Have you heard Jamie Stinnet’s presentation on the music of The Lord of the Rings? She posits that silence is a form of music, and we should pay attention to those parts of the books wherein music is silenced. Wise words. I notice the parts of The Hobbit wherein laughter is silenced. See also Laugh.

• 3.013 like laughter
• 4.022 and to the ugly laughter of their ho, ho! my lad!
• 5.038 Ends life, kills laughter.
• 8.038 At times they heard disquieting laughter.
• 8.038 The laughter was the laughter of fair voices
• 8.038 The laughter was the laughter of fair voices
• 8.062 and the laughter quite plainly.
• 10.008 and new laughter.
• 11.004 There was no laughter or song or sound of harps,
• 19.016 they answered with laughter.