Or Hal just had an ale or pipe too much. It's not like trees moving are something totally impossible to imagine at night when looking at them.
About the first draft of the passage in question, Christopher Tolkien has to say in HoME VI; 2.XV:
"Most interesting is the reference to the Tree-men. As my father first wrote Sam's words, he said: 'But what about these what do you call 'em- giants? They do say as one nigh as big as a tower or leastways a tree was seen up away beyond the North Moors not long back.' This was changed at the time of writing to: 'But what about these Tree-Men, these here - giants? They do say one nigh as big as a tower was seen,' etc. (Was this
passage (preserved in FR, p. 53) the first premonition of the Ents? But long before my father had referred to 'Tree-men' in connection with the voyages of Earendel: II.254, 261)."
[ November 12, 2002: Message edited by: Sharkû ]
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