The Hobbit

In Chapter 12, Bilbo feels very uneasy and fears Smaug as darkness falls and he and the dwarves are sitting in the tunnel. (a) What does Thorin finally do to calm Bilbo down a little? (b) What frightful thing does Smaug do right after this?

Bilbo feels very uneasy and fears Smaug as darkness falls and he and the dwarves are sitting in the tunnel. (a) What does Thorin finally do to calm Bilbo down a little? (b) What frightful thing does Smaug do right after this?

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Thorin complements Bilbo.

"Now is the time for our esteemed Mr. Baggins, who has proved himself a good companion on our long road, and a hobbit full of courage and resource far exceeding his size, and if I may say so possessed of good luck far exceeding the usual allowance-now is the time for him to perform the service for which he was included in our Company; now is the time for him to earn his Reward."

You are familiar with Thorin's style on important occasions, so I will not give you any more of it, though he went on a good deal longer than this.

Smaug awakens...

The dwarves were still passing the cup from hand to hand and talking delightedly of the recovery of their treasure, when suddenly a vast rumbling woke in the mountain underneath as if it was an old volcano that had made up its mind to start eruptions once again. The door behind them was pulled nearly to, and blocked from closing with a stone, but up the long tunnel came the dreadful echoes, from far down in the depths, of a bellowing and a trampling that made the ground beneath them tremble.

Then the dwarves forgot their joy and their confident boasts of a moment before and cowered down in fright.

Source(s)

The Hobbit