In Chapter 2 of The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins wakes up to the pleasant lack of Dwarves. He’s beginning to think that he’s escaped adventure after all when Gandalf pushes him out the door. Immediately, little Bilbo misses the comforts of home, but the trouble is just beginning… and before they even reach the dangerous part of the road, he must test his burglarious skills on a trio of hungry, if illiterate, trolls. Plus, we let the Professor make the bad puns for once in a new Tolkien Fun Fact.
Recommended Reading:
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit (Mariner Books, paperback) pp. 27-42, “Roast Mutton”
Tolkien, J.R.R. and Douglas A. Anderson, ed. The Annotated Hobbit (HarperCollins, hardcover)
This is a classic D&D encounter. The party fights and defeats monsters. The monster treasure is found after some searching. The burglar finds a way into the hoard. Their treasure is gold and magic swords that are worth more than should be appropriate for the monsters. The difference is that in D&D, the adventurers would carry away all the gold and ignore encumbrance.
Spot on, George!
1:25:50 (Hobbit adventurers). That’s fascinating material from the First Edition. According to Appendix C, two of the Old Took’s children had “adventures”. I.e. Hildifons (b.SR 1244), went off on a journey and never returned. Isengar (1262-1360) was said to have “gone to sea” in his youth.