[Jeremy]

Still catching up on all of your posts about this, but wanted to start by mentioning something about Tom Bombadil's warning.

"Don’t you go a-meddling with old stone or cold Wights..."

Is he actually referring to that specific stone or stone(s) in general? You pointed out that it's singular, contrasting the plural Wights. However, "stone" can sometimes be used as a plural form in some contexts. For example, when referring to the material/element of stone.

As for the connection to fairy and fairy stories, I agree with this approach 100%. Perhaps we shouldn't be too harsh on the hobbits for falling asleep on the east side of the stone even though it sounds like a really bad idea. It seems that they could have been lured by the sense of comfort they found under the stone.

This is actually the second time the hobbits were captured by a nefarious being that Tom had to save them from and I think we can make a connection between the wights and the first culprit, Old Man Willow. Old Man Willow put the hobbits under a spell and captured them. In the Barrow-downs, they were tired and the sun was on them, but the stone offered cool, relaxing shade. It "seemed pleasant." Both scenarios seem to draw from the classic fairy story that has its main character(s) enchanted and captured.