Bet You Never Thought You'd Hear Me Say This...

but I like Tom Bombadil.



I mean, he's still a crazy old git, but hey:

(a) He rescues the hobbits. Twice. With his WORDS. How's *that* for authority? The eight in me is all a-flutter.

(b) He owns Fatty Lumpkin.

(c) He NAMED Fatty Lumpkin.

(d) He tends to the ponies, and tries to get the hobbits to understand things from their little pony perspectives... "You must forgive them all; for though their hearts are faithful, to face fear of Barrow-wights is not what they were made for. See, here they come again, bringing all their burdens!"

(e) He gives the hobbits daggers and tools with which to defend themselves. In fact, "fighting had not before occurred to any of [the hobbits] as one of the adventures in which their flight would land them." Um, Frodo? Hellooo? Thank you, Tom. Thank you.

(f) He nonchalantly and joyously storms into scary situations and stomps, *literally* stomps on evil. Plus, he's thorough. Hear that, remaining appendages of evil? You will not be allowed to endure. "As Frodo left the barrow for the last time he thought he saw a severed hand wriggling still, like a wounded spider {thanks for that, Tolkien}, in a heap of fallen earth. Tom went back in again, and there was a sound of much thumping and stamping."