[The X Phial]

This false dichotomy is, sadly, encouraged through formal education. I have always been the type of person who reads beyond the surface with little trouble and who enjoys discussing the things I have read, even if only between the lines. As a student, however, I was taught that if I enjoyed reading a book then I probably wasn't learning anything. I remember telling a literature teacher that I very much liked the story of "Tale of Two Cities." She responded that my liking it was irrelevent and I should focus on understanding it. Thankfully, my love of reading and story was well entrenched by that time.

I agree that "On Fairy Stories" is an excellent companion to reading "Leaf by Niggle." Their pairing togther in "Tree and Leaf" seems almost to have been haphazard when one reads the Letters, but in reality they both shed a lot of light on Tolkien's views of art, story, and the value of meaning versus fun.

When I read "Leaf" the first time I didn't see Tolkien as Niggle simply because Niggle is alone, and I have always thought of Tolkien as being involved with his family. If anything, I would say the farmer and the artist are, instead, two sides of the same personality, the fanciful and the practical. This is why they can only create their "heaven" together. Obviously, however, there is a strong element of grace in the story, and that has always struck me as the most important aspect.