Encounter With Trolls

Being wet and without fire the Dwarves and Bilbo were in a tough spot. Oin and Gloin still could not get a fire going and began to quarrel. "Bilbo was sadly reflecting that adventures are not all pony-rides in May-sunshine..." (p. 42, The Hobbit). Balin, the companies lookout, spotted a fire in the distance. Much debate took place as to whether or not they should explore this prospect when Oin and Gloin, still working on their own fire, began to physically fight. That settled things and with a professional burglar in tow they decided it was worth checking out the fire.

Without Gandalf present Thorin instructed Bilbo. He was to spy things out and report back quickly; if he ran into trouble he was to hoot twice like a barn-owl and once like a screech-owl. "Off Bilbo had to go, before he could explain that he could not even hoot once like any kind of owl any more than fly like a bat" (p. 43, The Hobbit). But being a Hobbit Bilbo successfully snuck up to the fire with no one noticing him and there he discovered three big and nasty trolls: William, Tom, and Bert. I must admit, being the great linguist that Tolkien is these names are rather uninspiring. But they do have great cockney accents. They sat around their fire eating roast mutton and drinking ale.

Bilbo should have warned his friends but felt obliged to bring something back, since he was regarded as a burglar. He successfully picked a purse out of William's pocket. "Trolls' purses are the mischief, and this was no exception. 'Ere, 'oo are you?' it squeaked, as it left the pocket; and William turned around at once and grabbed Bilbo by the neck, before he could duck behind a tree" (p. 45, The Hobbit). Hmm...a talking money purse; I'm wondering if the loose change made noise but this was Bilbo's childlike way of telling it. Of course, lots of things talk in the Hobbit which does not occur in The Lord of the Rings. Whatever the case, be it a magical talking purse or loose change, Bilbo is now in a mess.

The trolls spend some time trying to figure out what Bilbo is exactly and what to do with him when Balin arrives on the scene. He is quickly bagged by the Trolls (who can only abide cooked Dwarves) and they realize Bilbo is not alone. One by one the Dwarves come toward the fire only to be caught and bagged by the trolls (Bifur and Bomber put up quite a fight). Last came Thorin who had an idea not all was on the up and up. He did not step into the light but asked what was going on and Bilbo, who had been dropped by the trolls when the Dwarves came, alerted him of the danger. Thorin leaped toward the fire grabbed a burning branch and proceeded to put the burning end into Bert's eye and knocked out one of Tom's teeth after Bilbo tripped the troll. However, Thorin too was captured. Now Bilbo huddled in the dark unable to help his friends.

The trolls, you can imagine, were very angry and hotly debated "...whether they should roast them slowly, or mince them fine and boil them, or just sit on them one by one and squash them into jelly..." (p. 49, The Hobbit). It was then that Gandalf came back. Hiding in the trees he imitated the trolls. So just as they agreed on a plan Gandalf would imitate one of them offering a new idea or better plan. This would set the trolls to arguing amongst themselves. Over and over this happened without the trolls realizing one of the voices wasn't actually one of them; "Trolls are slow in the uptake..." (p. 45, The Hobbit) after all! Finally after hours of arguing dawn came. "'Dawn take you all, and be stone to you!'" (p. 51, The Hobbit), cried Gandalf. And to stone the three trolls turned as it is the consequence of sunlight to them.

Gandalf and Bilbo freed the Dwarves from their sacks and they were none too happy (after all they had to listen for hours about how they were going to be prepared as dinner!). They made Bilbo tell his story of what happened twice. Gandalf suggested they looked for the troll cave for it was bound to have supplies and they eventually found the doors. "But they could not open it, not though they all pushed while Gandalf tried various incantations" (p. 52, The Hobbit). Fortunately, in the fray Bilbo had picked up a key one of the trolls dropped and it was the key to the lock on the door. Once inside they found pots of gold, weapons, and food. Gandalf and Thorin each took a sword with a jeweled hilt and Bilbo found a knife to his liking that was more like a short-sword to a Hobbit.

"'These look like good blades,' said the wizard, half drawing them and looking at them curiously. 'They were not made by any troll, nor by any smith among men in these parts and days; but when we can read the runes on them, we shall know more about them'" (p. 53, The Hobbit). The company sat down for a meal and drink and slept. Later they buried the gold putting several spells on for protection should they happen to make it back from the quest and then began moving East once again.

"'Where did you go to, if I may ask?' said Thorin to Gandalf as they rode along. 'To look ahead,' said he. "And what brought you back in the nick of time?' 'Looking behind,' said he. "Exactly!' said Thorin, 'but could you be more plain?'" (p. 53, The Hobbit). I love Gandalf. Such great answers. I'm finding much more humor in The Hobbit then I ever remember; it's been a very fun read so far. Gandalf did offer more of an explanation though. He was scouting the road ahead and ran into some Elves from Rivendell who warned him about the trolls; which was what sent him back. Bilbo was very curious about Rivendell and Gandalf let him know that, should they be fortunate, they would be arriving there in a few days time.

Middle-earth timeline: Third Age, 2941 (End of May/Beginning of June)

Today's reading comes from: The Hobbit, pages 42-54