Bilbo was born just as the residents of the Shire for the first time discovered a fire dragon in the sky. Of course they had heard stories about dragons. But the appearance of a dragon was unknown to them. The dragon moved in circles above their heads and over the Shire and vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Soon the hobbits calmed down and so they went back to their tasks and soon forgot the incident. Since nothing had happened and the dragon had not attacked, the hobbits thought that this species was not dangerous.
They should be wrong.
Bilbo Baggins came once more with bloody knees and dirty pants home. His mother, Belladonna Took, smiled at her son and stroked him a couple of wild curls from the bruised forehead. When she put Bilbo in the washtub and began to scrub him from top to bottom, the hobbit started to babble. The boy told her of his adventures in the woods. Belladonna very well knew the dreams of her son. The Hobbit every day walked through the woods. In search for elves. And he was not as disappointed if he did not get a single elf to face. No. Not Bilbo. He was to discover other exciting things. And as always, he came back with torn pants.
"Get some clean clothes on, Bilbo," smiled Belladonna and gave her son a kiss on his damp curls. Then she pushed him towards the door and watched with a warm smile as he disappeared. It did not take long and Bilbo returned. The wet hair curled wildly on his head and he was in clean clothes. Just in time for dinner.
"What happened to you today?" Asked his father, Bungo Baggins, and winked at his wife, who just took a hot earthenware dish from the oven with an oven mitt. With this simple question Bungo had sparked lively sparkle in Bilbo's eyes again and already gushed out all the news of the day from the little hobbit. Bungo listened attentively to his son, but every now and then furrowed his brow. He knew that Bilbos interest in adventures and elves could only come from Belladonnas clan and family. A Baggins was always respectable and righteous. And yet he had quickly become accustomed ti Bilbos habits. Bungo knew how good it was for a young hobbit to make his own discoveries. But it also happened that Bungo admonished his son. Not always were stories about dwarves and elves liked to hear and not always Bilbo should seek refuge in these dreams.
"Someday I'll see elves. And dwarves. And dragons "The smile on Bungos face froze in that moment. Belladonna slipped and the bowl shattered on the ground. Bilbo began to slip nervously and uneasily in his chair, back and forth.
"Did I say something wrong?" He asked with childlike innocence in his eyes and tears began to gather. Belladonna was in seconds with her son and locked him in my arms. She began to weigh and calmed him with whispered words. Bungo rubbed his arms. Fear rised in his heard as he thought of the appearance of the dragon long years ago. He had been one of the few hobbits who had seen the dragon in the sky above the shire. And the devilish red scales had Bungo made shaking with fear.
Only a few moments passed as Belladonna had calmed her son and then began picking up the pieces from the floor. Bungo had begun to read to his son fairytales from a book when there was a knock at the door. Not a normal knock. More of a hammering which startled all three hobbits in shock. Bungo put the book down and opened the green painted door. In front of him now and with a wide grin he found one of the neighborhood boys. Hamfast. Pure excitement was written in his face.
"There is something you must see, Mr. Baggins!" The boy cried and pulled Bungo out by the hand. With the other hand he pointed to the sky. The dusk began to pull up, but Bungo could very well see what the hobbits in the Shire were so taken from. A dragon was circling in the sky. A huge fire dragon with blood red wings and a long, scaly tail. Bungo looked frightened down to Hamfast.
"Go to your parents", he shouted at the boy, then he shook the little hand off and returned to his hobbit hole. Inside, his wife was waiting for him. Her eyes betrayed that she had heard it all. She covered his sons little ears.
"Will he disappear? ", Belladonna asked worried. Bungo went to the window and peered out. Before his fence he could see five young Hobbits.
"I do not know. And if the dragon will disappear, it will take some time. "
"The stories have made them curious", murmured Belladonna.
"Should not we rather go to see Old Took," she said finally. Bungo turned from the window and looked at her thoughtfully. He knew that his wife felt safest there.
"Take Bilbo," Bungo said and began to pull on a jacket. The evenings were quite chilly this time of year.
Belladonna had put Bilbo in a thick coat and took him on her arms. Actually, he was already too big, but his short legs could not keep up with those of the adult hobbits. She threw her husband a look and Bungo opened the door. When the Baggins stepped out the door, everything was quiet. No Hobbit could be seen on the road. In the neighborhood everything was quiet. Bungo shrank a little
"What's going on?", Belladonna asked in a whisper. Bungo turned slightly so that he could watch Belladonna and the road at the same time.
"It's too quiet! Earlier, it was much louder. "
"Where are all the other gone?", whispered Belladonna and took a step towards her husband. Then she grabbed his arm and looked at him intently.
"We should hurry!" And so Bella Donna walked over to her husband and to the fency. She opened it and stepped out. She noticed how quiet it was. Far too quiet. Also for other conditions. No hobbit was seen more.
"Bella, come back", cried Bungo and tried to hold the door frame when he saw the dragon at the sky. Shooting down like an arrow. Belladonna followed her husbands eyes and screamed. Bilbo was able to free himself from her arms and looked awesome with curious look up into the night sky.
"A dragon", he cried then thrilled. But Belladonna grabbed the panic. She pushed her son to the garden gate, and called for her husband. Bungo was able to break away from its rigid and rushed to help his family. But before he could reach Bilbo, the dragon opened its enormous mouth and let out hot fire breath. Bella pushed Bilbo to the side. The Hobbit scraped on the knees and started crying.
"Run, Bilbo ... run away!" Belladonna's view snagged with her son. She crouched on the road. Bungo was taking her arm and tried to help her up when the fire came. The cries of pain of the two hobbits mingled with the sobs and cries of Bilbo. The fire was blazing hot and high and ate everything up. Bilbo rushed and pressed a hand to his temple. The pain brought him to the ground unconscious and darkness enveloped him.
The fire blazed for a long time when the dragon long had been gone. But before it could reach Bilbo, the other hobbits of the Shire came to help. They took away Bilbo and took him to a healer. Not a second too late, because the healer was able to save Bilbo's eye. But scars would remain.
A few weeks had passed when the young hobbit finally returned to Bag End. The hobbit hole had been spared from the fire. The street outside the gate was charred and black. The gate collapsed. Bilbo stood with lips pressed together in front of the door to his home. But it took long to gather the courage to set foot over the threshold. And as he did so, he felt for the ugly scar that ran under his right eye to his temple. No tears came into his eyes and he did not flinch. He pressed his lips together. Everything in the hobbit hole reminded him of his loving mother and his respectable father.
And so many years passed in Bag End. Bilbo mourned his parents for as long as he started living alone at Bag End. The other hobbits had noticed Bilbos strange behavior. They started whispering and talking about Bilbo. When he went to the market, they shunned him. And for good reason. Bilbo had changed after the incident with the dragon. Not only his appearance was different. No matter where he showed up, the other hobbits stared at him. They stared at the scar on his temple. Under their eyes Bilbo felt like cattle. That's why he avoided the other. He lived quietly at Bag End and had only the most necessary contacts with shopkeepers, tailors or the smith. Until one day a pilgrim came up the road. It was when Bilbo was collecting his letters outside his safe home. Bilbo took little notice of him, until the gray pilgrim stopped directly in front of his gate. Bilbo had to renew it many years ago. When he had unexpectedly taken Bag End and started living there.
"Good day" The Baggins greeted the pilgrims with aloofness. The gray-bearded man raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. As Bilbo turned around and walked the few steps leading up to his door. The grey pilgrim had, however, assumed that the hobbit would sit on the bench.
"What do you mean," asked the gray man now, and caused Bilbo to stop. And the Baggins was only three steps in front of his door and turned around.
"Do you think it's a ..." began the gray stranger, but Bilbo interrupted him with a vigorous hand.
"You will forgive me that I am in a hurry." Then he climbed two steps and decided to ignore the visitor.
"That I'm rejected by Belladonna Tooks son with so little courtesy I did not expect!" Said the gray passenger and raised his voice. Bilbo now paused. His mother's name was passing by flashbacks to his mind. Anger began to flourish in Bilbos heart. Bilbo turned around and threw the gray walker a look full of anger.
"All right, Mr. Baggins, I knew your mother!"
"Then you also know what happened to her and my fatger. Then your curiosity would be satisfied. I wish a good day! "Bilbo's voice was icy as he spoke. And as he said this, the grey pilgrim's eyes slid his right temple along. Bilbo knew this look just too good. And he hated it.
"I'm looking for an adventurer!" The gray and old man said finally.
"And my name is Gandalf. Surely you know my name. You know not only that it belongs to me." Bilbo could not remember to have heard that name before. He brought him vaguely with fireworks in conjunction.
"Then you have certainly to do business", Bilbo said and opened the door to his hobbit hole, then disappeared inside. When he locked it, he did not stop long enough to hear a scratching.
It was evening, and under normal circumstances, Bilbo would have prepared a supper. But this day brought an exhausting visit to the tailor and also an unwelcome visitor. Bilbo had no appetite. That's why he was sitting in his living room, a good book in his lap and a pipe with Old Toby. He was able to relax while puffing Old Toby. Until there was a knock at the door. To say that Bilbo was a little excited would be an understatement. The Baggins rose with a snort and opened the door. He had a rebuke to the lips that stuck in his throat when he saw the visitor on the doorstep. A burly man with a bald head and strange tattoos on the otherwise rather bald head was standing outside. The look in his eyes was stormy. He was dressed like a traveler and warrior at the same time. He was armed to the teeth. But instead of attacking him, he bowed slightly.
"Dwalin, at your service", he boomed in a deep voice, and then went into the hobbit hole. He drove past Bilbo without being asked to. The hobbit gave him an annoyed look as the dwarf busied himself at the pantry. Bilbo just opened his mouth, as it knocked again. Again, there was a dwarf. Older and with a white beard he bowed deep to Bilbo.
"Balin at your service!" He seemed better educated, because he inquired about Bilbo being and then entered the home. Bilbo quickly realized that the two had to know each other. They greeted each other by beating their heads against each other. Then both began to move furniture.
"I do not appreciate visitors at night", the hobbit said cold and stood in front of the two dwarves who now distributed the contents of the pantry on the table, "and even less I appreciate visitors that appears unannounced and unwanted!" Both dwarfs did not take notice. While Dwalin was throwing Bilbo a dark look, Balin gave him an encouraging smile.
A short time later two younger dwarves came, who introduced themselves as Kili and Fili. Bilbo spent the first few minutes after their arrival to rebuke them. When it knocked the fourth time, Bilbo did prefer to climb through one of the windows and turn his back on Bag End. But the good education of his mother bore fruit and he opened the door. A whole bunch of dwarves fell through his door, behind them a gray pilgrim.
"Gandalf," Bilbo hissed and gritted his teeth.
"My dear Bilbo, how have you been?" But without waiting for an answer Gandalf stepped inside and helped the dwarves gathered here to prepare the table. And when it was done, lively discussions filled the room where Bilbo listened with only half an ear.
"One is still missing", Gandalf stated as he let his eyes wander around the room.
"Do not worry, he will be late. He left to the north. A meeting with the clan", Dwalin said and then the dwarves chattered again. And just as the twelve dwarves fell into a drinking bout, there was a knock at Bilbo's door. However, the hobbit made no move to open it until Gandalf's warning glance hit him.
"Bilbo, my dear friend, would you let in our guest?" Reluctantly, and with appropriate expression Bilbo opened the door and found himself right in front of a rather large dwarf. He had long, dark hair, which was crossed by silvery strands. His appearance was dignified.
"Gandalf," he said with a deep baritone, "You said this place would be easy to find. I have lost my way. Twice. And without the sign on the door ... "
"What have you done to my door?" Bilbo asked angrily and turned to Gandalf. Gandalf looked at the hobbit in surprise and had obviously had expected that Bilbo would get upset.
"I have a sign attached to it," said the gray walker quiet.
"And why?" Bilbo demanded to know. He was ignoring his latest visitor, who shoots a dark look at the hobbit. Arms folded before his broad chest.
"Well, for all dwarves to find their way here." Gandalf sounded like it would be obvious.
"Bilbo, may I introduce you to the leader of our company? Thorin Oakenshield. "Then he turned to the dwarf.
"Thorin, this is Bilbo Baggins! He is the fourteenth member of our company." But Bilbo did not hear anything of it. Nor did he want to hear.
"I prefer to not be part of your planys", he stated firmly, "I'm not an adventurer!"
"It seems we have lost our burglar", Balin said with a heavy sigh. Bilbo gave him a suspicious look. But before he could ask, he noticed that one of the Dwarfs - Bofur - looked at the map of Middle Earth on the wall.
"Without a burglar it will not be easy to get unnoticed past the dragon!" When the word dragon fell Bilbo stiffened and his eyes hardened. Thorin and Gandalf noted it both.
"You want to hunt a dragon," Bilbo noticed troublesome patient. Then Thorin stepped forward and glanced over Bofurs hat on the map.
"We are not hunting dragons, halfling." But before Thorin could go on, Gandalf waved his hand and drew the hobbits attention to himself again.
"Do you see that mountain, my dear Bilbo?" Gandalf pointed to a point in the northeast of middle earth. Bilbo nodded stiffly. As a child he had viewed the map often and long. He knew that this mountain was also called the Lonely Mountain.
"The Lonely Mountain - Erebor – was once the most powerful dwarven kingdom, build deep within the mountain, ruled by Thror, King under the Mountain, until a dragon devastated the town of Thale and occupied Erebor. He killed most of the dwarves with his fire breath. The survivors fled and wandered throughout Middle-earth."
"And now you want to win back the mountain!" Bilbo's voice was taunt. Thorin growled as he heard it.
"This mountain is our home," said Balin and that took the wind out of Thorins sails. But Bilbo's thoughts turned to the dragon.
"He's not a warrior, Gandalf," Thorin now turned his gaze to Gandalf, angry and upset, "He looks more like a grocer. He is no burglar and he has no place amongst us."
"You, Thorin Oakenshield have asked me to find the fourteenth member for this company and I've decided that it is Bilbo Baggins. A dragon knows the smell of a dwarf. The Hobbit is an unknown for him. Hobbits are also extremely light-footed and can remain unseen, when they want it." Oh, and Bilbo wished to be invisible at this moment. Although the mention of dragons made him angry and he felt a sense of desire for revenge in himself, he wanted to be left alone more.
"You will need a good burglar. The best burglar. But I am afraid that it will not be me. Sorry, Gandalf. You have the wrong Hobbit." So Bilbo turned around and began to walk along the corridor. His goal was the warm, soft bed in his bedroom. But Bilbo had not gone far when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned his head a little.
"I will not change my mind," Bilbo said emphatically.
"Does this have to do with the dragon who killed your parents?" Gandalf asked in a low voice. Bilbo drew himself up before he turned. When he glanced over at Gandalf, Bilbo could see that all the dwarves had begun eat the food, with one exception. Thorin Oakenshield. Thorin looked towards them suspiciously.
"That's long ago", said Bilbo. Gandalf could hear the resignation in his voice.
Do not rush in your decision", said Gandalf. Then he turned and exchanged a few quick words with Thorin and joined the others. Thorin stood there for a while in the hall, until Bilbo turned away and went into his bedroom.
Deep bass sounded as the dwarves in the dead of night sang a song. Bilbo was awake. He remembered the past. The thought of the dragon, who had killed his parents and had disfigured him, was present.
Thorin had, however, a clear image of the hobbits appereance. The anger in his eyes as Smaug had been mentioned. His eyes had caught the scar around the hobbits right eye and on his right temple. Thorin had immediately known that a dragon had to be responsible. He graduated from the behavior of the halfling.