The Revived Tolkien Trivia

Well done Pyan.

*An elf surfs on a shield down the oliphaunt's nose, takes off, does a double somersault over Pyan and drops a bell into his hand*

Your turn!
 
Thank you, thank you *bows*

Now, JRRT, in the books we are concerned with here, very nearly wrote everything in the past tense...except there is one place in a narrative where he slips into the present tense for a short time. Where?

The one I'm looking for contains the words cellar and floor...:)
 
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Py, I think we are due for a hint. It's been over a week, and the the sound of the crickets is deafening.
 
Pyan, sounds like Frodo forcibly evicting two young hobbits from his premises during the execution of Bilbo's will. I cannot find my copy of The Fellowship of the Ring, but maybe this will help someone find the quote...
 
Clue? Well, Boaz' idea is about 60 years too late, I'm afraid...
 
So far, the only writings I found in the present tense are scattered paragraphs in the Prologue of the LotR. But they don't contain either of the words "cellar" or "floor". :(
 
I'm stumped too.

We can assume, can we, that this isn't one of the bits of the early editions of the Hobbit that was changed after publication of LotR?
 
Again, I don't have my books so I cannot give you a quote... but I'd suggest someone look up the clean-up song of the Dwarves in The Hobbit.
 
Dialogue wouldn't count, would it? Almost all the dialogue would be in the present tense.
 
Don't look for complications, GH ...:p - it's a straightforward piece of narrative conjecture, just in the present tense, not past.

Clue?

Another word in the passage? Mountain.
 
Well, I'm not real sure about either the tense found here (seems mostly if not entirely past tense to me, the exception being the dialogue, of course) or the length in which you're including the related content as part of the same "passage", Mr. Pyan sir, but here's what I found a week (or more) ago, and have been doubting ever since:

Balin was told off to watch the guard and the butler and give warning if they stirred. The rest went into the adjoining cellar with the trapdoors. There was little time to lose. Before long, as Bilbo knew, some elves were under orders to come down and help the butler get the empty barrels through the doors into the stream. These were in fact already standing in rows in the middle of the floor waiting to be pushed off.
The Hobbit, Chapter IX, Barrels Out of Bond, p. 163

Another word in the passage? Mountain. occurs in plural form 3 pages later, as part of the song the elves sang as they tossed the barrels into the stream....

:D
....Leave the northern mountains steep,.....
The Hobbit, Chapter IX, Barrels Out of Bond, p. 166 :D

The only place in this passage where I see any kind of present tense occurs after Bilbo dove on the last barrel and surfaced in the stream....

- for you cannot count friends that are all packed up in barrels
The Hobbit, Chapter IX, Barrels Out of Bond, p.167

As to conjecture, I guess a statement about what you can or cannot count could be considered speculative with a rather enormous reach that includes overlooking the barrels floating lower in the water than their fellows..

*excuses himself as he has to lean over Clanny, HareBrain, GoldHawk, Boaz, Marky and any one else considering the location of this well-hidden quote to make the reach!*:rolleyes:....

*Shrugs fiery shoulders*
 
Alas, Grim, 'tis later than you think. I'm getting a warm glow, thinking of you all rooting around after this...:p
 
Once again, you have surpassed me, your greenness. Although, in my defense, the Grimlets and I only made it to the beginning of this chapter, and so my recent read was no help!!!!

It was at this point that Bilbo stopped. Going on from there was the bravest thing he ever did. The tremendous things that happened afterwards were as nothing compared to it. He fought the real battle in the tunnel alone, before he ever saw the vast danger that lay in wait. At any rate after a short halt go on he did; and you can picture him coming to the end of the tunnel, an opening of much the same size and shape as the door above. Through it peeps the hobbit's little head. Before him lies the great bottom-most cellar or dungeon-hall of the ancient dwarves right at the Mountain's root. It is almost dark so that its vastness can only be dimly guessed, but rising from the near side of the rocky floor there is a great glow. The glow of Smaug!
The Hobbit, Chapter XII, Inside Information, p. 193

Present tense in blue.
 
Yes, that's the bit I meant, Grim...a golden, slightly scorched bell from the Hoard of Smaug goes to you...:D

Next question, perleeze...
 
*Inspects the bell*

Hmmm, you don't suppose this was one of the bells of Dale, do ya?;) Bard II (or his descendents!) will be looking for it....

Back in a few with the question; I need to check something!:D
 
Could have fooled me....for a minute there, you definitely were looking furry and white....:D

All right, folks, a "dreadfully easy chestnut", as it were:

Name for me the dragons of Middle Earth. And no, the History of Middle Earth is still "right out", as the Pythons would say.....don't forget the quotes!

EDIT: Forgot to check the web for ease of solution before posting this one. As per usual, we're on the honor system here! ;) After all, this isn't Staples, and it shouldn't be THAT easy....
 
1.
Before the rising of the Eärendel slew Ancalagon the Black, the mightiest of the dragon-host...
The Silmarillion, Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath

2.
Again after a hundred years Glaurung, the first of the Urulóki, the fire-drake of the north, issued from Angband's gates by night.
The Silmarillion, Of the Return of the Noldor

3.
There were lots of dragons in the North in those days... There was a most specially greedy, strong and wicked worm called Smaug.
The Hobbit, An Unexpected Party

4.
'It was made by the Dwarves, and came from the hoard of Scatha the Worm.'
The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Many PArtings

5.
The conversation in The Green Dragon at Bywater...
Lord of hte Rings, Fellowship of the Ring, The Shadow of the Past
 

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