Backwards quotes

[HerenIstarion]

I'd love to, but I have no idea about the quote you tease us with Now, some hint may come in usefull

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Both the speaker and the one he speaks of are more than they appear to be... (to be found in FotR)

[HerenIstarion]

Well, with 'more than they seem' in mind, can it be Gandalf about Bombadil?:

Such things have no hold on his mind. He would be a most unsafe guardian; and that alone is answer enough

[HerenIstarion]

Ai, ai, silly me, trying to adjust obviously irrelevant quote to reversed one. Pray be so kind to forget the previous, since I have found the correct one:

As a rule you can only see his jokes and toys. But this business of ours will be his greatest task

Aragorn (known as Strider at the moment, hence 'more then he appears') about Gandalf (who is 'more than he appears' to Shire-folk!)

uh!

[Estelyn Telcontar]

*applause*

Well-done, HI! You're next.

[HerenIstarion]

Thank you, thank you

*H-I bows and beams around, fingering his bow tie nervously...


We-e-ell, the following reverse quote would, supposedly, be easy to crack, but I enjoyed reversing it immensely, so have a try :

*********************************************

Huge Swineherd Him

Ugly was he
As the orckish prose reveals
With bone in a nose
Still bendy as hose
Of a wood and a nail to kill
Is his club hand-made
And his shield all laid
With spikes about its brim.
Foul his hide all dark
Stained with bloody mark
Of one Eye so cruel and grim
All round his loin
Skulls and ribs be going
Of unhappy elves he slew

He crawled by night
Outrun by fright
In seek of live flesh to hew
And he slipped by day
As a spot dim grey
Over the darkling lake
Oh, his boots all strong
Withered earth oft prong
Like enourmous cruel rake
When he arched his back
Thirsted for slash and hack
With his cruel and ruddy fang
Foul helm of brass
All stained and crass
O'er hairy shoulder was hung
When the pin-sharp claws
Of his clutching paws
Through the sinew and bone he tore

He gazed all down
As o'er the mobbed town
Through pale and shining door
All square he sat
Into roomy vat
Empty he thought it but,
A swineherd Ai
With winked eye…
They ended right butt to butt!

Ai was as grim,
As Him and as prim
But Ai was, easy to cry
Flutterin' like bat
Upside in the vat
Up to the domed sky!
His dirty ears
Pointed like spears
Rubbed to ears of Him
Irksome a thing
With a loud ding
Vat drowned in lake so dim!


Not only the butts
Of both those mutts
But ears and noses and eyes
Were alloyed
In pairs were toyed
Both buzzed like cruel flies!
Everyone said
Be them live or dead
That their seat may be found at ease
By the smelly stench
Of the last year's tench
And the oily lamp of grease!
But still they sit
In a vat so neat
One great lump o'meat
Still buzzing like before!
In great lump o'meat
In a vat so neat
There still they sit
Behind the locked door!

*********************************************

PS I even mused as of possibility of exploiting the idea for the contest of sorts: say, to reverse verses, retaining the style and spirit, but having the reverse meaning, what d'ya think?

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Wonderful turn-around, HI!! What a lot of work you put into this one! I won't quote the whole poem, but it is 'Princess Mee', from The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, of course. (I hesitate to answer, since I don't think I can top that reversal... )