At what time looked Firiel out?

3 A.M.

Ah, I was asking about short messages in your lst post to "minor works quotes" threads, now I see what you meant (the whole second paragraph typed in defiance of 'your message is too short' warning)

Yeah, correct answer in three minutes! :)

We try harder :)

next to try one's teeth on, than:

Name the only child to be sorry at Cook's (King's) departure

That was Tim, Nokes' great-grandson and the recipient of the faery star.

exactly :)

Tom Bombadil isn't the only character of Tolkien's who has a blue feather in his hat - who is the other one?

Artaxerxes that'd be, the one to turn Rover into a toy

That's the one, HI - your turn!

The person I have in mind was very conscientious and prudent, and was meeting his engagements in a good timely manner. Said qualities were used by a lot of other persons as an excuse to avoid discharging their own obligations.

Name all of them

As a hint:

The duties of the first person should have been (and have been, too, usually) fulfilled by Christmas

That sounds like it could be Father Christmas, but I haven't gotten a copy of the Father Christmas Letters yet, so I don't know. I can't think of anyone in the other minor works who fits that description...

No, it is not Father Christmas. Additional hint:

Persons (they all were males, btw) of the second category were using first person's alleged (male too) touchiness to avoid going on a quest (as it is)

Thanks for the clues - I finally figured out where to find the person you are looking for: It's the Royal Cook in Farmer Giles of Ham, who made "a Mock Dragon's Tail of cake and almond-paste, with cunning scales of hard icing-sugar." The knights who were chosen for the duty of hunting the dragon and bringing home its tail took the easy way out and merely carried the Mock Dragon's Tail into the hall on Christmas Eve.

right you are, your ladyship :) pray proceed

In which of Tolkien's non-Middle-earth "minor works" is the earth flat?

er, Mr. Bliss?

Not that I know of, HI - I haven't gotten 'Mr. Bliss' yet. I'm thinking of a different story.

it was [un]lucky guess, I don't remember if earth and its shape is mentioned in Mr. Bliss at all :rolleyes:

Well, I have to admitt I do not have an idea (now at least). Gotta make a bit of searching instead of uttering guesses, I suppose

later

Roverandom.

The moon dog claims to have fallen from the edge, and the White Dragon has flown from the edge as well.

um. what a shame (I mean, for me)

Good work there, dear Squatter :D

Absolutely right, Squatter, and nice to see you here again!

Wouldn't it be fascinating to see what Roverandom did?

Our planet was definitely designed with practicality in mind rather than more aesthetic considerations. It's nice to be (more or less) back.

In which year is The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth set?

Wow, a question I can answer. :D

It takes place in the year 991.

It certainly does, being set just after the battle of Maldon in August of that year.

I can't come up with a question right now, and I'm going away for a week tomorrow, so anyone can have it.

OK, then I'll pose a question to keep the thread going: Who rode a bicycle?

Niggle?

Yes, Evisse - as far as I know, the only mention of a bicycle is in Leaf by Niggle. Carry on!

Yay - I finally get to ask a minor works question!
 

What was the name of Farmer Giles' wife?

Her name was Agatha, and I love the description of her!

lol :D
 

Correct!

Who encounters someone called 'Dumbledor'? (No, I'm not asking about Harry Potter! :p )

More than one dumbledore (bumblebee):
That would be the unnamed hero of Errantry, from The Adventures of Tom Bombadil.

That's the one, Squatter - a "passenger, a messenger, a mariner"... Go ahead with the next!

The sea-dog in Roverandom is based on an historical canine companion. What was its name and who was its master?

That was Vige, King Olaf of Norway's dog, taken from the 13th-century saga Heimskringla. When defeated in a sea battle, he leapt from his ship, but according to legend, did not drown, swimming to safety. His ship was called the Long Serpent or Long Worm - the mer-dog's master had a ship called the Red Worm. (Thanks to the notes written by Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond in my edition of the book!)

So soon? We must have the same edition. That is, of course, the correct answer.

In one minor work, monks are mentioned. Where are they located?

The abbey church on the island of Ely, now in Cambridgeshire.