Thereupon the twelve dwarves—not Thorin,
he was too important, and stayed talking to
Gandalf—jumped to their feet, and made tall
piles of all the things. Off they went, not waiting
for trays, balancing columns of plates, each with
a bottle on the top, with one hand, while the
hobbit ran after them almost squeaking with
fright: “please be careful!” and “please, don’t
trouble! I can manage.” But the dwarves only
started to sing:
Chip the glasses and crack the plates!
Blunt the knives and bend the forks!
That’s what Bilbo Baggins hates–
Smash the bottles and burn the corks!
Cut the cloth and tread on the fat!
Pour the milk on the pantry floor!
Leave the bones on the bedroom mat!
Splash the wine on every door!
Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl;
Pound them up with a thumping pole;
And when you’ve finished, if any are whole,
Send them down the hall to roll!
That’s what Bilbo Baggins hates!
So, carefully! carefully with the plates!