Queer Lodgings: Difference between revisions

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By the sunset Gandalf concluded his tale and Beorn invited them to dinner. Horses, dogs and sheep with a ram came and tended the fire and served them. During the meal, Beorn and the Dwarves exchanged tales. Then, while Beorn was gone, they went to sleep in beds prepared for them. Bilbo slept uneasily because of the animal sounds outside, and fearing whether Beorn would come and kill them in enchanted form.
By the sunset Gandalf concluded his tale and Beorn invited them to dinner. Horses, dogs and sheep with a ram came and tended the fire and served them. During the meal, Beorn and the Dwarves exchanged tales. Then, while Beorn was gone, they went to sleep in beds prepared for them. Bilbo slept uneasily because of the animal sounds outside, and fearing whether Beorn would come and kill them in enchanted form.


The next morning<ref>[[July 14]], ibid</ref> Bilbo's sleep was interrupted by [[Bofur]] and saw that he was later for breakfast. Beorn and Gandalf were nowhere to be seen. As they were having supper (prepared by Beorn's animals), Gandalf finally came but he was too hungry to narrate. After having a rich meal and smoking his [[pipe]] and playing with colorful smoke rings, he started speaking.
He explained that he was picking out a large number of bear-tracks of various sizes, from almost every direction, and then all going to the west over the river. He followed them as far as the Carrock and lost some time to cross the river, but saw that they led where they had their encounter with the [[Wargs]]. With this Bilbo worries that Beorn will lead the goblins and wargs down there, and didn't take heed of Gandalf saying that he is not their ally.
The night he dreams of hundreds of black bears dancing slow heavy dances round and round in the moonlight in the courtyard till he wakes up in the middle of the night and hears the same sounds.
Next morning<ref>[[July 15]], ibid</ref> they are all wakened by Beorn who was in a jolly mood.
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[[Category:The Hobbit chapters]]
[[Category:The Hobbit chapters]]

Revision as of 19:30, 9 March 2011

The Hobbit chapters
[Preface]
  1. An Unexpected Party
  2. Roast Mutton
  3. A Short Rest
  4. Over Hill and Under Hill
  5. Riddles in the Dark
  6. Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire
  7. Queer Lodgings
  8. Flies and Spiders
  9. Barrels Out of Bond
  10. A Warm Welcome
  11. On the Doorstep
  12. Inside Information
  13. Not at Home
  14. Fire and Water
  15. The Gathering of the Clouds
  16. A Thief in the Night
  17. The Clouds Burst
  18. The Return Journey
  19. The Last Stage

Queer Lodgings is the 7th chapter of The Hobbit.

Synopsis

It is morning in the Eagle's Eyrie and Bilbo Baggins wakes up[1]. Soon, fifteen Eagles safely carry Thorin and Company (including Bilbo and Gandalf) to Carrock. Bilbo is frightened of the flight and the Eagle carrying him attempts to cheer him up.

Once the Eagles leave, the company descends to a small cave at the bottom of the Carrock and plan their next move, and they are saddened to hear that Gandalf will leave them in a few days; however he intended to find Somebody he knew when he visited that region again, some years ago. Then they bathe and dry their clothes under the midday Sun and cross the ford.

On their way Gandalf tells them that this important person in Beorn, a skin-changer, who is generally kind, but gets angry easily and he becomes appalling then. Gandalf explained that he is no furrier (as Bilbo misunderstood) and eats only cream and honey, not eating his animals.

It was the middle of the afternoon before they came to patches of flowers, and Bilbo sees huge bees, at the edge of his bee-pastures. After a while they come to a belt of tall ancient oaks, and then a high thorn-hedge. Knowing that Beorn would not like a band of travelers coming to his home, Gandalf suggests that a pair of Dwarves should follow him at an interval of five minutes (Bombur would come last) and goes with Bilbo to find the gate.

As they opened the gate and went down, some horses, trotted up across the grass and looked at them intently, then galloped to the buildings to tell Beorn of their arrival. They found Beorn in a courtyard, with a wooden house with two long wings, and a great oak-trunk in the middle. He held an axe and the horses were beside him.

Gandalf introduced himself and Bilbo, and mentioned his cousin Radagast whom Beorn might know. He said that after their encounter with the goblins, they are without luggage and way, and in need for help. He brought them inside and passing a large hall with a hearth in the middle, they sat in a veranda looking to the south.

Gandalf's narration

  • Gandalf started narrating his adventure, mentioning their arrival from the mountains "with a friend or two", on which remark Beorn wondered who the others were. With his signal, Thorin appeared followed by Dori. Beorn recognized Thorin as the grandson of Thrór and expressed his distrust of Dwarves.
  • He then went on mentioning that he accompanied them on their way to visit the land of their fathers beyond Mirkwood. They were crossing by the High Pass (south of Beorn's lands) and then mentioned the storm, the giants and the cave where they and 'several of their companion' sought refuge. Beorn asked about how two make 'several' and Nori and Ori came.
  • He mentioned the goblins which came from a crack who grabbed them all and their 'troop of ponies'. Beorn was confused by how six travelers would lead a troop of ponies, and Gandalf summoned Balin and Dwalin, whom Beorn found comical and amusing.
  • Himself was not grabbed; he mentioned how he killed some goblins (which made Beorn smile) and following the bands into the main hall with the Great Goblin. Gandalf wondered 'what a dozen can do' against 40 goblins crowding the room. Asking about the word 'dozen', Fili and Kili appeared.
  • Gandalf went on coming to the fight in the dark, the discovery of the lower gate, and the disappearance of Bilbo. There were only 'fourteen' of them left. At that point, Oin and Glóin came. They were still eleven, but Beorn was much interested in the story.
  • The narration went on with Bilbo's appearance, their scramble down the stone-slide, the wargs and their climbing into trees, to which Beorn commented that he should be there punishing the adversaries. Then the point when the goblins attempted to burn then singing 'Fifteen birds in five fir-trees'. Then Gandalf introduced Bifur and Bofur, followed by gasping Bombur, refusing to wait five minutes alone.

By the sunset Gandalf concluded his tale and Beorn invited them to dinner. Horses, dogs and sheep with a ram came and tended the fire and served them. During the meal, Beorn and the Dwarves exchanged tales. Then, while Beorn was gone, they went to sleep in beds prepared for them. Bilbo slept uneasily because of the animal sounds outside, and fearing whether Beorn would come and kill them in enchanted form.

The next morning[2] Bilbo's sleep was interrupted by Bofur and saw that he was later for breakfast. Beorn and Gandalf were nowhere to be seen. As they were having supper (prepared by Beorn's animals), Gandalf finally came but he was too hungry to narrate. After having a rich meal and smoking his pipe and playing with colorful smoke rings, he started speaking.

He explained that he was picking out a large number of bear-tracks of various sizes, from almost every direction, and then all going to the west over the river. He followed them as far as the Carrock and lost some time to cross the river, but saw that they led where they had their encounter with the Wargs. With this Bilbo worries that Beorn will lead the goblins and wargs down there, and didn't take heed of Gandalf saying that he is not their ally.

The night he dreams of hundreds of black bears dancing slow heavy dances round and round in the moonlight in the courtyard till he wakes up in the middle of the night and hears the same sounds.

Next morning[3] they are all wakened by Beorn who was in a jolly mood.

"...there is much else that may be told." — Glóin
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References

  1. According to calculations by Andreas Moehn, the date is July 13 of T.A. 2941
  2. July 14, ibid
  3. July 15, ibid