Balin Visits Bilbo

Some years later, after Bilbo was settled in Bag End, there came a knock at his door. He had just thought of a title for his memoir: There and Back Again, a Hobbit's Holiday when he went to the door. He found Gandalf along with his old friend Balin. They soon began reminiscing about all the stories of their shared experience. That's the way of tested and true friendship I think. With my best bro's we fall into old times and tackle life's current difficulties whether we have seen each other daily or years in between. I think Tolkien knew deep friendship and weaved pictures of it into these great stories.

Balin caught Bilbo up on the news since they last saw one another. Bard had rebuilt Dale. The Master of Lake-town had taken his gold and ran away only to die in the wastelands. Lake-town was rebuilt and was prosperous. There was peace amongst the Dwarves, Elves, and Men in that area of Middle-earth. At long last they looked at the meaning of their journey and Gandalf said: "'You don't really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit? You are a very fine person, Mr. Baggins, and I am very fond of you; but you are only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all!' 'Thank goodness!' said Bilbo laughing, and handed him the tobacco-jar" (p. 317, The Hobbit).

What a perfect end to this story. What I love about this last interaction of the book is Gandalf, once again, pointing toward providence. Not only was Bilbo (unknowingly) guided by Manwë and Eru but it was for the benefit of the entirety of Middle-earth. I like that thought; it is encouraging. Plus I love that it ends with the tobacco jar; you can picture Gandalf, Balin, and Bilbo sitting by the hearth laughing and sending up smoke rings as the Wizard sends them chasing each other around the house in an array of colors. What a great story and read in it's chronological context even better!

Middle-earth timeline: Third Age, 2949
Today's reading comes from: The Hobbit, pages 316-317