the long party

W hen Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be

celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special

magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton.

wonde

Bilbo was very rich and very peculiar, and had been the

r of the Shire for sixty years, ever since his remarkable

disappearance and unexpected return. The riches he had brought back from his travels

had now become a local legend, and it was popularly believed, whatever the old folk

might say, that the Hill at Bag End was full of tunnels stuffed with treasure. And if that

was not enough for fame, there was also his prolonged vigour to marvel at. Time wore

on, but it seemed to have little effect on Mr. Baggins. At ninety he was much the same

as at fifty. At ninety-nine they began to call him well-preserved, but unchanged would

have been nearer the mark. There were some that shook their heads and thought this

was too much of a good thing; it seemed unfair that anyone should possess (apparently)

perpetual youth as well as (reputedly) inexhaustible wealth.

'It will have to be paid for,' they said. 'It isn't natural, and trouble will come of it!'

But so far trouble had not come; and as Mr. Baggins was generous with his

money, most people were willing to forgive him his oddities and his good fortune. He

remained on visiting terms with his relatives (except, of course, the Sackville-

Bagginses), and he had many devoted admirers among the hobbits of poor and

unimportant families. But he had no close friends, until some of his younger cousins

began to grow up.

The eldest of these, and Bilbo's favourite, was young Frodo Baggins. When Bilbo

was ninety-nine, he adopted Frodo as his heir, and brought him to live at Bag End; and

the hopes of the Sackville-Bagginses were finally dashed. Bilbo and Frodo happened to

have the same birthday, September 22nd. 'You had better come and live here, Frodo my

lad,' said Bilbo one day; 'and then we can celebrate our birthday-parties comfortably

together.' At that time Frodo was still in his tweens, as the hobbits called the

irresponsible twenties between childhood and coming of age at thirty-three.

Twelve more years passed. Each year the Bagginses had given very lively

combined birthday-parties at Bag End; but now it was understood that something quite

exceptional was being planned for that autumn. Bilbo was going to be eleventy-one, 111,

a rather curious number and a very respectable age for a hobbit (the Old Took himself

had only reached 130); and Frodo was going to be thirty-three, 33) an important number:

the date of his 'coming of age'.

Tongues began to wag in Hobbiton and Bywater; and rumour of the coming

event travelled all over the Shire. The history and character of Mr. Bilbo Baggins

became once again the chief topic of conversation; and the older folk suddenly found

their reminiscences in welcome demand.