In the second half of Chapter 12 of The Hobbit, Bilbo returns to Smaug’s lair to find the dragon waiting for him. Luckily he has on his ring, but the dragon senses his presence, and soon he is locked in a battle of wits with the wily worm. Bilbo’s Tookish side comes out as he plays at riddles, but Smaug quickly turns from cunning to cranky, and looks for someone to take out his aggression on. Before any of that, however, we have a little fun with young Tolkien’s first dragon story, explore a rare biblical reference in Middle-earth, and engage in some wild speculation on the identity of the mysterious King Bladorthin.
Recommended Reading:
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit (Mariner Books, paperback) pp. 204-213, “Inside Information”
Tolkien, J. R. R. and Douglas A. Anderson, ed. The Annotated Hobbit (HarperCollins, hardcover)
Rateliff, John D. The History of the Hobbit (HarperCollins, one-volume hardcover)
Carpenter, Humphrey, ed. The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (Mariner Books, paperback)
Olsen, Corey. Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit (Mariner Books, paperback)
I discovered your podcasts a few weeks ago and listen to it after work to relax. You’re both wonderful hosts & I enjoy the podcast even when you get derailed from the main topic 🤓😃. Sending you heartfelt thanks. God bless you both.
Thank you very much, Barbara! We’re glad you found us, and we’ll keep talking (and letting ourselves get derailed) if you keep listening. 🙂
You’ve got a deal. I’m making lists of books to read and your guest speakers are wonderful too. I wish you both a safe journey to Mythmoot. 🙂
Hello I have just finished listening to episode 84 another enjoyable podcast. I´m glad you´ll both have a break. I found a wonderful recording(on YouTube) of the wonderful English actor Nicols Williamson reading The Hobbit. 🙂 I hope you & your listeners enjoy it as much as I did. Thank you.