In classic fairytales, the reluctant hero must face a number of trials on his way to meet the final test. We are seeing in the Midgewater marshes the start of the trials for our heroes.

Tolkien has several heroes in this story, and all have been brought along by mentors and have to face their tests. Strider is one of these people, who after long years in hiding as a ranger, even a leader of rangers, now takes his turn as a teacher of a new group of heroes to be. Each of our hobbits will have his own heroic role to play but for now they are innocents and have much toughening to face. It begins in the Midgewater Marshes.

Have you noticed that it is the smallest things that are, at times, the most difficult to bear? For the hobbits, this is a day of tedium and irritation. As our crew pick their way through the quagmire, the flies begin to torment the hobbits and midges find their way into every gap in their clothing to bite at tender skin. The hobbits do not take this in stride.

The marshes become more difficult and the day is a miserable one. Their camp that night is no better. It is damp and lumpy. Between the biting insects and the "neekerbreekers" as Sam named them, some evil relative of the cricket, which chirped all night long, the hobbits were nearly frantic. It was a long day for our crew. No doubt, they were grumbling about how much easier Fatty Bolger got off with a nice, dry, warm hobbit house to live in.

Artwork: "The Dead Marshes" by Alan Lee

Calendar entry by Elizabeth