 Bilbo is considered a noble hobbit. His father was a conventional Baggins, but his mother was an eccentric Took.  Bilbo prefers to live a quiet life.  Gandalf arrives at Bilbo’s home and asks if he would like to go on an adventure.  Bilbo declines the invitation, but he invites Gandalf to tea.

 The next day Gandalf and 13 dwarves come to Bilbo’s house.  Gandalf has volunteered Bilbo’s services as a burglar to the dwarves.  The dwarves don’t believe Bilbo will be of much use, but Gandalf insists there is more to him than meets the eye.  The discussion of the adventure begins.

 Gandalf produces a map showing a secret entrance into the mountain.  Thorin possesses the key to this door.  Inside the mountain is a great treasure guarded by the dragon Smaug.  The dwarves are going to reclaim their mountain and the treasure.

 Bilbo wakes to find the dwarves gone.  Gandalf comes and sends him to the Green Dragon to meet the dwarves.  The journey begins; by evening the party is tired and hungry.  They see a light in the distance, and Bilbo is sent to investigate.  It is a troll’s camp.

 Bilbo tries to pick one of the troll’s pocket and is captured.  The dwarves come to see what happened to Bilbo, and the trolls grab each of them.  The trolls argue until morning, and the sun turns them into stone.  Gandalf reveals he was the one who kept the trolls arguing.  The party explores the trolls’ cave and take weapons.

 Gandalf tells the party they will be stopping at Rivendell.  The party meets Elrond who interprets the runes on the swords. The swords are great goblin-killers from the great wars.  Elrond also reads the moon-letters on the map. The message explains how to find the secret entrance into the mountain.

 The party approaches the Misty Mountains.  A storm causes them to seek shelter in a cave.  Bilbo wakes up to find the ponies being taken through a crack in the wall.  Goblins capture everyone except Gandalf.  Bilbo and the dwarves are taken to the Great Goblin.  The goblins get angry when they see Thorin’s sword, Orcrist.  The Great Goblin tries to eat Thorin.

 Suddenly all the torches go out, and sparks hit the goblins.  The Great Goblin is killed by Gandalf.  Gandalf leads the party safely through the passages.  Bilbo falls off Dori, hits his head, and loses consciousness.

 Bilbo wakes up but can’t see anything in the darkness.  When he looks at his sword, it is glowing dimly.  He finds a ring and puts it in his pocket.  Bilbo draws his sword when he hears Gollum.  The two begin a riddle game. If Bilbo wins, Gollum will show him the way out of the cave. If Gollum wins, he gets to eat Bilbo.  Bilbo wins the game, but Gollum is angry.  Bilbo discovers the magic of the ring and follows Gollum to freedom.

 Since Bilbo is invisible, he escapes the goblins.  He finds Gandalf and the dwarves and describes his adventure. He doesn’t, however, mention the ring.  The party is trapped in the trees by Wargs and goblins.  The Lord of the Eagles brings eagles, rescues the party, and flies them to safety.

 Gandalf informs the party he will stay long enough to help them find ponies and food.  The party stays with Beorn and evades the attack party of Wargs and goblins.  Beorn advises the party to take the northern pass through Mirkwood and gives them ponies and food.  Beorn warns them to never stray from the path.  Once they reach the path, Gandalf leaves.  The party enters Mirkwood.

 After a few days of traveling through Mirkwood, the party comes to the stream Beorn warned them not to touch.  They cross using a boat already there.  Bombur falls in the stream and falls asleep.  The party sees a light in the trees and leave the path.  They become separated in the dark.  Bilbo falls asleep against a tree.  When he wakes up, he finds his legs are tied, and a huge spider is approaching.

 Bilbo frees himself using his sword and kills the spider.  He names his sword Sting.  Bilbo searches for the dwarves and finds them hanging from a tree surrounded by spiders.  He lures the spiders away from the dwarves using the ring.  Bilbo goes back and frees the dwarves. The spiders return and a fight begins.

 The spiders retreat, and the party finds themselves in an elven clearing.  They discover Thorin is missing.  Wood-elves captured Thorin and took him to the Elvenking. The Elvenking wants to know what Thorin is doing in the forest, but Thorin refuses to tell him.  Thorin is thrown into the dungeon but is treated kindly and is well-fed.

 Wood-elves surround Bilbo and the rest of the dwarves, but Bilbo is wearing the ring and remains undetected.  The dwarves are blindfolded and taken to the Elvenking.  They also refuse to tell him why they are in Mirkwood, so they are thrown into the dungeon, too.  Bilbo remains invisible and wanders around gathering information and talking to the elves.  Bilbo discovers Thorin is also a prisoner.

 Bilbo creates an escape plan for the dwarves.  He steals the keys to the cells and frees the dwarves.  The party uses the barrels to escape.

 The barrels float down the river and out of Mirkwood.  They arrive at Lake-town (Esgaroth).  The party is wet and hungry.  Thorin goes into Esgaroth and proclaims that he is King Under the Mountain and has returned to claim his inheritance.  The people of the town treat him and the dwarves like royalty.  The Master of Lake-town provides the party with supplies for their trip to the Lonely Mountain.

 The land around Lonely Mountain has been burned by Smaug.  Bilbo and some dwarves look over the main entrance, but it is too dangerous.  The party goes in search of the secret door.  Bilbo locates a path leading to what they are sure is the secret door. They can’t get it open.  Bilbo hears a thrush knocking a snail against a rock and remember the riddle Elrond translated for them.

 The dwarves gather around the door, and they watch the sun set. Thorin puts the key into the keyhole, and the outline of the door appears.  The party pushes on the door, and it opens.  They look into the depths of the mountain.

 Thorin sends Bilbo to explore the passage.  Bilbo puts on the ring and heads into Smaug’s lair.  He sees Smaug sleeping on a huge pile of treasure.  Bilbo steals a golden goblet and rushes back to the dwarves.  Smaug wakes and realizes something is missing.  He flies around the mountain and sees the dwarves’ ponies; he eats them.  Bilbo and the dwarves cower inside the secret passage.

 Bilbo returns to Smaug’s lair and believes the dragon is sleeping.  Smaug is actually awake and waiting for Bilbo. He can’t see Bilbo, but he can smell him.  Bilbo answers Smaug’s questions with riddles. He tricks Smaug in to revealing his weak spot.  Bilbo rushes back to the dwarves and tells them what he has learned.  A thrush listens to Bilbo’s tale.  They hear Smaug and shut the passage door.  The party is trapped inside the mountain.

 Smaug decides to take his revenge out on the men of Esgaroth.  Bilbo and the dwarves make their way into Smaug’s lair.  The dwarves see the treasure and rush to get their share.  Bilbo takes a few things including a mithril shirt.  Thorin searches for the Arkenstone, but Bilbo has secretly taken that also.

 Thorin leads the party to the main gate of the mountain.  Bilbo and the dwarves are very hungry, so they follow the river to a cavern where they find supplies.

 Smaug arrives at Lake-town and sets it on fire.  Bard, listening to the thrush, shoots an arrow into Smaug’s weak spot, killing him.  Smaug dies but crashes down onto the town destroying it.  The people of the town believe the dwarves to be dead and look forward to getting the treasure to rebuild their town.  The news of Smaug’s death reaches the Elvenking and others.

 The Elvenking and an army of elves come to Lake- town.  The elves decide to help the men rebuild Esgaroth.  The goblins and Beorn also hear of Smaug’s death.

 The thrush flies back to the dwarves on the mountain. They can’t understand him.  The thrush brings Roac, an ancient raven, to talk to Bilbo and the dwarves.  Roac tells them Smaug is dead.  The raven also informs them about the armies that are marching on the mountain.  Thorin won’t give up the treasure without a fight.  The party withdraws into the mountain and build a wall to fortify it.

 Bard informs the dwarves that Smaug destroyed Lake- town.  He asks for part of the treasure to help rebuild the town.  Thorin refuses to give up any part of the treasure.  Bard declares the mountain besieged; nothing will go in or out.  Bilbo is discouraged by these events.

 Thorin continues to search for the Arkenstone.  Bilbo decides to try and resolve the matter himself.  He sneaks away using the ring and enters the camp of the men and elves.  Bard and the Elvenking are suspicious until Bilbo gives them the Arkenstone to use as a bargaining chip.  Bard and the Elvenking want Bilbo to stay, but he chooses to return to the dwarves.  Bilbo sees Gandalf in the camp before he returns to the mountain.

 Bard goes to the mountain to talk to Thorin.  Thorin refuses to negotiate, so Bard reveals the Arkenstone.  Thorin angrily turns on Bilbo, but he is stopped by Gandalf.  Bilbo explains why he took the Arkenstone.  Thorin agrees to give the men part of the treasure in order to regain the Arkenstone.  The new dwarf army comes and threatens the elves and men.

 Just as the battle is to begin, an army of goblins and Wargs arrive.  It becomes a battle of good versus evil.  The goblins and Wargs appear to be gaining ground.  Bilbo is knocked unconsciousness.

 Bilbo wakes up but is alone on the mountain.  The man searching for Bilbo can’t find him since he is still wearing the ring.  Bilbo takes off the ring, and he is taken to the camp.  Thorin asks Bilbo to forgive him.  Thorin, Fili, and Kili die because of the battle.  Gandalf describes how the eagles and Beorn came and won the battle for the dwarves, elves, and men.

 Dain becomes King under the Mountain, and Bard is the new Master of Lake-town.  Bilbo and Gandalf begin the long journey home.  They spend the winter with Beorn, and they travel to Rivendell in the spring.  Gandalf explains why he left the party at Mirkwood. He and the council of wizards were driving the Necromancer out of the forest.  When Bilbo returns home, he finds his belongings are for sale; he is presumed to be dead.

 Bilbo recovers most of his possessions, but he isn’t really accepted by the other hobbits.  He doesn’t really care since he now is friends with dwarves, elves, and a wizard.  He is content in his home at Bag End.