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against the magic that had shut this door; and they grew terrified, too, of the echoing noise.
Bilbo found sitting on the doorstep lonesome and wearisome there was not a doorstep,
of course, really, but they used to call the little grassy space between the wall and the open-
ing the doorstep in fun, remembering Bilbo s words long ago at the unexpected party in his
hobbit-hole, when he said they could sit on the doorstep till they thought of something. And sit
and think they did, or wandered aimlessly about, and glummer and glummer they became.
Their spirits had risen a little at the discovery of the path, but now they sank into their
boots; and yet they would not give it up and go away. The hobbit was no longer much brighter
than the dwarves. He would do nothing but sit with his back to the rock-face and stare away
west through the opening, over the cliff, over the wide lands to the black wall of Mirkwood,
and to the distances beyond, in which he sometimes thought he could catch glimpses of the
Misty Mountains small and far. If the dwarves asked him what he was doing he answered:
You said sitting on the doorstep and thinking would be my job, not to mention getting in-
side, so I am sitting and thinking. But I am afraid he was not thinking much of the job, but of
what lay beyond the blue distance, the quiet Western Land and the Hill and his hobbit-hole
under it.
A large grey stone lay in the centre of the grass and he stared moodily at it or watched the
great snails. They seemed to love the little shut-in bay with its walls of cool rock, and there
were many of them of huge size crawling slowly and stickily along its sides.
Tomorrow begins the last week of autumn, said Thorin one day.
And winter comes after autumn, said Bifur. And next year after that, said Dwalin, and
our beards will grow till they hang down the cliff to the valley before anything happens here.
What is our burglar doing for us? Since he has got an invisible ring, and ought to be a spe-
cially excellent performer now, I am beginning to think he might go through the Front Gate
and spy things out a bit!
Bilbo heard this the dwarves were on the rocks just above the enclosure where he was
sitting and Good Gracious! he thought, so that is what they are beginning to think, is it? It
is always poor me that has to get them out of their difficulties, at least since the wizard left.
Whatever am I going to do? I might have known that something dreadful would happen to me
in the end. I don t think I could bear to see the unhappy valley of Dale again, and as for that
steaming gate! ! !
That night he was very miserable and hardly slept. Next day the dwarves all went wander-
ing off in various directions; some were exercising the ponies down below, some were roving
about the mountain-side. All day Bilbo sat gloomily in the grassy bay gazing at the stone, or
out west through the narrow opening. He had a queer feeling that he was waiting for
something. Perhaps the wizard will suddenly come back today, he thought.
If he lifted his head he could see a glimpse of the distant forest. As the sun turned west
there was a gleam of yellow upon its far roof, as if the light caught the last pale leaves. Soon
he saw the orange ball of the sun sinking towards the level of his eyes. He went to the open-
ing and there pale and faint was a thin new moon above the rim of Earth.
At that very moment he heard a sharp crack behind him. There on the grey stone in the
grass was an enormous thrush, nearly coal black, its pale yellow breast freckled with dark
spots. Crack! It had caught a snail and was knocking it on the stone. Crack! Crack!
Suddenly Bilbo understood. Forgetting all danger he stood on the ledge and hailed the
dwarves, shouting and waving. Those that were nearest came tumbling over the rocks and as
fast as they could along the ledge to him, wondering what on earth was the matter; the others
shouted to be hauled up the ropes (except Bombur, of course: he was asleep).
Quickly Bilbo explained. They all fell silent: the hobbit standing by the grey stone, and the
dwarves with wagging beards watching impatiently. The sun sank lower and lower, and their
hopes fell. It sank into a belt of reddened cloud and disappeared. The dwarves groaned, but
still Bilbo stood almost without moving. The little moon was dipping to the horizon. Evening
was coming on. Then suddenly when their hope was lowest a red ray of the sun escaped like
a finger through a rent in the cloud. A gleam of light came straight through the opening into
the bay and fell on the smooth rock-face. The old thrush, who had been watching from a high
perch with beady eyes and head cocked on one side, gave a sudden trill. There was a loud
crack. A flake of rock split from the wall and fell. A hole appeared suddenly about three feet
from the ground.
Quickly, trembling lest the chance should fade, the dwarves rushed to the rock and
pushed in vain.
The key! The key! cried Bilbo. Where is Thorin?
Thorin hurried up.
The key! shouted Bilbo. The key that went with the map! Try it now while there is still
time!
Then Thorin stepped up and drew the key on its chain from round his neck. He put it to the
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