Posted by deb on January 15, 2006 at 03:30:36 from 203.79.92.154 user deb.
In Reply to: Re: Ransome as enjoyed by children of J.R.R. Tolkien posted by Lyn on January 13, 2006 at 19:20:36:
From Signalling to Mars: the letters of Arthur Ransome pages 249 - 251
Ransome to Tolkien
"... on page 27, when Gandalf calls Bilbo an excitable little hobbit, the scribe (human no doubt) has written 'man' by mistake."
Tolkien to Ransome
"I will replace 'man' on p. 27 by the 'fellow' of an earlier recension."
Ransome to Tolkien
"On page 112 Gandalf calls the goblins 'little boys', but he means it as an insult so that is no doubt right"
Tolkien to Ransome
" I agree in feeling that Gandalf's insult was rather silly and not quite up to form ... can hardly be got over by vocabulary, unless 'oaves' would be an improvement?"
Ransome to Tolkien
"... I did not intend any critism whatever of the 'boys' ..." followed by brief discussion on "... the delicate skill with which you had made Mr. Baggins so Hobbitty ..."
(the footnotes states "This passage was never altered.")
Ransome to Tolkien
"... on page 294 Thorin surely is misinterpreted. Why his concern for men? Didn't he say 'More of us' ..."
Tolkien to Ransome
"... I accept 'of us' as a great improvement ..."
I recommend tracking down a copy of Signalling to Mars - the full versions of the three letters make interesting reading.