The Hobbit tells the story of a comfortable, peaceable creature named Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo, like most hobbits, is similar to a human but about half the size and not nearly as loud. Bilbo gets caught up in affairs much greater than his own hobbit-life when, at the recommendation of a mysterious old wizard named Gandalf, he is hired as a "burglar" by a group of dwarves. These dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield, are going to the Lonely Mountain in the east to reclaim their family's treasure from the great dragon Smaug. Along the way, the company gets into trouble with goblins, spiders, and other malevolent creatures, and they often escape only because of the assistance of Gandalf and other good creatures they meet. Bilbo proves himself essential to the quest, saving the dwarves on many occasions. His success is partly due to a magic ring that he takes from a strange, dark creature named Gollum, who lives in the caves below the Misty Mountains. Bilbo even manages to discover Smaug's weak spot, which allows the dragon to be killed and the treasure freed.
             However, the dwarves cannot enjoy the gold alone since it lures humans and elves, some of whom have a rightful claim to a portion of it. Thorin's unwillingness to share the treasure almost leads to war between the dwarves, the elves, and humans, but, instead, war is forced upon all of them by the goblins and wargs (wild wolves). All the good races (elves, dwarves, and humans) are, thus, forced to unite against their common enemies. They succeed in defeating the evil creatures but at the cost of the life of Thorin and many others. After the battle, the good races enjoy the treasure in peace rather than fighting over it. Bilbo, weary but happy to have played a part in great affairs, returns to his quiet home at Bag End. However, because of his unhobbit-like adventures, he is never really accepted back into the community of Hobbiton.
             Though Tolkien's world is one of fantasy, he designed i...