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Middle-earth Women
A1. I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel.
-- Galadriel to Frodo, in The Mirror of Galadriel
A2. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.
-- Éowyn to the Witch King, in The Battle of the Pelennor Fields
A3. For mine is the choice of Lúthien, and as she so have I chosen, both the sweet and the bitter.
-- Arwen to Frodo, in Many Partings
Help!
B1. Doubtless we shall be hidden from all unfriendly eyes when the snow has covered us, but that will not help us.
-- Boromir to Gandalf, in The Ring Goes South
B2. I'll be as curious as you like after breakfast, and I'll help in any way I can at wizard-wheedling.
-- Merry to Pippin, in The Palantír
B3. Yet twice blessed is help unlooked for, and never was a meeting of friends more joyful.
-- Éomer to Aragorn, in The Battle of the Pelennor Fields
Separated Lovers
C1. We believe that we may meet again in a time to come, and perhaps we shall find somewhere a land where we can live together and both be content.
--Treebead to Merry & Pippin, in Treebeard
C2.
Were I to go where my heart dwells, far in the North I would now be wandering in the fair valley of Rivendell.
--Aragorn to Éowyn, in The Passing of the Grey Company
C3. Where've you been? They said you were dead; but I've been expecting you since the spring. You haven't hurried, have you?
--Rosie to Sam, in The Scouring of the Shire
The Color Green
D1. As a matter of fact it was all mine. Except that Aragorn insisted on my putting in a green stone.
--Bilbo to Frodo, in Many Meetings
D2. Do we walk in legends or on the green earth in the daylight?
--a rider of Rohan to Aragorn, in The Riders of Rohan
D3. Turn your face from the green world, and look where all seems barren and cold!
--Gandalf to Aragorn, in The Steward and the King
All in Jest
E1. I wish -- I mean, I hoped until this evening that it was only a joke.
--Frodo to Gandalf, in A Long-Expected Party
E2. You should have been the king's jester and earned your bread, and stripes too, by mimicking his counsellors.
--Gandalf to Saruman, in The Voice of Saruman
E3. If this be jest, then it is too bitter for laughter.
--Aragorn to Gandalf, etc., in The Last Debate
Middle-earth Horses
F1. That does not sound like a Black Rider's horse!
--Frodo about Asfaloth, in Flight to the Ford
F2. Were the breath of the West Wind to take a body visible, even so would it appear.
--Éomer about Shadowfax, in The King of the Golden Hall
F3. He looks as if he were spoiling for a race, and not newly come from a great journey.
--Beregond about Shadowfax, in Minas Tirith
F4. He will bear you as swift as any horse by the roads that we shall take.
-- Théoden about Stybba, in The Passing of the Grey Company
F5. It was as shaggy as an old dog and as lean as a clothes-rail, but it was alive.
--Mr. Butterbur about Bill, in Homeward Bound
F bonus: Faithful servant yet master's bane
--about Snowmane
Rangers' Work
G1. Many evil things there are that your strong walls and bright swords do not stay.
--Aragorn to Boromir, in The Council of Elrond
G2. Little do they know of our long labour for the safekeeping of their borders, and yet I grudge it not.
--Halbarad to Aragorn, in The Passing of the Grey Company
G3. I don't think we've rightly understood till now what they did for us.
--Mr. Butterbur to Gandalf, etc., in Homeward Bound
Merry Complaints
H1. I guess that you have been having adventures, which was not quite fair without me.
--Merry to Frodo, Sam, & Pippin, in A Conspiracy Unmasked
H2. He did not want to sleep, and he wanted to ride with Gandalf -- and there he goes!
--Merry to Aragorn, in The Palantír
H3. And I would not have it said of me in song only that I was always left behind!
--Merry to Théoden, in The Muster of Rohan
Not a Dream
I1. Dreamlike it was, and yet no dream, for there was no waking.
--Faramir to Frodo & Sam, in The Window on the West
I2. Do not tell me that that was a dream; for I know that it was not.
--Éowyn to Éomer, in The Houses of Healing
I3. Then I wasn't dreaming after all when I heard that singing down below, and I tried to answer?
--Frodo to Sam, in The Tower of Cirith Ungol
I bonus: Why, what a dream I've had!
--Sam, in The Field of Cormallen
Animal Similes
J1. But he is slier than a fox, and as slippery as a fish.
--Aragorn to Frodo, in The Great River
J2. But I will not end here, taken like an old badger in a trap.
--Théoden to Aragorn, in Helm's Deep
J3. Hold still! Or we'll stick you as full of pins as a hedgehog.
--a ranger to Gollum, in The Forbidden Pool
Creepy
K1. There was a sort of deeper shade among the shadows across the
road, just beyond the edge of the lamplight.
--Merry to Frodo, etc., in Strider
K2. They lie in all the pools, pale faces, deep deep under the dark
water.
--Frodo to Sam, in The Passage of the Marshes
K3. Faint cries I heard, and dim horns blowing, and a murmur as of
countless far voices.
--Gimli to Merry & Pippin, in The Last Debate
Dinner Guests
L1. If you and Mr. Peregrin and all could stay and have a bite with
us, we would be pleased!
--Farmer Maggot to Frodo, in A Short Cut to Mushrooms
L2. The table is all laden with yellow cream, honeycomb, and white
bread and butter.
--Tom Bombadil to the hobbits, in The Old Forest
L3. But if we are guests, we bow to our host, and after we have
eaten we rise and thank him.
--Frodo to Faramir, in The Window on the West
Useful Gifts
M1. Here's a pretty hobbit-skin to wrap an elven-princeling in!
--Aragorn to the remaining Fellowship members, about the mithril-coat, in
Lothlórien
M2. But now I shall ride him into great hazard, setting silver
against black.
--Gandalf to Théoden, about Shadowfax, in The King of the Golden
Hall
M3. You did lend it to me and I'll need it, for I'll be always in
the dark now.
--Sam to Frodo, about the star-glass, in The Choices of Master
Samwise
Resolutions
N1. Long years in the space of days it seems since I rode west, but
never will I lean on a staff again.
--Théoden to Éomer, in The Muster of Rohan
N2. There, I'll be an orc no more, and I'll bear no weapon, fair or
foul.
--Frodo to Sam, in Mount Doom
N3. I will be a shieldmaiden no longer, nor vie with the great
riders.
--Éowyn to Faramir, in The Steward and the King
Shadows
O1. Always after a defeat and a respite, the Shadow takes another
shape and grows again.
--Gandalf to Frodo, in The Shadow of the Past
O2. For you are still afraid, perhaps, of mist and tree-shadows and
deep water, and untame things.
--Goldberry to the hobbits, in In the House of Tom Bombadil
O3. We who have lived long under the Shadow may surely listen to
echoes from a land untroubled by it?
--Denethor to Pippin, in The Siege of Gondor
Elves and Dragons!
P1. There's only one Dragon in Bywater, and that's Green.
--Ted Sandyman to Sam, in The Shadow of the Past
P2. He'd follow Mr. Frodo into a dragon's den, if I led him.
--Sam to Gandalf, in A Journey in the Dark
P3. Look! Fire, red fire! Are there dragons in this land?
--Pippin to Gandalf, in Minas Tirith
Unlikely Flights
Q1. If Elves could fly over mountains, they might fetch the Sun to
save us.
--Gandalf to Legolas, in The Ring Goes South
Q2. He can't fly across rivers, and he can't jump waterfalls.
--Sam to himself, in The Breaking of the Fellowship
Q3. After that, I suppose, he turned his arms into wings and flew
away singing into the trees.
--Legolas to fellow hunters Gimli & Aragorn, in The White
Rider
Plant Similes
R1. They're as different as peas and apples.
--Bilbo to Lindir, in Many Meetings
R2. You thought I remained in Meduseld bent like an old tree under winter snow.
--Théoden to Ceorl, in Helm's Deep
R3. But if you're short of sleep cold water on the neck's like rain on a wilted lettuce.
--Sam to one of Faramir's rangers, in The Window on the West
R4. It seemed to me that I saw a white flower standing straight and proud, shapely as a lily.
--Aragorn to and Éomer & Gandalf, in The Houses of Healing
Armor
S1. There is more about you than meets the eye, as I said of him long ago.
--Gandalf to Frodo, in The Bridge of Khazad-dûm
S2. Thus have I walked, and thus now for many years have I slept, lest with age the body should grow soft and timid.
--Denethor to Pippin & Gandalf, in The Siege of Gondor
S3. I don't hold with wearing ironmongery, whether it wears well or no.
--the Gaffer to Frodo, in The Scouring of the Shire
Treasure Hunt
T1. Lady, you know all my desire, and long held in keeping the only treasure that I seek.
--Aragorn to Galadriel, in Farewell to Lórien
T2. Are none to be left to defend the Golden Hall of your fathers, and all your treasure?
--Wormtongue to Théoden, in The King of the Golden Hall
T3. May your doom be other than mine, and your treasure remain with you to the end!
--Celeborn to Aragorn, in Many Partings
The Sea
U1. Happy folk are Hobbits to dwell near the shores of the sea!
--Haldir to Merry, in Lothlórien
U2. There comes a breath out of the South; there is a sea-tang in it, faint though it be.
--Wídfara to Théoden, in The Ride of the Rohirrim
U3. Then I stood still, forgetting war in Middle-earth; for their wailing voices spoke to me of the Sea.
--Legolas to Gimli, Merry, & Pippin, in The Last Debate
Middle-earth Math
V1. Your numbers were chosen to fit this remarkable total: One Gross, if I may use the expression.
--Bilbo to his guests, in A Long-Expected Party
V2. How many hundreds of years needs it to make a steward a king, if the king returns not?
--Boromir to Denethor (quoted by Faramir to Frodo), in The Window on the West
V3. I count many things: stars in sky, leaves on trees, men in the dark.
--Ghân-Buri-Ghân to Éomer, in The Ride of the Rohirrim
Danger!
W1. The Mirror is dangerous as a guide of deeds.
--Galadriel to Sam, in The Mirror of Galadriel
W2. The staff in the hand of a wizard may be more than a prop for
age.
--Háma to Aragorn & Gandalf, in The King of the Golden Hall
W3. Perilous to us all are the devices of an art deeper than we
possess ourselves.
--Gandalf to Pippin, in The Palantír
Hungry Hobbits
X1. But I am only an old hobbit, and I miss my meal at noon.
--Bilbo to the Council, in The Council of Elrond
X2. Rather a burning question in my mind at present is, well, what
about breakfast and all that?
--Pippin to Beregond, in Minas Tirith
X3. I am hungry. What is the time?
--Merry to Pippin, in The Houses of Healing
Horse Talk
Y1. I thought he'd look for them and with his words of wisdom take all their fear away.
--Tom Bombadil to the hobbits, in Fog on the Barrow-Downs
Y2. That animal can nearly talk, and would talk, if he stayed here much longer.
--Sam to nobody in particular, in The Ring Goes South
Y3. They spoke as horses will when they meet a friend that they have long missed.
--Legolas to Aragorn, in The White Rider
Middle-earth Architecture
Z1. If this is shelter, then one wall and no roof make a house.
--Sam to himself (or Aragorn), in The Ring Goes South
Z2. Nay, the guest who has escaped from the roof, will think twice before he comes back in by the door.
--Gandalf to Saruman, in The Voice of Saruman
Z3. There are locked doors and closed windows in your mind, and dark rooms behind them.
--Faramir to Gollum, in The Forbidden Pool
On Edge
AA1. But this I will say to you: your quest stands upon the edge of a knife.
--Galadriel to the Fellowship, in The Mirror of Galadriel
AA2. I am no warrior at all and dislike any thought of battle; but waiting on the edge of one that I can't escape is worst of
all.
--Pippin to Beregond, in Minas Tirith
AA3. I stand upon some dreadful brink, and it is utterly dark in the abyss before my feet.
--Éowyn to Faramir, in The Steward and the King
Hobbit Luck
BB1. Just chance brought me then, if chance you call it.
--Tom Bombadil to Frodo, in In the House of Tom Bombadil
BB2. Luck served you there; but you seized your chance with both hands, one might say.
--Gimli to Pippin, in Flotsam and Jetsam
BB3. It's not always a misfortune being overlooked.
--Merry to Pippin, in The Houses of Healing
BB4. Well, I was born lucky, whatever my gaffer may say.
--Sam to Mr. Butterbur et al., in Homeward Bound
Some King!
CC1. I will not bow to such a one, last of a ragged house long bereft of lordship and dignity.
--Denethor to Gandalf, in The Pyre of Denethor
CC2. It needs more to make a king than a piece of elvish glass, or a rabble such as this.
--Mouth of Sauron to Aragorn, in The Black Gate Opens
CC3. Him with a crown and all and a golden cup! Well, what are we coming to?
--Mr. Butterbur to the hobbits & Gandalf, in Homeward Bound
Middle-earth Flora
DD1. Here ever bloom the winter flowers in the unfading grass.
--Haldir to the Fellowship, in Lothlórien
DD2. They blossom in all the seasons of the year, and grow where dead men rest.
--Gandalf to Aragorn, Legolas, & Gimli, in The King of the Golden Hall
DD3. Look! The king has got a crown again!
--Frodo to Sam, in Journey to the Cross-roads
No Need
EE1. Then all will be well, and you need neither borrow a horse nor be troubled by one.
--Legolas to Gimli, in The Riders of Rohan
EE2. Indeed I do not think you need me any more: were I to let you fall, you would float upon the wind.
--Gwaihir to Gandalf, in The White Rider
EE3. For I need you not, nor your little band of gallopers, as swift to fly as to advance.
--Saruman to Théoden, in The Voice of Saruman
Shhhh!
FF1. Slow should you be to wind that horn again.
--Elrond to Boromir, in The Ring Goes South
FF2. But probably something has been disturbed that would have been better left quiet.
--Gandalf to the rest of the Fellowship, in A Journey in the Dark
FF3. That's done it! Now I've rung the front-door bell!
--Sam to himself, in The Tower of Cirith Ungol
Weather Similes
GG1. I called the dogs, but he swung off, and rode through the gate and up the lane towards the causeway like a bolt of thunder.
--Farmer Maggot to Frodo & company, in A Short Cut to Mushrooms
GG2. There are five behind us, and when they find your trail upon the Road they will ride after us like the wind.
--Glorfindel to Frodo & company, in Flight to the Ford
GG3. Would that day was here and we might ride down upon them like a storm out of the mountains!
--Aragorn to Théoden, in Helm's Deep
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