Ahem. Anywhen, here was the promised analysis of the
Athrabeth. It was very hard to analyse, as it was written rapidly in pencil, and the manuscript is blurred at many places.
Wow. He's really posting it on time.
[Elmerf: ]‘[ I ]n the great ages after, Men shall see thee, and say “I lyk legolas more, hes soooo hot!!!!!1”, yet me they will not know, for I have done no mighty deed, save be coloured [?purple].’
‘Know then,’ said Legolas, ‘that thou they will see, and thou they will know, for the fates of the Rabbit-realms of Mirkwood are entwined with the continued life of the “What colour is Legolas` hair?” thread, and thus is the wrath of the Wight stayed upon the frivolity of those Men. And they will hold thee in reverence.’
‘But my fur is [?purple], and my tail cottony, and thus I fell to evil ways. What then will they say if they knew that the Rabbit-realms were mine no longer, that [?my] . . . . . * took them from me by force, and that I am left for a wandering waif, with an androgynous Elf and a snoring Dwarf for company?’
‘What is “androgynous”?’ and Legolas took a threatening step towards the hare.
__________
* The word is very blurred, and the only part clear is the ending “–er”. [Editor’s note]
Athrabeth Elmerf ah Legolas, Purple Book
There are many things to say about the work. Christopher Tolkien dropped the analysis on the entire text, saying ‘I have not the ability, nor the temperance, to analyse the fashion sense of the two in discourse.’
But here we have a possible solution to the usurper’s question. The “-er” part might help, as it excludes his son from the takeover, as
Fea had said. But what else ends in “-er”? Brother? Sister? Father? Mother? Driver? Butter? Deer? Are the deer of Mirkwood prone to staging coup d’ etat?
On a final note, the “snoring Dwarf” Elmerf and Legolas had for company could very well be Gimli, which means that perhaps Leggy’s Dwarven “friend” joined them in exile after the ousting of Elmerf.