The Hobbit

by J.R.R. Tolkien

never had any adventures or did anything unexpected:

This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure, and found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected.

Then something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine-trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking-stick. He looked out of the window. The stars were out in a dark sky above the trees.

There is a lot more in him than you guess, and a deal more than he has any idea of himself.

R12112291609 Here we are again with the idea of potential. That this idea is presented by Gandalf underlines his archetype as the old wise man--God Himself, many might argue.

dragons are comfortably far-off (and therefore legendary).

Later he used to crawl out of the great gate and come by night to Dale, and carry away people, especially maidens,

His house was perfect, whether you liked food, or sleep, or work, or story-telling, or singing, or just sitting and thinking best, or a pleasant mixture of them all. Evil things did not come into that valley.

“out of the frying-pan into the fire”

The Lord of the Eagles would not take them anywhere near where men lived.

is there no way round?” “There is, if you care to go two hundred miles or so out of your way north, and twice that south. But you wouldn’t get a safe path even then. There are no safe paths in this part of the world.

R12202130036 When confronting conflict, identify the mostfeasible solution. There is only one easy solution: witholding oneself from the conflict. But even that also engenders its own difficulty--consequences.

Men changed the language that they learned of elves in the days when all the world was wonderful.

“Never laugh at live dragons,

R12206100124 Do not make jests at the expense of tyrants if you wish to steer clear from needless persecution.

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.

What a hopeful thought... and I like that "merry" and not "happy" was the word used.

even dragons have their ending!”

“Something is the matter with you! You are not the hobbit that you were.”

Surely you don’t disbelieve the prophecies, because you had a hand in bringing them about yourself?