Characters paying attention

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Now THAT is one catch for the topic! Even though the whole episode before it is rather a case of the characters NOT paying attention: Bombadil explicitly told them to avoid the standing stones, and, well...

Thinking about the fact that Frodo seems to pay most attention when a song's involved, I wandered over to his lament for Gandalf, and, er:

From Wilderland to Western shore,
from northern waste to southern hill,
through dragon-lair and hidden door
and darkling woods he walked at will.

I'm pretty sure Gandalf never went anywhere near Erebor when Smaug was alive, and I'm positive he didn't go through the Back Door before it got destroyed. So was Frodo not paying attention to Uncle Bilbo when he rambled on about his adventures?

hS