[00:00:00] If you've seen Lord of the Rings, you know this man. Farmer Maggot. The one and the only. But I am reading The Lord of the Rings for the first time, and it's a plug for anyone who wants some unorganized thoughts about my read-through in the Tolkien universe because I'm pretty much doing an essay about every single chapter that I go through, or at least what I find in every single chapter. And I am on The Fellowship of the Rings Chapter 4, which is called A Shortcut to Mushrooms,
[00:00:28] and I am actually astounded that the hobbits eat in the home of Farmer Maggot. Not only do they eat in the home of Farmer Maggot, but he is a living legend. And not only for this chapter alone, but at the time of me writing my thoughts on this chapter, I'm actually in the chapter where they are in the house of Tom Bombadil, and it's wild to me that Tom Bombadil actually meets up with Farmer Maggot and spends time with him, which blows my mind because Tom Bombadil seems like he has created all
[00:00:57] of Middle Earth. He seems so weird. I don't really know who Tom Bombadil is. If anybody can give me some information on Tom Bombadil, I would be eternally grateful. But my first thought of Farmer Maggot is that he was some kind of higher form of being, especially after he talked to Tom. But after chapter four, not only did I find him to be an incredible badass, I also found him to be spectacularly kind with a fantastic family, and he just doesn't want people stealing his mushrooms. Who can blame him?
[00:01:26] As a child, Frodo tried to steal his mushrooms in the field. And yes, Frodo was the one who stole the mushrooms, not Merry and Pippin. And Frodo's terror of him has transferred into his adult life as well. He is absolutely terrified when Pippin suggests that they stop by Farmer Maggot's to have dinner and find a safe haven. This is what the book says. I know these fields and this gate, he said. This is Bamferlong, old Farmer Maggot's land. That's his
[00:01:52] farm away in the trees. One trouble after another, said Frodo, looking nearly as much alarmed as if Pippin had declared the lane was the slot leading to a dragon's den. The others looked at him in surprise. What's wrong with old Maggot? Pippin asked. He's a good friend to all the brandy bucks. Of course, he's a terror to trespassers and keeps ferocious dogs. But after all, folk down here are near the border and have to be more on their guard.
[00:02:18] I know, said Frodo, but all the same, he added with a shame-faced laugh. 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 Hole. On the last occasion, he beat me and took me and showed me to his dogs. See, lads, he said. Next time this young vermin stuts foot on my land, you can eat him. Now see him off. They chased me all the way to the ferry. I've never gotten over
[00:02:46] the fright, though I dare say the beast knew their business and would not really have touched me. Pippin laughed. Well, it's time you made it up, especially if you were coming back to live in Buckland. Old Maggot is really a stout fellow, if you leave his mushrooms alone. Let's get into the lane, and we shan't be trespassing. If we meet him, I'll do the talking. He is a friend of Mary's, and I used to come here with him a good deal that one time. And so when they go to Farmer Maggot's
[00:03:14] house and see him, Maggot almost does set the dogs on them, but when he recognizes Pippin, he brings him back. And then they kind of get in a short conversation, and they're doing a bunch of greets, and then he tells the hobbit something that actually blew my mind. Because he actually stands up to the black rider or the ringwraith. This is what the text says. Well, the farmer continued, approaching his point with slow relish. He came riding on a big
[00:03:41] black horse and at the gate, which happened to be open, and right up to my door. All black he was himself, too, and cloaked and hooded up, as if he didn't want to be known. Now what in the shire can he want, I thought to myself. We don't see many of the big folk over the border. And anyway, I had never heard of anything like this black fellow. Good day to you, I says going out to him. This lane don't lead anywhere, and wherever you may be going, your quickest way will be back to the road.
[00:04:08] I didn't like the looks of him. And when Grip came out, he took one sniff and let out a yelp as if he had been stung. He put down his tail and bolted off howling. The black fellow sat quite still. I come from yonder, he said, slow and stiff-like, pointing black west over the fields, if you please. Have you seen Baggins? he asked in a queer voice, and bent down toward me. I could not see any face, for his hood fell down so low, and I felt a sort of shiver down my back. But I did not
[00:04:37] see why he should come riding over my land so bold. Be off, I said. There are no Bagginses here. You're in the wrong part of the shire. You had better go back up west to Hobbiton. But you can go by the road this time. Baggins has left, he answered in a whisper. He is coming. He's not far away. I wish to find him. If he passes, will you tell me? I will come back with gold. No, you won't, I said. You'll go back to where you belong. Double quick. I give you one minute before I call my dogs. He gave his sword a hiss.
[00:05:06] It might have been laughing, and it might not. Then he spurred his great horse right at me, and I jumped out of the way, only just in time. I called the dogs, but he swung off and rode through the gate up to the lane and the causeway like a bolt of thunder. What do you think of that? What an absolute certified badass. This man is standing up to the ringwraiths. And not only that, but he's also hospitable. He invites the hobbits to stay for dinner with his family. And then he doesn't just leave them after
[00:05:35] that. He drives them in his cart to the ferry so that they can be safer. And his wife leaves them a whole basket of mushrooms, too. I think this is the age-old trope of never judging a book by its cover. But it's also kind of like the whole plot of a lot of different novels, too. It's the whole plot of To Kill a Mockingbird. And now we have it in a small section of Fellowship of the Ring. And I'm pretty blown away by the writing here in this section, and pretty much all of Fellowship of
[00:06:01] the Ring right now. Tolkien was an absolute master of his craft. And this essay was no other real reason or purpose other than to just kind of dote on Farmer Maggot and say that he's a significantly more interesting person in the books than the movie. Because all we really see in the movie is his little scythe. And the books, he's taken on the ringwraiths one at a time. So my hat's off to you, Farmer Maggot.