# Quote — J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

> "Then the prophecies of the old songs have turned out to be true, after a fashion!" said Bilbo.
>
> "Of course!" said Gandalf. "And why should not they prove true? Surely you don't disbelieve the prophecies, because you had a hand in bringing them about yourself? You don't really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit? You are a very fine person, Mr. Baggins, and I am very fond of you; but you are only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all!"
>
> "Thank goodness!" said Bilbo laughing, and handed him the tobacco-jar.

- Author: [J.R.R. Tolkien](https://www.leafyquotes.com/jrr-tolkien.md)
- Book: [The Hobbit](https://www.leafyquotes.com/jrr-tolkien/the-hobbit.md)
- Source: [Wikiquote](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Hobbit#Chapter_XIX:_The_Last_Stage) ([CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/))
- Topics: [fate](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/fate.md), [humility](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/humility.md)
- Quote page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/jrr-tolkien/the-hobbit/then-the-prophecies
- JSON version (same data): https://www.leafyquotes.com/jrr-tolkien/the-hobbit/then-the-prophecies.json

## More from this book

> This thing all things devours:
>
> Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
>
> Gnaws iron, bites steel;
>
> Grinds hard stones to meal;
>
> Slays king, ruins town,
>
> And beats high mountain down.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/jrr-tolkien/the-hobbit/this-thing-all.md)

Topics: [time](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/time.md), [transience](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/transience.md)

> ...but things that are good to have and days that are good to spend are soon told about, and not much to listen to.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/jrr-tolkien/the-hobbit/but-things-that.md)

Topics: [happiness](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/happiness.md), [storytelling](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/storytelling.md)

> The mere fleeting glimpses of treasure which they had caught as they went along had rekindled all the fire of their dwarvish hearts; and when the heart of a dwarf, even the most respectable, is wakened by gold and by jewels, he grows suddenly bold, and he may become fierce.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/jrr-tolkien/the-hobbit/the-mere-fleeting.md)

Topics: [greed](https://www.leafyquotes.com/topics/greed.md)