“At that moment there was a knock on the door, and Sam came in. He ran to Frodo and took his left hand, awkwardly and shyly. He stroked it gently and then he blushed and turned hastily away.”

J.R.R. Tolkien was an English philologist and writer of the early-to-mid 20th century. He crafted the sprawling fantasy world of Middle-earth, immortalized in *The Hobbit* and *The Lord of the Rings*. His work blends deep linguistic scholarship with rich mythic storytelling.