The Hobbit, or, There and Back Again Chapter 4 Summary

Over Hill and Under Hill

• They climb up and up and up, and the weather gets colder and more uncertain.
• One night, a truly terrific storm breaks out and they try to find shelter crouched against a sheer cliff.
• The dwarves send the two youngest, Fili and Kili, to scout for shelter.
• Quick as anything, Fili and Kili return with good news: there's a cave nearby!
• They promise they've explored the cave thoroughly, even though they haven't been gone nearly long enough for that to be true.
• Everyone is relieved to be in out of the rain and falling rocks and thunder, though.
• That night, Bilbo has strange dreams that prevent him from sleeping.
• This turns out to be lucky, because Bilbo is awake when a crack opens at the back of the cave.
• Bilbo yells and wakes Gandalf, who disappears in a flash of light.
• Suddenly, a bunch of goblins jump out of the crack.
• They grab Bilbo and all the dwarves and carry them into their mountain passages.
• The goblins shake their prisoners and laugh and sing threatening songs: "Crash, crash! Crush, smash! / Hammer and tongs! Knocker and gongs! / Pound, pound, far underground! / Ho, ho! my lad!" (4.18)
• The goblins arrive with their prisoners in a big chamber lit with fires.
• The Great Goblin sees that Thorin is carrying an elvish sword – Orcrist, the Goblin-cleaver – and freaks out.
• The goblins call this sword Biter, and they hate it in memory of the Goblin-wars back in the day.
• The Great Goblin calls them "Murderers and elf-friends!" (4.31) and rushes at Thorin to kill him.
• Just then, the lights go out and another sword starts to flash: it's Glamdring, the Foehammer, which the goblins call Beater. In other words, it's Gandalf's sword. Gandalf's back!
• With Gandalf's help, Bilbo, Thorin, and the other dwarves escape.
• They rush along the dark mountain halls as quickly as they can.
• But goblins are fast, quiet, and they know the way better than the dwarves do, so eventually they manage to ambush the dwarves.
• In the confusion, Bilbo knocks his head on a rock and loses consciousness.