I think I just found a reasonable argument to solve this question. But, of course, I am open to debate
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In
Bethberry's quote:
Quote:
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Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn. He made paths before the Big People, and saw the little People arriving. He was here before the Kings and the graves and the Barrow-wights. When the Elves passed westward, Tom was here already, before the seas were bent. He knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless--before the Dark Lord came from Outside.
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Tom remembers the time before the rivers and the trees, and he says "Tom is the eldest....mark my words."
Where Treebeard's account of "time" only goes to when Middle-earth was filled with forests:
Quote:
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"It is a rather strange and sad story," he went on after a pause. "When the world was young, and the woods were wide and wild....and the Entwives gave their thought to other things, for the Ents loved the great trees, and the wild woods, and the slopes of the high hills; and they drank of the mountain-streams...."
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Treebeard doesn't mention anything about the time before the rivers, and the woods, so their are two possibilities: Either Treebeard has no need to get into the time before, and can't remember, or Bombadil was here before. Since, he can mention about the time before the trees and rivers.
One quick observation, I think there are a lot of simularities between Lorien and Fangorn.
Quote:
"Then lead on!" said Boromir. "But it is perilous."
"Perilous indeed," said Aragorn, "fair and perilous; but only evil need fear it, or those who bring some evil with the. Follow me!"
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I think the same can be said for Fangorn. If you are an orc destroying trees, and "bring evil into the forest," then it is perilous, since you just ticked off the Ents. but, if you are a good-hearted Hobbit, then you don't need to worry.
Celeborn instructs the Fellowship to not go into Fangorn. Where Treebeard says "And I might have same, if you had been going the other way. Do not risk getting entangled in the woods of Laurelindorenan!"