[MLD-Grounds-Keeper-Willie]

There are some great points mentioned here.

"He is a moss gatherer and I have been a stone doomed to rolling."

I do like the idea of Gandalf going to Tom Bombadil to listen and learn. However, it may not be about how to settle down and relax. If Gandalf has been a stone doomed to rolling, then he has not been in same place all the time, whereas Bombadil has been, right by the Shire. Maybe Gandalf wanted to hear what Bombadil knew about the Shire, since he was close enough to observe it all these years, since the beginning. Not only that, Tom was here at the beginning so he was bound to have observed other things also.

'...I am old. Eldest, that's what I am. Mark my words, my friends: Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn. He made paths before the Big People, and saw the little People arriving. He was here before the Kings and the graves and the Barrow-wights. When the Elves passed westward, Tom was here already, before the seas were bent. He knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless-before the Dark Lord came from Outside.'

And so, he was here before the Shire, so he was bound to know of all its history, or most, at least. Maybe Gandalf wanted to ask him some things about the Shire that boggled his mind. Or Gandalf might have wanted to know something about the Barrow-wights. Gandalf had tried to catch up on the history of the Shire and piece it together. I don't think Gandalf knew of the full history and maybe he wanted to know it, finally, all together and complete.

And if Gandalf wanted to finally relax and become a moss gatherer, then he might have wanted to make sure all his errands were completed and to make sure that what was left to do (throwing out Saruman and fixing the Shire) was a task that could be completed without his aid.

It no longer surprised them; but he made no secret that he owed his recent knowledge largely to Farmer Maggot, whom he seemed to regard as a person of more importance than they had imagined. 'There's earth under his old feet, and clay on his fingers; wisdom in his bones, and both his eyes are open,' said Tom

And Tom is sure to know much of the current events of the Shire, even if he doesn't always observe it. It seems he has Farmer Maggot on the inside giving him info. And the quote above doesn't sound like it's the first time Maggot gave him some info.

Bombadil wasn't anymore interested in keeping watch over the Shire than he was keeping watch over the Ring - he is quite aloof; that is, detached. He thinks only of himself and his neck of the woods.

I wouldn't dismiss the possibility of Gandalf handing over the guardianship of the Shire to Bombadil, however, I'm not saying it's true, either. Bombadil seems to have kept his eye ever the Shire with the help of Maggot. However, we don't know that he has done anything to protect it directly. The only way we see, is through saving the four hobbits twice, and that was indirectly. However, he might have asked Rangers to keep extra watch at times, as Gandalf did, or he might have been a person who observed the Shire, and its events, and then told others of it and had them figure out what to do. Now, maybe Gandalf was asking Tom to keep it up, giving him instructions on who might be taking care of the Shire, or taking guardianship over the Shire. Gandalf may even have taken the liberty to include the Shire as part of Bombadil's land, therefore, ensuring his responsibility of it. So Tom would care about the Shire if it was his land. And even if that didn't happen, due to his dealings with Farmer Maggot, we know that Tom does actually care about something outside his land.

If I cared so much about my land, and held it precious to my heart, I would keep a close eye on the surrounding lands. If I were Tom, and I saw what was once a peaceful Shire, be overrun by evil, I would expecting it to spread. It's like a neighborhood. You care about your house, so you have to care about your neighborhood. You have to watch out for any threats in the surrounding houses in order to endure the safety of your house and all who dwell in it. Tom had to have had a care about the Shire, one way or another.

[ June 25, 2003: Message edited by: MLD-Grounds-Keeper-Willie ]