The Hobbit
Chapters - J. R. R. Tolkien
Chapter 1: An Unexpected Party
Gandalf visits Bilbo Baggins at his hobbit-hole in Bag-End, marking his door with a secret sign. The next day, thirteen dwarves arrive one by one for an unexpected party - Dwalin, Balin, Fili, Kili, Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, Glóin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, and their leader Thorin Oakenshield - who reveal their plan to reclaim the treasure of the Lonely Mountain from the dragon Smaug, with Bilbo recruited as their burglar.
POV: Bilbo Baggins·On page: Gandalf, Thorin Oakenshield, Balin, Dwalin, Fíli, Kíli, Dori, Nori, Ori, Óin, Glóin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur·Mentioned: Smaug, Thráin, Thrór
Chapter 2: Roast Mutton
Bilbo rushes to join the dwarves and Gandalf on the road east, riding ponies through increasingly wild lands. When the company discovers a fire in the woods, Bilbo is sent to investigate and stumbles upon three trolls - Tom, Bert, and William - who capture him and then the dwarves one by one. Gandalf saves them by mimicking the trolls' voices to keep them arguing until dawn turns them to stone, and the company finds useful swords in the trolls' cave.
POV: Bilbo Baggins·On page: Gandalf, Thorin Oakenshield, Balin, Dwalin, Fíli, Kíli, Dori, Nori, Ori, Óin, Glóin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Tom, Bert, William
Chapter 3: A Short Rest
The company travels to the hidden valley of Rivendell and finds shelter in the Last Homely House of Elrond. Elrond identifies their swords from the trolls' hoard as the ancient elvish blades Orcrist and Glamdring, and reads the moon-letters on Thorin's map, revealing instructions about a secret door into the Lonely Mountain. After a fortnight of rest, the company departs refreshed and better prepared for the Misty Mountains.
POV: Bilbo Baggins·On page: Gandalf, Elrond, Thorin Oakenshield, Balin, Dwalin·Mentioned: Smaug, Sauron, Thráin
Chapter 4: Over Hill and Under Hill
The company crosses the Misty Mountains but is caught in a thunderstorm among stone-giants. They shelter in a cave that turns out to be a goblin trap, and are captured and dragged before the Great Goblin, who flies into a rage when he recognises the elvish sword Orcrist. Gandalf kills the Great Goblin with Glamdring and leads the dwarves in a desperate escape through the tunnels, but Bilbo is knocked unconscious when Dori, who was carrying him, is grabbed by goblins from behind.
POV: Bilbo Baggins·On page: Gandalf, Thorin Oakenshield, Fíli, Kíli, Dori, Óin, Glóin, Bombur, Great Goblin, The Great Goblin·Mentioned: Elrond
Chapter 5: Riddles in the Dark
Bilbo wakes alone in the goblin tunnels and finds a mysterious ring on the floor. He encounters Gollum, a wretched creature living on an underground lake, and they engage in a riddle-game - if Bilbo wins, Gollum must show him the way out. When Gollum discovers his precious ring is missing, he realises Bilbo has it and pursues him in a rage, but Bilbo accidentally discovers the ring makes him invisible and escapes through the goblins' back door.
POV: Bilbo Baggins·On page: Gollum
Chapter 6: Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire
Bilbo finds the dwarves and Gandalf on the far side of the mountains, astonishing them by appearing seemingly from nowhere. That night, wolves (Wargs) surround the company in a glade, forcing them up into trees, and goblins soon arrive to join the attack, setting the forest ablaze around them. The Lord of the Eagles rescues the company just in time, carrying them to safety at his eyrie on a high rocky shelf.
POV: Bilbo Baggins·On page: Gandalf, Thorin Oakenshield, Balin, Dwalin, Fíli, Kíli, Dori, Nori, Ori, Óin, Glóin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Lord of the Eagles·Mentioned: The Great Goblin
Chapter 7: Queer Lodgings
The eagles set the company down near the Carrock, and Gandalf leads them to the house of Beorn, a fearsome skin-changer who can take the form of a great black bear. Gandalf cleverly introduces the dwarves in pairs to keep Beorn entertained with their story, and the skin-changer provides them with ponies, provisions, and advice for crossing the dangerous forest of Mirkwood. At the forest's edge, Gandalf departs on pressing business of his own, leaving Bilbo and the dwarves to face the dark wood alone.
POV: Bilbo Baggins·On page: Gandalf, Beorn, Thorin Oakenshield, Balin, Dwalin, Fíli, Kíli, Dori, Nori, Ori, Óin, Glóin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Lord of the Eagles·Mentioned: Sauron, The Great Goblin
Chapter 8: Flies and Spiders
The company trudges through the oppressive darkness of Mirkwood, growing increasingly hungry and desperate. Bombur falls into the enchanted stream and sleeps for days, and the dwarves are lured off the path by mysterious woodland feasts that vanish when approached. Bilbo is captured by giant spiders but fights his way free, naming his sword Sting, then rescues the dwarves by luring the spiders away with taunting songs and cutting his companions from their webs.
POV: Bilbo Baggins·On page: Thorin Oakenshield, Balin, Dwalin, Fíli, Kíli, Dori, Nori, Ori, Óin, Glóin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur
Chapter 9: Barrels Out of Bond
Wood-elves capture the dwarves after the spider battle and bring them before the Elvenking, who imprisons them when they refuse to reveal the purpose of their journey. Bilbo, invisible with his ring, spends weeks sneaking through the palace, discovering that Thorin is also held captive. He devises a daring escape plan, packing the dwarves into empty barrels in the king's cellars and floating them down the river to Lake-town.
POV: Bilbo Baggins·On page: Thranduil, Thorin Oakenshield, Balin, Dwalin, Fíli, Kíli, Dori, Nori, Ori, Óin, Glóin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur·Mentioned: Gandalf
Chapter 10: A Warm Welcome
The barrels are collected at Lake-town and Bilbo frees the dwarves, who are cold and battered but alive. Thorin announces himself as the King under the Mountain to the Master of Lake-town and its people, who welcome them with great feasting and song, believing the old prophecies of gold flowing from the Mountain are about to come true. After a fortnight of rest and re-provisioning, the company sets out by boat up the Running River towards the Lonely Mountain.
POV: Bilbo Baggins·On page: Thorin Oakenshield, Balin, Dwalin, Fíli, Kíli, Dori, Nori, Ori, Óin, Glóin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Master of Lake-town·Mentioned: Smaug
Chapter 11: On the Doorstep
The company reaches the Lonely Mountain and sets up camp on the western slopes, spending days searching for the secret door described on Thorin's map. As hope fades, Bilbo notices a thrush knocking a snail against a grey stone just as the setting sun reveals a keyhole in the rock face - the moon-letters' prophecy fulfilled on Durin's Day. Thorin uses his inherited key to open the door, revealing a dark tunnel leading down into the heart of the Mountain.
POV: Bilbo Baggins·On page: Thorin Oakenshield, Balin, Dwalin, Fíli, Kíli, Dori, Nori, Ori, Óin, Glóin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Old Thrush·Mentioned: Thráin
Chapter 12: Inside Information
Bilbo creeps down the secret tunnel to the dragon's lair, steals a golden cup from the vast hoard, and flees back to the dwarves as Smaug awakens in fury. On a second visit, Bilbo converses with the dragon while invisible, engaging in a battle of wits and riddles, and discovers a bare patch on Smaug's jewelled underbelly. Smaug deduces the company had help from Lake-town and, enraged, destroys the secret door's entrance before flying south towards Esgaroth to take his revenge.
POV: Bilbo Baggins·On page: Smaug, Thorin Oakenshield, Balin, Fíli, Kíli, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Old Thrush
Chapter 13: Not at Home
Trapped inside the Mountain with the secret door destroyed, Bilbo leads the dwarves down the tunnel to the dragon's empty lair. He discovers the Arkenstone - the Heart of the Mountain - atop the treasure hoard and secretly pockets it. The dwarves arm themselves with weapons and armour from the hoard, and Thorin gives Bilbo a coat of mithril mail, before they make their way through the ancient halls to the Front Gate and establish a lookout post on Ravenhill.
POV: Bilbo Baggins·On page: Thorin Oakenshield, Balin, Dwalin, Fíli, Kíli, Dori, Nori, Ori, Óin, Glóin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur
Chapter 14: Fire and Water
Smaug attacks Lake-town in a blaze of fire, destroying buildings and driving the people into boats. Bard the Bowman, a grim descendant of Girion Lord of Dale, rallies the last archers and, guided by the old thrush that heard Bilbo's discovery of the dragon's weak spot, shoots his Black Arrow into the bare patch on Smaug's left breast, killing him. Bard emerges alive from the lake and the people hail him as their hero, though the Master of Lake-town deflects blame onto the dwarves, and the Elvenking marches from Mirkwood with an army to aid the survivors.
On page: Smaug, Thranduil, Bard, Master of Lake-town, Old Thrush·Mentioned: Thorin Oakenshield, Bilbo Baggins, Girion
Chapter 15: The Gathering of the Clouds
An old raven named Roac brings the dwarves news that Smaug is dead but warns that armies of elves and men are marching towards the Mountain to claim a share of the treasure. Thorin refuses all counsel of compromise and sends for his cousin Dain in the Iron Hills, while the dwarves fortify the Front Gate with a great stone wall. Bard arrives and presents fair claims for recompense on behalf of the Lake-men and as heir of Girion, but Thorin, consumed by dragon-sickness, shoots an arrow at his messenger and the Mountain is declared besieged.
POV: Bilbo Baggins·On page: Thorin Oakenshield, Balin, Thranduil, Fíli, Kíli, Bombur, Dori, Bard, Roac·Mentioned: Master of Lake-town, Thrór, Girion, Dáin Ironfoot
Chapter 16: A Thief in the Night
As Thorin grows obsessed with finding the Arkenstone among the treasure, Bilbo makes a desperate decision and slips out of the Mountain by night, crossing the siege lines to the camps of the elves and men. He gives the Arkenstone to Bard and the Elvenking as a bargaining chip, hoping to force a peaceful settlement. On his way back to the Gate, Bilbo encounters Gandalf, who has arrived in secret and praises his courage but warns that an unpleasant time lies ahead.
POV: Bilbo Baggins·On page: Thorin Oakenshield, Thranduil, Gandalf, Bombur, Bard, Roac
Chapter 17: The Clouds Burst
Bard presents the Arkenstone to Thorin, who is enraged to learn Bilbo gave it away and nearly throws the hobbit from the wall before Gandalf intervenes. Just as Dain's dwarf army arrives and battle with the elves and men seems certain, Gandalf halts them all with the warning that a vast goblin and Warg army is descending from the north. The Battle of Five Armies erupts, and though Thorin leads a heroic charge from the Gate, the goblins nearly overwhelm the defenders until the Eagles arrive - at which point Bilbo is struck on the head by a stone and loses consciousness.
POV: Bilbo Baggins·On page: Thorin Oakenshield, Thranduil, Gandalf, Balin, Fíli, Kíli, Bombur, Dwalin, Bard, Lord of the Eagles, Bolg, Dáin Ironfoot·Mentioned: The Great Goblin
Chapter 18: The Return Journey
Bilbo wakes on the battlefield to learn the goblins have been defeated, with Beorn having appeared in giant bear-form to crush the goblin leader Bolg and turn the tide. Gandalf brings Bilbo to the dying Thorin, who repents his harsh words and bids farewell, acknowledging that the world would be merrier if more folk valued food and cheer above hoarded gold. Fili and Kili also fell defending their uncle. Bilbo begins the long journey home with Gandalf, the Elvenking, and Beorn, stopping at Beorn's house for Yule-tide before crossing the Misty Mountains in spring.
POV: Bilbo Baggins·On page: Gandalf, Thorin Oakenshield, Beorn, Bard, Thranduil, Balin, Dwalin, Dori, Nori, Ori, Óin, Glóin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Bolg, Dáin Ironfoot·Mentioned: Fíli, Kíli, Roac
Chapter 19: The Last Stage
Bilbo and Gandalf return to Rivendell, where Elrond welcomes them and Bilbo learns that Gandalf and the white wizards drove the Necromancer from his stronghold in southern Mirkwood. After a restful week, they continue west, recovering the trolls' buried gold along the way. Bilbo arrives home to find he has been declared dead and his belongings auctioned off, but he settles back into his hobbit-hole, forever changed by his adventures, and years later receives a visit from Gandalf and Balin with news that peace and prosperity have returned to the lands around the Lonely Mountain.
POV: Bilbo Baggins·On page: Gandalf, Elrond, Balin·Mentioned: Master of Lake-town, Sauron, Girion, Dáin Ironfoot