The Hobbit summary

The next day, Bilbo had nearly forgotten that he’d invited Gandalf to tea. He’d been so flustered that he’d forgotten to record the appointment in his Engagement Tablet! But regardless of his forgetting, just before tea time, there was a loud ring of the front doorbell.

But standing outside wasn’t Gandalf. Instead, it was a short man with a blue beard who introduced himself as Dwalin. He was a dwarf.

The adventure was off to a rocky start. Bilbo had nearly been late to the rendezvous with the dwarves, which meant he’d left without a hat, a walking stick, and worst of all, a pocket handkerchief. And then it began to rain.

That night, still soaking wet, Balin, their look-out dwarf, spotted a glow in the distance. Naturally, Bilbo –⁠ the resident burglar –⁠ was selected to investigate its cause.

Bilbo opened his eyes into complete darkness. Fear gripped him immediately. He was all alone, and the only thing he could feel was the stone floor beneath him. The dwarves had been sheltering in a cave when they were captured by goblins, and Bilbo had been separated from the group.

Slowly he crawled forward, groping around with his hands until he did feel something else –⁠ a tiny, cold, metal ring. Almost unthinkingly, he picked it up and placed it in his pocket.

The eaves of Mirkwood consisted of huge, gnarled trees with twisted branches and long, dark leaves. The company had reached the forest after escaping the goblin lair and receiving help from a shape-shifting woodsman called Beorn. Beorn had given them supplies for their journey as well as an essential piece of advice: once they were in Mirkwood, they shouldn’t, under any circumstances, stray from the path.

But one night, after many wearying days of travel through the suffocatingly dark forest, one of the dwarves, Bombur, was struck by strangely beautiful dreams. He dreamt of a forest lit with torches and lamps swinging from the trees. There was a great feast with singing and a woodland king. Bombur’s description was so enticing that, all at once, the company decided to leave the path and plunge into the forest.

Once Bilbo had freed himself, he was able to locate the other dwarves. With the help of his magic ring, he lured the spiders away and slashed at them with Sting until the spiders fearfully retreated.

But one of the dwarves’ company was missing: Thorin. Unbeknownst to the rest of them, Thorin had been captured by wood elves long before the other dwarves had been assaulted by the spiders. Soon, they found and captured the other dwarves, too. But Bilbo remained unnoticed thanks to his magical ring.

Bilbo put on his ring and crept down into the darkness of the Mountain. Surrounded by the blackness, the least Tookish part of himself began to chide him: Now you’re really in for it, Bilbo Baggins! With every step, he was getting closer to Smaug.

Eventually, he saw a warm glow coming from down the corridor –⁠ a red light that grew redder and redder as he approached. He began to sweat, seeing wisps of vapor floating around him. Here, Bilbo paused, and after a brief moment, he continued onward. It was the bravest thing he ever did. At the end of the tunnel lay the lowest dungeon hall of the ancient dwarves, and inside it lay Smaug.

While Smaug was away from the Mountain, Bilbo and the dwarves crept back into his cavern. Inside it, Bilbo found an item more spectacular than all the rest: a gem that turned all light into thousands of sparks tinged with rainbow colors. It was called the Arkenstone: the Heart of the Mountain. Bilbo lifted it out and placed it in his pocket.

Meanwhile, Smaug burned Lake-town to the ground. Yet he was defeated by a grim-faced bowman named Bard –⁠ the descendent of one of the heroes of this land.

When Bilbo finally came to after the Battle of Five Armies, he was brought by an emissary to a dwarven tent. There, Thorin lay dying inside. As he departed the earth, Thorin bid Bilbo farewell and told him he wished to end as friends. He told Bilbo that there was more good in Bilbo than Bilbo even knew –⁠ courage and wisdom blended in good measure. It would be a merrier world, he said, if more beings valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold. Then he departed, and Bilbo wept.

Thorin was buried deep beneath the Mountain. Bard laid the Arkenstone upon Thorin’s breast, where it would lie until the Mountain fell. Finally, it was time for Bilbo to return home. He did so carrying two chests filled with silver and gold –⁠ and, of course, all the memories of his great adventure. And a ring …