Short Story

The Hobbit Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who lives a quiet life, until it is upset by a visit from a wizard named Gandalf. He wants Bilbo to help a group of dwarves take back the Mountain from Smaug, a dragon. Bilbo is unsure he wants to help, but he is drawn into the adventure by Gandalf, who tells the dwarves Bilbo is a burglar. The thirteen dwarves are led by Thorin Oakenshield, whose grandfather left a map and key to the Mountain in the care of Gandalf. The group encounters a few setbacks, such as the loss of the pony carrying their food supplies. Another occurs when Bilbo and the dwarves are captured by trolls, but Gandalf manages, through some trickery to free them. One night the group is forced to take shelter in a cave during a bad storm. The cave is the home of goblins, who capture them. Gandalf helps them escape, but Bilbo is left behind, after he is knocked unconscious. He stumbles on a ring in the tunnel and puts it into his pocket. Later his path is blocked by a l...