Smith of Wootton Major is a fairytale, by Tolkien's own definition.

p. 145).

Composed almost a decade after The Lord of the Rings, and when his lifelong occupation with the `Silmarillion' was winding down, Smith of Wootton Major was the product of ripened experience and reflection.

“ —Tolkien on Smith of Wootton Major Tolkien on Faery “The truth is that fairy did not originally mean a ‘creature’ at all, small or large. Farmer Giles of … It's a rather quiet story, I think -- there are no great dangers, no dragons to be fought or Dark Lords to … This concept is more fully fleshed out in Tolkien's essay "On Fairy-Stories," but Smith of Wootton Major is a colorful embodiment of the qualities Tolkien writes about in the essay. Tolkien’s Swan Song: Smith of Wootton Major “An old man’s book, already weighted with the presage of bereavement. Tolkien Edited by Verlyn Flieger Extended Edition 2005 HarperCollins London ISBN 0007202474 Hardback in dustwrapper Illustrated by Pauline Baynes Hammond Page Ref. Tolkien was invited to write the preface to a new edition of The Golden Key by George MacDonald. . Smith of Wootton Major J.R.R. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. The book was originally called The Great Cake, but the title was changed to Smith of Wootton Major. On Smith’s homeward journey a man, who is clearly a dweller of Faery, catches up with him. It was first published in the United States on 23 November 1967 in the Christmas edition of Redbook magazine, but without the illustrations by Pauline Baynes that appeared in the published book. Tolkien on Smith of Wootton Major. Smith of Wootton Major is a short story about a boy who gets a fay-star in a slice of cake during the Twenty-Four Feast, and explores Faery during the time before the next Feast. Read 250 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. : None . Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. In 1997, the story was included alongside Tolkien's other classic tales in the Houghton Mifflin publication Tales from the Perilous Realm. Notes Includes the following (by JRRT unless noted): 1) The text of the First Edition reproduced in facsimile. Smith of Wootton Major book. Tolkien Edited by Verlyn Flieger Extended Edition 2005 HarperCollins London ISBN 0007202474 Hardback in dustwrapper Illustrated by Pauline Baynes Hammond Page Ref. Smith of Wootton Major was the unplanned by-product of J.R.R.