Encounter with Smaug

The Encounter with Smaug is the pivotal confrontation of The Hobbit, the moment when the quest's central peril is faced directly and when the fate of the entire company, and of the lands beyond the Mountain, is decided. It is a two-part ordeal: first, a stealthy theft that awakens the dragon's fury, and second, a tense, riddling dialogue in which Bilbo Baggins, alone and invisible, both provokes and outwits the ancient worm, discovering the secret that will lead to Smaug's destruction while also unwittingly sealing the doom of Lake-town.

The Burglar's Descent and the Theft of the Cup

After the secret door is opened on Durin's Day, Thorin Oakenshield formally calls upon Bilbo to perform the service for which he was included in the Company: to enter the hidden passage and spy out the dragon's lair. Bilbo, though cross and fearful, accepts the task, noting that "third time pays for all" and that he has begun to trust his luck more than he used to. Only old Balin, the lookout man, offers to accompany him even a short way inside. The passage is smooth and straight, made by dwarves at the height of their skill, and Bilbo creeps down it alone, slipping on his ring to become invisible. He is now a very different hobbit from the one who left Bag-End without a pocket-handkerchief. The tunnel grows warm, and a red glow appears ahead, accompanied by a rumbling snore like a gigantic tom-cat purring. At the end of the passage, Bilbo peers into the vast bottom-most hall of the ancient dwarves and sees Smaug: a vast red-golden dragon, fast asleep, lying on countless piles of precious things—gold wrought and unwrought, gems and jewels, and silver red-stained in the ruddy light. The sight fills Bilbo with the desire of dwarves, and he is drawn against his will to steal a great two-handled cup, as heavy as he can carry. He flees back up the tunnel, and the dwarves are overjoyed, praising him and passing the cup from hand to hand. But their celebration is cut short by a vast rumbling from deep within the Mountain. Smaug has awakened and discovered the theft.

The Dragon's Wrath and the Company's Flight

Smaug's rage is beyond description. He belches fire, shakes the mountain-roots, and speeds from his deep lair up towards the Front Gate. The dwarves, caught on the grassy terrace outside the secret door, are nearly killed. Only Bilbo's quick thinking saves them: he urges them into the tunnel just as Smaug hurtles from the North, licking the mountain-sides with flame. The dragon's hot breath shrivels the grass before the door and scorches them as they lie hidden. The ponies scream, burst their ropes, and gallop off, and Smaug pursues them. The dwarves are trapped inside the tunnel, their only way out leading through the dragon's lair. They debate what to do, and some begin to grumble at Bilbo for stirring up Smaug's wrath so soon. Bilbo angrily retorts that he was hired to steal treasure, not to kill dragons, and that they ought to have brought five hundred burglars, not one. The dwarves apologize, and Bilbo offers to creep down again at noon, when Smaug ought to be napping, to see what he is up to. He has become the real leader of the adventure.

The Riddling Conversation and the Discovery of the Weak Spot

When Bilbo descends again, he finds Smaug pretending to sleep, watching the tunnel entrance with one half-open eye. The dragon speaks, revealing that he can smell the hobbit and feel his air. Bilbo, wise in dragon-lore, refuses to come nearer and instead engages Smaug in a riddling conversation, giving himself titles such as "clue-finder," "web-cutter," "stinging fly," "Ringwinner," and "Barrel-rider." Smaug, fascinated by riddling talk, does not immediately attack. He deduces that Bilbo has come from Lake-town, and he boasts of his own invincibility, claiming to be armoured above and below with iron scales and hard gems. Bilbo, remembering the old saying that dragons are softer underneath, slyly provokes Smaug into revealing his underside. The dragon, absurdly pleased, rolls over to display his diamond-encrusted belly. Bilbo, pretending to be dazzled, sees what he had hoped for: a large bare patch in the hollow of Smaug's left breast, as bare as a snail out of its shell. Having gained this crucial intelligence, Bilbo attempts to leave, but his parting shot about burglars enrages the dragon, who spouts terrific flames after him, singeing the hair on the back of his head and his heels.

Consequences and Aftermath

Bilbo returns to the dwarves and tells them what he has learned, though he is worried and uncomfortable, regretting some of the things he said to the dragon. He confesses that he has a horrible feeling Smaug's next move will be against Lake-town. The old thrush, who has been listening to their conversation, silently spreads its wings and flies away. Bilbo's foreboding grows, and he insists they shut the door to the tunnel. They do so just in time, for Smaug, having failed to find the secret entrance, vents his fury by smashing the mountain-side with his tail, destroying the ledge and the grassy bay. He then rises in fire and flies south towards the Running River, intent on vengeance against the Lake-men. The dwarves are now trapped inside the Mountain, their only way out blocked, and the dragon is on his way to destroy Esgaroth. The encounter has set in motion the final, catastrophic act of the adventure.