The Hobbit Frequently Asked Questions

Answer: rock giants

Initially the party thought that the falling rocks were the result of the weather but they soon saw two massive rock giants fighting with each other. They took swings at each other and tore off huge chunks of the mountain and threw them at each other. Many of these boulders barely missed the dwarves and also knocked the path out from under their feet. The party soon determined it wisest to get out of the way and found a cave to spend the night in.

Answer: A crack opened up in the floor of the cave and they fell through it.

Anxious to get away from the rock giants, the party did not check out the cave as thoroughly as they should have done. While most of them were sleeping, the sand in the middle of the cave started to pour out through a large crack in the floor, and the dwarves and Bilbo soon followed. Gandalf had disappeared earlier and was not with them. When they landed, they were surrounded by goblins who hustled them along. Bilbo crouched down and the tide of goblins and dwarves parted around him. Unnoticed, he was able to slip away, still free but separated from his party.