“Balin and Dwalin,” they said not daring to be offended, and sat flop
on the floor looking rather surprised.
     “Now go on again!” said Beorn to the wizard.
     “Where was 1? O yes- I was not grabbed. I killed a goblin or two with
a flash-“ “Good!” growled Beorn. “It is some good being a wizard,
then.” “-and slipped inside the crack before it closed. I followed
down into the main hall, which was crowded with goblins. The Great
Goblin was there with thirty or forty armed guards. I thought to
myself ‘even if they were not all chained together, what can a dozen
do against so many?’ “ “A dozen! That’s the first time I’ve heard
eight called a dozen. Or have you still got some more jacks that
haven’t yet come out of their boxes?” “Well, yes, there seem to be a
couple more here now - Fili and Kili, I believe,” said Gandalf, as
these two now appeared and stood smiling and bowing.
     “That’s enough!” said Beorn. “Sit down and be quiet! Now go on,
Gandalf!” So Gandalf went on with the tale, until he came to the fight
in the dark, the discovery of the lower gate, and their horror when
they found
     Baggins had been mislaid.
     “We counted ourselves and found that there was no hobbit. There were