[Aratlithiel]

littlemanpoet : curtsy & batting of eyelashes.

Hoo! You're even more of a purist than I am, and that's saying something

LOL - Believe me - you don't know the half of it!! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Treebeard knew Gandalf was alive and well and in the environs of Fangorn, and Gandalf didn't need Merry & Pippin to motivate Treebeard.

I may have to give you this one but I think that as pressed for time as Gandalf was, he simply would not have had the time required to explain the situation and sit through an Entmoot.

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If Aragorn had accompanied Frodo to Mordor, who would have looked into the palantir and threatened Sauron and gotten him to empty out the lands so that Frodo could get to Orodruin?
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Gandalf - perhaps with not quite the same effect, I admit.

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Ah - but then the Enemy would have known Gandalf were alive and a force in the battles and would therefore have been forewarned, ruining any element of surprise at the gates of Minas Tirith. Again, although Gandalf using the palantir is a possibility, it's also a domino and would have made the outcome different.

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And who would have travelled the Paths of the Dead gathering much-needed forces for the final battles?
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I still give Aragorn the chance of doing this, and here's how...

Hmmm...good theory, but I can't agree. Aragorn would take his committment to Frodo to heart and I seriously doubt he would get to the middle of the Emyn Muil and then turn around and abandon him. Also, you have to remember that Gollum is the only one who could have led Frodo through the Dead Marshes and he would hardly have done so if Aragorn were present - I sincerely doubt he would have even been a factor in the journey except as an annoying shadow until the very end.

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SOMEONE in the company would have finally attempted to take it from him.

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You credit Frodo's friends too little, I think.

Nah, I really and truly don't think so. Look, Merry and Pippin were already talking about trying to stop Frodo against his will way back at Rauros - do you really think they would have watched him wither and succumb to near-madness for the rest of the journey? I don't think they trusted his judgement enough - Sam's the only one who had total faith in rodo and the only reason Sam got Frodo to the Cracks of Doom was because it was what Frodo wanted.

Tolkien believed that Gollum would have willingly thrown himself and the Ring into the Crack of Doom

Ack! I've got to get those Letters! Someone mentioned this before and I find it so difficult to believe - I really need to read this so I can convince myself you're not all lying to me. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] Just kidding - I know you wouldn't do that to me! Still, though, I find this very difficult to accept and I think it's VERY out of character...I can only imagine that there would have had to have been some added text (ie 'Gollum thoughts') to explain the sudden shift and resulting redemption - otherwise I think it may well have ruined the story for me. Ah! The horror!!!!

Someday when I have time, I will do that analysis I was threatening and share it with you when it's complete. If anyone could find holes in it, I know you could! [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]