Quote:
Originally Posted by Nerwen
He means he was waiting for Frodo in a general sense, but hadn't known he would run into him at that specific place and time.
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Basically I would also think it's meant like that. Also Frodo concludes that Tom had heard somehow via Gildor, resp. via the other messengers (animals?, "good powers") Gildor had sent out since their meeting. Specifically, I was quite curious about Tom's statement that he had heard about the Hobbits entering the Forest, because that obviously brings to mind the only possible way he might have heard: a bunch of chatty badgers (okay, or birds).
Otherwise: I actually like this chapter quite a bit. More so than the previous one (which I do not particularly dislike, but neither do I particularly like it). It is this beautiful, restful place, Tom is actually
not present that much in the form of singing nonsense - he is actually supplying food and shelter and information and ancient lore (which I like really, really a lot). The whole, ahem, incident with the Ring is of course puzzling in terms of "rules" of Middle-Earth/Arda, but that aside it is nice because it offers a bit of a different perspective on the problem. And I like it.
Anyway, the "passing of time" as Tom tells his story and then the Hobbits not being sure how much time has passed, isn't that a beautiful description? Doesn't it remind you of when you "submerge" yourselves into some good story you are reading or listening to, and when it for example tells about something that happens at night-time, and then you suddenly look up from the book and realise that it is daylight (or vice versa), and it feels surprising?
I also very much like the description of the rainy day. Also Frodo being happy that he doesn't have to leave yet because of it - it also resonates very much, haven't you ever experienced the situation when you would have had to do something (or should have), but external circumstances prevented you from it, and it was actually quite pleasant?
And I must be somewhat stupid, but I only now realised that Tom's statement that "this is Goldberry's washing day" (and autumn cleaning) isn't referring to the fact that she is somewhere in some back room doing laundry, but probably (either also, or only) to the fact that the rain is somehow her doing, that the water flowing down from the river also "cleanses" the forest? I was also wondering: are we encountering here some kind of metaphore for natural forces at this particular time of the year? (It should be right after, or around, autumn equinox, for instance. Sort of "washing after the summer's end, up for the new season?" And maybe of course more...)
Last of all: Frodo dreams. Again. I very often forget this, because the previous chapter sort of disrupts the counting of the days, but Frodo has been having consequently three of his unusual dreams in a row here. Three days in a row. The future events in the Barrow and the further events will somehow disrupt this, but it is an interesting start of the journey, to say the least.