Chapter 5

Bilbo regains consciousness and realises he is alone. He tries to crawl through the tunnel and move in the direction which he believes Gandalf and the dwarves must have gone. On his way, he finds a ring which he puts in his pocket. Bilbo reaches an underground lake where he meets Gollum. Gollum is a small, slimy, and dark creature with pale eyes, who preys upon Goblins and fish. He calls himself “my precious.”

Gollum challenges Bilbo to a game of riddles. It is decided that if Gollum wins, he will eat Bilbo and if Bilbo wins, Gollum will show him the exit. Both perform well but Bilbo wins by sheer luck. However, Gollum still decides to eat Bilbo. He goes to his island looking for his most cherished possession: a ring that made him invisible. Unable to find the ring, he thinks that Bilbo has stolen it.

Gollum begins to chase Bilbo, who wears the ring and becomes invisible. Bilbo follows Gollum and finds the exit to the cave. Bilbo has the opportunity to slay Gollum but he chooses not to.

In this chapter, Bilbo must confront a danger all by himself for the first time. He uses his intelligence and alertness to outwit Gollum. Of course, luck also played a role in helping Bilbo. In overcoming this challenge, Bilbo demonstrates a bravery that he did not know he possessed. Bilbo also shows how far and ethical he is when he chooses to not kill Gollum, a rare quality which only true heroes possess.