[A_Brandybuck]

'Queer Lodgings' is in my opinion a very very interesting chapter of 'The Hobbit'. In the whole context, it seems to me, that this is the last 'safe harbor' before the really perilous voyage through Mirkwood. Actually Beorn's house seems to me 'more last safe harbour' than Elrond's house, because the threat of the perilous wood is directly in front of their feet.

Anyway, I think Elrond's house and Beorn's house are sharing some commonness. Both are just houses in the wilderness and the company is 'invited' to take some comfort. Very different are indeed the inhabitants of both houses. Elves in one hand and animals in the other hand. These animals make me always thinking about the fox in the beginning of 'Fellowship of the Ring', who wondered about the Hobbits in the wood.
I think, that we can see in those little details anew, that the 'Lord of the Rings' was originally planned to be a sequel to 'The Hobbit' in the timeline and in the narrative style, although there was changed much.

I always try to imagine, how the chapter would have been, if it had been written without the childish structure of the book.

I think. that there Beorn has lived in a germanic nave and the animals are just the household of a big chief (Beorn). The Dwarves have come in and Beorn heart the stoyr and has gone in the night with some other chiefs of his tribes to verify the story of the Dwarves. Just some thoughts..... :-)

The Dwarves decreased in my reputation at the end of the chapter. This has happened because of two details:

1. They just wanted to steal the ponies, although they had a good time in Beorn's house. They ate and slept there, had some comfort in the wilderness and Beorn lent them the ponies and how does the Dwarves want to thank him? By stealing the ponies......

2. The Dwarves (especially Thorin) get angry because of Gandalf's leaving. I mean, I could understand, that the are not happy, that Gandalf will leave them just before the most dangerous part of their adventure. But they have known this before. Gandalf has gone with them a long time, longer as he wanted to do and the Dwarves surely knew that. And then they get angry,.....