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!)
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'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth.. .'
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