12.) Bear
Story: The Skin-Changer
Word Count: 324
The last thing Bilbo expected when he was at Beorn's house was meeting the bear version of the man. The second he stood in front of the house, he looked back, stunned to see the bear advance on him. It was so large with black fur and wide eyes.
The bear roared in his direction, forcing Bilbo to run through the tall green grass. No! He was going to get caught! He looked back, even more stunned when the bear knocked him to the ground. Bilbo tumbled and fell until he landed on his back. He looked up to see a giant paw enclose around his body.
The bear roared again, startling the hobbit.
"Now, I don't want any trouble. So, let me go," Bilbo pleaded.
The bear didn't listen. He just kept roaring.
Bilbo attempted to move but found he could not. He wiggled and squirmed, only to cause the bear to hold him tighter. Bilbo looked up at the bear, hoping it would let him go.
"Please let me go. I didn't do anything," Bilbo said, trying to reason with him.
"Beorn!" Gandalf's voice protruded in the air. The bear roared, releasing Bilbo, before running off into the woods. The grey-robed wizard approached the curly, brown-haired hobbit, wearing a red jacket, a green vest, a white dress shirt, and grey knee-breeches. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah. I'm fine," Bilbo said, standing up and brushing himself off. He asked, shakily, "Gandalf, what was that? Why wouldn't he listen?"
"Oh, give him time. He's a polite fellow," Gandalf said with a smile.
"He didn't seem very friendly to me," Bilbo admitted, point blank.
"Well, come on. Let's go in," Gandalf said, leading him back to Beorn's house.
Bilbo looked back at the forest. "What an odd way to introduce oneself," he said, leaving the matter rest. He shook his head, finding his way back into the cottage, where he hoped the company would be nicer.
References:
Beorn comes from J.R.R. Tolkien's book, The Hobbit.