XPost: rec.arts.books.tolkien   
   From: invalid@microsoft.com   
      
   Joanne Corsano brought next idea :   
   >>>>>>>> Introductory hint: animal kingdom.   
   >>>>>>>> 1. A single organism?   
   >>>>>>>> No.   
   >>>>>>>> 2. Alive?   
   >>>>>>>> No.   
   >>>>>>>> 3. Is it edible? :-)   
   >>>>>>>> No.   
   >>>>>>>> 4. Mentioned in LoTR?   
   >>>>>>>> No.   
   >>>>>>>> 5. The Hobbit?   
   >>>>>>>> Yes.   
   >>>>>>>> 6. Mentioned before the Company enters Mirkwood?   
   >>>>>>>> No.   
   >>>>>>>> 7. A crafted object, such as something made out of   
   >>>>>>>> leather,   
   >>>>>>>> etc.?   
   >>>>>>>> No.   
   >>>>>>>> 8. Can it communicate?   
   >>>>>>>> No.   
   >>>>>>>> 9. Flexible?   
   >>>>>>>> Yes.   
   >>>>>>>> 10. Is it found in a house?   
   >>>>>>>> No.   
   >>>>>>>> 11. Is it larger than Bilbo?   
   >>>>>>>> No.   
   >>>>>>>> 12. Is a significant amount of the material from an   
   >>>>>>>> invertebrate?   
   >>>>>>>> No.   
   >>>>>>>> 13. Mentioned before the Company reaches the Lonely   
   >>>>>>>> Mountain?   
   >>>>>>>> No.   
   >>>>>>>> 14. Mentioned before the end of Chapter XIV?   
   >>>>>>>> Yes.   
   >>>>>>>> 15. Will it fit in a breadbox?   
   >>>>>>>> No.   
   >>>>>>>> 16. Is it inside the Lonely Mountain?   
   >>>>>>>> Elvish answer.   
   >>>>>>>> 17. Is it gaseous?   
   >>>>>>>> No.   
   >>>>>>>> 18. A single object?   
   >>>>>>>> Yes.   
   >>>>>>>> 19. Is a significant amount of the material from or produced by a   
   >>>>>>>> hobbit or dwarf?   
   >>>>>>>> No.   
   >>>>>>>> 20. Mentioned before Bilbo's conversation with Smaug?   
   >>>>>>>> No.   
   >>>>>>>> 21. Before Bilbo takes the Arkenstone?   
   >>>>>>>> Yes.   
   >>>>>>>> 22. The light from Smaug's eyes?   
   >>>>>>>> No. Good guess though.   
   >>>>>>>> In reviewing the questions and answers I have concluded that answer   
   >>>>>>>> #2, above, was misleading, and possibly actually wrong. My apologies.   
   >>>>>>>> 23. Mentioned only in a figure of speech?   
   >>>>>>>> No.   
   >>>>>>>> 24. Part of or produced by Smaug?   
   >>>>>>>> Yes.   
   >>>>>>>> 25. Smaug's claws?   
   >>>>>>> No. (See #18.)   
   >>>>>> 26. Smaug's fire?  (Assuming we disagree on what "gaseous" means--and   
   >>>>>> I'm not sure it's a single object either.)   
   >>>>> No.   
   >>>> 27. His ruddy glow?   
   >>> No.   
   >>>   
   >> The hole in Smaug's hide (that let the arrow through)?   
   >   
   > No -- not a hole in his hide.   
      
   The gap in the gems embedded in his underside?   
      
   --   
   Michael Cole   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)