The Great Escape

10 Questions

What happens to Bilbo and the dwarves after they escape from the spiders?

They are captured by wood elves.

How does Bilbo avoid being captured by the wood elves?

He uses his ring.

Where do the wood elves take the dwarves?

To the Elven King's palace.

What happens to the dwarves when they are brought to the palace?

They are put in separate cells and questioned about their doings.

What does Bilbo do while he is hiding in the palace?

He steals food and wanders the palace.

Who does Bilbo find out is also a prisoner in the palace?

Thorin.

Why does Thorin refuse to reveal his quest to the king?

He refuses until all hope of escape is lost.

Who does Bilbo wish he could send a message for help to?

The wizard.

What is Bilbo's plan to escape the Elvenking's palace?

To hide in barrels.

Does the plan to escape the palace through the barrels work?

Yes, the plan is successful and the group escapes.

Study Notes

Bilbo and the dwarves are captured by wood elves after escaping from spiders.
Bilbo uses his ring to avoid being captured and follows the elves.
The elves take the dwarves to the Elven King's palace.
The dwarves are put in separate cells and questioned about their doings.
Bilbo remains in hiding, stealing food and wandering the palace.
Bilbo eventually finds out that Thorin is also a prisoner.
Bilbo secretly communicates with Thorin and the other imprisoned dwarves.
Thorin refuses to reveal his quest to the king until all hope of escape is lost.
Bilbo wishes he could send a message for help to the wizard, but realizes he must act alone.
The dwarves still believe the treasure is theirs.
Bilbo discovers a water gate entrance to the caves.
The wood elves collect goods, including wine, through the water gate.
Bilbo overhears the king's butler and chief guard drinking and falls asleep.
Bilbo steals the keys and frees the dwarves from their cells.
The dwarves initially resist Bilbo's plan to escape through the water gate.
Bilbo puts the keys back on the guard's belt before leaving.
Balin watches the guard and butler while the rest of the group goes to the adjoining cellar.
Elves arrive to collect the empty barrels from the cellar.
The group hides in the barrels and floats down the river towards Lake-town.
The plan is successful and the group escapes.
Bilbo and the dwarves plan to escape the Elvenking's palace by hiding in barrels.
Bilbo packs the dwarves into the barrels and hopes his plan will work.
Elves come into the cellars and the dwarves are rolled out in barrels down a river.
Bilbo realizes he has no way to escape with the dwarves and is pushed into the river with an empty barrel.
Bilbo struggles to stay afloat and wonders if he will die before reaching the end of the river.
The barrels float down the river and Bilbo manages to climb onto his barrel.
Bilbo reaches a point where the trees thin and sees the open water of the forest river.
The barrels join the main water of the forest river and float away.
Bilbo struggles to stay on his leaky barrel, but manages to do so.
The chapter ends with Bilbo floating away on the river.
The company of casks and tubs were swept away by the forest river to the north bank.
The barrels ran aground and were counted and roped together by people on the banks.
Bilbo slipped from his barrel, waded ashore, and picked up a supper uninvited.
Bilbo was given away by his wet footsteps and sneezes, causing a commotion in the village.
Bilbo escaped into the woods carrying food and wine that did not belong to him.
Bilbo managed to get on the barrels unnoticed and floated down the river towards Lake Town with the elves.
The elves grumbled about the heavy load and the fact that some barrels were never empty.
They caught the mainstream and sailed away towards the lake.
The company had escaped the dungeons of the king and were through the wood.
The fate of the company, whether alive or dead, remains to be seen.