Chapter Summaries

The Following is a summary of the chapters of The Hobbit.

1. The story begins with a description of the Shire, its Hobbit-Holes, and the history of the Baggins family. It then has Bilbo having a conversation with the wizard Gandalf which ends with Bilbo accidentally inviting him to tea. The next day, Gandalf and 13 Dwarves arrive at Bilbo's house inviting him on a journey to help slay the dragon Smaug and take back the Dwarves' treasure for 1/14th of the treasure. Bilbo learns that it his job is to take the treasure from Smaug for the Dwarves. The Dwarves' leader, Thorin Oakenshield disagrees with Gnadalf's person of choice to be the burglar. Despite disliking some of the Dwarves, Bilbo accepts.
2. They begin their journey and at night they see a fire from a distance and send Bilbo to investigate. The fire was made by three trolls. Bilbo gets captured by them, and the Dwarves attempt to save him but also get captured. Gandalf saves them by turning the trolls into stone. They then raid the trolls' food and weaponry and continue their journey. From the weapons, Bilbo receives a shortsword, Thorin receives the blade Orcrist the Goblin Cleaver and Gandalf receives Glamdring the Foe Hammer.
3. Gandalf, Bilbo and the Dwarves stop in the Elven outpost of Rivendell. There the elf Elrond explains the moon-runes on the Dwarves' map and that the runes mention a hidden door in the mountainside. After a long rest there in "The Last Homely House" they continue on their way.
4. They venture up into the misty mountains and find a cave to rest in. However, the cave is a "front door" to the lair of the Goblin King. A crack opens at the back of the cave and the Goblins carry the Dwarves and Bilbo away. Gandalf saves them, but as they run away Bilbo falls off Dori the Dwarf's back into the darkness.
5. Bilbo wakes up to find himself in a large dark cavern and he finds a ring. He meets the creature named Gollum who is determined to eat Bilbo. Bilbo has a riddle contest with him which he has to win in order to not be eaten. After winning, Bilbo puts on the ring(which apparently belonged to Gollum) and learns it makes him invisible. Gollum then looks along the passageway out of his cave to see if Bilbo went that way. Bilbo follows Gollum back to the Goblins' cavern and escapes that too.
6. On the outside of the mountain, Bilbo reunites with Gandalf and the Dwarves and they slide down the mountain in a rock slide. They then get chased by large wolf-like creatures called wargs. Bilbo , Gandalf and the Dwarves are then forced to climb up trees. The Lord of all Eagles sees them in trouble, and sends eagles to save them.
7. The eagles take them to a place known as the Carrock. There they meet Beorn, a "skin-changer" who lives with his animals. He supplies Bilbo and the Dwarves with food and a warning: stay on the path in the forest of Mirkwood. Gandalf announces that he is no longer going to help them, as it is not his quest. They stay the night in Beorn's cabin and continue on their way.
8. Gandalf leads Bilbo and the Dwarves to the edge of Mirkwood forest, warning them to not stray from the path and then leaves. Along their way Bilbo and the Dwarves see Elves sitting around a fire feasting and talking off to one side of the path. The Elves fled when Bilbo and the Dwarves approached. The next morning the Dwarves find themselves captured by spiders and Thorin missing. Separated from the Dwarves, Bilbo manages to get free of the spider webs. He puts on his ring and goes to save his Dwarf companions. He kills many of the spiders with rocks and his shortsword and manages to cut the Dwarves loose. Bilbo names his shortsword Sting and then they go look for Thorin.
9. Attempting to find a way out of the forest, and the Dwarves get captured by Elves. Bilbo does not get captured as he put on his ring. He locates Thorin and the other Dwarves then looks for a way out of the Elves' fortress. he finds a large trapdoor that the Elves drop wine barrels into an underground river with. Bilbo smuggles himself and the Dwarves out of the Elves' fortress smuggling them inside of the barrels that are being dropped through the trapdoor and has to ride a barrel to free himself. 
10. The barrels flow down towards Lake-town and Bilbo gets a view of the lonely mountain. Bilbo gets the Dwarves out of the barrels and sees they are somewhat badly bruised. Thorin, Bilbo, Fili and Kili speak with the master of Lake-town, who offers them help. The Dwarves and Bilbo are nursed back to full health and are given horses and boats for their journey.
11. Bilbo and the Dwarves disembark the boats of the Lake-town Men and search the outside of the lonely mountain. They finally find the secret door by nightfall and open it with a hidden lock using a key Thorin had before the journey began.
12. Thorin sends Bilbo with his ring on, inside the mountain and Bilbo comes back with a small cup of their treasure. However when Bilbo goes back in again with his ring on, Smaug has awoken and can smell Bilbo. Bilbo then has a conversation with Smaug and tries to be cryptic about it, but Smaug sees it through and discovers that Thorin is with him on this journey.While having the conversation with Smaug, Bilbo notices a chink in Smaug's jewel-encrusted armour. He then notifies Thorin of this weakness but a bird overhears him and Bilbo freaks out because it's listening to him talk.
13. Bilbo and the Dwarves search the lonely mountain's halls while Smaug is away. Bilbo discovers The Arkenstone and puts it in his pocket. Bilbo is also given a vest of mithril chain-mail. The Dwarves and Bilbo fill their pockets with treasure before Smaug returns. They then return to the outside of the mountain and question where Smaug is. 
14. This chapter focuses more on Smaug than Bilbo and the Dwarves. Smaug smashed through the front doors of the lonely mountain two days prior to chapter 13 and flies to Lake-town. The Men of Lake-town see him coming and fight back led by Bard the bowman.  The old raven that listened to Bilbo tells Bard about the chink in Smaug's armour. Bard fires a black arrow and successfully kills Smaug. Unfortunately  the battle destroyed Lake-town and the people want to be compensated by the Dwarves with some of the treasure.  Meanwhile the elf-king of Mirkwood, Thranduil, journeys with his other Elves to the lonely mountain with intentions of taking some treasure.
15. The book now goes back to Bilbo, Thorin and the Dwarves. They learn that Smaug had been slain and that the Men from lake-town and the Mirkwood Elves were approahing the Lonely Mountain. The Dwarves send messages via ravens (who species are good friends with Dwarves) to other Dwarves scattered around Middle-earth for help. Bard the bowman (the man who killed Smaug and the makeshift master of Lake-town) and Thranduil offer a truce with Thorin. Thorin does not accept and Bard and Thranduil are forced to declare the Lonely Mountain besieged.
16. While keeping watch one night while the Dwarves are asleep, Bilbo puts on his invisible ring and takes The Arkenstone outside to Bard and Thranduil to assist them with negotiations. On his way back into the mountain he runs into Gandalf, who gives him a pat on the back for the brave deed he had just performed. Hoping that Gandalf will put some sense into Thorin, Bilbo goes back inside the mountain unnoticed.
17. Bard and Thrainduil attempt to use the Arkenstone as a means of truce, but Thorin is furious and realizes that Bilbo had it the whole time and declares him a betrayer. An army of Dwarves rallied by ravens arrives at the lonely mountains. Meanwhile Gandalf, warns everyone of the coming threat of Bolg the Goblin (the son of Azog, who killed Thorin's grandfather and father) and his army of Goblins, wargs and bats. Shortly after the battle begins, the Great Eagles come to the aid of the Dwarves, Men and Elves. During this battle, Bilbo is knocked out.
18. When Bilbo regains consciousness, the battle is over and the death toll is high. Bilbo is taken to Thorin, who lay dying from being wounded by the Goblins. Thorin tells Bilbo that he regrets his words accusing him of betrayal and departs the land of the living as a friend to him. Bilbo also learns that Thorin's nephews Fili and Kili, who were also on  the journey, died while protecting Thorin. Bilbo learns that Beorn had come to fights while he was unconscious. Thorin is buried holding The Arkenstone and his sword Orcrist. Thorin's second cousin Dáin Ironfoot honours Thorin's wishes of splitting the treasure primarily 14 ways: Thorin's original share went to Dáin, Fili and Kili's shares went to Bard and Thranduil and the remainder was shared among Bilbo and the surviving Dwarves of Thorin's company. Bilbo receives two chests, one full of gold and the other full of silver. Bilbo and Gandalf journey east towards the shire alongside Beorn and the Mirkwood Elves. Before going through the misty mountains, they stay with Beorn until they resume their return journey.
19. Bilbo and Gandalf stop in Rivendell for a while and then continue to the Shire to find people at an auction of Bilbo's things as he was "presumed dead". Bilbo reassures them he isn't dead and returns to his hobbit-hole. Several years later, Bilbo is visited by Gandalf and Balin and is told that things were going very well: Lake-town was rebuilt, Bard was the new master and things were much better. The story ends with Bilbo, Gandalf and Balin continuing their conversation.