The Purple Path by Dreamflower
Larner · 5 April 2017 · Chapter 6: A Night By the High Hay
Oh, but of course there were huorns in the Old Forest! Excellent!
Author's reply
I've always thought that Old Man Willow was either a huorn, or an Ent gone bad! And if one, why not others? We know that in the past the trees had attacked the Hedge!
Larner · 5 April 2017 · Chapter 5: Beyond the Dreams of Avarice
Ah, wise he is for a Hobbit! I love what bothers him most!
Author's reply
I've always thought that Bilbo was very self-aware, that he knew his own heart better than most people do, and to find himself being greedy in his dreams would disturb him immensely. (It's the same rationale behind his dream in "Dragonsblood". The idea of being bloodthirsty and greedy would totally freak him out.
Larner · 5 April 2017 · Chapter 4: Ungoliant and the Two Trees
Now, that is quite the project! Most interesting, how you depicted her effluvient of darkness!
Author's reply
Thank you! It was a lot of fun to figure out. It didn't come out exactly as I'd envisioned it, but I think it carried the idea even better than my first thoughts of what it would look like.
Antane · 5 April 2017 · Chapter 7: Good husbandmen must moile & toile
I think it more likely the original version of this came from the Shire, not the 1500's - it's so hobbity! Thanks for bringing it to light. :) Namarie, God bless, Antane :)
Author's reply
Well, Thomas Tusser was definitely the author back then--perhaps he was a descendant of the Shire!
KathyG · 1 April 2017 · Chapter 4: Ungoliant and the Two Trees
All I have to say is, shame on Ungoliant! And Melkor!
Author's reply
Well, yes.
Larner · 17 March 2017 · Chapter 14: Concerning the Shire, Part One: Politics
A good idea of how the Shire was divided and constituted, and much in line with my own ideas, although I do tend to be more of a "one man, one vote" person. I do tend to add administrational duties to those of the Mayor, making him the one who oversees most registration of various contracts, wills, deeds, and so on, as well as being Head Shirriff--at least until Lotho sought to usurp that last office.
Author's reply
Yes, there were administrative duties, but traditionally they aren't very onerous. It wasn't until after the War that the duties became quite so difficult! I thought it over a lot before I decided against "one hobbit, one vote", mainly because of the very clannish nature of their race. Most individuals would rather have left such decisions up to the Family Head, rather than deal with it themselves. And truthfully, that's how early democracy operated: only those of a certain status could vote. Even in the early days of our own country, only landowners could vote. I really think Head of the Family is more democratic than that!
Andrea · 11 March 2017 · Chapter 3: The Advantages of Insomnia
Perhaps the nighttime was the best time to be writing of Elves beneath the stars. Indeed! That sounds like a good idea. I prefer reading when I can't sleep. But I think both methods can nicely distract you from trying to find the reason *why* you can't sleep ;-)
Author's reply
Well, the writing does alleviate one cause of insomnia: plot bunnies! LOL!
Larner · 10 March 2017 · Chapter 3: The Advantages of Insomnia
As one who also tends at times toward insomnia, I can well appreciate his findings! Heh!
Author's reply
Yep. It seems a lot of people who write suffer from sleeplessness.
Antane · 10 March 2017 · Chapter 3: The Advantages of Insomnia
I love Bilbo as scribe. :) When I can't sleep and have at long last given up tossing and turning, I get up to read. I fear if I wrote, I would just keep going and going and lose too much sleep and not be in good shape in the morning, for I owe, I owe, it's off to work I go... I'd rather be writing, but oh well. The day will come! Namarie, God bless, Antane :)
Author's reply
I used to get up and write before we moved; I had a separate room for my computer where I could close the door and write. But in the small house where we live now, I would end up waking everyone up. So now I just try to write in my head.
Andrea · 10 March 2017 · Chapter 2: The Rise and Fall of a Tyrant
Poor Lotho! His story is really a sad one. To his defense one could add that from the moment on, Saruman arrived and spoke to the people present all of them, hobbits and men, fell under the spell of Saruman's Voice. They would have done everything he asked of them. Only when Lotho had been alone for some time he began to doubt Saruman's orders.
Author's reply
Yes, it is sad. But the problem is, Lotho was already ready to fall under Saruman's spell. He was greedy and selfish, and had been doing lots of nefarious things before the fallen wizard ever showed up in the Shire. Once Saruman arrived, of course, he was irresistible.
Andrea · 10 March 2017 · Chapter 1: Full Moon
So the Prancing Pony is THE Inn and Gandalf is somehow "responsible" for the whole affair! *grins* I like that very much :-)
Author's reply
Well, yes! I'm so glad you liked it. My very first thought at the prompt was JRRT's poem about the MitM eating and drinking too much ("full moon", LOL!), and then the part about dreams in the Bronte quote made me think of the Man in the Moon's dream garden in Roverandom. And of course, when I can't have hobbits, then I want to have Gandalf!
Larner · 9 March 2017 · Chapter 2: The Rise and Fall of a Tyrant
Poor Lotho--the seeds of his destruction were sown so early in his life when he consistently chose selfishness over any other motivation. As for his end--(SHUDDERS)!
Author's reply
His end was as the Professor saw it: he reaped what he sowed. I would not wish his end on anyone, but then often consequences are far worse than what can be anticipated. That said, in his rise, I hope you appreciated certain parallels to RL.
Larner · 9 March 2017 · Chapter 1: Full Moon
I like the contrast between the reactions to Olorin between the two dogs--"He's kind" and "He tells wonderful stories." And I so love how you wove the two worlds together here. Lovely visit by our favorite Wizard!
Author's reply
Yes, each little dog has its own personality. Roverandom is more thoughtful, and Moon-Rover is more interested in the moment. How could Gandalf not be friends with the Man-in-the-Moon? ;-)
Lyana · 7 March 2017 · Chapter 1: Full Moon
Oh, what a delightful little gem of a story! I love the story of Roverandom,and you tied all of the stories together just beautifully. I quite agree that Roverandom and the hobbits would have gotten along together splendidly!
Author's reply
Thank you, Lyana! I just love Roverandom, too, and this is my second story about him.The other one is "Little Dogs Laughed" also here at SoA. I think the thing that ties the two stories together is JRRT's children. Without them as his sounding board, many of his more delightful tales might not exist.