World Building logoIf you are looking for the World Building Blogfest, click on the logo or scroll down.

The first six of these quotes, tweeted from @sueannbowling between January 24 and January 30, are from The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. Note that the quotes and contexts are from the book, not the movie.

Book Cover, The Hobbit“No dragon can resist the fascination of riddling talk and of wasting time trying to understand it.” Bilbo is trying to avoid answering Smaug’s questions without angering him.

“Never laugh at live dragons.” Bilbo’s thought after he makes a parting joke at Smaug’s expense, and barely escapes with his life.

“It is difficult not to slip in talking to a dragon.” Balin trying to comfort Bilbo.

“The heart is bold that looks on gold.” Part of a dwarvish song. I actually prefer a later verse that lacked twitter-length quotes:

On silver necklaces they strung
The light of stars, on crowns they hung
The dragon-fire, from twisted wire
The melody of harps they wrung.

“Defeat seems very uncomfortable, not to say distressing.” Bilbo’s thought at the Battle of Five Armies, just before he sees the eagles.

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” Thorin’s dying words to Bilbo.

“Don’t. I’d have to do something about it, and I can’t get along without you.” Sue Ann Bowling, Homecoming. Lai to Derik, after Derik has muttered that he’s going to kill Zhaim.