round his neck-“we still mean to get it back, and to bring our curses
home to Smaug-if we can.
     “I have often wondered about my father’s and my grandfather’s escape.
I see now they must have had a private Side-door which only they knew
about. But apparently they made a map, and I should like to know how
Gandalf got hold of it, and why it did not come down to me, the
rightful heir.” “I did not ‘get hold of it,’
     “Your grandfather Thror was killed, you remember, in the mines of
Moria by Azog the Goblin -“ “Curse his name, yes,” said Thorin.
     “And Thrain your father went away on the twenty-first of April, a
hundred years ago last Thursday, and has never been seen by you
since-“ “True, true,” said Thorin.
     “Well, your father gave me this to give to you; and if I have chosen
my own time and way of handing it over, you can hardly blame me,
considering the trouble I had to find you. Your father could not
remember his own name when he gave me the paper, and he never told me
yours; so on the whole I think I ought to be
     “I don’t understand,” said Thorin, and
     “Your grandfather,” said the wizard slowly and grimly, “gave the map
to his son for safety before he went to the mines of Moria. Your