When the dwarves and Bilbo were creeping through Mirkwood, they strayed off the path against warnings from Gandalf and Beorn. They were separated from each other, and Bilbo despaired over the fate of his friends. He dozed off, and when he came to his senses, he was nearly smothered in spider silk. He eventually killed the spider, and he willingly set off to find the dwarves. He led the spiders off to rescue the dwarves. This was his own choice and not luck.
Again, Bilbo proved his worth as a hero at the Lonely Mountain. Twice he faced Smaug, a dragon, and he even stole