respectability on a rather wild adventure.
One of Belladonna's old friends is a wizard by the name of Gandalf and though he has no
official business in Hobbiton (the place where Hobbits live), Gandalf makes an appearance at
Bilbo's house. The two really don't get on well at the beginning, as Gandalf is a stranger and
strangers are adventurous and not very respectable. When Gandalf reveals his identity, Bilbo
is politer and goes as far as to invite Gandalf to tea in a few days. Bilbo has a memory of
Gandalf setting fireworks and it does seem that his off-handed treatment of the wizard is
pardonable.
Gandalf is always plotting something and he usually knows more than those around him know.
Bilbo plans to have tea with Gandalf on Wednesday but Gandalf transforms the tea into an
organizational meeting for an adventure in which Bilbo is to play the central role as a
professional thief. Of course, Bilbo is not interested in this and he has no experience, but
Gandalf has brought twelve dwarves to the tea and the company disregards Bilbo's protests.
They also do a good job of eating all the food in the hobbit's house.
The adventure surrounds an old dwarf map that depicts a mountain, in which a dragon named
Smaug lives. Smaug has stolen hordes of treasure and these hordes must be reclaimed. It is
up to Bilbo Baggins to find a way to sneak into the mountain. Of course, there is an incredibly
dangerous terrain separating Hobbiton from Smaug's mountain and this is most of the
challenge. The head of the assembled dwarves is Thorin and he is eager to reclaim the lost
glories of his race. When Bilbo finally heads to bed, he is not at all pleased with the formidable
challenge that stands before him.

Chapter 2: Roast Mutton

When Bilbo wakes up late in the morning, his guests have already departed. He thinks that he
has escaped the adventure, but Gandalf enters the scene and explains the dwarves have left a
note for Bilbo and they are waiting for him at the Green Dragon Inn. Bilbo is forced to rush to
the Green Dragon and he arrives at exactly 11 AM, the appointed hour. He has not had time to
collect the things he would bring with him, but there is no time for him to turn around. The
company travels into a region called the Lone-lands and it is not long before Bilbo has travelled
far beyond his previous limits. He already wishes that he was at home, warming himself by the
fire and drinking tea and the torrential downpour is not helping his mood.
The group is not as organized as they should be; they only notice Gandalf's absence well after
he has departed and they cannot start a fire to cook dinner on account of the rain and wet. The
two youngest dwarves, Fili and Kili, are nearly drowned when one of the ponies is frightened
and nearly loses himself in the river.
They spot a light in the distance and since Bilbo is the burglar of the group it is his job to go
and investigate the scene. Arriving at the fire, Bilbo discovers three trolls who are roasting
mutton on spits. They are, of course, significantly larger than Bilbo and summoning his nerves,
Bilbo decides to live up to his profession by pick-pocketing. Bilbo reaches for the troll's purse
but the bag squeaks: "Ere, oo are you?" and of course, the troll seizes Bilbo. The three trolls,
Bert, William and Tom are discussing exactly what a hobbit is and whether Bilbo is worth
eating and if so, how should he be prepared?
The trolls argue over Bilbo's fate and when they are physically engaged with one another, Bilbo
escapes though not without bruises. Unfortunately, the scene does not end here because the
dwarves grew impatient while waiting for Bilbo and, hearing the trolls' noises, decided to
approach the fire. Trolls hate the sight of dwarves and the appearance of Balin sets Tom and
the other trolls on a rampage. It is not long before all twelve of the dwarves are held in sacks
and the trolls are contemplating another dinner. Gandalf rescues the dwarves with an invisible
appearance. He periodically interrupts the trolls' conversation, saying false statements in
voices that resemble the trolls' voices. Bert, William and Tom each conclude that the other two
are lying and/or mad and of course, they engage in more physical brutality, whacking each
other in the head and arguing until dawn is suddenly upon them and they turn into rocks.
Gandalf is pleased with his performance and he releases the dwarves. Bilbo had stolen a key
that fell from one of the troll's pockets and the group can find the troll's lair and make good use
of their provisions.

Chapter 3: A Short Rest

The dwarves are not singing; they are glad to be alive and also, the respite from the rain is an
improvement on the previous situation. Still, they are not singing because danger seems (and
is) omnipresent in these parts. Bilbo and the dwarves ford a river and take their ponies onto a
path from which they can see mountains in the distance. Gandalf leads the way and warns of
strict adherence to the road. They are heading for the residence of Elrond which is called the
"Last Homely House" in the "fair valley of Rivendell." This House is the last one west of the
Mountains.
There is a good deal of travelling over ravines and through bogs before the travellers make
their way into the "secret valley of Rivendell" and their spirits immediately begin to rise. Bilbo
smells elves and it is not long before the elves' songs emanate through the scene. The tired
travellers are only too happy to get some rest, though there is a history of unpleasantness
between the dwarves and the elves that must be intentionally disregarded.
Inside Elrond's house, Bilbo can fatten himself on cakes and as long as the group stayed, Bilbo
would have been happy to remain a little longer. Elrond is an old soul who has elves and
"heroes of the North" as ancestors and he offers a good amount of insight regarding the quest.
The group is to leave with "the early sun on the midsummer morning" and when they are to
leave, Elrond offers them swords of protection. One is called Orcrist, the Goblin-cleaver and
another is called Glamdring, Foehammer. They are presented to Thorin and Gandalf,
respectively. Looking at the map in the moonlight, Elrond can read moon letters, distinct from
the runes printed on the map. These words specify that the secret entrance to the Mountain
can be unlocked on Durin's Day, which is the first day of the dwarves' New Year at the crux
between Autumn and Winter.
The travellers are well-rested when they leave but they fear that their timing, by the calendar, is
horribly unlucky.

Chapter 4: Over Hill and Under Hill

Elrond and Gandalf help Bilbo and the dwarves navigate their way into the mountains and this
is difficult because there are many deceitful routes and paths that only end in destruction.
Especially during the cold nights when there is pitch-black silence, Bilbo remembers his hobbit-
hole and he thinks about the activities that are in progress. The "high hope of a midsummer
morning" drops and sinks as the group travels on the incline, higher and higher. Eventually, the
younger members of the group are sent to find a cave where the group can sleep for the
evening.
As everyone is sleeping inside the cave, Bilbo is unable to sleep because of a nightmare that
becomes reality: the cave is occupied by goblins and Bilbo's yell is able to alert Gandalf, who
disappears. Bilbo and the dwarves are captured, though, They are carried "down, down to
Goblin-town" and the sounds are unpleasant. They are taken to a big fire-lit cavern and the
Great Goblin demands to know their business. The dwarves are suspected as spies and allies
of the elves. Great Goblin wants to know what brought the dwarves to his territory and Thorin
explains that they are going to see relatives on the East side of the mountains. Other goblins
say that a bolt of lightning struck some of their comrades and Thorin's sword is also indicative
of his anti-Goblin intentions. The sword is called Orcrist, Goblin-cleaver, but the Goblins call it
Biter.
Great Goblin rushes towards Thorin but the lights go out and white sparks begin to burst,
burning holes in the goblins. A sword flashes and kills the Great Goblin, and then a voice says
"Follow me quick." Bilbo and the others follow Gandalf but the Goblins are in close pursuit and
Dori is grabbed from behind. Bilbo falls into blackness, bumps his head on a hard rock and
remembers nothing more.