Backwards quotes

[Evisse the Blue]

I think we need a big hint, like which book it's from.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

*sigh*

I agree!

[HerenIstarion]

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil

[Mariska Greenleaf]

Thanks to this huge hint...

Lovely was she
as in elven-song is told:
She had pearls in hair
all threaded fair

About little Princess Mee...

[HerenIstarion]

yes, yes, indeedy. Go on with it

[Mariska Greenleaf]

thanks!

"Listen to me", she cried, "I listen not as a young elven-servant, but you are not surprised."

This doesn't make sence at all, does it?
Good luck!

[Estelyn Telcontar]

I've been puzzling over this one - is it about an old Dwarf-King? A clue would help...

[Mariska Greenleaf]

is it about an old Dwarf-King?

Yes, it is, more precisely about a "dwarf-lord of old".
Hope that helps, otherwise I'll provide more hints.

[HerenIstarion]

Mim to Turin, in answer to latter's generous promise of weregild for Khim. son of Mim's death

'I hear you,' he said. 'You speak like a dwarf-lord of old; and at that I marvel

[HerenIstarion]

Mariska?

[Mariska Greenleaf]

You were right of course, sorry for the delay!

[HerenIstarion]

Well than, next up

'Hallo by that space!' she thought.'We lack leisure after the dawn, as we don't have it there, as we say.'

[HerenIstarion]

sort of a hint:

she of the [reversed] quote is he, of course, but actual quote has a name instead. like "said So-and-So". Beside, So and So is very young

[Estelyn Telcontar]

HI, I thought about your hint and came up with Bergil as a 'he' who is very young. I also found a quote in RotK, Chapter 'Minas Tirith', that starts off right, but doesn't continue as the opposite of yours. Am I close, at least?

'Farewell for this time', said Bergil. 'Take my greetings to my father...

[HerenIstarion]

My mistake, I messed up Bergil with his father. Should listen to Fangorn's advise and not be hasty... Actual quote was the following:

Farewell for this time!’ Beregond said. ‘I have duty now till sundown, as have all the others here, I think

Sorry for mislieading you, I lay down my arms and pass the right to pose another riddle to you

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Awww, it's all in the family, HI. Here's a new one then:

- in exceptions, they cannot also feel her rants or tools. And that game of theirs won't be her smallest rest.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Anyone want to venture a try??

[HerenIstarion]

I'd love to, but I have no idea about the quote you tease us with Now, some hint may come in usefull

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Both the speaker and the one he speaks of are more than they appear to be... (to be found in FotR)

[HerenIstarion]

Well, with 'more than they seem' in mind, can it be Gandalf about Bombadil?:

Such things have no hold on his mind. He would be a most unsafe guardian; and that alone is answer enough

[HerenIstarion]

Ai, ai, silly me, trying to adjust obviously irrelevant quote to reversed one. Pray be so kind to forget the previous, since I have found the correct one:

As a rule you can only see his jokes and toys. But this business of ours will be his greatest task

Aragorn (known as Strider at the moment, hence 'more then he appears') about Gandalf (who is 'more than he appears' to Shire-folk!)

uh!

[Estelyn Telcontar]

*applause*

Well-done, HI! You're next.

[HerenIstarion]

Thank you, thank you

*H-I bows and beams around, fingering his bow tie nervously...


We-e-ell, the following reverse quote would, supposedly, be easy to crack, but I enjoyed reversing it immensely, so have a try :

*********************************************

Huge Swineherd Him

Ugly was he
As the orckish prose reveals
With bone in a nose
Still bendy as hose
Of a wood and a nail to kill
Is his club hand-made
And his shield all laid
With spikes about its brim.
Foul his hide all dark
Stained with bloody mark
Of one Eye so cruel and grim
All round his loin
Skulls and ribs be going
Of unhappy elves he slew

He crawled by night
Outrun by fright
In seek of live flesh to hew
And he slipped by day
As a spot dim grey
Over the darkling lake
Oh, his boots all strong
Withered earth oft prong
Like enourmous cruel rake
When he arched his back
Thirsted for slash and hack
With his cruel and ruddy fang
Foul helm of brass
All stained and crass
O'er hairy shoulder was hung
When the pin-sharp claws
Of his clutching paws
Through the sinew and bone he tore

He gazed all down
As o'er the mobbed town
Through pale and shining door
All square he sat
Into roomy vat
Empty he thought it but,
A swineherd Ai
With winked eye…
They ended right butt to butt!

Ai was as grim,
As Him and as prim
But Ai was, easy to cry
Flutterin' like bat
Upside in the vat
Up to the domed sky!
His dirty ears
Pointed like spears
Rubbed to ears of Him
Irksome a thing
With a loud ding
Vat drowned in lake so dim!


Not only the butts
Of both those mutts
But ears and noses and eyes
Were alloyed
In pairs were toyed
Both buzzed like cruel flies!
Everyone said
Be them live or dead
That their seat may be found at ease
By the smelly stench
Of the last year's tench
And the oily lamp of grease!
But still they sit
In a vat so neat
One great lump o'meat
Still buzzing like before!
In great lump o'meat
In a vat so neat
There still they sit
Behind the locked door!

*********************************************

PS I even mused as of possibility of exploiting the idea for the contest of sorts: say, to reverse verses, retaining the style and spirit, but having the reverse meaning, what d'ya think?

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Wonderful turn-around, HI!! What a lot of work you put into this one! I won't quote the whole poem, but it is 'Princess Mee', from The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, of course. (I hesitate to answer, since I don't think I can top that reversal... )

[HerenIstarion]

your answer is correct, my lady

Thank you for your kind words concerning the fruit of my amusement .Said reversed quote does not imply that one to followshould be reversed in verse too, once you do not feel inclined to. Go on in prose of your choice, your ladyship

[HerenIstarion]

My lady?

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Oops, sorry! I was puzzling over the other one and forgot that it's my turn here. I'll try to figure out a backwards quote today...

[Estelyn Telcontar]

It took me a bit longer, due to the holiday weekend, but here's a new quote:

That person no persons regurgitates:
Fish, insects, grass, thorns;
Chews gum, kisses plastic;
Forms soft clay to rocks;
Resurrects paupers, builds farms,
Or pulls low seas up.

[HerenIstarion]

teasy-easy, that

It's Time:

This thing all things devours:
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
Gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard stones to meal;
Slays king, ruins town,
And beats high mountain down

[Estelyn Telcontar]

You answered the riddle correctly, HI - but who said it??

[HerenIstarion]

Ah, moderating rubbed on you, my lady, you strictly follow the letter of law, rather than spirit...

Kidding, o'course, but here is the speaker requested:

That'd be Gollum to Bilbo, in a little game of riddles of theirs, down belo by the cave lake in Misty Mountains

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Now you have all of the details - next one's yours!

[HerenIstarion]

Thank you

next one to shoot at:

“That was light feather!” everybody said in clear voice, “It flew very high and all of this is always full!”

[HerenIstarion]

hint, than

That was said by many people toiling harder than what they expected their share to be

[HerenIstarion]

One more week gone, one more hint come:

Someone was present, and that was mentioned someone's birthday

[HerenIstarion]

in The Hobbit

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Thanks for your patience, HI! After a few days away from home and PC, I'm back and thanks to your clues, I found the quote.

"This is a heavy load!" some grumbled. "They float too deep - some of these are never empty."

..."some" being the Elves who pushed the barrles full of Dwarves on their way out of Mirkwood.

[HerenIstarion]

If it is the second 'some' you refer to, I expect they never were - eating and drinking their share all through the night

You've got it right. Pray proceed

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Here's a new one:

Swim here big fish! Swim here since they can't! Go up big fish, and they won't be drowned out of their caves!

[HerenIstarion]

Goblins and Wargs trapping Gandalf, Bilbo, Thorin & Co in the woods to the East of the Misty Mountains:

Fly away little birds! Fly away while you can! Come down little birds, or you will get fried in your nest!

(crippled a bit, perhaps, but I can't provide direct quotation right now not having my book on me, will in a short while if it is required )