“Bilbo’s journey”, The Art of David Thorn Wenzel.

Page 1: In a hole in the ground lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, nor yet a dry, bare sand hole: It was a Hobbit hole and that means comfort. Bilbo Baggins was a hobbit of considerable wealth. The Bagginses had dwelt in the neighborhood of The Hill for as long as any could remember, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were very rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected. 16 104

Page 2. Bilbo Baggins was  standing at his door after breakfast smoking an enormous long wooden pipe that reached down to his woolly toes when suddenly Gandalf came by.

“Good morning!” said Bilbo. The sun was shining and the grass was very green.But Gandalf looked at him from under long bushy eyebrows that stuck out further than the brim of his shady hat.

Page 3 (4) “I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it’s very difficult to find anyone” “I should think so – in these parts! We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures! I don’t think I know your name.” “I am Gandalf, and Gandalf means me!” “Gandalf! Of course… Gandalf!” “I am pleased to find you remember something about me! I will go so far as to send you on this adventure!” Bilbo, taking his leave, replied: “Sorry! I don’t want any adventures, thank you. But please come to tea – any time you like! Why not tomorrow? Come tomorrow! Good bye!

Page 4 (6) Gandalf departed, yet unbeknownst to Bilbo, he left a mark upon the door of his home. The next day, as Bilbo was about to take his midday meal, the bell rang. Certain that it was Gandalf, Bilbo opened the door, only to find a dwarf named Dwalin, who at once stepped inside. Not wishing to appear discourteous, Bilbo welcomed him, though he knew him not. Soon after, Balin arrived, followed by yet more dwarves, and the procession continued until Gandalf appeared, leaning upon his staff, with four more dwarves in tow. Laughing, he addressed Bilbo: “Let me introduce Bifur, Bofur, Bombur and, especially, Thorin”. “At your service” said the dwarves standing in a row. Then they hung up two yellow hoods and a pale green one, and also a sky blue one with a long silver tassel. This last belonged toThorin,an enormously important dwarf. Soon, Bilbo’s house was filled with dwarves: Fíli, Kíli, Balin, Dwalin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Glóin, Óin, Nori, Dori, and Ori. All of them were certain that Bilbo would join their adventure. According to Gandalf, Bilbo’s presence was essential; a true Burglar, who, he was sure, would prove his worth even to the most doubtful of the dwarves.

Page 5 (10). On the table in the light of a big lamp with a red shade Gandalf spread a map crafted by Thrór, Thorin’s grandfather. Upon the Mountain, a dragon was marked in red, and a secret door was indicated by a rune. Along with the map was a small, curious silver key, which Gandalf handed to Thorin. All looked to the expert in burglary for counsel and clever ideas, yet Bilbo was more keen to learn of the gold and the dragon.

Page 6 (11). Thorin spoke of a time long ago, in the days of his grandfather Thrór, when his family was driven from the far North and returned with all their goods and tools to the Mountain marked upon the map. It was they who delved the mines and tunnels, uncovering vast hoards of gold and many jewels. They grew immeasurably wealthy and renowned, and his grandfather once again became King under the Mountain. Undobtedly that was what brought the dragon. Dragons steal gold and jewels, form men and elves and dwarves, wherever they can find them; and they guard their plunder as long as they live and never enjoy a brass ring of it. A particularly greedy, strong, and wicked dragon, named Smaug, one day slew many dwarves and stole their treasures. The dwarves never forgot this, and they intended to reclaim what was rightfully theirs.

Page 7 (14). That’s how they all came to start, jogging off from the inn one fine morning just before May. The party went along very merrily, and they told stories or sang songs as they rode forward all day. Bilbo began to feel that adventures were not so bad after all. They passed through hobbit-lands, a wide respectable country inhabited by decent folk. Then they came to lands where people spoke strangely, and sang songs Bilbo had never heard before. Now they had gone on far into the Lone Lands, where there were no people left, no inns, and the roads grew steadily worse. Not far ahead were dreary hills, dark with trees and old castles with evil looks.

Tavola 8 (17).  The travelers made camp for the night. Upon seeing a fire in the distance, they bade the Burglar, Bilbo, to go and discover what it might be. Three very large person sitting round a very large fire were roasting mutton on long spits of wood. Even Bilbo, despite his reclusive life, realized that they were no good sorts, but trolls. He saw and listened unseen to Bert, Tom, and William (for such were their names), and he resolved that he must steal something from them. He attempted to lift William’s purse, but was soon discovered and caught. “Bliey, Bert, look what I’ve copped!” said William. “What is it?” said the others coming up. “What are yer?” The three interrogated him, yet soon fell to quarreling and striking one another. Bilbo, still reeling from the events, took refuge in hiding.

Page 9 (20). The uproar drew the dwarves, who were gradually captured one by one. The trolls, in their greed and hunger, resolved to eat them all; “No good boiling’em! We ain’t got no waters and it’s a long way to the well and all” said a voice. Bert and William thought it was Tom’s. “Don’t start the arguing!” they said. “Or it will take all night”.

Page 10 (21). “Dawn take you all, and be stone to you!” continuò la voce che sembrava quella di William, but in truth, it was Gandalf’s doing. Just at that moment the light came over the hill, and there was a mighty twitter in the branches. William never spoke for he stood turned to stone as he stooped; and Bert and Tom were stuck like little rocks as they looked him, for the trolls must return underground before dawn, lest they be turned to stone. “Excellent!” said Gandalf, as he stepped from behind a tree, and helped Bilbo to climb down out of a thornbush. The trolls had to have a cave or a hole dug somewhere near to hide from the sun in and they certainly meant to pay it a visit.

Page 11 (23). Upon reaching the trolls’ cave, they took possession of their stores and weapons, which would serve them well for the long journey that lay ahead. “Where did you go to, if I may ask?” said Thorin to Gandalf as they rode along. “To look ahead, our road will soon become dangerous and difficult”. They did not sing or tell stories that day, even though the weather improved; nor the next day, nor the day after. They had begun to feel that danger was not far away on either side. “We must not miss the road, or we shall be done for” said Gandalf. “You are come to the very edge of the Wild, as some of you may know. Hidden somewhere ahead of us is the fair valley of Rivendell, where Elrond lives in the Last Homely House. I sent a message by my friends, and we are expected.”

Page 12 (25): Elrond, the master of the house, was an elf-friend. In those days of our tale there were still some people who had both elves and heroes of the North for ancestors, and Elrond was their chief. They remained at least two weeks in that goodly home. It was a sorrow to have to depart. Elrond knew all about runes of every kind, and observing the swords they had brought fron the troll lair he said that they were very old swords of the High Elves of the West, his kin. They were made in Gondolin for the Goblin-wars. They must have come from a dragon’s hoard or from a goblin’s plunder, for dragons and goblins had destroyed his city many time ago. “This sword Thorin, the rune names Orcrist, the goblin-cleaver, it was a famous blade. This, Gandalf, was Glamdring, Foe-hammer that the king of Gondolin once Wore.”

Page 13 (28): Now they rode away amid songs of farewell and good speed, with their hearts ready for more adventure, and with a knowledge of the road they must follow over the Misty Mountains to the land beyond. There were many paths that led up into those mountains, and many passes over them. But most of the paths were cheat and deceptions and led nowhere or to bad ends; and most of the passes were infested by evil things and dreadful dangers. Helped by the wise advice of Elrond and the knowledge and memory of Gandalf they took the right road to the right pass. Bilbo longed for his homeland, where at that very moment the harvest was being gathered, picnics were held, and blackberries were ripe for the picking.

Page 14 (30): All went well until one day they were beset by a storm of lightning and thunder, or rather, by a battle of thunder and lightning. It was the stone giants, who, in their sport, hurled great boulders at one another, casting them into the darkened sky. Then came a wind and a rain and the hail about in every direction. They would hear the giants guffawing and shouting all over.

Page 15 (32): Taking refuge in a dry cave, and after long discussions, they forgot the storm and fell asleep one by one. Bilbo had very nasty dreams: he dreamed that a crack in the wall at the back of the cave got bigger and bigger, and opened wilder and wilder, and he was very afraid but could not call out or do anything but lie and look. Then he dreamed that the floor of the cave was giving way, and he was slipping – beginning to fall down. But it was no dream: it was goblins! The goblins captured the ponies, the dwarves, and Bilbo. Only Gandalf, alerted by Bilbo’s cry, managed to evade capture.

Page 16 (34): The company was brought before the Great Goblin. The goblins wondered who their visitors might be, suspecting them to be thieves, murderers, and friends of the elves.

Page 17 (36): Upon discovering the swords in their possession, they were sentenced to death. “Slash them! Beat them! Bite them! Gnash them! Take them away to dark holes full of snakes, and never let them see the light again!” said the Great Goblin

Page 18 (37): The situation seemed hopeless, but suddenly Gandalf appeared and struck down the Great Goblin. “Glamdring, the Foe-hammer!” they screamed in a panic, and the company fled, though Bilbo struggled to keep pace with the dwarves. Dori, lest they lose their precious burglar, scooped him up onto his back and continued the flight.

Page 19 (40): The dwarves pressed onward, traversing a long stretch through the dark passages of the realm of the goblins. When the goblins discovered that, they put out their torches and they slipped on soft shoes and they chose out their very quickest runners with the sharpest ears and eyes. These ran forward, as swift as weasels in the dark, and with hardly any more noise than bats. That is why neither Bilbo, nor the dwarves, nor even Gandalf heard them coming. Nor did they see them coming. Quite suddenly Dori was grabbed from behind and Bilbo rolled off his shoulders into the blackness, bumped his head on hard rock and remembered nothing more.