Free The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

tree. The invitations were limited to twelve dozen (a number also called by the
     hobbits one Gross, though the word was not considered proper to use of people); and the guests were selected from all the
     families to which Bilbo and Frodo were related, with the addition of a few special unrelated friends (such as Gandalf). Many
     young hobbits were included, and present by parental permission; for hobbits were easy-going with their children in the matter
     of sitting up late, especially when there was a chance of getting them a free meal. Bringing up young hobbits took a lot of
     provender.
    There were many Bagginses and Boffins, and also many Tooks and Brandybucks; there were various Grubbs (relations of Bilbo
     Baggins’ grandmother), and various Chubbs (connexions of his Took grandfather); and a selection of Burrowses, Bolgers, Bracegirdles,
     Brockhouses, Goodbodies, Hornblowers and Proudfoots. Some of these were only very distantly connected with Bilbo, and some
     had hardly ever been in Hobbiton before, as they lived in remote corners of the Shire. The Sackville-Bagginses were not forgotten.
     Otho and his wife Lobelia were present. They disliked Bilbo and detested Frodo, but so magnificent was the invitation card,
     written in golden ink, that they had felt it was impossible to refuse. Besides, their cousin, Bilbo, had been specializing
     in food for many years and his table had a high reputation.
    All the one hundred and forty-four guests expected a pleasant feast; though they rather dreaded the after-dinner speech of
     their host (an inevitable item). He was liable to drag in bits of what he called poetry; and sometimes, after a glass or two,
     would allude to the absurd adventures of his mysterious journey. The guests were not disappointed: they had a
very
pleasant feast, in fact an engrossing entertainment: rich, abundant, varied, and prolonged. The purchase of provisions fell
     almost to nothing throughout the district in the ensuing weeks; but as Bilbo’s catering had depleted the stocks of most of
     the stores, cellars and warehouses for miles around, that did not matter much.
    After the feast (more or less) came the Speech. Most of the company were, however, now in a tolerant mood, at that delightful
     stage which they called ‘filling up the corners’. They were sipping theirfavourite drinks, and nibbling at their favourite dainties, and their fears were forgotten. They were prepared to listen to
     anything, and to cheer at every full stop.
    My dear People,
began Bilbo, rising in his place. ‘Hear! Hear! Hear!’ they shouted, and kept on repeating it in chorus, seeming reluctant
     to follow their own advice. Bilbo left his place and went and stood on a chair under the illuminated tree. The light of the
     lanterns fell on his beaming face; the golden buttons shone on his embroidered silk waistcoat. They could all see him standing,
     waving one hand in the air, the other was in his trouser-pocket.
    My dear Bagginses and Boffins,
he began again;
and my dear Tooks and Brandybucks, and Grubbs, and Chubbs, and Burrowses, and Hornblowers, and Bolgers, Bracegirdles, Goodbodies,
     Brockhouses and Proudfoots.
‘Proud FEET !’ shouted an elderly hobbit from the back of the pavilion. His name, of course, was Proudfoot, and well merited; his feet
     were large, exceptionally furry, and both were on the table.
    Proudfoots,
repeated Bilbo.
Also my good Sackville-Bagginses that I welcome back at last to Bag End. Today is my one hundred and eleventh birthday: I
     am eleventy-one today!
‘Hurray! Hurray! Many Happy Returns!’ they shouted, and they hammered joyously on the tables. Bilbo was doing splendidly.
     This was the sort of stuff they liked: short and obvious.
    I hope you are all enjoying yourselves as much as I am.
Deafening cheers. Cries of
Yes
(and
No
). Noises of trumpets and horns, pipes and flutes, and other musical instruments. There were, as has been said, many young hobbits
     present. Hundreds of