The Adventures of Tom Bombadil are two poems that are fun reading. The first is about how Tom meets Goldberry. The second is about how Tom has a little meeting with Farmer Maggot, so there' a tie-in to the Fellowship of the Ring there, and it's verrrry suggestive and mysterious... Great fun!
I've read everything but Mr. Bliss. I found Roverandom a little difficult to wade through, but interesting.
Nobody has mentioned my favorite of Tolkien's littler stories: Smith of Wooton Major. It was written in the 60s, and has the feel of an elegy. You get the sense that Tolkien is Smith, and he's aware that he's had a wonderful life tramping about in Faerie, and now it's time to pass on the star of entry to someone else - notably not his own son (Christopher?), but to the 'villain's' grandson - 'not an obvious choice'. The depictions of Faerie are economical and breathtaking. My personal favorite, and very hard to find these days.
[ July 08, 2002: Message edited by: littlemanpoet ]
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