Why burglar?

[The Wizard from Milan]

I am rereading the Hobbit; I am at the beginning.
Why was biblo designated as burglar?
If they only needed a 14th person, he could have been the cook, or whatever else.
Any idea?

EDIT: edited away one line to make it into a separate question

[Wayfarer]

The Laws of Party Design.

You always want at least one Wizard and at least one Thief. :p And usually a healer of some kind.

I think that Gandalf advertised Bilbo as a Burgalar because he knew that that's what the dwarves would need - which, if you look at what happened, is certainly the truth. The dwarves never would have been able to accomplish their quest by force of arms.

[Earniel]

Wasn't it because they were planning to steal the treasure from under Smaug? They no doubt knew they wouldn't be able to defeat the dragon in combat, they would have had to rely on stealth to get anything of worth out of the adventure.

Hm... somehow I have the feeling they didn't think that through entirely. :p

[Count Comfect]

Yes, I think they already knew they needed a burglar (or Expert Treasure Hunter, as Balin (I think) puts it). So Gandalf was supplying a need.

Now, how well thought out that need was is questionable...

[The Gaffer]

There's an interesting account in Unfinished Tales about how Gandalf was pondering on how to get rid of Smaug when he met up with Thorin in Bree. "A chance meeting as we say in Middle-Earth."

So the suggestion is that including Bilbo was somehow part of a grand design to bring about Smaug's downfall.

Rather tenuous methinks.

[Lefty Scaevola]

In the notes and varients to 'The quest of Erebor" in UT is the line by Blain: 'You mean a trained tresure seeker, can they still be found?"
Burglar would be a shorthand designation for that.

[Nurvingiel]

Wasn't it because they were planning to steal the treasure from under Smaug? They no doubt knew they wouldn't be able to defeat the dragon in combat, they would have had to rely on stealth to get anything of worth out of the adventure.

Hm... somehow I have the feeling they didn't think that through entirely. :p
Yeah, Bilbo does point out a fault in the Dwarves plan (later, when he's basically leading the party) that they forgot to include the detail of a live dragon in their plans. One he felt was rather important, or something like that.
:D

[me9996]

I am rereading the Hobbit; I am at the beginning.
Why was biblo designated as burglar?
If they only needed a 14th person, he could have been the cook, or whatever else.
Any idea?

EDIT: edited away one line to make it into a separate question
To take the gold from the dragon... how else can I say it?

Another thing, a hobbit can burgle any-were there's gold(Or other valubles)
but he would not be able to cook on the road.

As a hobbit he doesn't have any other usefull skills...

[Earniel]

Frankly, considering the love Hobbits have for food, it would surprise me if Bilbo wasn't a decent cook, regardless of being a bachelor. Whether Dwarves would like the Hobbit-cuisine is of course another matter. :p

All in all, I think Hobbits have quite a few surprising skills.

[The Wizard from Milan]

Whether Dwarves would like the Hobbit-cuisine is of course another matter. :p
We have a canon answer to that: Thorin and the others liked Bilbo's food very much at the beginning of the book

[Wayfarer]

Which also answers the question of whether Bilbo was a good cook.

[me9996]

Frankly, considering the love Hobbits have for food, it would surprise me if Bilbo wasn't a decent cook, regardless of being a bachelor. Whether Dwarves would like the Hobbit-cuisine is of course another matter. :p

All in all, I think Hobbits have quite a few surprising skills.
No, that's not it, I just don't think he can cook on the road.

[Earniel]

We have a canon answer to that: Thorin and the others liked Bilbo's food very much at the beginning of the book
Indeed, I had forgotten about that. However Hobbits do not travel with their larder on their back. (No wonder only a few are interested in ever leaving the Shire. :D)

Bilbo would have a lot less to make a meal from on the road, although it wouldn't surprise me he found a way around it. Resourceful little chaps, these Hobbits.

I wonder how many different meals one can make out of cram....

[me9996]

Indeed, I had forgotten about that. However Hobbits do not travel with their larder on their back. (No wonder only a few are interested in ever leaving the Shire. :D)

Bilbo would have a lot less to make a meal from on the road, although it wouldn't surprise me he found a way around it. Resourceful little chaps, these Hobbits.

I wonder how many different meals one can make out of cram....
Remind me... what is cram?

P.S.
Is it the 90 second rule? I'd like to eat that...

P.P.S.
The 90 second rule again! How about some slack for quick posters?

[Count Comfect]

Cram is the dwarves' road food - Gimli thinks lembas is something similar when he first encounters it. It is not very tasty, supposedly, but very filling. I'm not sure Bilbo would like it... so he probably wouldn't make any dishes out of it ;)

[Nurvingiel]

You can't really cook it anyway. I got the impression it was rations, like a Powerbar or something. But more like unleavened bread with some nutritious bits of dried fruit in. I have no idea where I got this impression.

[EarthBound]

Cram: bread made of burnt-out college student brains & old exam papers :p

[Embladyne]

Cram: bread made of burnt-out college student brains & old exam papers :pIt's about the only thing the dining halls can cook, and have it taste correctly when burnt or bland....'cause that is it's very nature.

[me9996]

Cram: bread made of burnt-out college student brains & old exam papers :p
Only a teacher would like that!

P.S.
90 seconds? I OBJECT!!!