Why was the chapter revised in 1951?

To fit the story of The Lord of the Rings

Riddles in the Dark Quiz: Bilbo, Gollum and a Golden Ring

This riddles in the dark quiz creeps through goblin tunnels with Bilbo Baggins. Play 10 interactive questions on J. R. R. Tolkien's 1937 novel, Bilbo finding a ring in the dark, Gollum on an island in an underground lake, the stakes of the contest, a final question that is not a true riddle, the ring's power of invisibility, Bilbo sparing Gollum and the revised 1951 edition.

Start Riddles in the Dark Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Author
Who wrote The Hobbit?
Where
Where does Bilbo meet Gollum?
Find
What does Bilbo find on the tunnel floor?
Lake
Where does Gollum live?
Stakes
What happens if Bilbo wins the contest?
Last
Why is Bilbo's last question unusual?
Power
What can the ring do?
Mercy
What does Bilbo choose not to do?
Word
What does Gollum call the ring?
Revise
Why was the chapter revised in 1951?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Who wrote The Hobbit?
Answer: J. R. R. Tolkien
Published in 1937.
Q2: Where does Bilbo meet Gollum?
Answer: Under the Misty Mountains
In goblin tunnels.
Q3: What does Bilbo find on the tunnel floor?
Answer: A ring
Small and golden.
Q4: Where does Gollum live?
Answer: On an island in an underground lake
Paddling a small boat.
Q5: What happens if Bilbo wins the contest?
Answer: Gollum shows him the way out
Otherwise Gollum eats him.
Q6: Why is Bilbo's last question unusual?
Answer: It is not a proper riddle
He asks about his pocket.
Q7: What can the ring do?
Answer: Make the wearer invisible
Bilbo discovers this.
Q8: What does Bilbo choose not to do?
Answer: Kill Gollum
Out of pity.
Q9: What does Gollum call the ring?
Answer: His precious
A famous word.
Q10: Why was the chapter revised in 1951?
Answer: To fit the story of The Lord of the Rings
The ring became the One Ring.

A Contest in the Dark

In J. R. R. Tolkien's The Hobbit, published in 1937, Bilbo Baggins becomes separated from his companions in goblin tunnels under the Misty Mountains. Crawling in the dark, he finds a small ring on the tunnel floor and slips it into his pocket.

He reaches an underground lake where Gollum lives on an island, paddling a small boat. They agree to a riddle contest: if Bilbo wins, Gollum will show him the way out; if he loses, Gollum will eat him. Bilbo's final question, about what is in his pocket, is not a proper riddle, but Gollum cannot answer.

Gollum realizes he has lost his precious ring. Bilbo discovers the ring makes him invisible and escapes, choosing out of pity not to kill Gollum. Tolkien revised the chapter in 1951 so it would fit the story of The Lord of the Rings.

What This Quiz Teaches

Book fans will enjoy these questions.

Who wrote the book
Where Bilbo meets Gollum
What the stakes are
What the ring does
Why the chapter changed

Did You Know?

Riddle contests appear in old legends.
Bilbo is a hobbit from the Shire.
Gollum was once called Sméagol.
Bilbo's mercy matters later.
The scene is a reader favorite.