I think that maybe Tolkein had the idea that fire, water and air made up the earth, meaning that there was no need for a fourth ring because the other three already fixed the problem. Also, in the poem about the rings, it says, "Three for the elven kings under the sky." If there were FOUR rings then the poem would go thus, "Four for the elven kings under the sky." Which doesn't sound anywhere near as good.
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“That's the only place in all the lands we've ever heard of that we don't want to see any closer; and that's the one place we're trying to get to! And that's just where we can't get." - Sam
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