Chapter 5- "Riddles in the Dark"

The Hobbit- There and Back Again by J.R.R Tolkien (1937)

This series of caches (each one named after a chapter in The Hobbit) will be placed counter-clockwise around the Aurora Reservoir as a tribute to J.R.R. Tolkien and an educational spurning for children of all ages to read the book for themselves. I've tried my best to pattern the finds and their physical locations after the content of the chapters themselves (see "cache notes" below). I hope you enjoy this series.

Chapter 5- "Riddles in the Dark"

Synopsis

Bilbo recovers from his fall and finds himself in a dark passage, finds a gold ring on the ground, and pockets it. Soon he comes across the creature Gollum. The two soon get engaged in an exchange of riddles.

Plot

Bilbo regains consciousness and, finding himself alone, tries to crawl through the tunnel. He stumbles across a Ring, which he absentmindedly pockets. As a hobbit, Bilbo orients himself quite well underground, and he descends the tunnel until he comes to a lake.

Bilbo is spotted by Gollum, a strange creature who lives alone on an island in the middle of the lake, which he navigates in a small boat. Gollum is a small, slimy, dark creature with pale eyes who eats Goblins and fish, named for the sound he makes when he swallows. Because he lives alone, Gollum is in the habit of speaking to himself in a hissing baby-talk, calling himself "my precious." Trying to assess Bilbo, he engages him in a game of riddles, at which Bilbo proves his equal.

Gollum decides to get the better of Bilbo by using his "birthday present", the Ring. When he wears it, he is invisible and can more easily snag his prey. He goes to the hiding place where he keeps the Ring, but it's missing (he wore the ring a few hours before to catch a goblin, and it slipped off in a tunnel on his way back). Gollum correctly surmises that Bilbo has it and confronts him, asking what is in his pocket. Bilbo, who does not understand the power of the Ring, slips it on his finger as Gollum runs to attack him. Bilbo becomes invisible, and Gollum cannot find him to attack.

Gollum is afraid that without the invisibility of the ring, he will be captured by the Goblins, so he panics and runs to escape the cave. Bilbo, who is still invisible, follows him, thereby discovering the way out. Gollum, who can smell Bilbo, blocks his way. Bilbo thinks of killing Gollum, but decides it would not be fair, since Gollum is defenseless. He escapes by leaping over Gollum's head and through the passageway, but he runs into the Goblins. As they rush at him, he slips the ring on and escapes to the outside where it is light and the Goblins cannot follow.

Image Credit

Riddles in the Dark, digital image of pictographic material, The Lord of the Rings Wiki, accessed 5/31/2023, <https://lotr.fandom.com/wiki/Portal:The_Hobbit_Chapters>

Caches notes- This cache is located at the mouth of a "dark" tunnel under the trail. If you listen close enough, you just may hear a riddle (from the book):

It cannot be seen, cannot be felt,
Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt.
It lies behind stars and under hills,
And empty holes it fills.
It comes first and follows after,
Ends life, kills laughter.

Answer: Darkness