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Then Mr Baggins opened the door and went in. The Took side had won, though many times afterwards the Baggins part regretted it.

“Pardon me,” he said, “I don’t know why you mentioned burglars, but as far as I understand, you think I am no good. I will show you. Tell me what you want, and I will try it, if I have to walk far away and fight the wild beasts.”

“Yes, I was talking about you”, said Gloin, “and you can say Expert Treasure-hunter instead of Burglar if you like. Gandalf told us that there was a man in these parts looking for a Job at once, he had marked your door and so arranged a meeting here this Wednesday at tea-time.”

“Of course,” said Gandalf, “I put the mark there myself. I did it for very good reasons. You asked me to find the fourteenth man for your expedition, and I chose Mr Baggins because he is a real hero. So let’s have no more argument. Now Bilbo, my boy, fetch the lamp, and let’s look at this!”

On the table he spread a piece of parchment like a map.

“This was made by Thror, your grandfather, Thorin,” Gandalf said. “It is a plan of the Mountain.”

“There is a dragon marked in red on the Mountain, said Balin, “but it will be easy enough to find him without that, if we arrive there.”

“There is one point that you haven’t noticed,” said the wizard, “and that is the secret entrance. Do you see that rune on the West side, and the hand pointing to it from the other runes? That marks a hidden passage to the Lower Halls. It is very small. ‘Five feet high the door and three may walk abreast’ say the runes. Smaug could not creep into a hole that size, not even when he was a young dragon.”

“It is a great big hole to me,” said Bilbo.

“Also,” went on Gandalf, “I forgot to mention that with the map I got a key. Here it is!” he said, and handed to Thorin an unusual small key made of silver.

“I will keep it safe,” said Thorin and fastened it upon a chain that hung about his neck and under his jacket.

“So I decided on burglary”, continued Gandalf. And here is our little Bilbo Baggins, the selected burglar. And now let’s make some plans.”

“Very well then,” said Thorin, “maybe the burglar-expert will give us some ideas or suggestions.” He turned to Bilbo.

“First I would like to know a bit more about the story,” said he, feeling confused. “I mean about the dragon and the gold, and how it got there, and who it belongs to. Also I would like to know about risks.”

“O very well,” said Thorin. “Long ago in my grandfather Thror’s time our family was driven out of the far North, and came back with all their things and their tools to this Mountain on the map. They became very rich and famous, and my grandfather was King under the Mountain. The mortal men, who lived to the South, respected him. They built the merry town of Dale there in those days. Kings often sent for our smiths, and rewarded them generously. Those were good days for us – my grandfather’s halls became full of jewels, and the toy-market of Dale was the wonder of the North.