Chapter 3: Bilbo and Belinda Baggins
Gandalf and Selindra arrived in the Shire, and walked to a particular Hobbit hole. Bag-end, home to the Baggins family. There, they found Bilbo Baggins and his twin sister Belinda, smoking from their pipeweed. A puff of smoke from Bilbo's flew in the shape of a butterfly, right into Bilbo's nose. Belinda giggled at this. By then, they caught sight of Gandalf and Selindra standing at the gate. "Good morning." Bilbo greeted. "What do you mean?" Gandalf asked. "Do you mean to wish us a good morning or do you mean that it is a good morning whether we want it or not?" Bilbo and Belinda were confused by this question. "Or perhaps you mean to say that you feel good on this particular morning? Or are you stating that this is a morning to be good of?" Gandalf asked. "All of them at once, I suppose." Bilbo said. "Yes. Surely all of them at once." Belinda said.
Gandalf and Selindra continued to stare at the 2 Hobbits. "Can we help you?" Bilbo asked. "Well, that remains to be seen." Selindra said. "We're looking for someone to share in an adventure." Gandalf said. That caught Bilbo and Belinda by surprise. "An adventure?" Bilbo asked. "Well, we don't imagine anyone west of Bree would have much interest in adventures." Belinda said. "She's right. Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things. Make you late for dinner." Bilbo said as he got the mail from the mailbox. Belinda hummed as she and Bilbo looked through the mail, smoking their pipeweed. "Well. Good morning." Bilbo said. "Yes. Good morning." Belinda said.
"To think that I should've lived to be 'good morninged' by Belladonna Took's son and daughter as if we were selling buttons at the door." Gandalf said. "Beg your pardon?" Bilbo asked, feeling offended somehow. "You've both changed. But not entirely for the better, Bilbo and Belinda Baggins." Selindra said. "Sorry, do we know you?" Belinda asked. "Well, you know our names, although you don't remember that we belong to them. I'm Gandalf. And Gandalf means…me." Gandalf said. "And I'm Selindra. And Selindra means me as well." Selindra said. "Not Gandalf the wandering wizard and Selindra the talented young apprentice who made such excellent fireworks? Old Took used to have them on Midsummer's Eve." Bilbo said. "Yes, we practically had every celebration with those fireworks every year." Belinda said. "No idea you 2 were still in business." Bilbo said. "And where else should we be?" Gandalf asked. Bilbo just cleared his throat and went to smoking his pipeweed with his sister.
"Well, we're pleased to find you 2 remember something about us. Even if it's only Gandalf's fireworks." Selindra said. "Well, that's decided. It will be very good for you 2 and most amusing to us. We shall inform the others." Gandalf said. "Inform the who? Others?" Belinda asked. "What? No. No. No. Wait. We do not want any adventures here, thank you. Not today. Not-" Bilbo said. "Yes, we suggest you try…over the hill or across the water." Belinda said. "Good morning." Bilbo said as he and Belinda went inside the house. Just as Bilbo locked the door, a scraping noise came from the other side. Gandalf was using the nail on the bottom of his staff to make a magic mark on the door. Bilbo and Belinda listened closely to the sound, then ran to look outside the window. Just then, Gandalf looked through the other side. Bilbo and Belinda quickly hid to avoid being seen. Gandalf then left the window. Bilbo and Belinda then looked out the window in the kitchen. Gandalf and Selindra had just exited through the gate and started down the path.
"Are you sure these 2 are the right choice, Gandalf?" Selindra asked. "Yes, I'm sure. Bilbo and Belinda are the right Hobbits to be our burglars." Gandalf said. "I don't know. They seemed very upset." Selindra said. "Trust me, Selindra. This adventure is just what these Hobbits need." Gandalf said, continuing on the path. Selindra looked back at Bag End for a second before rejoining Gandalf.