AUTHOR'S NOTES -
CHAPTER 7: ...AND BAD DAYS
Sam fetched Bill and Strider up from the new stables in a corner of the Party Field, and together the four hobbits rode out of Hobbiton.
The Return of the King, The Grey Havens: “On September the twenty-first they set out together, Frodo on the pony that had borne him all the way from Minas Tirith, and was now called Strider, and Sam on his beloved Bill.”
As soon as they left the road they were in the Tookland.
The Fellowship of the Ring, Three is Company: “...they hastily crossed the great road from the Brandywine Bridge; they were now in the Tookland...”
‘Iorhael, Meril, Gelir, Cordof, Glorfinniel, Baravorn, ar Eirien.’
The names of Sam’s children as they appear in the letter from Aragorn in History of Middle-earth, vol. 9, Sauron Defeated, the Epilogue.
‘Panthael, meleth anim,’ murmured Frodo.
Sam closed his eyes.‘Iorhael, nîn meleth,’ he answered
History of Middle-earth, vol. 9, Sauron Defeated, the Epilogue: “‘...the King says: “Master Perhael who should be called Panthael”. And that means: Samwise* who ought to be called Fullwise.
*The Return of the King, Appendix F tells us that Samwise means “halfwise, simple.”
For an explanation of the use of nîn and anim, see Introductory Notes. Meleth means “love”.
The Hills around provided a perfect natural defence, and it was not surprising the ruffians had failed to get any control here.
The Return of the King, The Scouring of the Shire: “‘Tooks are lucky, they’ve got those deep holes in the Green Hills, the Great Smials and all, and the ruffians can’t come at ‘em...’”
The Travellers’ pipes were all beautifully inlaid with silver, a small parting gift from the King Elessar, and he admired them.
Merry and Pippin must have been spoilt for choice, since they were also given pipes by Bilbo. The Return of the King, Many Partings: “Bilbo laughed and he produced out of a pocket two beautiful pipes with pearl mouth-pieces and bound with fine-wrought silver.”
It was nearly Yule time before the last remnants of the ruffians were rounded up and escorted over the border, and the Captains were kept busy.
Return of the King, The Grey Havens: “The task of hunting out the ruffians was left to Merry and Pippin... Before the Year’s End the few survivors were rounded up in the woods, and those that surrendered were shown to the borders.”
Return of the King, Appendix D: “The Yule [day] at the end of the year was 1
Yule, and that at the beginning was 2 Yule.” Therefore Yule and the Year’s end are synonymous.
Merry and Pippin had split the six days of Yule festivities between their two families.
Return of the King, Appendix D: “In full Yuletide was six days long, including the last three and first three days of each year.”
‘Sam, there was an orc with a whip,’ muttered Frodo, and Sam could feel him trembling.
‘No orc, my love. Look at your Sam.’
‘Am I still dreaming? But the other dreams were horrible.’
Return of the King, The Tower of Cirith Ungol: “‘Am I still dreaming?’ he muttered. ‘But the other dreams were horrible.’
‘You’re not dreaming at all, Master,’ said Sam. ‘It’s real. It’s me. I’ve come.’
‘I can hardly believe it,’ said Frodo, clutching him. There was an orc with a whip, and then it turns into Sam!...’”
The redness of the curtains disquieted him, reminding him of the dim red light in the tower.
Return of the King, The Tower of Cirith Ungol: “A red light hung from its roof; the westward window slit was high and dark. Something was lying on the floor by the wall under the window, but over it a black orc-shape was straddled... He stood up, and it looked to Sam as though he were clothed in flame: his naked skin was scarlet in the light of the lamp above.”
‘I wondered when you would think of it,’ he said, tracing the silver G rune with the forefinger of his free hand.
‘G for Galadriel or garden,’ said Sam.
‘Or Gamgee,’ added Frodo. ‘Open it! Let’s see what’s inside.’ He released Sam’s hand and pushed the box back to him. Sam very carefully released the tiny catch holding the box closed and lifted the lid. Inside, it was filled with a grey dust, soft and fine, in the middle of which was a seed, like a small nut with silver shale.
‘What can I do with this?’ said Sam. ‘It’s soil from the Lady Galadriel’s orchard.’
‘Throw it in the air on a breezy day and let it do its work!’ said Pippin.
‘On what?’ asked Sam.
‘Choose one spot as a nursery, and see what happens to the plants there,’ said Merry.
‘But I’m sure the Lady would not like me to keep it all for my own garden, now so many folk have suffered,’ said Sam, looking anxiously at Frodo.
‘Use all the wits and knowledge you have of your own, dear Sam,’ said Frodo, leaning forward to kiss him on the forehead, ‘and then use the gift to help your work and better it. And use it sparingly. There is not much here, and I expect every grain has a value.’
This scene is from The Return of the King, The Grey Havens, with a few alterations and additions. Here are Tolkien’s original words:
“‘I wondered when you would think of it,’ said Frodo. ‘Open it!’
Inside, it was filled with a grey dust, soft and fine, in the middle of which was a seed, like a small nut with silver shale. ‘What can I do with this?’ said Sam.
‘Throw it in the air on a breezy day and let it do its work!’ said Pippin.
‘On what?’ said Sam.
‘Choose one spot as a nursery, and see what happens to the plants there,’ said Merry.
‘But I’m sure the Lady would not like me to keep it all for my own garden, now so many folk have suffered,’ said Sam.
‘Use all the wits and knowledge you have of your own, Sam,’ said Frodo, ‘and then use the gift to help your work and better it. And use it sparingly. There is not much here, and I expect every grain has a value.’”
Also transposed from The Fellowship of the Ring,Farewell to Lórien: “She put into his hand a little box of plain grey wood, unadorned save for a single silver rune upon the lid. ’Here is set G for Galadriel ,’ she said; ‘but it may also stand for garden in your tongue. In this box is earth from my orchard...”