Pippin was the only one of the group who had ventured into the Forest before and only a few times. He could see their concern and explained what he knew of the place. It was a strange forest indeed. In particular the trees did not like strangers and there were tales of trees moving to hem wanderers in. Merry explained that long ago when the trees advanced on the hedge offering protection for the Shire hobbits had went out in numbers felling hundreds of trees and making a huge bonfire. Since then the trees were very unfriendly toward hobbits. These are not Ents but even so it is interesting that Tolkien gives trees and animals personality throughout his writings.
Merry led the way trying to find a path as best he could. "'For the moment there was no whispering or movement along the branches; but they all got an uncomfortable feeling that they were being watched with disapproval, deepening to dislike and even enmity. The feeling steadily grew, until they found themselves looking up quickly, or glancing back over their shoulders, as if they expected a sudden blow" (p. 122, The Fellowship of the Ring). Eventually Merry found Bonfire Glade and he revealed the trees must have shifted for the path did not run as it once did. It was refreshing for the hobbits to see the sky again and as they set off into the woods Frodo began a song to lift their spirits; however the song had to do with things like how woods fail. A rather large branch crashed to the ground behind them and Merry thought it best not to sing about such things.
Merry was able to find his bearings and point out the line of the Withywindle valley which held a River of the same name. His aim was to avoid that at all costs for all the strangest stories about the Old Forest centered on that region. They still saw no sign of the East Road but as they sat for lunch the could make out the outlines of the Barrow-downs in the distance. "That cheered them greatly; for it was good to see a sight of anything beyond the wood's borders, though they did not mean to go that way, if they could help it: the Barrow-downs had as sinister a reputation in hobbit-legend as the Forest itself" (p. 125, The Fellowship of the Ring). After a short rest they set out again.
At first they made good progress but before long the trees enclosed; they were forced to cross deep cuts, and lost any sense of direction. "They were being headed off, and were simply following a course chosen for them---eastwards and southwards, into the heart of the Forest, and not out of it" (p. 126, The Fellowship of the Ring). They went down a deep fold and found no possible way to go out, forward or behind, with their ponies. They walked along and the ground became muddy, marsh-like, and soon a small brook went along side them. They found an open space eventually as the water grew wider and Merry finally recognized it as the River Withywindle, the very place he hoped to avoid. He set off to explore and came back with an interesting discovery. He found cleared paths among the tall grasses of the opening. With no choice the hobbits set out to follow the paths but not without wondering who made them and used them enough to keep them so nicely.
Going was slow, however, even with the paths. A great sleepiness had come over all the hobbits. Frodo's head nodded as Pippen fell to his knees, Merry stated his intentions for a nap under the cool willow trees, and Sam simply yawned and stared. Frodo did not like this at all; he decided to dip his feet in the river hoping the cool water might refresh his mind. He walked over by a huge willow and before he could put his feet in the water fell on the ground. Merry and Pippin laid themselves against the tree and they too were drifting into a deep sleep. Frodo managed to get up, straddle a willow root and dip his feet in the water; cool though it was he fell fast asleep. "Sam sat down and scratched his head, and yawned like a cavern. He was worried. The afternoon was getting late, and he thought this sudden sleepiness uncanny. 'There's more behind this than sun and warm air,' he muttered to himself. 'I don't like this great big tree. I don't trust it'" (p. 128, The Fellowship of the Ring).
Sam managed to pull himself up and look for the ponies which were far down the path at this point. As he reached them he heard two distinct sounds: a splash and the click of a lock. He ran back to find Frodo in the water with the tree root holding him underneath. He wrestled Frodo out from under and onto dry land; Frodo woke up saying he had watched the tree push him in. But they had no time to decide if it was a dream for Pippin and Merry were also in trouble. Pippin was gone entirely as if the tree swallowed him up where he had been sleeping (and Sam understood now what the clicking sound meant) where has Merry's upper torso was trapped in the tree with his legs sticking out in the open.
Sam and Frodo hit and kicked the tree to no avail. All they had was a little hatchet for firewood but Sam grabbed the tinder and set to work starting a fire on the opposite side of the willow where Merry and Pippin were trapped. As Sam lit the fire the tree shook and they heard Merry's voice deep within screaming for them to put it out. "'He'll squeeze me in two, if you don't. He says so!'" (p. 129, The Fellowship of the Ring). They realized he meant the tree itself and they had no choice but to snuff the flames out. There seemed to be no way to rescue their friends. "But Frodo, without any clear idea of why he did so, or what he hoped for, ran along the path crying help! help! help!" (p. 130, The Fellowship of the Ring).
Middle-earth timeline: Third Age, 3018, September 26th
Today's reading comes from: The Fellowship of the Ring, pages 120-130
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