Bilbo cheated? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Zoe · 12-14-2000, 09:41 PM

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Haunting Spirit
Posts: 57</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
<img src="http://www.barrowdowns.com/images/posticons/narya.jpg" align=absmiddle> cheating?

I'd always been under the impression that the "what have I got in my pockets?" question wasn't meant to be a riddle, but Gollum tried to answer it so Bilbo took advantage of this:

<blockquote>Quote:<hr>
But Bilbo simply could not think of any question ... he even felt in his pocket with his other hand. There he found the ring he had picked up in the passage and forgotten about.
"What have I got in my pocket?" he said aloud. He was talking to himself, but Gollum thought it was a riddle and was frightfully upset.
"Not fair! not fair!" he hissed. "It isn't fair, my precious, is it, to ask us what it's got in its nassty little pocketses?"
Bilbo seeing what had happened and having nothing better to ask stuck to his question.
<hr></blockquote>

So in a way, he did cheat, because he used a question that wasn't a riddle when he couldn't think of any. But I still don't think he meant to.

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12-14-2000, 09:41 PM	#14
Zoe Wight Join Date: Sep 2000 Posts: 223	<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Haunting Spirit Posts: 57</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE> <img src="http://www.barrowdowns.com/images/posticons/narya.jpg" align=absmiddle> cheating? I'd always been under the impression that the "what have I got in my pockets?" question wasn't meant to be a riddle, but Gollum tried to answer it so Bilbo took advantage of this: <blockquote>*Quote:*<hr> But Bilbo simply could not think of any question ... he even felt in his pocket with his other hand. There he found the ring he had picked up in the passage and forgotten about. "What have I got in my pocket?" he said aloud. He was talking to himself, but Gollum thought it was a riddle and was frightfully upset. "Not fair! not fair!" he hissed. "It isn't fair, my precious, is it, to ask us what it's got in its nassty little pocketses?" Bilbo seeing what had happened and having nothing better to ask stuck to his question. <hr></blockquote> So in a way, he did cheat, because he used a question that wasn't a riddle when he couldn't think of any. But I still don't think he meant to. </p>