Tolkien Tuesday: Re-Reading "The Lord of the Rings: A Shortcut to Mushrooms"
The road becomes ever more dangerous for Frodo and his friends as they try to escape the Shire while also evading Black Riders.
Welcome to Tolkien Tuesdays, where I talk about various things that I love about the lore and writings of Tolkien, whether in a chapter reading or a character study or an essay. I hope you enjoy reading these ruminations as much as I enjoy writing them and, if you have a moment, I’d love it if you’d subscribe to this newsletter. It’s free, but there are paid options, as well, if you’re of a mind to support a struggling writer. Either way, thank you for joining me!
After their fateful night with the Elves, Frodo, Sam, and Pippin resume their journey toward Crickhollow. Very soon, however, it becomes clear that the Black Riders are still on their trail but, fortunately, they are able to find a moment of comfort and peace with one Farmer Maggot, who not only offers them a momentary sanctuary but also helps them get to Bucklebury Ferry. Subsequently, the three hobbits reunite with Merry, and they all set out for Crickhollow.
“A Shortcut to Mushrooms” is one of the more fascinating chapters of The Fellowship of the Rings, and it’s one of those that sticks out in my mind whenever I think back to my first reading of the book all those years ago. Much of this, I think, comes from my sense of terror at the thought of seeing a Black Rider looming on a distant hilltop, to say nothing of that “long-drawn wail” that the hobbits hear just as they start to throw off their fear and dread. I don’t know about anyone else, but there are few things I would want to hear less than that particular sound, especially if I was out in the middle of the woods.
It’s to Tolkien’s immense credit that he was able to capture so much in so few words. There is something deeply anxiety-provoking, after all, about the Black Riders, and not just because they are emissaries of Sauron. They are little blots of shadow in a place where no such thing can exist and, as such, they are a reminder to the hobbits that, however much the Shire has been spared the tumult of the previous centuries, the outside world is encroaching on their own little world. After all, if these creatures can come to the Shire, then who is to say who else might come bursting in?
Fortunately for the hobbits (and for us as readers) there’s also more than a little levity here, particularly once Frodo and company venture onto the lands of Farmer Maggot. Maggot is, I think, one of the best characters in the entirety of The Lord of the Rings, for the name if for no other reason. As Tom Bombadil will say several chapters down the road, there’s more to this humble hobbit han might after first meet the eye, and he has a keener understanding of the doings of the Hobbiton-folk than some might assume (hence Frodo’s feeling disconcerted at just how shrewd Maggot’s guesses are). As Gandalf remarked to Frodo way back in the first couple of chapters, it’s never a good idea to underestimate hobbits, no matter how simplistic they might be on the surface
Though he is unequivocally a help to Frodo and his friends, there are still signs here of an earlier iteration of the character. Those who have read Christopher Tolkien’s volumes in The History of Middle-earth know that Maggot was originally a villain, and there’s still enough here to make him at least a bit menacing. Of the four, it’s Sam who continues to take a dislike to him, not only because Maggot was wont to beat a young Frodo for trespassing on his land (and stealing his mushrooms) but also because, like so many of the other residents of Hobbiton, he has a natural suspicion of anyone who isn’t from his particular region of the Shire.
Even so, even Sam can’t help but admit that there is nothing to complain about when it comes to the Maggots’ hospitality. As with the scenes in the first couple of chapters, there’s something heartwarming and cozy about the dinner scene, as Frodo and friends find themselves treated to the particular form of sanctuary and hospitality that can only come from good, solid hobbit-folk. Though Maggot has no reason to trust Frodo or to help him in this moment, he does so without even the hint that he will ask for anything in return. This entire sequence is a reminder of the values of home and hearth within Tolkien’s universe.
The threat of danger is never far away, however, and Frodo (and the reader) can’t help but recall what waits for them outside of the walls of Maggot’s home. The Black Riders are hot on their trail, and it’s going to take everything that they have to avoid being captured (or worse). Fortunately, Maggot is willing to help them by giving them a ride to the Ferry rather than having them traverse the roads alone. As they do so, Tolkien skillfully captures the enduring sense of fear and danger, for even in the waggon there is always the possibility that they will run into the Black Riders. However much Maggot might be willing to challenge said Riders, he does so without fully knowing just how much power they are able to bring to bear.
By the time that they arrive at the Ferry, Tolkien has tightened the suspense until we, like the characters, are almost ready to snap with it all. The sound of hoofbeats drawing closer is like something drawn out of a horror story, for we know by now that these could very well be the hoofbeats of doom approaching. For the briefest of moments, it seems as if they have been cornered by the Black Riders at last, until it’s revealed that it’s actually Merry, who just appeared larger and more menacing because of the scarf he was wearing.
“A Shortcut to Mushrooms” is an important transitional chapter, marking another moment on the hobbits’ journey out of the Shire. With every step they take, they know that they are drawing further and further away from the world that they thought they knew, with all of the perils and possibilities that entails. In a relatively short chapter, Tolkien immerses us in the physical world that these characters move through, allowing us to feel with them as they struggle across a landscape that, if not outright hostile, nevertheless renders them more vulnerable to the Black Riders that pursue them. It’s just another reason why The Lord of the Rings remains one of the most enduring works of fantasy literature.
See you next week!