“It never pays to leave a live dragon out of your reckoning,” Mr. Bilbo used to say.
Watching Miss Pearl Took avoiding Master Frodo after running into that Missus Lobelia in Hobbiton brought that saying home to Sam Gamgee. “And just what did that old she-dragon say to you, Miss Pearl, as put you off my Master?” he muttered to himself.
When he learned years later that Frodo had agreed to sell Bag End to Lobelia Sackville-Baggins and that lump Lotho….
“How could you do that, Mr. Frodo?” Sam demanded. “Mr. Bilbo will never forgive that!” Or me! he thought.
“Only thing as we’ve not seen on this journey has been dragons,” Sam commented to his Master as they walked through Ithilien, eating some of the dried fruit given them by Captain Faramir’s Men.
Frodo had nodded, although his mind was plainly on other things.
“Not but them creatures as the Wraiths ride ain’t a lot like dragons, I suppose,” Sam had continued.
But then they’d seen one of the monsters fairly close up when the Enemy’s folk marched from the Morgul Vale. “Glad as them’s not as smart as dragons,” he said. “We’d be dead by now, I’m thinking.”