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In the first pages of Book I, Chapter 1 of\xa0The Lord of the Rings,\xa0\u201cA Long-Expected Party\u201d, we see Bilbo Baggins through the eyes of the hobbits of the Shire, not all of whom view him kindly. Seeming eccentric to some and suspicious to others, Bilbo is nevertheless the chief topic of conversation as the occasion of his eleventy-first birthday approaches. While the Gaffer gabs in the Ivy Bush, we discuss the secret ambitions of the Sackville-Bagginses, admire Tolkien\u2019s intractability towards proofreaders, and have fun with numbers in Old English.