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“I beg your pardon, I haven’t asked for anything!”

“Yes, you have! Twice now. My pardon. I give it you. In fact I will even send you on this adventure. It will be very amusing for me and very good for you too.”

“Sorry! I don’t want any adventures, thank you. Not today. But please come to tea – any time you like! Why not tomorrow? Come tomorrow! Good-bye!”

With that the hobbit turned and ran inside his round green door.

“Why did I ask him to tea?” he said to himself, as he went to the pantry. He had only just had breakfast, but he thought a cake or two and a drink of something would do him good after his fright.

Gandalf was still standing outside the door, and laughing long but quietly. Then he scratched a queer sign on the hobbit’s beautiful green front-door and went away.

The next day Bilbo almost forgot about Gandalf, but just before tea-time, when a tremendous ring on the front-door bell came, he remembered! He rushed and put on the kettle, and put out another cup and saucer and an extra cake or two, and ran to the door. “I am so sorry to keep you waiting!” he was going to say, when he saw that it was not Gandalf at all. It was a dwarf with a blue beard tucked into a golden belt, and very bright eyes under his dark-green hood. As soon as the door was opened, he pushed inside, hung his hooded cloak on the nearest peg, and “Dwalin at your service!” he said with a low bow.

“Bilbo Baggins at yours!” answered the hobbit, and added: “I am going to take tea; please come and have some with me.”

Very soon there came another ring at the bell. “Excuse me!” said the hobbit, and went off to the door. “So you are here at last!” he was going to say to Gandalf this time. But it was not Gandalf. Instead there was a very old dwarf with a white beard and a scarlet hood; and he too hopped inside as soon as the door was open. He hung his red hood next to Dwalin’s green one, and “Balin at your service!” he said.

“Thank you!” said Bilbo in surprise. He liked visitors, but he liked to know them before they arrived, and he preferred to invite them himself.

“Come in and have some tea!” he said after taking a deep breath.

“I would prefer a little mug of beer, if it is possible, my good sir,” said Balin. “But I don’t mind some seed-cake, if you have any.”

“Lots!” Bilbo answered, to his own surprise; and he ran to the cellar to fill a pint beer-mug, and to the pantry to fetch two beautiful round seed-cakes which he had baked that afternoon.

When he got back, Balin and Dwalin were talking at the table like old friends (in fact, they were brothers). Bilbo put the beer and the cakes in front of them, when a loud ring came at the bell again, and then another ring.

“I am sure, this time it’s Gandalf,” he thought. But it was not. It was two more dwarves, both with blue hoods, silver belts, and yellow beards; and each of them carried a bag of tools and a spade. They hopped in, as soon as the door began to open – Bilbo was not surprised at all.