The Lonely Mountain

Thorin and company journeyed from Lake-town to the Lonely Mountain knowing they had reached the most dangerous part of their quest. "They were come to the Desolation of the Dragon, and they were come at the waning of the year" (p. 216, The Hobbit). They were amply supplied by the Men of Lake-town but none of those men dared stay near the Mountain; they packed what they could on the ponies and left the rest by the shore (no worries of thieves for the land was empty). Then they found a safe spot to make camp and began to explore. All was quiet. Balin, Fili, Kili, and Bilbo were sent to spy the Front Gate, out of which the River Running came out of the Mountain. There they saw some smoke come out of the Gate but no definitive sign of the Dragon. Mostly, they saw ruins.

"'There lies all that is left of Dale,' said Balin. 'The mountain's sides were green with woods and all the sheltered valley rich and pleasant in the days when the bells rang in that town.' He looked both sad and grim as he said this: he had been one of Thorin's companions on the day the Dragon came" (p. 217, The Hobbit). Everyone's spirits were low and it was actually Bilbo who got the dwarves looking for the secret door. Day after day they tried and eventually Fili, Kili, and the hobbit found it, perfectly concealed from above and below. This raised everyone's spirits considerably.

They moved the camp up the Mountain leaving the ponies and Bombur below since he was too big to go up or be pulled by ropes. They tried various mining tools (suppled by the Men of Lake-town) but the door would not budge; it's magic too strong. Bilbo became withdrawn at this point knowing his real purpose of the adventure was coming soon. Once again the Dwarves grew disheartened as the door wouldn't open; Thorin noted only one week of autumn remained. At last they began to discuss the prospects of Bilbo using his Ring and going through the Front Gate which did not make the hobbit pleased at all.

The next day Bilbo continued to think; he had a feeling about him that he was to wait for something. He saw the setting sun and then heard a cracking noise behind him. He turned to see a giant thrush cracking open snails against the wall to eat. "Suddenly Bilbo understood. Forgetting all danger he stood on the ledge and hailed the dwarves, shouting and waving" (p. 222, The Hobbit). Bilbo tried to explain but the dwarves were impatient; still the hobbit was unmoved staring at the secret door. At the last possible moment a ray of the setting sun shone on the door, the thrush trilled, and a piece of rock fell from the door exposing a hole. Bilbo immediately called for the key. Thorin turned the key in the hole and the door opened silently.

I was struck by the passage that states Bilbo had the feeling he was to be waiting for something. In other writings it's clear the Valar move hearts and events; a divine providence if you will. It's been a long time in reading since I've seen this theme as most of the Third Age has read like a history. But that theme is not been forgotten and it seems I'm always on the lookout for it. Bilbo waited, not entirely sure as to why, and it lead to being in the right spot at the right time to open the secret door. Otherwise the only way in for the dwarves would have been the Front Gate and I'm quite certain that would not have worked out so well. Perhaps we all should do a little more waiting before acting in our lives. Instead of rushing to action or being busy for for busyness' sake we could try to slow down. Take a look around us and listen to that nagging thought in our minds. Perhaps it will lead us to be in the right place at the right time.

Middle-earth timeline: Third Age, 2941 (end of autumn/beginning of winter)
Today's reading comes from: The Hobbit, pages 214-223