“Where else should I be?” said the wizard.
“All the same I am pleased to find you
remember something about me. You seem to
remember my fireworks kindly, at any rate, and
that is not without hope. Indeed for your old
grandfather Took’s sake, and for the sake of
poor Belladonna, I will give you what you asked
for.”
“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 go so far as to send you
on this adventure. Very amusing for me, very
good for you—and profitable too, very likely, if
you ever get over it.”
“Sorry! I don’t want any adventures, thank
you. Not today. Good morning! But please
come to tea—any time you like! Why not
tomorrow? Come tomorrow! Good bye!” With
that the hobbit turned and scuttled inside his
round green door, and shut it as quickly as he
dared, not to seem rude. Wizards after all are
wizards.
“What on earth did I ask him to tea for!” 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 in the meantime was still standing
outside the door, and laughing long but quietly.
After a while he stepped up, and with the spike
on his staff scratched a queer sign on the
hobbit’s beautiful green front-door. Then he
strode away, just about the time when Bilbo
was finishing his second cake and beginning to
think that he had escaped adventures very well.
The next day he had almost forgotten about
Gandalf. He did not remember things very well,
unless he put them down on his Engagement
Tablet: like this: Gandalf Tea Wednesday.
Yesterday he had been too flustered to do
anything of the kind.
Just before tea-time there came a
tremendous ring on the front-door bell, and then
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, just as if
he had been expected.