Case #2: The Competitive Sues
Names: Eliza Gunther and Shannon Boeur (A.K.A.: Willow the Ranger and Rowan the Ranger)
Ages: 16 and 15, respectively
Special Powers: Trail navigation, uncommon beauty, able to speak to trees.
Common Adjectives Used to Describe: graceful, proud.
Eliza Gunther and Shannon Boeur (after to be called Willow and Rowan) had good senses of timing, but bad senses of place. Willow and Rowan came to Middle Earth after Frodo and company had left for Bree. Their plan was to trail the hobbits to the village and meet up with Aragorn. This would accomplish two things. First, the girls would be able to protect the hobbits from danger, allowing Willow to be in Merry's good graces. Second, by protecting the hobbits, Rowan would be in Aragorn's good graces and would be allowed to accompany the Fellowship from Rivendell.
Willow and Rowan were trailing the hobbits through the Old Forrest, and were busy discussing the various merits of their respective infatuations.
"Aragorn", Rowan said, "Is so tall, and handsome. I think he's definitely the hottest guy in Middle Earth."
"No way!" Willow retorted. "Merry is so sweet and cute. I just love his accent too. Besides, Aragorn's already got a girlfriend you know. Remember, her name is Arwen, and she's cute?"
"Well, once he sees me he'll change his mind", Rowan assured her friend. "I'm a ranger, a human, and I'm just as cute as Arwen is. Plus, we'll be accompanying the Fellowship. Where will Arwen be? Sitting at home knitting with the other elves. Aragorn's not going to be impressed with that."
"I guess you're right. Ohhh, I cannot wait to see them! Do you think we'll have a double wedding?" Willow squealed.
The conversation continued this way for a few more hours as the girls threaded their way through the forest. Both were so captivated discussing their beaus that they barely noticed that the forest seemed to be steering them in a certain direction. They were approaching the same menace that Pippen had faced just a few days earlier: Old Man Willow.
The girls were slowly and obliviously drawing closer and closer to the resentful old tree when they were saved by an unlikely source. A tiny man wearing a blue coat and yellow boots bounded out of thin air directly between the girls and Old Man Willow.
"Hey dol! merry dol! ring a dong dillo! Ring a dong! hop along! fal lal the willow! Tom Bom, jolly Tom, Tom Bombadillo!" sang the odd little fellow.
"What. Is. That?" Rowan blurted. She and Willow took a step back from the strange creature. "Where did that thing come from?"
"Tom Bombadil is my name, oh wanderers of the forest! Do you not know the danger that lies before you? Old Man Willow is a terribly bitter foe. Tom can lead you to safety this night, my fine lasses. Come, come and meet my Goldberry!" With that, Tom broke out into more song.
"He's weird", Willow muttered to Rowan. "I don't know if we should follow him. And what's a 'Goldberry'?
Rowan shrugged in response to her friend. "Well, it is getting awful dark. And the trees are whispering of danger nearby. Maybe we should go with him for the night. He seems harmless enough."
Both Rowan and Willow turned to look at Tom, who was busy singing: "Poor old Willow-man, you tuck your roots away! Tom's in a hurry now. Evening will follow day. Tom's going home home again water-lilies bringing. Hey! come derry dol! Can you hear me singing?"
"Yeah, we can hear you", muttered Willow, who still didn't buy that her friend had heard any warning from the trees. Willow thought Rowan was just trying to show off.
Tom stopped singing long enough to beckon the girls to follow him. "Come, come, the night is falling. Let us eat and sing and speak of pleasant things. Goldberry awaits!"
Without stopping to see if the girls were following him, he turned and scampered through the trees. Rowan and Willow raced after him. Even though Tom was small, the girls still had trouble keeping up with him. Finally, he stopped.
"Here we are, and we are here. Come inside. My Goldberry, I am home again." Tom sang out joyfully.
The girls stepped inside Tom's abode. As they entered, they noticed a beautiful woman dressed in green. She seemed to be surrounded by mist.
"Goldberry, Goldberry, my beautiful lady!" Tom sang by way of introduction.
"Who is that?" Willow asked enviously. "Where did she come from? Is she planning on joining the Fellowship too?"
"I don't know", replied Rowan. Rowan shared her friend's distaste for the beautiful woman. This Goldberry was far to attractive for either girls' comfort. How would they capture their swains' attention with a woman as beautiful as this around? Goldberry was putting a cramp in their romantic futures.
"I am happy to meet you, lasses. Will you dine with Tom and I? We offer you the comforts of our home for the night", Goldberry spoke.
"Well, actually, we have to be going", Rowan said rather rudely. "We have some friends that we have to catch up to."
"Yeah, we're rangers", added Willow self-importantly. "We know the woods pretty well. And our boyfriends will be missing us if we're gone too long."
The girls had no wish to remain in the dubious company of a strange little man and his beautiful consort. The fact that Goldberry outshone both of the girls in both beauty and grace unnerved them, and they wanted to escape such competition as soon as possible. Willow and Rowan were not about to share any glory or admiration with anybody, especially this golden hussy.
Tom looked sadly at the girls. "Aye, then, that is sad, for we wished to sing and dine with you this night. As a parting gift, let me tell you a charm to summon me by if evil is nigh. If trouble finds you, sing clearly:
'Ho! Tom Bombadil, Tom Bombadillo!
By water, wood and hill, by the reed and willow,
By fire, sun and moon, harken now and hear us!
Come, Tom Bombadil, for our need is near us!'
Rowan looked unimpressed. Willow tried to stifle a giggle.
"Um, yeah. We'll be sure to do that, Tom. We have to be off now", Willow said.
The two girls continued their journey through the Old Forest. They had walked a few minutes and then checked to see if either Tom or Goldberry nearby.
"What was THAT?" asked Willow. "What a nutcase! I hope we don't see him or her again. Who does she think she is anyhow? Ew, do you think she's like, married to that little guy?"
Rowan shuddered. "Well, lets hope so, because it'll keep her out of our hair. What was that little guy babbling about? Some song to sing if we're in danger? Do you remember what he said?"
"I have no idea, I was too busy running", snorted Willow. "We'll be fine without his help. I'll be happy to never see those two again. We have our men waiting for us. Let's get going."
With that Rowan and Willow continued on their journey. They never arrived at the village of Bree. Aragorn and the hobbits completed their journey to Rivendell without the aid of two more beautiful rangers. When the Barrow-wights captured the girls in their sleep, there was no one to aid them. They were not missed.
This shows the important lesson to listen to and accept the help of even the most ugly or beautiful of Middle Earth's inhabitants.
