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Old 11-20-2008, 05:15 PM   #12
Rumil
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Britain
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Rumil has been trapped in the Barrow!
Eye Smack my hobbit up

Weeellll,

I'm tempted to say yes (more or less)...

It's shown that Gandalf did 'discipline' hobbits as he made Pippin sit the first watch in Moria as a punishment for foolishness. This does not mean physical chastisement however.

Would Gandalf beat a hobbit black and blue with a stout stick (staff) out of anger? Of course not, he's not that sort of a Maia.

Is there a possible (but unlikely) situation where Gandalf would physically discipline a hobbit? Naturally speculation but...

-A slap on the hand to a hobbit child or 'tween filching fireworks or trying to pick up Glamdring could be possible, more for the child's safety than anything else. Before the days of PC-ness such a thing would likely pass without comment. If I remember in the film G twists Merry and Pippins' ears a bit when he catches them at the fireworks and this seems unremarkable, but technically counts!

I guess that hobbits would use some mild corporal punishment on their children, but if such 'formal' punishment was deserved, then it would be the parents' responsibility, not Gandalf's.
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