During the quest, when Gandalf isn't with them, our heroes pass through a very dangerous forest called Mirkwood. After their food is over, they encounter with a group of elves and their king who makes a party and has a lot of food. They try three times to ask them for some, but the elves, which are very suspicious to strangers, vanish in the first two times, and after the third take them as prisoners, and after the dwarves' leader Thorin refuses to discover to what purpose they go in their forest, their king sends them to prison till they discover.

Bilbo isn't caught with them because he's invisible, for he wears the ring, so he uses the time to think what to do for his friends. I made up a conversation of him with the Elven-King:

The Conversation:

Bilbo, with his ring on his finger, sits in the storeroom in the palace, and thinks.

Bilbo (to himself) what shall I do? Gandalf has chosen me for helping his friends, and now they're imprisoned and I can't do anything! One moment, they took me with them to burglarize the dragon's hole, and not to be their protector! So it's just their business. One moment, how can I think such ugly thing? One thing, that place is very boring and I want to be at home, and I can't do it without the dwarves out – for the way is very dangerous, and I am only a small hobbit. And second thing – Gandalf has said to the dwarves that I will take care of them! But what to do?

And Bilbo keeps on sitting and thinking desperately for a long hour. But suddenly:

Bilbo: I have an idea! I'll put my ring on and go to talk to the Elven-King! I won't say him who am I, of course, but I will try to convince him to release the dwarves. It is told that Elves are not a bad folk.

Bilbo puts his ring on and goes out of the storeroom to the king's-room. He waits two hours and then the King goes out to breakfast.

Bilbo: Your Majesty!

The King: Who's that?

Bilbo: I'm invisible.

The King: Are you a ghost?

Bilbo: you can see that like that. But don't be afraid.

The King: I am not afraid. I have powers of my own and I don't have to fear one little ghost. (To himself:) I may imagine all that meeting. I am really tired. But it's seen rather fun to talk to a imaginary friend.

Bilbo: I ask to talk with you, please.

The King: Is it emergent?

Bilbo: Not really. But it's important.

The King: So wait till I finish my breakfast. Do ghosts eat food, by the way? For if they do, you may come and enjoy my food.

Bilbo: Thank you. I accept the invitation.

Bilbo and The King go to the royal diving-room and Bilbo sits and eats along with The Elven-King and his son, Prince Legolas, when he is still invisible and considered by the king a ghost.

Bilbo: Where is your queen? Is she late?

The King: She's dead.

Bilbo: oh, I'm sorry.

The King: That's all right.

After the meal is over, Bilbo and The King go to a lone place in the yard of the palace.

The King: Say your stuff.

Bilbo: I know you have thirteen dwarves in the prison. Please, release them!

The King to himself: sure it's all my imagine. Maybe there is a side of me who wants to get the dwarves free! But I won't let it win! (Loudly, to Bilbo :) Before that, they have to tell me what their business is.

Bilbo: They have secrets. Why don't you respect their privacy?

The King: They may plan something that will hurt my people.

Bilbo: But why do you suspect them at such thing?

The King: They've tried three times to attack my people at their merrymaking.

Bilbo: But why do you think that they intended to attack you?

The King: They say they wanted to ask for food, but I don't believe them. Anyone who tries to ask for food and seea that the people who are asked vanish, doesn't try to ask again. And that's why I think they aren't innocent.

Bilbo: But they may have been very hungry.

The King: If they don't have bad plans, how do you excuse that they refuse to discover me what they did in my forest?

Bilbo: Why are you so suspicious at strangers?

The King: I will tell you some thing that has happened to me in the past, and I hope you will understand. (Then the king's voice is heard suddenly contemplative) Before many-many years, few years after my son was born, and when the forest was still lighten, there came walking trees to the forest. They knew we elves are good-hearted, and came to ask us for some rest and food. They said that they were driven out of their lands by the goblins.

Of course we agreed, and at the beginning it was all very well, and I even invented them to live in my kingdom. But after some days they kindled most of my land in fire. It was turned out that they were actually sent by the goblins, who were their allies, to destroy my land.

I managed to save some of my land and kill the trees, but lots of my people have got burn, and so my queen. That's why she wasn't here that morning. You know that elves are immortal, and cannot die a natural death.

And beside that, we elves and the dwarves aren't in good relation since we and their ancestors had our war.

Bilbo: So do I understand that you won't release the dwarves?

The King: No, I won't.

Bilbo: Good-bye, Your Majesty. (And silently, to himself) I have to find another way.

The King: Good-bye, ghost! And you're the first stranger for years that I haven't suspected as dangerous.

Bilbo is gone.

The King to himself: It's nice when there is an imaginary friend. I hope I'll dream on him again, and that that time we'll agree.

The End.