The Hobbit
The Hobbit begins simply: “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” The hobbit in this particular hole is named Bilbo Baggins, and his “hole” is actually a very comfortable residence known as Bag End. The narrator tells us that hobbits are a little people, half the size of a man, and they have become rare and are no longer seen around. They have thick hair on their feet, round bellies, and a taste for a comfortable, peaceful life. Bilbos father was from the typical, well-to-do Baggins family, but his mother was from the Tooks, a family infamous for their tendency to go on adventures–a very unhobbit-like activity. Despite his Took blood, Bilbo is content to stay at home.
On the day the story begins, he is enjoying a pipe outside his front door when an old man with a long cloak and a staff drops by. Bilbo recognizes the old man as the wizard Gandalf, who has created spectacular fireworks displays on holidays in Hobbiton, but Bilbo still looks on Gandalf with a suspicious eye. When Gandalf asks if Bilbo would be interested in going on an adventure, the hobbit declines and excuses himself quickly, asking the
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