The Hobbit：or There and Back Again

J.R.R.Tolkien'sowndescriptionfortheoriginaledition:Ifyoucareforjourneysthereandback,outofthecomfortableWesternworld,overtheedgeoftheWild,andhomeagain,andcantakeaninterestinahumblehero(blessedwithalittlewisdomandalittlecourageandconsiderablegoodluck),hereisarecordofsuchajourneyandsuchatraveler.TheperiodistheancienttimebetweentheageofFaerieandthedominionofmen,whenthefamousforestofMirkwoodwasstillstanding,andthemountainswerefullofdanger.Infollowingthepathofthishumbleadventurer,youwilllearnbytheway(ashedid)--ifyoudonotalreadyknowallaboutthesethings--muchabouttrolls,goblins,dwarves,andelves,andgetsomeglimpsesintothehistoryandpoliticsofaneglectedbutimportantperiod.ForMr.BilboBagginsvisitedvariousnotablepersons;conversedwiththedragon,SmaugtheMagnificent;andwaspresent,ratherunwillingly,attheBattleoftheFiveArmies.Thisisallthemoreremarkable,sincehewasahobbit.Hobbitshavehithertobeenpassedoverinhistoryandlegend,perhapsbecausetheyasarulepreferredcomforttoexcitement.Butthisaccount,basedonhispersonalmemoirs,oftheoneexcitingyearintheotherwisequietlifeofMr.Bagginswillgiveyouafairideaoftheestimablepeoplenow(itissaid)becomingratherrare.Theydonotlikenoise.