![]() The Mallorn Tree in the Party Field, the beauty of the children born in 1420, the flourishing of the woodlands of the Shire that Saruman tried so hard to destroy and the excellence of the beer brewed in that year that satisfied the taste of the gaffers of the Shire for long years after. The one that all can see is Galadriel’s box, and the fruits of that gift are clear for all to see. Sam has returned from his journey bearing many gifts. He grows food for his growing family in his garden and from this place, from this homestead, a place worthy of the greatest respect, he leads his community. He is a husband, a father and a householder. The fire in his own hearth is lit, the meal at his own table is set and his child is upon his knee. Rosie sets the scene for his future endeavours and she is right to do so. All of this is now a part of him but all of this is now over. It was an adventure that took him to places that were far beyond his imagining. Sam is in that world but his own adventure is over. I was filled with excitement at the prospect and a little disappointment when he was not there. Suddenly I was captured by the thought that Gandalf might be walking towards me in the opposite direction and that when I turned the bend in the road he might meet me there to invite me upon an adventure. A few years ago I was walking with my dog along a lane in Worcestershire, England, with high hedges upon either side. Middle-earth was now a place within my inner world, a world that was now peopled with new races whose history was a part of my history. When I first read those lines I was filled with a deep sadness because it meant that I would have to leave a story that had somehow taken me to its heart. ‘Well, I’m back,’ he said.”įor me these are some of the most poignant lines in all literature, the last lines of a story that I have loved ever since I first encountered it in my teens nearly fifty years ago. And Rose drew him in, and set him in his chair, and put little Elanor upon his lap. ![]() And he went on, and there was yellow light, and fire within and the evening meal was ready, and he was expected. But Sam turned to Bywater, and so came back up the Hill as day was ending once more. “At last they rode over the downs and took the East Road, and then Merry and Pippin rode on to Buckland and already they were singing again as they went. The Three Companions make their silent way back from the Grey Havens and their farewells to Frodo and Bilbo and their glorious fellow travellers. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |