Bookworms: Farmer Giles of Ham (1949) by J.R.R. Tolkien
“Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I have found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keeps the darkness at bay.” – Gandalf, from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Smith of Wootton Major and Famer Giles of Ham
I recently was in a used book store, which is a very good thing for my literary enjoyment, and a very bad thing for my financial well-being. As I browsed and perused, I found a little book by J.R.R. Tolkien that included a few stories of his that I had never read. I giggled like an idiot and snatched it and refused to give it back. After I gave the bookstore some worthless paper with the picture of a dead president on it, they let me keep the book. I took it home and read it immediately.
That book contains two stories, Smith of Wootton Major and Farmer Giles of Ham. Both are about as different from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings as one can get. While the One Ring and all events related to it have made Tolkien world famous, it often seems that his little stories and retellings of old myths were his favorites to write. As such, one gets a very different view of Tolkien and a richer understanding of his storytelling mind than can be gleaned just from his stories of Middle Earth.
Smith of Wootton Major tells the tale of a young boy who accidentally swallows a magic star during a celebration. This star leads him to wander through faery territory and experience many wonderful things. Through Smith, one learns of the growing of age and wisdom that is life, and the passing on of the very best parts of ourselves to the next generation. Those that can glimpse the world of the magical are often those who lead a richer, more fulfilling life. Smith of Wootton Major is such a man.
Farmer Giles of Ham is the hilarious misadventure of one old farmer who accidentally scares off a giant and becomes a local hero. When a dragon threatens the town, his bravado, lust for the limelight, and unintentional heroism come back to haunt him. Against all odds and his preferred non-interference, he fights the dragon and usurps the local king and becomes the most powerful man in the land, and, well, the dragon learns a lesson on greed.
Both stories are fairly short and much more amusing and entertaining than their length would suggest. Both also reinforce the legacy of one of the greatest myth makers of the English language: J.R.R. Tolkien. Both are worth the time it takes to read them, especially if all you know of Tolkien are hobbits, wizards, and elves.
