LotR -- Book 6 - Chapter 7 - Homeward Bound

[Fordim Hedgethistle]

Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar

Excellent thoughts, Fordim! You're right - "transitional" is the wrong word for the events of this chapter.

The quote you mentioned is spoken by Pippin to Merry in "The Houses of Healing": I'd say that applies not only to those families and not only to Hobbits!

Thanks for locating that quote for me...and how interesting that it's Pippin who comes to such a sage and important recognition. We've spent so much time remarking on Merry's remarkable growth into wisdom by way of contrast to Pippin's more 'organic' maturation (that is, he grows in experience rather than apprehension) but perhaps here he shows that he too is able to learn and, more importantly, express a piece of real Wisdom.