The Hobbit

Lauren Smith

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Audiobooks

Description

Narration of a sample of the Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien.

Vocal Characteristics

Language

English

Accents

British (General)

Transcript

Note: Transcripts are generated using speech recognition software and may contain errors.
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien Chapter one An unexpected party in a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit, not a nasty, dirty wet hole filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat. It was a hobbit hole, and that means comfort. This hobbit was a very well to do hobbit, and his name was dragons. The Bagginses had lived in the neighbourhood of the Hill for time out of mind, and people considered them very respectable, not only because most of them were rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected. You could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him. This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected by some curious chance. One morning long ago, in the quiet of the world, when there was less noise and more green and the hobbits were still numerous and prosperous, and Bilbo Baggins was standing at his door after breakfast, smoking an enormous long wooden pipe that reached nearly down to his woolly toes. Neatly brushed, Gandalf came by Gandalf. If you had heard only a quarter of what I have heard about him, and I have only heard very little of all there is to hear. You would be prepared for any sort of remarkable tale. Tales and adventures sprouted up all over the place wherever he went in the most extraordinary fashion. He had not been down that way under the hill for ages and ages. Not since his friend the old took died, in fact, and the hobbits had almost forgotten what he looked like. He had been a way over the hill and across the water on business of his own, since they were all small. Hub it boys and hub it girls. All that the unsuspecting Bilbo saw that morning was an old man with a staff. He had a tall, pointed blue hat, a long grey cloak, a silver scarf over which a white beard hung down below his waist and immense black boots. Good morning, said Bilbo, and he meant it. The sun was shining and the grass was very green, but Gandalf looked at him from under long, bushy eyebrows that stuck out further than the brim of his shady hat. What do you mean? He said. Do you wish me a good morning or mean that it is a good morning, whether I want it or not, or that you feel good this morning or that it is a morning to be good on all of them at once, said Bilbo. And a very fine morning for a pipe of tobacco out of doors into the bargain. If you have a pipe about you, sit down and have a full of mine. There's no hurry. We have all the day before us. Then Bilbo sat down on a seat by his door, crossed his legs and blew out a beautiful grey ring of smoke that sailed up into the air without breaking and floated away over the hill. Very pretty, said Gandalf. But I have no time to blow smoke rings this morning. I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it's very difficult to find anyone. I should think so. In these parts, we are playing quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things make you late for dinner. I can't think what anybody sees in them, said our Mr Baggins and stuck one thumb behind his braces and blew out another, even bigger smoke ring. Then he took out his morning letters and began to read, pretending to take no more notice of the old man. He had decided that he was not quite his sort and wanted him to go away. But the old man did not move. He stood leaning on his stick and gazing at The Hobbit without saying anything till Bilbo got quite uncomfortable and even a little cross. Good morning, he said. At last. We don't want any adventures here, Thank you. You might try over the hill or across the water. By this, he meant that the conversation was at an end.