Having left it to Bilbo to solve the problem of opening the Secret Door, Thorin now expects Bilbo (in his capacity as Burglar) to go down the tunnel and reconnoitre the dragon's lair - a classic example of asking someone to do something you won't do yourself. Bilbo makes it plain to Thorin that he's not impressed by this attitude. Nevertheless, Bilbo is willing to do what Thorin wants ("Perhaps I have begun to trust my luck more than I used to in the old days"). Bilbo's experiences since leaving Bag End have made him more confident in dealing with Thorin and more prepared to face danger.

Only Balin is prepared to accompany him even part of the way, and once again Bilbo is forced to face the unknown on his own: "Going on from there was the bravest thing he ever did . . . He fought the real battle in the tunnel alone, before he ever saw the vast danger that lay in wait." This brief passage sums up the essence of fear and how to deal with it (perhaps Tolkien was recalling his experiences in the Great War at this point). The Bilbo who prepares to face Smaug bears little resemblance to the cautious hobbit who set out from the Shire six months previously.

The name Smaug is the past tense of the Old Norse verb smjúga - to creep through an opening (cf. the Old English "sméogan wyrme", which means "creeping worm") - a good example of Tolkien's word-play. Tolkien had become familiar with the mythology of dragons when studying the Old Norse sagas: "A dragon is no idle fancy. Whatever may be his origins, in fact or invention, the dragon in legend is a potent creation of men's imagination, richer in significance than his barrow is in gold. Even to-day (despite the critics) you may find men . . . who yet have been caught by the fascination of the worm." * And Tolkien was one of those who had been thus caught!

And what a barrow Bilbo discovers when he eventually plucks up the courage to enter the treasure-filled cave where Smaug lies sleeping on top of a pile of gold and jewels! Tolkien says that "there are no more words left to express his staggerment" (the earliest written record of this wonderful word "staggerment" is believed to be in one of Tolkien's own letters**). Awed as he is, Bilbo has enough wit to grab a great golden cup and run back to Balin, who carries him out of the tunnel. So Bilbo has indeed become the Burglar the dwarves wanted him to be, but their delight is cut short when Smaug discovers the theft and leaves the mountain in a rage, seeking the culprit . . .

* Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics, 1936
** Ring of Words, Gilliver, Marhsall & Weiner, OUP 2006