AUTHOR'S NOTES -


CHAPTER 31: REVELATIONS
Jena was proud of her position in the Mayor’s household, and try as Sam might, he could not stop her calling him Mr. Mayor to emphasise the point.
The Return of the King, Appendix B. Sam is first elected Mayor of the Shire in 1427, it is now 1436, and he is two years into his second term of office. In all, he will be mayor for forty-nine years, standing down when he is ninety-six years old. Interestingly, this age agrees with The Longfather Tree in Appendix C (Sam born S.R. 1380), not the date given for Sam’s birth earlier in Appendix B (T.A. 2983, ie S.R. 1383). I suspect the latter is therefore an error in converting Shire Reckoning (S.R.) into Third Age (T.A.) and 1380 is indeed the correct date.

‘Your dada had dogs set on him for no less, my lass, so just you watch out; terrified of dogs he was, after that.’
The Fellowship of the Rings, A Shortcut to Mushrooms: “‘I am terrified of him and his dogs. I have avoided his farm for years and years. He caught me several times trespassing after mushrooms, when I was a youngster at Brandy Hall. On the last occasion he beat me, and then took me and showed me to his dogs. “See, lads,” he said, ‘next time this young varmint sets foot on my land, you can eat him. Now see him off!’ They chased me all the way to the ferry. I have never got over the fright...’”

‘Because my Ma named me that after her favourite uncle, who was very kind and gentle and all, but very simple. I don’t think she ever realised it wasn’t his given name, but more of a joke. He always was Uncle Samwise to her, and I don’t believe she ever thought on what it meant.’
The Return of the King, Appendix F II, On Translation: “But Sam and his father were really called Ban and Ran. These were shortenings of Banazîr and Ranugad, originally nick-names meaning ‘halfwise, simple’ and ‘stay-at-home’; but being words that had fallen out of colloquial use they remained as traditional names in certain families.”

It was very rare for them to have bad weather on Elanor’s birthday
History of Middle-earth, vol. 9, Sauron Defeated, The Epilogue (second version): “It was the second day of the bright cloudless spell that came every year to the Shire towards the end of March, and was every year welcomed and praised as something surprising for the season.”

Elanor stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the nose. ‘Oh, Sam-dad, you’re not nearly clever enough if you think you’ve kept it hidden. It came by the Southfarthing post last week. I saw you take it in. All wrapped in white silk and sealed with great black seals! It’s from the King, isn’t it?’...

Sam suddenly laughed. ‘And I suppose you learnt your spying from the Red Book,’ he said. ‘How we do get paid back in our own coin. I spied on...’ he hesitated, forcing back ‘your dada,’ saying instead, ‘Frodo of the Ring, and now here I am, the victim of your bright eyes. Well, your punishment will be wondering all day if it truly is from the King, because I’m not saying another word until this evening. Have you told the others?’

History of Middle-earth, vol. 9, Sauron Defeated, The Epilogue: “Elanor stood up, and passed her hand lightly through Sam’s curling brown hair, already flecked with grey. ‘Good night, Sam-dad. But’

‘I don’t want good night but,’ said Sam.

‘But won’t you show it to me first? I was going to say.’

‘Show you what, dear?’

‘The King’s letter of course. You have had it now more than a week.’

Sam sat up. ‘Good gracious!’ he said. ‘How stories do repeat themselves! And you get paid back in your own coin and all. How we spied on poor Mr. Frodo! And now our own spy on us, meaning no more harm than we did, I hope. But how did you know about it?’

‘There was no need for spying,’ said Elanor. ‘If you wanted it kept secret, you were not nearly clever enough. It came by the Southfarthing post early on Wednesday last week. I saw you take it in. All wrapped in white silk and sealed with great black seals...”

Peregrin joined Sam and Rosie in a warm welcome of the newcomers, and as soon as they decently could, the three Counsellors of the North Kingdom - the Thain, the Master of Buckland and the Mayor - pleaded urgent business and disappeared into the study together to talk about Frodo.
The Return of the King, Appendix B: 1434 Peregrin becomes the Took and Thain. King Elessar makes the Thain, the Master and the Mayor Counsellors of the North Kingdom.

Sam wiped his eyes and turned from Frodo’s portrait to get the full effect of Merry’s bright golden-yellow silk waistcoat. Magnificent didn’t begin to describe it.
The Return of the King, Appendix B: 1432 Meriadoc, called the Magnificent, becomes Master of Buckland.

‘Well it ain’t quite the end, since I’ve not written that, yet,’ said Sam.
History of Middle-earth, vol. 9, Sauron Defeated, The Epilogue (second version): “‘Mr. Frodo, he left the last pages of the Book to me, but I have never yet durst to put hand to them. I am still making notes, as old Mr. Bilbo would have said.’”

The reading of the Red Book had gone on for months, with omissions of anything Sam deemed too frightening for Merry and Pippin. The four youngest of his children were not allowed to join in this treat, but it was the second time that Elanor and Frodo had heard the story. Elanor had also read it for herself, sitting in the study armchair when Sam was present, but only after her hands had been inspected to make sure they were clean.
History of Middle-earth, vol. 9, Sauron Defeated, The Epilogue (second version): “Not long before he had been reading aloud from it to his family. For the day was a special one: the birthday of his daughter Elanor. That evening before supper he had come to the very end of the Book. The long progress through its many chapters, even with omissions that he had thought advisable, had taken several months, for he only read aloud on great days. At the birthday reading, besides Elanor, Frodo-lad had been present, and Rosie-lass, and young Merry and Pippin; but the other children had not been there.”

‘Tell me about Lórien,’ she said softly. ‘Does my  flower grow there still?’

‘Well, Celeborn is still there,’ said Sam.

‘Sam-dada?’

He looked at her, and the candles threw a soft golden light on her face, so that she almost seemed to glow. ‘Yes, me dear?’

‘I would like to see the hill of Amroth where the King met Arwen, and the little white niphredil, and the golden elanor in the grass that is always green. And I would like to hear Elves singing.’

‘Then maybe you will one day, my Elanorellë, and that sooner than you think. I never thought I would, but I did. I saw them and heard them.’ He smiled at her. ‘Though now I have you to look at, I don’t have the urge to seek them out.’

‘I was afraid they were all sailing away, Sam-dad. That soon there would be none left here, and then... then everything would be just places!’ she finished in a rush, ‘and the light would have faded.’

‘I know,’ said Sam gently. ‘The light is fading. It won’t go out yet - maybe won’t ever go out while there are those who remember it, even if they have never seen it; but the seeing was something, Elanorellë!’

‘Like being in a story?’ asked Elanor. ‘I wish I could be in a story.’

...

Elanor was silent for a while before patting Sam’s arm. ‘I didn’t understand at first what Celeborn said to the King, when he said about how he hoped the King’s treasure would stay with him to the end, unlike his. Arwen is the King’s treasure, isn’t she? And Celeborn must have known that Galadriel would leave him, and that was his treasure. I think it was very sad for him.’ Her hand felt for his as she looked earnestly into his eyes. ‘And sad for you, dear Sam-dad, because your treasure went, too.’

Sam’s brown hand folded over her slender fingers, and he kissed her, blinking back tears.

‘It was sad, Elanorellë,’ he said gently. ‘But, well, it isn’t now. For one thing, Frodo has gone where the elven-light isn’t fading, and there is hope for a happy ending for him there. If any one deserved that reward, it was him. But I have my reward, too. I have lots of treasures. I am a very rich hobbit, and that would be true if I didn’t have a penny to my name, because you are my treasure.’

Elanor squeezed his hand. ‘You say the nicest things, Sam-dad,’ she said.

‘Well, now I’m going to tell you two things, and the first is that before Frodo went away, he told me my time maybe would come. That I would be allowed to seek the elven-light as well and follow him on his great journey. I can wait. It’s a long way away, perhaps not until I’m as old as your Granfather Cotton, or older, but I think maybe Frodo and I haven’t said farewell for good, and I can wait. I have learnt that much from the Elves at any rate. They are not so troubled about time. And so I like to think that Celeborn is still happy among his trees, in an Elvish way. His time hasn’t come, and he isn’t tired of his land yet. When he is tired, he can go.’

Elanor pulled her hand free to clap in delight. ‘And when you’re tired, you will go, Sam-dad. You will go to the Havens with the Elves, and I shall come with you! I shall not part from you like Arwen did from Elrond!’

‘Maybe, but maybe not, my Elanorellë,’ said Sam gently.

Elanor slipped her hand back into his and digested this. ‘I am glad Frodo of the Ring saw me,’ she said after a silence. ‘But I wish I could remember seeing him. I love reading the Red Book, and thinking he wrote those words, sitting at the desk there.’
History of Middle-earth, vol. 9, Sauron Defeated, The Epilogue (second version). There is so much of the Epilogue in the above passage that it is easier to refer you to the original text, rather than repeat it all here.

‘Well, to the Brandywine Bridge. He made a law to say no Man may enter the Shire, and he’s showing us it applies to him as well, King or no. Do you see?’
History of Middle-earth, vol. 9, Sauron Defeated, The Epilogue (second version): “‘He won’t come into the Shire because he’s given orders that no Big Folk are to enter the land again after those Ruffians and he won’t break his own rules. But he will ride to the Bridge. And his sent a very specuial invitation to every one of us, every one by name.’”

Elanor nodded. ‘We’re all invited by name,’ she said in awe. ‘What will we wear? My best dress is too small.’ She bit her lip, and Sam almost laughed aloud. Rosie had assured him that when there was the need, Elanor would be as interested in wearing pretty dresses as the next lass.

‘No need to fret,’ he told her. ‘It’s all in hand. You will all have beautiful clothes ready in time. We’ve had plenty of warning of this, bright eyes, months before the official invitation came, and your Ma has everything in hand. Now, be a good lass, and keep it secret, because the little ones will get so excited likely they’ll be sick and not sleep...’
History of Middle-earth, vol. 9, Sauron Defeated, The Epilogue (second version): “‘But it says the second of April, only a week today! When shall we start? We ought to be getting ready. What shall we wear?’

‘You must ask Mother Rose about that,’ said Sam. ‘But we have been getting ready. We had warning of this a long time ago; and we’ve said naught about it, only because we didn’t want you to lose your sleep of nights, not just yet. You have all got to look your best and beautifullest. You will all have beautiful clothes and we shall drive in a coach.’”

‘The wisest person in the world, my dear child,’ answered Sam, kissing her back.
The Two Towers, The Black Gate is closed: “It had always been a notion of his that the kindness of dear Mr. Frodo was of such a high degree that it must imply a fair degree of blindness. Of course, he also firmly held the incompatible belief that Frodo was the wisest person in the world (with the possible exception of Old Mr. Bilbo and of Gandalf).”


Sam sipped his wine and thought how to answer this. ‘Well, yes and no,’ he said, and Pippin rolled his eyes.

‘Now, don’t go getting all Elvish on us, Sam,’ he said. ‘A plain answer, I beg you. Merry and I have been pacing around like two caged beasts, waiting to hear what happened.’
The Fellowship of the Ring, Three is Company: “‘And it is also said,’ answered Frodo: ‘Go not to the Elves for counsel, for they will say both no and yes.’”

Rosie was standing on the threshold of Bag End, gazing up at the clear sky. Sam joined her there and looked up at the stars shining on them. Star-gazing always brought Frodo to mind, and this day Frodo had never been far from his thoughts. He looked to the east and saw again, in his imagination, the dread light of Orodruin. He drew Rose close to him and wiped tears from her eyes.

‘This day seventeen years ago, Rose wife, I did not think I would ever see the Shire or you again,’ he said. ‘But I kept on hoping.’

‘And I never hoped at all,’ she answered softly. ‘Not until that very day, and then I knew you were coming back. And you came.’

‘Aye, I came. And you never despaired of me being well and whole again. I was torn in two, and now I’m not. This is the belovedest place in all the world, I have my lovely Rosie, and a fine family, and my memories are as clear and fresh as the Lord Elrond promised me.’ He bent his head and claimed her mouth, stroking her lips with his tongue so that she opened to him. She pressed against him, and as they separated, she laid her head on his shoulder and sighed.

He drew her inside and closed the door, but as he did so he heard suddenly, deep and unstilled, the sigh and murmur of the Sea upon the shores of Middle-earth.
History of Middle-earth, vol. 9, Sauron Defeated, The Epilogue (second version): “The stars were shining in the clear dark sky....All the children were now in bed. It was late, but here and there lights still glimmered in Hobbiton, and in houses dotted about the night-folded countryside.

Master Samwise stood at the door and looked away eastward. He drew Mistress Rose to him, and set his arm about her.

‘March the twenty-fifth!’ he said. ‘This day seventeen years ago, Rose wife, I didn’t think I would ever see thee again. But I kept on hoping.’

‘And I never hoped at all, Sam, ’ she said, ‘not until that very day; and then suddenly I did. About noon it was, and I felt so glad that I began singing. And mother said: “Quiet lass! There’s ruffians about.” And I said: “Let them come! Their time will soon be over. Sam’s coming back.” And you came.’

‘I did,’ said Sam. “To the most belovedest place in all the world. To my Rose and my garden.’

They went in, and Sam shut the door. But even as he did so he heard suddenly, deep and unstilled, the sigh and murmur of the Sea upon the shores of Middle-earth.”