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“Certainly that attracted the dragon. Dragons steal gold and jewels, you know, from men and elves and dwarves; and they guard their stolen treasures. There were a lot of dragons in the North, and one of them, very greedy, strong and wicked, was called Smaug. One day he flew up into the air and came south. We heard a noise like a hurricane coming from the North, and then the dragon settled on our mountain in flame. He burned down the woods. By that time all the bells were ringing in Dale and the warriors were arming. The dwarves rushed out of their great gate; but the dragon killed them and destroyed most of the warriors. Then he went back and crept in through the Front Gate and after that there were no dwarves left alive inside, and he took all their wealth for himself. Probably, he has piled it all up in a great heap far inside, and sleeps on it. Later he crawled out of the great gate and came by night to Dale, and carried away people to eat, until Dale was ruined, and all the people dead or gone. What goes on there now I don’t know for certain, but I think nobody lives near the Mountain.

“Those few of us, who were lucky to be alive, wept in hiding, and cursed Smaug. Suddenly my father and my grandfather arrived. They only said that one day in the proper time I would know how they had got away. After that we went away, and we had to work really hard to earn our living. But we have never forgotten our stolen treasure.

“I think my father and my grandfather had a private Side-door, and only they knew about it. I am sure they made a map, and I would like to know how Gandalf got it.”

“Well, your father gave me this to give to you,” said the wizard. “Your father could not remember his own name when he gave me the paper, and he never told me yours. Here it is,” said he handing the map to Thorin.

“I don’t understand,” said Thorin.

“Your father,” said the wizard slowly and grimly, “gave me the map in the dungeons of the Necromancer.”

“What were you doing there?” asked Thorin with a shudder, and all the dwarves shivered.

“It does not matter. It was a dangerous business. I tried to save your father, but it was too late. He had forgotten almost everything except the map and the key. Necromancer is an enemy quite beyond the powers of all the dwarves. And the dragon and the Mountain are also impossible tasks for you!”

“Hear, hear! Hear what I have got to say!” said Bilbo.

“What’s that?” they asked.

“Well, I think that you should go East and have a look round. After all there is the Side-door, and dragons must sleep sometimes, I suppose. I am sure you will think of something. And well, what about bed and an early start? I will give you a good breakfast before you go.”