Thorin’s duties as King under the Mountain require him to read hundreds of boring inventory ledgers regarding iron ore, stone shipments, and grain taxes. To help him get through the exhausting work, Bilbo starts leaving tiny, hidden doodles and notes in the margins of the official books before they reach the King’s desk. Bilbo draws little fat Hobbits, pipes with smoke rings, or leaves of ivy, accompanied by short phrases in his neat handwriting. Thorin’s ministers are often baffled as to why the gruff, stern King suddenly smiles and grows incredibly soft-spoken while reviewing a dry report on plumbing logistics















