①On this occasion the presents were unusually good. The hobbit-children were so excitedthat for a while they almost forgot about eating. There were toys the like of whichthey had never seen before, all beautiful and some obviously magical. Many of themhad indeed been ordered a year before, and had come all the way from the Mountainand from Dale, and were of real dwarf-make.
②When every guest had been welcomed and was finally inside the gate, there were songs,dances, music, games, and, of course, food and drink. There were three official meals:lunch, tea, and dinner (or supper). But lunch and tea were marked chiefly by the factthat at those times all the guests were sitting down and eating together. At othertimes there were merely lots of people eating and drinking continuously from elevensesuntil six-thirty, when the fireworks started.
③The fireworks were by Gandalf: they were not only brought by him, but designed andmade by him; and the special effects, set pieces, and flights of rockets were letoff by him. But there was also a generous distribution of squibs, crackers,backarappers, sparklers, torches, dwarf-candles, elf- fountains, goblin-barkers andthunder-claps. They were all superb. The art of Gandalf improved with age.
④There were rockets like a flight of scintillating birds singing with sweet voices.There were green trees with trunks of dark smoke: their leaves opened like a wholespring unfolding in a moment, and their shining branches dropped glowing flowers downupon the astonished hobbits, disappearing with a sweet scent just before they touchedtheir upturned faces. There were fountains of butterflies that flew glittering intothe trees; there were pillars of coloured fires that rose and turned into eagles,or sailing ships, or a phalanx of flying swans; there was a red thunderstorm and ashower of yellow rain; there was a forest of silver spears that sprang suddenly intothe air with a yell like an embattled army, and came down again into the Water witha hiss like a hundred hot snakes. And there was also one last surprise, in honourof Bilbo, and it startled the hobbits exceedingly, as Gandalf intended. The lightswent out. A great smoke went up. It shaped itself like a mountain seen in the distance,and began to glow at the summit. It spouted green and scarlet flames. Out flew ared-golden dragon . not life-size, but terribly life-like: fire came from his jaws,his eyes glared down; there was a roar, and he whizzed three times over the headsof the crowd. They all ducked, and many fell flat on their faces. The dragon passedlike an express train, turned a somersault, and burst over Bywater with a deafeningexplosion.
⑤'That is the signal for supper!' said Bilbo. The pain and alarm vanished at once,and the prostrate hobbits leaped to their feet. There was a splendid supper foreveryone; for everyone, that is, except those invited to the special familydinner-party. This was held in the great pavilion with the tree. The invitations werelimited to twelve dozen (a number also called by the hobbits one Gross, though the word was not considered proper to use of people); and the guests were selected fromall the families to which Bilbo and Frodo were related, with the addition of a fewspecial unrelated friends (such as Gandalf). Many young hobbits were included, andpresent by parental permission; for hobbits were easy-going with their children inthe matter of sitting up late, especially when there was a chance of getting thema free meal. Bringing up young hobbits took a lot of provender.
②When every guest had been welcomed and was finally inside the gate, there were songs,dances, music, games, and, of course, food and drink. There were three official meals:lunch, tea, and dinner (or supper). But lunch and tea were marked chiefly by the factthat at those times all the guests were sitting down and eating together. At othertimes there were merely lots of people eating and drinking continuously from elevensesuntil six-thirty, when the fireworks started.
③The fireworks were by Gandalf: they were not only brought by him, but designed andmade by him; and the special effects, set pieces, and flights of rockets were letoff by him. But there was also a generous distribution of squibs, crackers,backarappers, sparklers, torches, dwarf-candles, elf- fountains, goblin-barkers andthunder-claps. They were all superb. The art of Gandalf improved with age.
④There were rockets like a flight of scintillating birds singing with sweet voices.There were green trees with trunks of dark smoke: their leaves opened like a wholespring unfolding in a moment, and their shining branches dropped glowing flowers downupon the astonished hobbits, disappearing with a sweet scent just before they touchedtheir upturned faces. There were fountains of butterflies that flew glittering intothe trees; there were pillars of coloured fires that rose and turned into eagles,or sailing ships, or a phalanx of flying swans; there was a red thunderstorm and ashower of yellow rain; there was a forest of silver spears that sprang suddenly intothe air with a yell like an embattled army, and came down again into the Water witha hiss like a hundred hot snakes. And there was also one last surprise, in honourof Bilbo, and it startled the hobbits exceedingly, as Gandalf intended. The lightswent out. A great smoke went up. It shaped itself like a mountain seen in the distance,and began to glow at the summit. It spouted green and scarlet flames. Out flew ared-golden dragon . not life-size, but terribly life-like: fire came from his jaws,his eyes glared down; there was a roar, and he whizzed three times over the headsof the crowd. They all ducked, and many fell flat on their faces. The dragon passedlike an express train, turned a somersault, and burst over Bywater with a deafeningexplosion.
⑤'That is the signal for supper!' said Bilbo. The pain and alarm vanished at once,and the prostrate hobbits leaped to their feet. There was a splendid supper foreveryone; for everyone, that is, except those invited to the special familydinner-party. This was held in the great pavilion with the tree. The invitations werelimited to twelve dozen (a number also called by the hobbits one Gross, though the word was not considered proper to use of people); and the guests were selected fromall the families to which Bilbo and Frodo were related, with the addition of a fewspecial unrelated friends (such as Gandalf). Many young hobbits were included, andpresent by parental permission; for hobbits were easy-going with their children inthe matter of sitting up late, especially when there was a chance of getting thema free meal. Bringing up young hobbits took a lot of provender.
