Bethberry
First version:
When Bilbo, son of Bungo of the family of Baggins ... prepared to celebrate his seventieth birthday there was for a day or two some talk in the neighbourhood. He had once had a little fleeting fame among the people of Hobbiton & Bywater - he had disappeared after breakfast one April 30th & not reappeared until lunchtime on June 22nd in the following year. A very odd proceeding for which he had never given any good reason, & of which he wrote a nonsensical account. After that he returned to normal ways; & the shaken confidence of the district was gradually restored.
Second version:
When Bilbo, son of Bungo, of the respectable family of Baggins prepared to celebrate his seventy first birthday there waas some little talk in the neighbourhood, & people polished up their memories. Bilbo had once had some brief notoriety among the hobbits of Hobbiton & Bywater - he had disappeared after breakfast one April 30th & had not reappeared until lunch time on June 22nd in the following year. A very odd proceeding, & one for which he had never accounted satisfactorily. He wrote a book about it, of course: but even those who had read it never took it that seriously. It is no good talking to hobbits about dragons: they either disbelieve you, or feel uncomfortable; & in either case tend to avoid you afterwards.
(CRT states the third & fourth versions are virtually the same - except for the names - but that Tolkien continues to intensify the irony in the narrators voice.)
Fifth version:
(doesn't give full text, but adds
He told many tales of his adventures, of course, to those who would listen. But most of the hobbits soon got tired of them, & only one or two of his friends ever took them seriously. It is no good telling ordinary hobbits about dragons: they either disbelieve you or want to disbelieve you, & in either case stop listening. As he grew older Bilbo wrote his adventures in a private book of memoirs, in which he recounted some things that he had never spoken about (such as the magic ring); but that book was never published in the Shire, & he never showed it to anyone except his favourite nephew Bingo.
Sixth version:
When Mr Bilbo Baggins of Bag-end, Under-hill, announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk & excitement in Hobbiton. Before long rumour of the event travelled all over the Shire, & the history & character of Mr Baggins became once again the most popular topic of conversation. the older folk who remembered something of the strange happenings sixty years before found their reminicences suddenly in demand, & rose to the gratifying occasion with entertaining invention when mere facts failed them.
No one had a more attentive audience than old Ham Gamgee, commonly known as the Gaffer. He held forth at the Ivy Bush.
Tindome
First version of Bilbo's gifts:
'For Semolina Baggins, with love from her nephew', on a waste paper basket - she had wrotten him a deal of letters (mostly of good advice). 'For Caramella Took, with kind remembrances from her uncle', on a clock in the hall. Though unpunctual she had been a niece he rather liked, until coming late one day she had declared his clock was fast. Bilbo's clocks were never either slow or fast, & he did not forget it. 'For Obo Took-Took, from his great-nephew', on a feather bed; Obo was seldom awake before 12 noon or after tea, & snored. 'For Gorboduc Grubb with best wishes from B Baggins' - on a gold fountain pen; he never answered letters. 'For Angelica's use' on a mirror - she was a young Baggins & thought herself very comely. 'For Inigo Grubb- Took', on a complete dinner service - he was the greediest hobbit known to history. 'For Amalda Sackville-Baggins
as a present', on a case of silver spoons. She was Bilbo's cousin, the one he had discovered years ago on his return measuring his dining-room (you may remember his suspicions about disappearing spoons: anyway neither he nor Amalda had forgotten)