There And Back Again

By J.R.R. Tolkien

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Not that Belladonna Took ever had any adventures after she became Mrs. Bungo Baggins. Bungo, that was Bilbo’s father, built the most luxurious hobbit-hole for her (and partly with her money) that was to be found either under The Hill or over The Hill or across The Water, and there they remained to the end of their days. Still it is probable that Bilbo, her only son, although he looked and behaved exactly like a second edition of his solid and comfortable father, got something a bit queer in his makeup from the Took side, something a bit queer in his makeup from the Took side, something that only waited for a chance to come out. The chance never arrived, until Bilbo Gabins was grown up, being about fifty years old or so, and living in the beautiful hobbit-hole built by his father, which I have just described for you, until he had in fact apparently settled down immovably. 

(The Hobbit 1988, pp.3)

If you have ever seen a dragon in a pinch, you will realize that this was only poetical exaggeration applied to any any hobbit, even to Old Took’s great-granduncle Bullroarer, who was so huge (for a hobbit) that he could ride a horse. He charged the ranks of the goblins of Mount Gram in the Battle of the Green Fields, and knocked their king Golfimbul’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 Golf invented at the same moment.

(The Hobbit 1988, pp.17)

Very slowly he got up and groped about on all fours, till he touched the wall of the tunnel; but neither up nor down it could he find anything: nothing at all, no sign of goblins, no sign of dwarves. His head was swimming, and he was far from certain even of the direction they had been going in when he had his fall. He guessed as well as he could, and crawled along for a good way, till suddenly his hand met what felt like a tiny ring of cold metal lying on the floor of the tunnel. It was a turning point in his career, but he did not know it. He put the ring in his pocket almost without thinking; certainly it did not seem of any particular use at the moment. He did not go much further, but sat down on the cold floor and gave himself up to complete miserableness, for a long while. He thought of himself frying bacon and eggs in his own kitchen at home – for he could feel inside that it was high time for some meal or other; but that only made him miserabler. 

(The Hobbit 1988, pp.68)

But somehow he was comforted. It was rather splendid to be wearing a blade made in Gondolin for the Goblin-wars of which so many songs had sung; and also he had noticed that such weapons made a great impression on goblins that came upon them suddenly. 

“Go back?” he thought. “No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!” So up he got, and trotted along with his little sword held in front of him and one hand feeling the wall, and his heart all of a patter and a pitter. 

(The Hobbit 1988, pp.69)

What has roots as nobody sees,
Is taller that trees, 
Up, up it goes,
And yet never grows?

[Mountain]

(The Hobbit 1988, pp.73)

Thirty white horses on a red hill, 
First they champ,
Then they stamp, 
Then they stand still.

[Teeth]

(The Hobbit 1988, pp.74)

Voiceless it cries,
Wingless flutter, 
Toothless bites,
Mouthless mutters.

[Wind]

(The Hobbit 1988, pp.74)

An eye in a blue face
Saw an eye in a green face. 
“That eye is like to this eye”
Said the first eye,
“But in low place,
Not in high place.”

[Sun on the daisies]

(The Hobbit 1988, pp.74)

It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, 
Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt.
It lies behind stars and under hills,
And empty holes it fills.
It comes first and follows after,
Ends life, kills laughter.

[Dark]

(The Hobbit 1988, pp.75)

A box without hinges, key, or lid,
Yet golden treasure inside is hid,

[Eggs]

(The Hobbit 1988, pp.75)

Alive without breath,
As cold as death;
Never Thirsty, ever drinking,
All in mail never clinking.

[Fish]

(The Hobbit 1988, pp.76)

No-legs lay on one-leg, two-legs sat near on three-legs, four legs got some.

[Fish on a little table, man at table sitting on a stool, the cat “has the bones”]

(The Hobbit 1988, pp.77)

This thing all things devours;
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers; 
Gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard stones to meal; 
Slays king, ruins town,
And beats high mountain down.

[Time]

(The Hobbit 1988, pp.77)

“There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some wisdom, blended in measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. But sad or merry, I must leave it now. Farewell!”

(The Hobbit 1988, pp.288)

Indeed Bilbo found he had lost more than spoons – he had lost his reputation. It is true that for ever after he remained an elf-friend, and had the honour of dwarves. Wizards, and all such folk as ever passed that way; but he was no longer quite respectable. He was in fact held by all the hobbits of the neighbourhood to be ‘queer’ – except by his nephews and nieces on the Took side, but even they were not encouraged in their friendship by their elders.

(The Hobbit 1988, pp.301-302)

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References

The Hobbit. 1988.

ISBN 0-345-33968-1