Riddles in the Dark: Bilbo and Gollum

Riddles in the Dark: Bilbo and Gollum

In case you enjoy the ancient riddle game

between Bilbo and Gollum in "The Hobbit,"

here are the riddles in the order they are

presented.  Solutions are given at the bottom.

Gollum:

What has roots as nobody sees,

Is taller than trees,

            Up, up it goes,

            And yet never grows?

Bilbo:

Thirty white horses on a red hill

First they champ, then they stamp,

Then they stand still.

Gollum:

Voiceless it cries,

Wingless flutters,

Toothless bites,

Mouthless mutters.

Bilbo:

An eye in a blue face

Saw an eye in a green face.

“That eye is like to this eye”

Said the first eye,

“But in low place,

Not in high place.”

Gollum:

It cannot be seen, cannot be felt,

Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt,

It lies behind stars and under hills,

            And empty holes it fills.

It comes first and follows after,

            Ends life, kills laughter.

Bilbo:

A box without hinges, key, or lid,

Yet golden treasure inside is hid.

Gollum:

Alive without breath,

As cold as death;

Never thirsty, ever drinking,

All in mail (armor) never clinking.

Bilbo:

No-legs lay on one-leg, two-legs sat near on three-legs, four legs got some.

Gollum:

This thing all things devours:

Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;

Gnaws iron, bites steel;

Grinds hard stones to meal;

Slays king, ruins town,

And beats high mountain down.

Bilbo:

What have I got in my pocket?

*************************************

Answers in order:

1.  Mountain                        2.  Teeth               3.  Wind

4.  Sun on the daisies           5.  Dark                 6.  Egg

7.  Fish                 

8.  Man on stool at table eating fish, cat gets the bones

9.  Time

10.  Ring (not a real riddle!)

By the way, the chapter "Riddles in the Dark" was rewritten

by Tolkien after the 1938 edition.  Drastic changes were made.  Gollum actually told Bilbo what the powers of the ring were (invisibility, for one).  If you google

Riddles in the Dark, The Hobbit, 1938 edition, various websites detail the changes.  Quite fun if you're an enthusiast.