[The party is in full swing; the fireworks are going off and festivities are well underway. Some hobbits come in, staggering under the load of a huge birthday-cake, candles already lit.]

[Others, including Frodo, are dancing to music being played by the band.]

[Sam casts sidelong glances at a hobbit-lass dancing.]

Bilbo: [greeting his guests inside the marquee] "Hello, hello, Fatty Bolger, lovely to see you! Welcome, welcome!"

[Frodo takes a break from dancing to join Sam.]

Frodo: "Go on Sam! Ask Rosie for a dance!"

Sam: "I think I'll just have another ale."

Frodo: "Oh no you don't! Go on!"

[He pushes Sam to the dance floor and into Rosie's arms. Frodo laughs aloud.]

Gandalf: [setting off a firework] "Whoa!"

[Fireworks explode over the party field, a huge glittering umbrella in the night sky which changes into spears and whizzes away into the distance.]

[Bilbo is telling stories to the hobbit children gathered at his feet.]

Bilbo: "There I was, at the mercy of three monstrous trolls! And they were all arguing amongst themselves about how they were going to cook us, whether it be turned on a spit or whether they should sit on us one by one and squash us into jelly."

[A cute hobbit child gasps and shakes her head.]

Bilbo: "They spent so much time arguing the wither-tos and why-fors, that the sun's first light cracked over the top of the trees — poof!"

[Hobbit Children gasp.]

Bilbo: "And turned them all to stone!"

[Gandalf, laughing, returns from his cart with more fireworks.]

[A young hobbit appears from behind the tent, signaling his friend to get onto Gandalf's cart.]

Merry: "Quickly!"

[Gandalf releases a busy shower of firework butterflies, to the amusement of the hobbit children, who try to catch them.]

Gandalf: "Whoa! Up they go."

Merry: "No, no the big one, big one."

[The second Hobbit grabs a huge red firework and disappears inside the tent.]

[His friend nonchalantly chews an apple, and strolls after him.]

[Bilbo is still greeting guests. One of them seems to have an inexhaustible supply of children.]

Bilbo: "Mrs. Bracegirdle, how nice to see you! Welcome, welcome. Are all these children yours?"

[Mrs. Bracegirdle laughs and nods.]

Bilbo: "Good gracious. You have been productive!"

[Mrs Bracegirdle passes on. Bilbo's ears are assailed by a familiar strident voice.]

Sackville-Baggins: "Bilbo?"

Bilbo: "S-S-Sackville-Bagginses!"

[He grabs Frodo and they head into another corner of the tent.]

Bilbo: "Quickly! Hide!"

[Frodo and Bilbo hole up behind a tent fold as the Sackville-Bagginses search for him, and then retreat, baulked of their prey. Bilbo breathes a huge sigh of relief.]

Bilbo: "Thank you my boy."

[He sighs again and Frodo chuckles quietly. Bilbo then becomes more serious.]

Bilbo: "You're a good lad, Frodo."

[Frodo stares at his uncle, perturbed by the change of tone.]

Bilbo: "I'm very selfish, you know. Yes, I am. Very selfish… I don't know why I took you in after your mother and father died, but it wasn't out of charity. I think it was because, of all my numerous relations, you were the one that showed real… spirit."

Frodo: "Bilbo, have you been at the Gaffer's home brew?"

Bilbo: "No. Well, yes. But that's — that's — not the point. The point is, Frodo — you'll be all right."

[The two hobbits inside the tent have managed to get their firework ready to light up.]

Pippin: "Done."

[He lights the fuse.]

Merry: "You're supposed to stick it in the ground!"

Pippin: "It is in the ground."

[They pass it to and fro like a hot potato.]

Merry: "Outside!"

Pippin: "It was your idea!"

[Just then the firework explodes upwards, throwing them on to the ground and taking the tent up with it.]

[High above the crowd, it bursts into the shape of a flaming dragon, turns and swoops slowly towards the merrymakers. The hobbits make a hurried attempt to get out of the way.]

Hobbit: "Look at that!"

[Frodo's face is lit momentarily by the dragon's flame. He shepherds Bilbo out of the way.]

Frodo: "Bilbo? Bilbo, watch out for the dragon!"

Bilbo: "Dragon? Nonsense! There hasn't been a dragon in these parts for a thousand years…"

[Frodo pushes Bilbo to the ground. The dragon swoops low over the hobbits' heads, flies off and bursts into a beautiful finale over the lake. Hobbits clap and cheer.]

[The two Hobbits, now covered in soot, gaze proudly at their accomplishment.]

Merry: "That was good!"

Pippin: "Let's get another one!"

[Gandalf comes up behind them and grabs them each by their ear.]

Hobbits: "Aah!"

Gandalf: "Meriadoc Brandybuck, and Peregrin Took. I might have known."

[Merry and Pippin, under Gandalf's eye, are washing the piles of plates.]

[Under the party tree, the other Hobbits are gathered.]

Hobbits: "Speech, Bilbo! Speech!"

Frodo: "Speech!"

Bilbo: "My dear Bagginses and Boffins, Tooks and Brandybucks, Grubbs, Chubbs, Hornblowers, Bolgers, Bracegirdles and Proudfoots." [cheers]

Old Proudfoot Hobbit: "Proudfeet!"

[Hobbits laugh. Bilbo waves dismissively.]

Bilbo: "Today is my one hundred and eleventh birthday!"

Hobbits: "Happy birthday!"

Hobbit: "Happy birthday!"

Bilbo: "Alas, eleventy-one years is far too short a time to live among such excellent and admirable hobbits." [cheers abound.] "I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve."

[There is a dead silence from the crowd. They gaze at each other blank-faced, trying to figure out if they were just insulted. Gandalf smiles.]

Bilbo: "I, uh, I h-have things to do." [fidgets with the Ring behind his back. Whispers to himself] "I've put this off for far too long."

Bilbo: [to the crowd] "I regret to announce — this is The End. I am going now. I bid you all a very fond farewell." [whispers to Frodo] "Goodbye."

[Bilbo puts the Ring on and vanishes.]

Hobbits: "Ooh!"