hobbit

something. And sit and think they did, or wandered aimlessly about, and glummer and
glummer they became.
Their spirits had risen a little at the discovery of the path, but now they sank into their
boots; and yet they would not give it up and go away. The hobbit was no longer much
brighter than the dwarves. He would do nothing but sit with his back to the rock-face and
stare away west through the opening, over the cliff, over the wide lands to the black wall
of Mirkwood, and to the distances beyond, in which he sometimes thought he could
catch glimpses of the Misty Mountains small and far. If the dwarves asked him what he
was doing he answered:
"You said sitting on the doorstep and thinking would be my job, not to mention getting
inside, so I am sitting and thinking." But I am afraid he was not thinking much of the job,
but of what lay beyond the blue distance, the quiet Western Land and the Hill and his
hobbit-hole under it. A large grey stone lay in the centre of the grass and he stared
moodily at it or watched the great snails. They seemed to love the little shut-in bay with
its walls of cool rock, and there were many of them of huge size crawling slowly and
stickily along its sides.
"Tomorrow begins the last week of Autumn," said Thorin one day.
"And winter comes after autumn," said Bifur.
"And next year after that," said Dwalin, "and our beards will grow till they hang down the
cliff to the valley before anything happens here. What is our burglar doing for us?
Since he has got an invisible ring, and ought to be a specially excellent performer now, I
am beginning to think he might go through the Front Gate and spy things out a bit!"
Bilbo heard this-the dwarves were on the rocks just : above the enclosure where he was
sitting-and "Good Gracious!" he thought, "so that is what they are beginning to think, is
it? It is always poor me that has to get them out : of their difficulties, at least since the
wizard left. Whatever am I going to do? I might have known that something dreadful
would happen to me in the end.
I don't think I could bear to see the unhappy valley of Dale again, and as for that
steaming gate! ! !"
That night he was very miserable and hardly slept. Next day the dwarves all went
wandering off in various directions; some were exercising the ponies down below, some
were roving about the mountain-side. All day Bilbo sat gloomily in the grassy bay gazing
at the stone, or out west through the narrow opening. He had a queer feeling that he was
waiting for something. "Perhaps the wizard will suddenly come back today," he thought.
If he lifted his head he could see a glimpse of the distant forest. As the sun turned west
there was a gleam of yellow upon its far roof, as if the light caught the last pale leaves.
Soon he saw the orange ball of the sun sinking towards the level of his eyes. He went to
the opening and there pale and faint was a thin new moon above the rim of Earth. At that
very moment he heard a sharp crack behind him. There on the grey stone in the grass
was an enormous thrush, nearly coal black, its pale yellow breast freckled dark spots.
Crack! It had caught a snail and was knocking it on the stone. Crack!
Crack!
Suddenly Bilbo understood. Forgetting all danger he stood on the ledge and hailed the
dwarves, shouting and paying. Those that were nearest came tumbling over the rocks
and as fast as they could along the ledge to him, wondering what on earth was the
matter; the others shouted to be hauled up the ropes (except Bombur, of course: he was
asleep).
Quickly Bilbo explained. They all fell silent: the hobbit standing by the grey stone, and
the dwarves with wagging beards watching impatiently. The sun sank lower and lower,
and their hopes fell. It sank into a belt of reddened cloud and disappeared. The dwarves
groaned, but still Bilbo stood almost without moving. The little moon was dipping to the