Knee-slappers

[azalea]

I'm rereading The Hobbit for the umpteenth time (last time was in 2001), but this time it is for a special reason: my husband has never read any Tolkien! I thought he had read The Hobbit, so was going to make him read LotR, but then found out he had only ever seen the movie! I insisted that he listen while I read aloud The Hobbit, so he conceded to hear it for 20 minutes each night. We're currently starting ch.3.

Anyway, my point in creating this thread, aside from being able to relay my little personal story, was to ask what parts you think are hilarious -- I think Tolkien included some great humourous moments, some of which are so understated, but make one laugh out loud. For instance, my husband (who doesn't like fantasy, which is why he's never read the ME novels) at one point looked at me as if I had gone crazy, because I couldn't stop laughing after I read (from An Unexpected Party):

"'And more cakes -- and ale -- and coffee, if you don't mind,' called the other dwarves through the door.
'Put on a few eggs, there's a good fellow!' Gandalf called after him, as the hobbit stumped off to the pantries. 'And just bring out the cold chicken and pickles!'
'Seems to know as much about the inside of my larders as I do myself!' thought Mr. Baggins..."

That line that Bilbo says made me laugh so hard (in fact, I laughed as I typed it) that I had to stop reading for a minute. It's not that funny in itself necessarily, but within the context of the scene it is perfect.
(Incidentally, what is Gandalf pregnant, or something? Eggs, chicken and PICKLES?! And how DID he know Bilbo had those things? Was it because wizards can "far-see" into people's larders, or was it just a lucky guess, considering the fact that he was well-versed in hobbits and their eating habits?)

So what lines or scenes do you think are funny, or even make you laugh out loud when you read them?

(BTW, the above incident was of course early in the story. My husband ended up laughing aloud a few times himself as I read Roast Mutton -- and it wasn't just because of my cockney accent for the trolls, either [which is quite fun to do -- try reading that scene aloud next time you read it]!)

[Bombadillo]

"What have I got in my pocket?"-- Bilbo
FOr some reason, that single line makes me crack up. To the point where I find a $5 bill in my back pocket and just burst out laughing.

I forget a lot of the Hobbit. So I forget the details, but in the beginning, when the dwarves were coming, I think Bilbo opened the door hurriedly and two literally fell into his hobbit hole. That was great. And if it didn't happen, it should have.

[Elvengirl]

There are soo many funny parts

Here's one during the unexpected party:

Poor Bilbo couldn't bear it any longer. At may never return he began to feel a shriek coming up inside and very soon it burst out of him like a whistle of an engine coming out of a tunnel. All the dwarves sprang up, knocking over the table. Gandalf struck a blue light at the end of his magic staff, and in its firework glare the poor little hobbit could be seen kneeling on the hearth rug, shaking like a jelly that was melting. Then he fell flat on the floor, and kept on calling out "struck buy lightning, struck by lightning!" over and over again.

Gandalf replys "Excitable little fellow. Gets funny queer fits, but he is one of the best, one of the best - as fierce as a dragon in a pinch."


This always sends be into hysterics I find it hilarious

[Silpion]

I always laugh when I read this, which confuses my friend who says this is not a comedy moment but a tense situation. I guess I have a different sense of humor than he does.

"Truly songs and tales fall utterly short of the reality, O Smaug the Chiefest and Greatest of Calamities," replied Bilbo.

"You have nice manners for a thief and a liar," said the dragon.

[azalea]

Originally posted by Bombadillo
when the dwarves were coming, I think Bilbo opened the door hurriedly and two literally fell into his hobbit hole. That was great. And if it didn't happen, it should have.

It does. It's Bifur, Boffer, and Thorin, with Bombur piled on top of them, which makes it even funnier.
I agree with you, Silpion, Smaug was funny for a dragon -- he has a few humorous lines, as I recall.

[Shadowfax]

I always laugh out loud (really loud ) at this part, from Riddles in the Dark, when Bilbo is asking Gollum what his 3rd guess is when he tries to think of what is in Bilbo's pocket:

'"Time's up!" he said.
"String, or nothing!" shrieked Gollum, which was not quite fair - working in two guesses at once.'

It's the "String or nothing!" that cracks me up every time!

[Shadowfax]

*Oh, and I just thought of another one...the origin of GOLF!

"[Old Took's great-grand-uncle Bullroarer] charged the ranks of the goblins of Mount Gram in the Battle of the Green Fields, and knocking their king Golfimbul's head clean off with a wooden club. It sailed a hundred yards through the air and went down a rabbit-hole, and in this way the battle was won and the game of Golf invented at the same moment."


*And this phrase from when Gandalf first comes:

"...Bilbo Baggins was standing at his door after breakfast smoking an enormous long wooden pipe that reached nearly down to his toes (neatly brushed)..."

Ah, neatly brushed toes! What a funny!

*And the whole dialogue between the Trolls is also quite funny.

[Lizra]

They (Bifur, Bofur, and big old fat Bombur) all fall in, and "enormously important" Thorin gets smooshed at the bottom, ....then.....Thorin is "haughty" and does not give the standard "at your service" to Bilbo, that the other dwarves respond with (because he is a p*ssed off Mr Snooty pants)...which causes the pitiful wuss Baggins to apologize profusely (even though *he* really should be mad because they are all imposing on him and he has no idea why). I think it's hilarious that Thorin can make Bilbo apologize and grovel, when he (Bilbo) is actually mad and wants the dwarves and Gandalf to apologize to him! It's all in the attitude!

[azalea]

I love that, and I can hear Gollum shrieking it when I read it.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

The tale of Bullroarer and Golfimbul always made me really crack up. But there is so much in there that to me isn't knee-slappers, but just really good, British-style humour.

[Annabelle]

Reading through this thread has made me want to re-read "The Hobbit". I had almost forgotten how funny it is!

[Dreran the Green]

The whole "Good Morning" scene at the beggining.

" Good Morning!" said Bilbo, and he meant it. The sun was shining, and the grass was very green. But Gandalf looked at him from under long bushy eyebrows that stuck out further than the brim of his shady hat.
"What do you mean?" he said. " Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good on this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?"

Its the What do you mean? that makes me burst out laughing every time. I also do the same when Bilbo says "Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!" about adventures.

and after the scene with the trolls when Gandalf appears from behind the trees and all he says is: "Excellent"

[katya]

i've forgotten a lot, but I remember liking how Bilbo was asked what exactly a "Burrahobbit" was. That was funny. And this is funny in the book, but even better in the BBC radio dramatisation (how do you spell that anyway?), is when Bilbo was told to hoot when he was in trouble. I can still hear him in my head practicing that...

[Rosie Gamgee]

I like the part when they are in Mirkwood, and Bilbo climbs the tree and is feeling the wind and the sun on his face, and the poor dwarves are sitting down below in the dark.
The part when Bilbo tries to steal food in Laketown, and people get freaked out by the wet footprints and his sneezing is funny.
Whenever I think about Gollum paddling his little boat up to eat Bilbo, and Bilbo shouts "Time! Time!" always brings a smile to my face.
And when Bombur falls asleep in Mirkwood, cuz he fell in the water that they weren't supposed to touch.
I also like the part where all the dwarves are telling Gandalf that they shouldn't have brought Bilbo, because he's usless, and Gandalf gets all ruffled up and says "I never bring things that are of no use."
Also, when they're in Mirkwood trying to get to the wood-elves's feast, and the elves keep running away from them (isn't it interesting to think that Legolas probably would have been at that feast?).
I like when Bilbo shouts at the spiders "Attercrop! Attercrop!" and they get totally P.O.ed.
And the argument between the three trolls and a certain fourth party (Gandalf) always makes me laugh.
When Bilbo is in the wood-elves's castle, and he doesn't free the dwarves.
When they ride down the river in the empty barrels (the whole thing with the two drunk elves is funny. Hard to imagine a drunk elf, though). Bilbo forgetting that there was no one to pack him into a barrel, and now he has to hang onto one of them.
"Thag you very buch."
Ohhhh, there's a lot of good stuff in there. I just can't remember it all.

[Elvengirl]

I think my all time favorite chapter is Flies and Spiders. It's not exactly humorous, but it always brings a smile to my face. I can just picture fat little Bilbo dashing around, waving his newly named little dagger, killing giant spiders, calling out rhymes, slashing at webs. It's the first time Bilbo really has some action and he turns into this tough, brave, little guy. I thought it was awesome.

[IronParrot]

Ah, the invention of Golf. I love that passage... the Middle-Earth of The Hobbit definitely has a lightness of its own that never really appeared to the same extent afterwards.

[PippinTook]

the whole part is sooo funny. bilbo eventually gets fed up with gollum, and gollum just wants to eat bilbo. sting or nothing, hee hee and "what has it gots in its pocketses, my precious" "no fair no fair!" *rolling over laughing*

[Rosie Gamgee]

Oh, and the part where they all show up in twos at Beorn's house. That part is really funny.

[azalea]

That's the last part I read to my husband before we had to break for an out of town trip. That segment is one of my favorites.

[Troll]

i really have to need that book again. i read in 2001 too, but cannot remember most of what you have told.