Past the River and Over the Hill

An Unexpected Journey

(Songs are classical pieces from the movie soundtrack) Song: "Old Friends -Extended Edition"

It was mid morning in The Shire, and Bilbo Baggins, was smoking a pipe, blowing long and wide smoke rings from his mouth, when he looked over, and discovered a very peculiar looking stranger, looming over him.

"Good Morning". States Bilbo, quite befuddled by his presence.

"What do you mean? Do you mean to wish me a good morning, or do you mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not? Or perhaps you mean to say that you feel good on this particular morning. Or are you simply stating that this is a morning to be good on?"

Bilbo was quite surprised at the old mans answer, and quickly, but cautiously answered;

"All of them at once, I suppose."

The man had a look of slight disappointment, continuing to make this quite uncomfortable for poor Bilbo.

"I'm sorry, can I help you?" Barely managing to keep himself from getting flustered, he tried to break the silence.

"That remains to be seen. I am looking for someone to share in an adventure." He couldn't have been anymore blunt with the hobbit.

"An adventure?" Bilbo was taken aback by his words.  " Now I don't imagine anyone west of Bree would have much interest in adventures. Nasty, disturbing, uncomfortable things . Make you late for dinner." He chuckled at the thought. With that, he rose from the bench, and went to fetch his mail from the mailbox, pipe still clutched in his mouth. Soon the presence of the old man began to make him feel uncomfortable again. Taking some steps toward the door, Bilbo turned to the old man, and quite simply stated "Good Morning", and hurried up the steps.

"To think i should have lived to be good-morninged by Belladonna Took's son, as if I were selling buttons at the door." Said the man.

Bilbo paused quite suddenly at the mention of his mothers name. "I beg your pardon?" Clearly he was growing flustered.

"You have changed, and not entirely for the better Bilbo Baggins."

Bilbo grew frightened, how the old man knew so much about him. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"Well you know my name, although you probably don't remember I belong to it,, I'm Gandalf! And Gandalf means...er.. me." He trailed off in his sentence, not quite knowing how to end it.

Bilbo was finally able to have a sense of victory. "Gandalf...not Gandalf the wandering wizard who made such excellent fireworks! Old Took used to have them at his Midsummer's Eve parties! Hmm... I had no idea you were still in business." Bilbo was suddenly confused..er..again.

"Well I am Pleased to find that you remember something about me, even if it is only my fire works." Gandalf said. Rather annoyed at the hobbits lack of memory.  " I shall Inform the others".

Bilbo almost chocked on his pipe. "Inform who? What? No. No! Wait!", he was getting anxious again."We do not want any adventures here! Thank you! Not today! Try over the Hill or across the water! Good Morning." And with that, Bilbo scurried away, retreating to the comfort of his Hobbit Hole.

Bolting the door shut, he hears a peculiar noise on the door. Scrapping at it. Bilbo cautiously looks out the window, only to look straight into the wizards eye! He yelps, jumping behind a wall, and with one last peak, sees the old man hurrying away, down the road from Bag End.