In the first episode of our trilogy on Chapter 8 of The Hobbit, Bilbo and the Dwarves enter Mirkwood and quickly learn the true meaning of the term “pitch-dark.” As the days drag on, their hunger and desperation grow, and there seems to be no end to the forest… but at least the spiders here are just small ones of Ordinary Size. We discuss Tolkien’s folklore inspirations for the dark wood on the edge of the world, the enchanted stream, and more, then lighten the mood with an imaginary photographic tour of Middle-earth.
Recommended Reading:
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit (Mariner Books, paperback) pp. 130-138, “Flies and Spiders”
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)
Olsen, Corey. Exploring J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit (Mariner Books, paperback)
Tolkien, J. R. R. (Christopher Tolkien, ed.) The Silmarillion (Mariner Books, paperback)
The version of the problem I know is: There are three hobbits and three goblins on one side of a stream. They must cross the stream. They have one boat which can hold two humanoids. The boat cannot cross the stream without someone in it. If, at any time, there are more goblins than hobbits on a side of the stream, then the goblins will eat the hobbits and we don’t want that.
That’s a lot more fun than the version I learned in school!