#anonyo

This last belonged to Thorin, an enormously important dwarf, in fact no other than the great Thorin Oakenshield himself, who was not at all pleased at falling flat on Bilbo’s mat with Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur on top of him. For one thing Bombur was immensely fat and heavy. Thorin indeed was very haughty, and said nothing about service; but poor Mr. Baggins said he was sorry so many times, that at last he grunted “pray don’t mention it,” and stopped frowning. + Thereupon the twelve dwarves-not Thorin, he was too important, and stayed talking to Gandalf-jumped to their feet and made tall piles of all the things. + This was Thorin’s style. He was an important dwarf.

“Now I am old and strong, strong strong. Thief in the Shadows!“ he gloated. “My armour is like tenfold shields, my teeth are swords, my claws spears, the shock of my tail a thunderbolt, my wings a hurricane, and my breath death!”

The King beneath the mountains // The King of carven stone // The lord of silver fountains // Shall come into his own! // His crown shall be upholden // His harp shall be restrung // His halls shall echo golden // To songs of yore re-sung // The woods shall wave on mountains // And grass beneath the sun // His wealth shall flow in fountains // And the rivers golden run // The streams shall run in gladness // The lakes shall shine and burn // And sorrow fail and sadness // At the Mountain-king’s return!

The king looked sternly on Thorin, when he was brought before him, and asked him many questions. But Thorin would only say that he was starving.“Why did you and your folk three times try to attack my people at their merrymaking?” asked the king.“We did not attack them,” answered Thorin; “we came to beg, because we were starving.”“Where are your friends now, and what are they doing?”“I don’t know, but I expect starving in the forest.”“What were you doing in the forest?”“Looking for food and drink, because we were starving.”“But what brought you into the forest at all?” asked the king angrily.At that Thorin shut his mouth and would not say another word.“Very well!” said the king. “Take him away and keep him safe, until he feels inclined to tell the truth, even if he waits a hundred years.’”

“Confusticate and bebother these dwarves!”