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An Unexpected Journey episodes
- Chapter 05 - A Conspiracy Unmasked
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Merry, Frodo, Sam, and Pippin board the Bucklebury Ferry and cross the Brandywine River. They can see Brandy Hall, ancestral home of the Brandybucks, on the opposite bank. Arriving in Buckland, they alight and, looking back across the river, see a dark figure crawling along the bank. Merry can see the others are worried, but he doesn't know why. They promise to fill him in over supper. They all go to Frodo's new house, which Fredegar (Fatty) and Merry have prepared—complete with steaming hot water for baths. Frodo, Pippin, and Sam bathe, then settle down to a (second) supper. They bring their friends up to date on their adventures with the Black Riders, and Frodo decides he needs to reveal his own plan to leave the Shire. But when he hesitates, Merry reveals that they already know everything, and he and Pippin have decided to accompany Sam and Frodo. Sam is revealed as the informant. Fatty's part of the scheme will be to stay behind to keep up the appearance of Frodo's residence in Buckland. They plan to leave first thing in the morning.
The Fellowship of the Ring: Written by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Soundtrack composed by Howard Shore.
Audiobook narrated, produced, and edited by Phil Dragash.
Art by Jian Guo.
31 min - Chapter 04 - A Shortcut To Mushrooms
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When the hobbits wake up the next morning, the Elves are gone, having left food for the hobbits' breakfast. Frodotells Sam, privately, that the two of them will need to leave the Shire right away. To the disappointment of the others, Frodo decides to cut across the countryside rather than stay on the road. This going proves difficult, and the Black Rider continues to pursue them. Eventually, though, they come to a gate at the edge of a farmer's field. Pippin recognizes the farm as belonging to Farmer Maggot. Frodo is worried Farmer Maggot will remember that, as a child, he stole mushrooms from his farm, but when they do encounter the farmer, he is helpful. Farmer Maggot tells them a "funny customer" has come around, asking about Mr. Baggins. Seeing that Frodo is concerned, he offers to give them a ride to the ferry in his cart after dinner. As they near the ferry, they are met by Merry, riding a pony. Farmer Maggot gives them a basket of mushrooms, says good-bye, then returns home.
The Fellowship of the Ring: Written by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Soundtrack composed by Howard Shore.
Audiobook narrated, produced, and edited by Phil Dragash.
Art by Jian Guo.
35 min - Chapter 03 - Three is Company
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Weeks pass, and Gandalf becomes impatient with Frodo's lack of preparation for leaving. Although Frodo has good reasons for his slowness—he doesn't want to create gossip—he is also feeling reluctant to leave the Shire. He is inclined to wait until his 50th birthday. Gandalf agrees to this, and advises Frodo to travel toward the Elven realm of Rivendell, ruled by Elrond. Frodo announces he is selling Bag End to the Sackville-Bagginses, his unlikable cousins, and moving to Buckland—in a different part of the Shire. The townsfolk find this surprising, but chalk it up to his various eccentricities. One day, Gandalf announces he must leave and investigate something worrisome he has learned about, but tells Frodo he will be back for the birthday party. However, he does not show up, and Frodo decides to move forward with the plan without him. Frodo celebrates his birthday with his good friends, and then says good-bye to Bag End. Merry and another friend, Fredegar Bolger, go on ahead to get Frodo's new house ready. Later, walking along the road in a melancholy way, Frodo overhears a strange voice asking Sam's father, the Gaffer, about "Mr. Baggins." Soon after, Sam, Pippin, and Frodo set out. After a few days on the road, they hear another traveler coming up behind them. Frodo, feeling wary, decides they should hide and let the traveler go past. Once hidden, the four hobbits watch as a large black horse appears, carrying a figure clothed in a black robe and hood. Sniffing sounds come from inside the hood, and Frodo feels an urge to put on the Ring. He resists the urge, and the rider moves on. Sam reveals that this rider is the one that asked his father about Mr. Baggins. The hobbits decide to continue on, more cautiously. Later that evening, the black-cloaked rider overtakes them again, and Frodo once again feels the urge to put on the Ring. A company of Elves happens by, however, and the rider retreats. The leader of the company of Elves, Gildor Inglorion, recognizes Frodo, and allows the hobbits to travel with them after hearing about the Black Riders. The hobbits stay up late talking and eating with the Elves, and Gildor is uneasy about pursuing Black Riders, who he believes are servants of the Enemy, and that Gandalf did not show up when expected. He advises Frodo to leave for Rivendell without delay.The Fellowship of the Ring: Written by J.R.R. Tolkien.Soundtrack composed by Howard Shore. Audiobook narrated, produced, and edited by Phil Dragash.Art by Jian Guo.58 min - Chapter 02 - The Shadow of the Past
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After the initial shock of Bilbo's disappearance wears off, life in Hobbiton generally returns to normal, and Frodolives for many years as a bachelor at Bag End. He often dines with Merry and Pippin, his good friends. As time passes, some people notice Frodo doesn't seem to show his age, an observation they had made about Bilbo, too. It is only as Frodo nears 50 that he begins to feel a bit restless. He starts wandering far from home, talking to travelers, and getting news of the world outside the Shire. Quite a bit of turmoil seems to be going on in the outside world—both Dwarves and Elves are on the move more than usual, and there are rumors of the "Enemy" and the "Land of Mordor." Then Gandalf unexpectedly returns, and reveals to Frodo that the magic ring he inherited from Bilbo is actually the One Ring crafted in secret by Sauron, the great Enemy in Mordor, to overpower all the other magic rings possessed by Men, Elves, and Dwarves. Gandalf tests the ring to be sure of this fact, and fiery words appear: "One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them." Gandalf then gives some of the One Ring's history, and says the ring must not be found by Sauron, who will use it to "cover all the lands in a second darkness." Frodo learns how the Ring came to him, beginning with Isildur, who cut it from Sauron's hand. Isildur was killed by Orcs in the Great River, Anduin, and the Ring lay at the bottom of the river for many years. The Ring then passed to Gollum, who murdered his friend to possess it. From Gollum, the Ring passed to Bilbo, and finally, to Frodo. As if this news were not dire enough, Gandalf also tells Frodo that Sauron had captured Gollum and now knows the name "Baggins" and the location "Shire." Frodo realizes the Ring must leave the Shire, and he must take it, secretly. Just as he resolves to do this, Gandalf catches Sam Gamgee, Frodo's gardener, eavesdropping. Well-intentioned Sam agrees to go with Frodo as punishment for listening in.The Fellowship of the Ring: Written by J.R.R. Tolkien.Soundtrack composed by Howard Shore. Audiobook narrated, produced, and edited by Phil Dragash.Art by Jian Guo.1 hr 11 min - Chapter 01 - A Long Expected Party
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Eccentric hobbit Bilbo Baggins has announced his 111st birthday party will be a very special one, and the town of Hobbiton in the Shire is abuzz with the news. Bilbo is known to be generous and thought to have a secret cache of treasure from his previous adventures, and so the residents of Hobbiton believe the party will be quite grand. The September 22 birthday is shared by Bilbo's nephew Frodo, who came to live with Bilbo at Bag End after his parents' deaths, and their custom has been to share birthday celebrations. This year, Frodo will be turning 33—the "coming of age" for hobbits. In addition, rumor has it Gandalf the wizard will be setting off the fireworks for the celebration. There is much to anticipate, and the residents of Hobbiton watch supplies arrive at Bag End with growing excitement. Amidst the preparations, Gandalf and Bilbo have a private talk about Bilbo's plan to leave the Shire following the party. Gandalf encourages Bilbo to stick to the plan. On the day of the party, tents and pavilions populate a large field, and the guests arrive to presents (hobbits give others presents on their birthdays), abundant food, exciting entertainment, and flowing drink. Gandalf's fireworks are remarkable and magical. After supper, Bilbo gives a short speech, then suddenly places a magic golden ring on his finger and vanishes, to the surprise and consternation of all. Invisible, Bilbo walks back to Bag End, where Gandalf is waiting for him. Gandalf reminds Bilbo he promised to leave the magic ring with Frodo. Bilbo's ring allowed him to avoid his greedy and annoying relatives, the Sackville-Bagginses, who continue to pester Frodo in the present. Bilbo reluctantly leaves it behind as he departs on his journey. Gandalf makes sure the ring passes safely into Frodo's possession, but warns him to keep it secret and safe. Then Gandalf also leaves, and Frodo watches him walk down the road leading out of Hobbiton.The Fellowship of the Ring: Written by J.R.R. Tolkien.Soundtrack composed by Howard Shore. Audiobook narrated, produced, and edited by Phil Dragash.Art by Jian Guo.The Fellowship of the Ring: Written by J.R.R. Tolkien.Soundtrack composed by Howard Shore. Audiobook narrated, produced, and edited by Phil Dragash.Art by Jian Guo.1 hr 3 min - Epilogue
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For Bilbo, even though the adventure is complete, life's journey carries on. His wandering feet have led him home for now, but the roads that go ever on foreshadow the adventurous trilogy to follow.
The Hobbit: Written by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Soundtrack composed by Howard Shore.
Audiobook narrated, produced, and edited by Bluefax.
Art by Jian Guo.
10 min - Chapter 19 - The Last Stage
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The final stop before Bilbo Baggins reaches home is Rivendell, where the elves greet him with a song to celebrate the dragon's death. Gandalf also tells Elrond of his activities when he left the hobbit and the dwarves to continue their quest alone. The wizard has traveled to the North to vanquish the evil Necromancer and restore normalcy to the region. Feeling rested, the hobbit continues recalling some of their adventures. Following Gandalf's advice, Bilbo recovers the buried gold from the trolls' storeroom. When the duo arrives at Bag End, they discover a crowd of hobbits rapidly auctioning off Bilbo's possessions, as he was assumed dead. The troll gold is used to buy back as many items as possible, but his silver spoons have disappeared. The hobbit burglar finds he is now treated with suspicion by most of the community except for some younger nieces and nephews on the Took side. Years later, as Bilbo is writing his memoirs, Gandalf and Balin stop to visit and report that peace and prosperity have been restored to the lands and people once oppressed and destroyed by Smaug.
The Hobbit: Written by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Soundtrack composed by Howard Shore.
Audiobook narrated, produced, and edited by Bluefax.
Art by Jian Guo.
20 min - Chapter 18 - The Return Journey
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Bilbo Baggins is knocked out shortly after spotting the eagles and misses the end of the conflict. A soldier finds the unconscious hobbit and carries him to the winning camp. Gandalf congratulates the hobbit for his luck in surviving the battle, and Bilbo is quickly taken to Thorin, who is dying from battle wounds. Thorin sincerely apologizes to Bilbo and recognizes he cannot take the treasure with him into death. The hobbit grieves for Thorin, and Bilbo is now ready to return home. Thorin is buried with the Arkenstone, which was destined to be his, and Dain, the new dwarf king, proves wise in distributing the treasure. A large group including Gandalf and Beorn travels with the elves and the Elvenking, and they all sing Bilbo's praises. After spending the winter with Beorn, Bilbo stays for a while in Rivendell.
The Hobbit: Written by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Soundtrack composed by Howard Shore.
Audiobook narrated, produced, and edited by Bluefax.
Art by Jian Guo.
22 min - Chapter 17 - The Clouds Burst
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The following morning, negotiators approach the gates and reveal the Arkenstone, hoping it will move Thorin to make a deal. Thorin, still fixated on the treasure, relents and accepts the plan, but he has no intention of fulfilling his end of the bargain. Thorin plans to wait for Dain and his troops, keep the gold, and fight for the Arkenstone. In anger he turns on Bilbo Baggins and threatens to kill him. Some of the dwarves are secretly dismayed at Thorin's treatment of the hobbit. Dain and his troops finally appear. Bard will not let Dain in to see Thorin, and both sides prepare to do battle. Suddenly the skies darken as thousands of bats block out the sun. Their arrival signals the threat of attack by a huge force of goblins and wargs. The danger forces the elves, men, and dwarves to unite to defeat their common enemy. At first the strategy appears to work, but the numbers of evil fighters are too great. Thorin, finally coming to his senses, breaches his wall and emerges to rally the weary allies. Just when it appears the goblins will prevail, the eagles arrive, and the forces for good gain the upper hand. Bilbo, who has been with the elves, puts on his invisibility ring and is struck by a rock and knocked unconscious before the final victory.
The Hobbit: Written by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Soundtrack composed by Howard Shore.
Audiobook narrated, produced, and edited by Bluefax.
Art by Jian Guo.
27 min - Chapter 16 - A Thief in the Night
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Several days pass in a standoff; the dwarves are trapped inside Lonely Mountain, and the armed men and elves block the exit. Roäc, the raven, reappears and reports that Dain and his troop of 500 are near but predicts that is not enough force to defeat the opposing troops. He again encourages Thorin to settle the affair peacefully. Thorin rejects this advice, and in despair Bilbo Baggins decides to take action, trying to force Thorin's hand. Still in possession of the Arkenstone, Bilbo takes a turn at guard duty and heads to the elves' camp. When he is taken to the leaders, Bard and the Elvenking, Bilbo reports the movement of Dain's warriors and gives the Arkenstone to them, hoping they can use it to bargain with Thorin. Bilbo meets Gandalf in the camp, but he returns to the dwarves in the fortress.
The Hobbit: Written by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Soundtrack composed by Howard Shore.
Audiobook narrated, produced, and edited by Bluefax.
Art by Jian Guo.
15 min
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