“The Surprise Party”, by J.R.R. Tolkien, also known as “The Unexpected Party”, is the first chapter of his immensely celebrated novel “The Hobbit”.
Gandalf, a wandering wizard, along with a party of twelve dwarves, suddenly barges into the life of an unadventurous, peace-loving hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, all with the intention to make him a part of their grand quest to reclaim their kingdom, Erebor, from the evil dragon, Smaug.
The story begins with Bilbo Baggins enjoying a tranquil morning in front of his comfortable hobbit hole when he happens upon someone passing by. Out of good manners, he greets the tall stranger, who is none other than the powerful sorcerer, Gandalf. Gandalf introduced himself and wanted to know if Bilbo was interested in an adventure.
However, Bilbo was well aware of the gossips surrounding a travelling magus, Gandalf, whose magnificent stories had somehow inspired many young hobbits to leave their homes and embark on unknown adventures. Bilbo had an intense aversion towards any kind of adventurous activities, and being the stay-at-home, peace-loving hobbit that he was, Bilbo refused Gandalf’s offer and bid him goodbye unceremoniously. But realising how rude he sounded, he did not forget to invite Gandalf, albeit unwillingly, to tea the next morning. Bilbo hurriedly entered his home while berating himself consistently as to why he had invited the man to tea. Meanwhile, Gandalf mischievously put strange marks on his front door to guide the twelve dwarves to his home.
But no one seemed to notice his blatant aggravation at their uninvited and unwanted presence. The dwarves were busy discussing strange stories of far-away lands that sounded way too venturesome for his comfort-loving, idle self.
The next morning while preparing tea, the doorbell rang. Bilbo expected Gandalf to appear, but instead it was Dwalin, a dwarf with a blue beard tucked into a golden belt fastened around his waist. He pushed himself into Bilbo’s home uninvited, shocking Bilbo. But Dwalin was not the only dwarf to intrude on his property that day. Eleven more dwarves—Fili, Kili, Dori, Ori, Nori, Oin, Gloin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, and Thorin—led by the mage Gandalf, also joined the party that day. The dwarves helped themselves to drinks, tea, coffee, cakes, and eggs, and they ate their fill. Bilbo was dumbfounded and incredulous as to why the entire situation was happening to him. He tried to express his annoyance by jerking cabinets loudly and stomping off here and there.
Bilbo was eagerly awaiting their departure, and when it started getting late and the dwarves had finally finished their eating, Bilbo asked Thorin, with the pretence of hospitality, if they would be staying for dinner. However, to his dismay, Thorin replied that they will be staying for a long time, as they have a lot to discuss. Thorin felt that the party would be incomplete without a song. So, the dwarves started singing a song for the lost home.
The dwarves sang of their lost motherland that far over the misty mountains; in the dark caves underneath, their homeland, the Kingdom of Dwarves at Erebor, once flourished, and they must stealthily leave before the break of dawn to retrieve “the pale enchanted gold”, alluding to their homeland and its lost treasures from its present wicked usurper. Here, “Misty Mountains” refers to the line of mist-covered peaks that forms the massive mountain range of Middle-earth, Tolkien’s imaginary world. They continued singing of their ancestors, who were mighty spell makers, and vividly recounted their glorious craftsmanship. They mourn the loss of their kingdom, which was once filled with wealth and riches. The dwarves sang of their past when they used to carve goblets and golden harps for their pleasure, far removed from the world of both men and immortals. But one day an evil dragon appeared and destroyed their home. It seized their wealth. The glorious kingdom of dwarves fell, its glow subdued. Yet, the dwarves were determined to reclaim their lost riches and revive their kingdom from the clutches of the evil dragon.
Their enchanting song seemed to put Bilbo into a trance and ignited an undeniable desire within him to travel and seek adventure. However, the thought of the dragon burning his home to ashes immediately pulled him back to his ordinary self.
