Learn English with The Hobbit

• ☐ ☐ ☐ The Eye of Sauron [n] - the symbol of the Dark Lord (Sauron) [image]
• ☐ ☐ ☐ Here lies... [exp] - Here is...
• ☐ ☐ ☐ set loose [v] - give them their freedom
• ☐ ☐ ☐ 200 miles [n] - 300 kilometers
• ☐ ☐ ☐ the Shire [n] - Bilbo's home
• ☐ ☐ ☐ an overlook [n] - a high place (like a cliff) from where you can see far [image]
• ☐ ☐ ☐ the slopes [n] - the low hills at the beginning of a mountain [image]
• ☐ ☐ ☐ No matter what may come. [exp] - Whatever happens.
• ☐ ☐ ☐ a tobacco pouch [n] - a pocket where you keep tobacco (for smoking) [image]

[n] - noun,  [v] - verb, [phv] - phrasal verb,  [adj] - adjective,  [exp] - expression

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Bilbo	Gandalf	Thorin

• The dwarves are on a quest to take their home (Erebor) back from a dragon (Smaug).
• Their home (Erebor) is in the Lonely Mountain.
• Bilbo's home is called the Shire.
• The dwarves were given ponies by Beorn - part man, part bear.

1. What is the name of the forest they must cross?
   The Elven Forest
   The Dark Forest
   Mirkwood
   Erebor
   
   
2. Where will the ponies go after they are set free?
   They will wait for the dwarves near the forest.
   They will stay with Gandalf
   They will go back to their master.
   
   
3. What does Bilbo say about the forest?
   It is scary.
   It looks dark.
   It feels sick.
   It has changed.
   
   
4. What does Bilbo want to do?
   Go around the forest
   Stay with Gandalf
   Follow the path
   Keep the ponies
   
   
5. Why does Gandalf say they cannot do this?
   The forest is too big.
   Bilbo is too slow.
   They will get lost.
   Beorn will become angry.
   
   
6. Why does Gandalf not stay with the dwarves?
   He is scared.
   He must meet Beorn.
   He wants to keep his horse.
   He sees the Eye of Sauron.
   
   
7. What does Bilbo say is the cause of his change?
   He found a ring in the goblin tunnels.
   He learned to fight in the goblin tunnels.
   He killed a goblin in the goblin tunnels.
   He found his courage in the goblin tunnels.
   
   
8. Where will Gandalf meet the dwarves?
   On the slopes of Erebor
   At the edge of Mirkwood
   At the top of the Lonely Mountain
   
   
9. What does Gandalf want Thorin to keep safe?
   The map
   The key
   Bilbo
   The ponies
   Bilbo's ring
   The other dwarves
   
   
10. When must they reach the mountain?
    In one day
    On Durin's Day
    Before summer ends
    
    
11. What advice does Gandalf give the dwarves?
    Stay on the path
    Only travel at night
    Don't climb the trees
    Don't drink any water in forest
    Don't kill anything in the forest
    
    
12. What happens while they are walking through the forest?
    One dwarf falls into a river.
    They are attacked by orcs.
    They fall asleep.
    They get lost.
    
    
13. How does Bilbo know they are walking in circles?
    Bilbo can see the sun.
    Thorin cannot see the sun.
    Bilbo has been dropping rocks.
    One dwarf finds his own tobacco pouch.
    
    
14. What direction are they supposed to be walking?
    North
    South
    East
    West
    
    
15. Why does Bilbo climb the tree?
    He needs to see the sun to find the right direction.
    He wants to hide from spiders in the forest.
    He feels that he cannot breathe in the forest.
    
    
16. What does Bilbo see after he climbs the tree?
    Orcs
    Goblins
    Spiders
    Gandalf
    A lake
    A river
    A desert
    The Lonely Mountain
    
    
17. Why can the dwarves not hear Bilbo after he climbs the tree?
    They have run away.
    Bilbo climbed too high.
    They have been captured by spiders.
    
    

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Directions: Write sentences about the video clip using the words given. You can change the word form or add words, but you cannot change the word order. Use present tense.

Dwalin / think / they / luck / their / side / because / they / not / see / orc

Dwalin thinks that they have luck on their side because they [can't/don't] see any orcs.

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Because / Gandalf / see / Beorn / watch / them / he / tell / dwarf / set / pony / loose

Because Gandalf sees Beorn watching them, he tells the dwarves to set the ponies loose.

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Bilbo / want / go / Mirkwood / but / it / stretch / 200 / mile / north / and / twice / south

Bilbo wants to go around Mirkwood, but it stretches 200 miles (to the) north and twice [that/as far] (to the) south.

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when / Gandalf / see / Eye / Sauron / paint / tree / he / decide / leave / dwarvf

When Gandalf sees the Eye of Sauron painted on a tree, he decides to leave the dwarves.

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Gandalf / notice / Bilbo / change / since / he / leave / Shire

Gandalf notices (that) Bilbo has changed since he left the Shire.

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Bilbo / tell / Gandalf / he / find / courage / goblin / tunnel

Bilbo tells Gandalf that he found (his) courage in the goblin tunnels.

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dwarf / get / lost / while / walk / Mirkwood

The dwarves get lost while (they are) walking [through/in] Mirkwood.

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Bilbo / climb / top / tree / so / he / can / see / sun / and / get / bearing

Bilbo climbs to the top of [a/some/the] tree(s) so (that) he can see the sun and get his bearings.

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top / tree / Bilbo / can / see / Lonely / Mountian

[From/at] the top of the tree(s), Bilbo can see the Lonely Mountian.

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as / Bilbo / climb / tree / he / fall / and / capture / spider

As Bilbo climbs down the tree, he falls and is captured by a spider.

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The text below is from the [ original novel ]. You can also read a [ shortened version ] of the novel.

1. Which parts of the video are the same as the novel?
2. Which parts of the video are different from the novel?
3. Which parts of the novel are not in the video?

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"Well, here is Mirkwood!" said Gandalf. "The greatest of the forests of the Northern world. I hope you like the look of it. Now you must send back these excellent ponies you have borrowed."

The dwarves were inclined to grumble at this, but the wizard told them they were fools. "You had better keep your promises, for Beorn is a bad enemy. He may be your friend, but he loves his animals as his children.

You do not guess what kindness he has shown you in letting dwarves ride them so far and so fast, nor what would happen to you if you tried to take them into the forest.

"What about the horse, then?" said Thorin. "You don't mention sending that back."

"I don't, because I am not sending it, I am riding it."

Then they knew that Gandalf was going to leave them at the very edge of Mirkwood, and they were in despair. But nothing they could say would change his mind.

"Now we had this all out before, " he said. "It is no use arguing. I have, as I told you, some pressing business away south; and I am already late through bothering with you people. We may meet again before all is over, and then again of course we may not.

That depends on your luck and on your courage and sense; and I am sending Mr. Baggins with you. I have told you before that he has more about him than you guess, and you will find that out before long. So cheer up Bilbo and don't look so glum. Cheer up Thorin and Company! This is your expedition after all. Think of the treasure at the end, and forget the forest and the dragon, at any rate until tomorrow morning!"

When tomorrow morning came, he still said the same. So now there was nothing left to do but to fill their water skins at a clear spring they found close to the forest-gate, and unpack the ponies. They distributed the packages as fairly as they could and they said good-bye to the ponies and turned their heads for home. Off they trotted gaily, seeming very glad to put their tails towards the shadow of Mirkwood.

Now Gandalf too said farewell. Bilbo sat on the ground feeling very unhappy and wishing he was beside the wizard on his tall horse.

"Good-bye!" said Gandalf to Thorin. "And good-bye to you all, goodbye! Straight through the forest is your way now. Don't stray off the track! - if you do, it is a thousand to one you will never find it again and never get out of Mirkwood, and then I don't suppose I, or anyone else, will ever see you again."

"Very comforting you are to be sure," growled Thorin. "Good-bye! If you won't come with us, you had better get off without any more talk!"

"Good-bye then, and really good-bye!" said Gandalf, and he turned his horse and rode down into the West. But he could not resist the temptation to have the last word. Before he had passed quite out of hearing he turned and put his hands to his mouth and called to them. They heard his voice come faintly: "Good-bye! Be good, take care of yourselves – and DON'T LEAVE THE PATH!"

*     *     *     *     *     *     *     *

They walked in single file. The entrance to the path was like a sort of arch leading into a gloomy tunnel made by two great trees that leant together, too old and strangled with ivy and hung with lichen to bear more than a few blackened leaves. The path itself was narrow and wound in and out among the trunks. Soon the light at the gate was like a little bright hole far behind, and the quiet was so deep that their feet seemed to thump along while all the trees leaned over them and listened.

There were black squirrels in the wood. As Bilbo's sharp inquisitive eyes got used to seeing things he could catch glimpses of them whisking off the path and scuttling behind tree-trunks. There were queer noises too, grunts, scufflings, and hurryings in the undergrowth, and among the leaves that lay piled endlessly thick in places on the forest-floor, but what made the noises he could not see.

It was not long before they grew to hate the forest as heartily as they had hated the tunnels of the goblins, and it seemed to offer even less hope of any ending. But they had to go on and on, long after they were sick for a sight of the sun and of the sky, and longed for the feel of wind on their faces. There was no movement of air down under the forest-roof, and it was everlastingly still and dark and stuffy.

The nights were the worst. It then became pitch-dark - not what you call pitch-dark, but really pitch; so black that you really could see nothing. They slept all closely huddled together, and took it in turns to watch; and when it was Bilbo's turn he would see gleams in the darkness round them, and sometimes pairs of yellow or red or green eyes would stare at him from a little distance, and then slowly fade and disappear and slowly shine out again in another place.

All this went on for what seemed to the hobbit ages upon ages; and he was always hungry, for they were extremely careful with their provisions. Even so, as days followed day, and still the forest seemed just the same, they began to get anxious. The food would not last for ever: it was in fact already beginning to get low. They tried shooting at the squirrels, and they wasted many arrows before they managed to bring one down on the path. But when they roasted it, it proved horrible to taste, and they shot no more squirrels.

They were thirsty too, for they had none too much water, and in all time they had seen neither spring nor stream. This was their state when one day they found their path blocked by running water. It flowed fast and strong but not very wide right across the way, and it was black, or looked it in the gloom. It was well that Beorn had warned them against it, or they would have drunk from it, whatever its colour, and filled some of their emptied skins at its bank. As it was they only thought of how to cross it without wetting themselves in its water.

Bilbo kneeling on the brink and peering forward cried: "There is a boat against the far bank! Now why couldn't it have been this side!"

"How far away do you think it is?" asked Thorin, for by now they knew Bilbo had the sharpest eyes among them.

"Not at all far. I shouldn't think above twelve yards. Can any of you throw a rope?"

"What's the good of that? The boat is sure to be tied up, even if we could hook it, which I doubt."

"I don't believe it is tied," said Bilbo, "though of course I can't be sure in this light; but it looks to me as if it was just drawn up on the bank, which is low just there where the path goes down into the water."

Fili thought he could; so when he had stared a long while to get an idea of the direction, the others brought him a rope. They had several with them, and on the end of the longest they fastened one of the large iron hooks. Fili took this in his hand, balanced it for a moment, and then flung it across the stream.

"Steady!" said Bilbo, "you have thrown it right into the wood on the other side now. Draw it back gently." Fili hauled the rope back slowly, and. after a while Bilbo said: "Carefully! It is lying on the boat; let's hope the hook will catch."

It did. The rope went taut, and Fili pulled in vain. Kili came to his help, and then Oin and Gloin. They tugged and tugged, and suddenly they all fell over on their backs. Bilbo was on the lookout, however, caught the rope, and with a piece of stick fended off the little black boat as it came rushing across the stream. "Help!" he shouted, and Balin was just in time to seize the boat before it floated off down the current.

"It was tied after all," said he, looking at the snapped painter that was still dangling from it. "That was a good pull, my lads; and a good job that our rope was the stronger."

"Who will cross first?" asked Bilbo.

"I shall," said Thorin, "and you will come with me, and Fili and Balin. That's as many as the boat will hold at a time. After that Kili and Oin and Gloin and Dori; next Ori and Nori, Bifur and Bofur; and last Dwalin and Bombur."

"I'm always last and I don't like it," said Bombur. "It's somebody else's turn today."

"You should not be so fat. As you are, you must be with the last and lightest boatload. Don't start grumbling against orders, or something bad will happen to you."

They were all soon on the far bank safe across the enchanted stream. Dwalin had just scrambled out, and Bombur (still grumbling) was getting ready to follow, when something bad did happen. He stumbled, thrusting the boat away from the bank, and then toppled back into the dark water, his hands slipping off the slimy roots at the edge, while the boat span slowly off and disappeared.

They could still see his hood above the water when they ran to the bank. Quickly they flung a rope with a hook towards him. His hand caught it, and they pulled him to the shore. He was drenched from hair to boots, of course, but that was not the worst. When they laid him on the bank he was already fast asleep; and fast asleep he remained in spite of all they could do.

They stood over him, cursing their ill luck, while Bombur slept on with a smile on his fat face, as if he no longer cared for all the troubles that vexed them.

They were a gloomy party that night, and the gloom gathered still deeper on them in the following days. They had crossed the enchanted stream; but beyond it the path seemed to straggle on just as before, and in the forest they could see no change. Besides they were burdened with the heavy body of Bombur, which they had to carry along with them as best they could, taking the wearisome task in turns of four each while the others shared their packs. If these had not become all too light in the last few days, they would never have managed it; but a slumbering and smiling Bombur was a poor exchange for packs filled with food how-ever heavy. In a few days a time came when there was practically nothing left to eat or to drink.

Nothing wholesome could they see growing in the woods, only funguses and herbs with pale leaves and unpleasant smell.

About four days from the enchanted stream they came to a part where most of the trees were beeches. They were at first inclined to be cheered by the change, for here there was no undergrowth and the shadow was not so deep. There was a greenish light about them, and in places they could see some distance to either side of the path. Yet the light only showed them endless lines of straight grey trunks like the pillars of some huge, twilight hall.

Two days later they found their path going downwards and before long they were in a valley filled almost entirely with a mighty growth of oaks.

"Is there no end to this accursed forest?" said Thorin. "It goes on for ever and ever and ever in all directions! Whatever shall we do?"

That night they ate their very last scraps and crumbs of food; and next morning when they awoke the first thing they noticed was that they were still hungry, and the next thing was that it was raining and that here and there, the drip of it was dropping heavily on the forest floor. That only reminded them that they were also very thirsty, without doing anything to relieve them: you cannot quench a terrible thirst by standing under giant oaks and waiting for a chance drip to fall on your tongue. The only scrap of comfort there was, came unexpectedly from Bombur.

He woke up suddenly and sat up scratching his head. When he heard that there was nothing to eat, he sat down and wept, for he felt very weak and wobbly in the legs. "Why ever did I wake up!" he cried. "I was having such beautiful dreams. I dreamed I was walking in a forest rather like this one, only lit with torches on the trees and lamps swinging from the branches and fires burning on the ground; and there was a great feast going on, going on for ever.”

There was nothing now to be done but to tighten the belts round their empty stomachs, and hoist their empty sacks and packs, and trudge along the track without any great hope of ever getting to the end before they lay down and died of starvation. This they did all that day, going very slowly and wearily, while Bombur kept on wailing that his legs would not carry him and that he wanted to lie down and sleep.

Suddenly Balin, who was a little way ahead, called out. "What was that? I thought I saw a twinkle of light in the forest."

They all looked, and a longish way off, it seemed, they saw a red twinkle in the dark; then another and another sprang out beside it. Even Bombur got up, and they hurried along then, not caring if it was trolls or goblins. The light was in front of them and to the left of the path, and when at last they had drawn level with it, it seemed plain that torches and fires were burning under the trees, but a good way off their track.

"It looks as if my dreams were coming true," gasped Bombur puffing up behind. He wanted to rush straight off into the wood after the lights. But the others remembered only too well the warnings of the wizard and of Beorn.

"A feast would be no good, if we never got back alive from it," said Thorin.

"But without a feast we shan't remain alive much longer anyway," said Bombur, and Bilbo heartily agreed with him. They argued about it backwards and forwards for a long while, until they agreed at length to send out a couple of spies, to creep near the lights and find out more about them.

But then they could not agree on who was to be sent, so they all left the path and plunged into the forest together. After a good deal of creeping and crawling they peered round the trunks and looked into a clearing where some trees had been felled and the ground levelled. There were many people there, elvish-looking folk, all dressed in green and brown and sitting on sawn rings of the felled trees in a great circle. There was a fire in their midst and there were torches, fastened to some of the trees round about; but most splendid sight of all; they were eating and drinking and laughing merrily.

The smell of the roast meats was so enchanting that, without waiting to consult one another, every one of them got up and scrambled forwards into the ring with the one idea of begging for some food. No sooner had the first stepped into the clearing than all the lights went out as if by magic. Somebody kicked the fire and it vanished. They were lost in a completely lightless dark and they could not even find one another, not for a long time at any rate. At last they managed to gather themselves in a bundle and count themselves by touch. By that time they had, of course, quite forgotten in what direction the path lay, and they were all hopelessly lost, at least till morning.

There was nothing for it but to settle down for the night where they were; they did not even dare to search on the ground for scraps of food for fear of becoming separated again. But they had not been lying long, and Bilbo was only just getting drowsy, when Dori, whose turn it was to watch first, said in a loud whisper: “The lights are coming out again over there, and there are more than ever of them.”

Up they all jumped. There, sure enough, not far away were scores of twinkling lights, and they heard the voices and the laughter quite plainly. They crept slowly towards them, in a single line, each touching the back of the one in front. When they got near, Thorin said: “No rushing forward this time! No one is to stir from hiding till I say. I shall send Mr. Baggins alone first to talk to them.

They won’t be frightened of him—(‘What about me of them?’ thought Bilbo)— and any way I hope they won’t do anything nasty to him.”

When they got to the edge of the circle of lights they pushed Bilbo suddenly from behind. Before he had time to slip on his ring, he stumbled forward into the full blaze of the fire and torches. It was no good. Out went all the lights again and complete darkness fell.

If it had been difficult collecting themselves before, it was far worse this time. And they simply could not find the hobbit. Every time they counted themselves it only made thirteen. They shouted and called: “Bilbo Baggins!

Bilbo found himself running round and round (as he thought) and calling and calling: “Dori, Nori, Ori, Oin, Gloin, Fili, Kili, Bombur, Bifur, Bofur, Dwalin, Balin, Thorin Oakenshield,” while people he could not see or feel were doing the same all round him (with an occasional “Bilbo!” thrown in). But the cries of the others got steadily further and fainter, and though after a while it seemed to him they changed to yells and cries for help in the far distance, all noise at last died right away, and he was left alone in complete silence and darkness.

That was one of his most miserable moments. But he soon made up his mind that it was no good trying to do anything till day came with some little light, and quite useless to go blundering about tiring himself out with no hope of any breakfast to revive him. So he sat himself down with his back to a tree, and not for the last time fell to thinking of his far-distant hobbit-hole with its beautiful pantries. He was deep in thoughts of bacon and eggs and toast and butter when he felt something touch him. Something like a strong sticky string was against his left hand, and when he tried to move he found that his legs were already wrapped in the same stuff, so that when he got up he fell over.

Then the great spider, who had been busy tying him up while he dozed, came from behind him and came at him. He could only see the thing’s eyes, but he could feel its hairy legs as it struggled to wind its abominable threads round and round him. It was lucky that he had come to his senses in time. Soon he would not have been able to move at all. As it was, he had a desperate fight before he got free. He beat the creature off with his hands—it was trying to poison him to keep him quiet, as small spiders do to flies—until he remembered his sword and drew it out. Then the spider jumped back, and he had time to cut his legs loose.

After that it was his turn to attack. The spider evidently was not used to things that carried such stings at their sides, or it would have hurried away quicker. Bilbo came at it before it could disappear and stuck it with his sword right in the eyes. Then it went mad and leaped and danced and flung out its legs in horrible jerks, until he killed it with another stroke; and then he fell down and remembered nothing more for a long while.

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[ printable .pdf ]

1. Why are the dwarves able to travel to Mirkwood without encountering any orcs? (There is a subtle clue at the beginning of the video.)
2. Gandalf says that Bilbo is not the same hobbit that left the Shire. Can you think of three ways in which Bilbo has changed since the beginning of the movie (or book)?
3. Gandalf leaves the dwarves because he sees the Eye of Sauron painted on a tree. What do you know about the Eye?
4. Bilbo says that he found his courage. Can you think of four examples of Bilbo acting courageously from previous videos or the book?
5. What is the bravest thing that you have ever done?
6. What is the bravest thing that your have seen someone else do?
7. Bilbo climbs the tree to see the sun and find East. What are some different ways that people can determine direction - both natural and man-made?
8. In your country, what is the most dangerous thing you can encounter in a forest? What is the creepiest thing you might encounter?