What if??

[Farael]

Originally Posted by bilbo_baggins

But the Hobbits had inherent sneaking abilities. In his forward "On Hobbits" Tolkien describes how they can hide themselves, be unseen, and be quieter than air. Is this not fooling capabilities? Yet Smaug knew that Bilbo was there.

I think that refers to the Hobbits being able to sneak making very little sound, a physical skill yet creatures like Smaug, The Witch King, Galadriel or Tom Bombadil had a different kind of 'perception'... for example, Tom can see Frodo even when he's wearing the ring, so we see that they see the world differently. I don't think it's the same to be able to sneak by than to have a strong mental precense