The Year of Jubilee

The spring of 3020 was marvelous. The dust of Galadriel worked wonders in the Shire; indeed, it was as if one year of growth equalled twenty. The seed that Sam planted at the fallen the Party Tree was that of a mallorn. "In after years, as it grew in grace and beauty, it was known far and wide and people would come on long journeys to see it: the only mallorn west of the Mountains and east of the Sea, and one of the finest in the world" (p. 303, The Return of the King). But the trees were not the only marvel in the Shire that year. Perfect amounts of rain, sunshine, and growth. Bountiful harvest and the conception of many hobbit children, many of whom sported golden hair which had been rare in the Shire.

"The fruit was so plentiful that young hobbits very nearly bathed in strawberries and cream; and later they sat on lawns under the plum-trees and ate, until they had made piles of stones like small pyramids or heaped skulls of a conqueror, and then they moved on" (p. 303, The Return of the King). There was no sickness in the Shire that year and everyone was filled with joy. The Southfarthing leaf was plentiful and the Northfarthing barley exceptional. Indeed, the beer of 1420 (Shire Reckoning) became legendary. Even a generation later it would be referenced after a well earned and well received  pint: "'Ah! that was proper fourteen-twenty, that was!'" (p. 304, The Return of the King).

Only for Frodo were things not altogether perfect. In March on the anniversary of his wound from Shelob he fell ill again. Farmer Cotton had looked after him while Sam had been out tending the lands of the Shire. All Frodo did was clutch the phial of Galadriel until the fit passed. When Bag End had been refinished and refurnished Frodo moved in and asked Sam to reside there as well. Sam was torn, for he wanted to merry Rosie Cotton. "'I see,' said Frodo: 'you want to get married, and yet you want to live with me in Bag End too? But my dear Sam, how easy! Get married as soon as you can, and then move in with Rosie. There's room enough in Bag End for as big a family as you could wish for'" (p. 304, The Return of the King). And so it was; Sam and Rosie were married later in the spring and moved in.

Both Frodo and Sam felt themselves very lucky. Sam to live with his love and wife Rosie and with his friend and master Frodo; while Frodo was cared better than any hobbit could ask. In fact, Frodo mostly faded out of the daily affairs of the Shire and began pouring over his and Bilbo's notes from their adventures. Meanwhile Merry and Pippin moved in together at Crickhollow and hobbits looked at them as lords in their armor and livery. But they were unchanged, unless it were possible that they were more jovial then when before they left. Sam was hurt that Frodo was given less respect then Merry and Pippin. "Few people knew or wanted to know about his deeds and adventures; their admiration and respect were given mostly to Mr. Meriadoc and Mr. Peregrin and (if Sam had known it) to himself" (p. 305, The Return of the King).

Overall everything was well until the fall. Frodo again seemed to be suffering and withdrawn. Sam was worried about his master and asked how he was. "'I am wounded,' he answered,' wounded; it will never really heal.' But then he got up, and the turn seemed to pass, and he was quite himself the next day. It was not until afterwords that Sam recalled the date was October the sixth. Two years before on that day it was dark in the dell under Weathertop" (p. 305, The Return of the King).

Middle-earth timeline: Third Age, 3020
Today's reading comes from: The Return of the King, pages 303-305