<strong>PROVERBS FOUND IN <em>The Lord of the Rings</em></strong><BR><BR><strong>All that is gold does not glitter. Not all who wander are lost. The old that is strong does not wither. Deep roots are not reached by the frost.</strong> Aragorn's poem<BR><BR><strong>"One who cannot cast away a treasure at need is in fetters."</strong> Aragorn to Pippin at Isengard “The Voice of Saruman”<BR><BR><strong>"He that flies counts every foeman twice."</strong> Man of Rohan, before the battle of Helm’s Deep<BR><BR><strong> 'He who breaks a thing to find out what it is has left the path of wisdom.' </strong> Gandalf to Saruman, about the color white<BR><BR><strong> 'Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens,' </strong> Gimli, as the Fellowship departs Rivendell<BR><BR><strong> Let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall.'</strong> Elrond’s reply<BR><BR><strong> 'Yet sworn word may strengthen quaking heart,' … 'Or break it,' </strong> Gimli and Elrond again<BR><BR><strong> 'It's an ill wind as blows nobody no good, as I always say. And All's well as ends Better!' </strong> the Gaffer<BR><BR><strong> 'Oft hope is born, when all is forlorn.’ </strong> Legolas – preceded by the great line “Up with your beard, Durin’s son”<BR><BR><strong> "Need brooks no delay, yet late is better than never"</strong> - Eomer, THE RIDE OF THE ROHIRRIM<BR><BR><strong>'Rede oft is found at the rising of the Sun...'</strong> Legolas<BR><BR><strong>'There are some things that it is better to begin than to refuse, even though the end may be dark...' </strong> Aragorn<BR><BR><strong>'Often does hatred hurt itself...' </strong>Gandalf<BR><BR><strong>'But it has long been said: oft evil will shall evil mar.' </strong> Theoden<BR><BR><strong>"handsome is as handsome does" </strong> Sam, quoting a hobbit proverb to Faramir, I think?<BR><BR><strong>'Where there's life there's hope, … and need of vittles’ </strong> the Gaffer <BR><BR><strong> Don't take names to yourself . . . it is unwise, whether they are true or false"</strong> Frodo to Gollum, from <em>The Stairs of Cirith Ungol</em><BR><BR><strong> "Few can forsee whither their road will lead them till they come to its end." </strong> Legolas<BR><BR><strong> "One thief deserves another" </strong>or [...] <strong>"One ill turn deserves another."</strong> Saruman, in <em>Many Partings</em><BR><BR><strong> "Don't let your heads get too big for your hats!"</strong> Bilbo<BR><BR><strong> "Escaping goblins to be caught by wolves!"</strong> or <strong>Out of the frying-pan into the fire!</strong> Bilbo in <em>The Hobbit</em><BR><BR><strong> "Never laugh at live dragons.” </strong> Bilbo, in <em>The Hobbit</em><BR><BR><strong> Courage is found in unlikely places. </strong> - Gildor.<BR><BR><strong> ‘The wide world is all about you: you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot forever fence it out.’</strong> Gildor<BR><BR><strong> "Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards for they are subtle and quick to anger."</strong> Gildor<BR><BR><strong> "Go not to the Elves for counsel, for they [will?] say both no and yes." </strong> Frodo, to Gildor<BR><BR><strong> "Help shall oft come from the hands of the weak when the Wise falter." </strong> Gandalf in the Silmarillion<BR><BR><strong> "Council is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise, and all courses may run ill"</strong> Gildor <BR>or is it <strong> "Advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise, and all courses may run ill."</strong> ?<BR><BR><strong> "There are some perils from which a man must flee."</strong> Faramir, near the end of <em>'The Window on the West</em>.<BR><BR><strong> You've caught the kitten and let the cat escape. </strong> Gorbag, from <em>The Choices of Master Samwise</em><BR><BR><strong> "The hasty stroke goes oft astray"</strong> Aragorn, THE PASSING OF THE GREY COMPANY<BR><BR><strong> "In the morning counsels are best, and night changes many thoughts" </strong> Theoden, THE MUSTER OF ROHAN <BR><BR><strong> "Where will wants not, a way opens" </strong>- Eowyn, as Dernhelm, THE MUSTER OF ROHAN<BR><BR><strong> "...A traitor may betray himself and do good that he does not intend"</strong> - Gandalf, THE SIEGE OF GONDOR<BR><BR><strong> "Much must be risked in war" </strong>- Denethor, THE SIEGE OF GONDOR<BR><BR><strong> "...Hope oft decieves...Yet twice blessed is help unlooked for"</strong> - Eomer, THE BATTLE OF THE PELENNOR FIELDS<BR><BR><strong> "To waver is to fall"</strong> - Aragorn, THE LAST DEBATE<BR><BR><strong> "Talking won't mend nothing"</strong> - Sam, MOUNT DOOM<BR><BR><strong> "A snake without fangs may crawl where he will"</strong> - Treebeard, MANY PARTINGS<BR><BR><strong> "It is usless to meet revenge with revenge; it will heal nothing"</strong> - Frodo, THE SCOURING OF THE SHIRE<BR><BR><strong> "It must be so if things are in danger; someone has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them"</strong> - Frodo, THE GREY HAVENS<BR><BR><strong>”Not all tears are an evil.”</strong> Gandalf, <em>The Grey Havens</em><BR><BR><strong> It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish. </strong> The Gaffer<BR><BR><strong> "Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement." </strong> Gandalf to Frodo, <em>The Shadow of the Past</em><BR><BR><strong> The burned hand teaches best. After that, advice about fire goes to the heart. </strong> Gandalf to Pippin, about the palantir<BR><BR><strong> "Make it short, then you will not have to cut it short to use it."</strong> -the Gaffer, a paraphrase? on names<BR><BR><strong> 'Where there's a whip there's a will, my slugs.’ </strong> Orc slave-driver in Mordor<BR><BR><strong> "Short cuts make long delays."</strong> Pippin (though Frodo has a comment about “inns make longer ones!”)<BR><BR><strong> "Don't trust your head, it is not the best part of you."</strong> Sam<BR><BR><strong> Oft the unbidden guest proves the best company. </strong> - Eomer<BR><BR><strong> Generous deed should not be checked by cold counsel.</strong> - Gandalf <BR><BR><strong> Even the very wise can not see all ends</strong> -Gandalf <BR><BR><strong> "Ah, the green smell! It is better than much sleep"</strong> -Legolas "The Riders of Rohan"<BR><BR><strong> "...if you're short of sleep cold water on the neck's like rain on wilted lettuce"</strong>--Sam, "The Window on the West" (seems a good place to add Gimli’s comment about seeing a line of orc-necks…)<BR><BR><strong> "Ill news is an ill guest"</strong>-- Gríma Wormtongue "The King of the Golden Hall"<BR><BR><strong> "Yet even the most subtle spiders may leave a weak thread"</strong>--Gandalf, "The Council of Elrond"<BR><BR><strong> The tree grows best in the land of its sires</strong> crypticly unattributed<BR><BR><strong> In desperate hours gentleness may be repaid with death. </strong> Denethor to Faramir <BR><BR><strong> The praise of the praiseworthy is above all rewards.</strong> Faramir to Sam <BR><BR><strong> Dead men are not friends to living men and give them no gifts. </strong> Ghan-buri-ghan<BR><BR><strong> Dawn is ever the hope of men. </strong>--Aragorn , at Helm’s Deep<BR><BR><strong> ‘Always after a defeat and a respite, the Shadow takes another shape and grows again.’ </strong> Gandalf<BR><BR><strong> 'It is best to love first what you are fitted to love.’ </strong> Merry, in <em>'The Houses of Healing'</em><BR><BR><strong> Wonder makes the words of praise louder.</strong> Gandalf, before Aragorn’s wedding<BR><BR><strong> Third time pays for all.</strong> - Samwise asking Gollum to find herbs.<BR><BR><strong> It needs but one foe to breed a war.</strong> Eowyn<BR><BR><strong>The world is full enough of hurts and mischances without wars to multiply them.</strong> The Warden of the Houses of Healing<BR><BR><strong>Those who have not swords may still die by them.</strong> Eowyn<BR><BR><strong> I am no weather-master...nor is aught that goes on two legs</strong> -Tom Bombadil<BR><BR><strong>The treacherous are ever distrustful.</strong> -Gandalf the White <BR><BR><strong> The wise speak only of what they know. </strong> Gandalf to Wormtongue in <em> King of the Golden Hall </em><BR><BR><strong> "Let the guide go first while you have one.' </strong> Aragorn to Merry in <em>'A Journey in the Dark'</em><BR><BR><strong> "Don't go mixing yourself up in the business of your betters or you'll land in trouble too big for you."</strong> –the Gaffer<BR><BR><strong> A loon is he that will not sing. </strong> Pippin singing Bilbo’s Bath Song<BR> <BR><strong> seldom does thief ride home to the stable.</strong> Aragorn, I think, from <em>The King of the Golden Hall</em><BR><BR><strong> "It's a dangerous business, going out of your door. You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to."</strong> ~Bilbo Baggins<BR><BR><strong> "Fair speech may hide a foul heart."</strong> ~Sam Gamgee<BR><BR>And I would like to add:<BR><strong>"Make haste while the sun shines!</strong> Goldberry<BR><BR>**********************************************<BR>Many contributions from Gandalf and the Gaffer, as expected, but Gildor gets three, and even Gorbag and Ghan-buri-ghan had one! (Note the “G”s!)<BR><BR>If only I could make a living indexing TORC threads…<BR><BR>Below are others that were contributed, but did not sound like proverbs to me. My “judgement” is not meant to be anything other than personal taste. <BR><BR><strong> "But do not despise the lore that has come down from distant years; for oft it may chance that old wives keep in memory word of things that once were needful for the wise to know."</strong> -Celeborn<BR><BR><strong> "It is scarcely wise when bringing the news of the death of his heir to a mighty lord to speak over much of the one coming who will, if he comes, claim the kingship."</strong> -Gandalf in Minas Tirith <BR><BR> <strong> "I don't hold with wearing ironmongery, whether it wears well or no"</strong>--the irrepressible Gaffer, "The Scouring of the Shire"<BR><BR> <strong> I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. </strong>- Faramir (slightly paraphrased?)<BR><BR> <strong> "Better have a look at the worst. No good blundering about in a fog!" </strong>~Sam Gamgee<BR><BR> <strong> As fierce as a dragon in a pinch</strong>, about Bilbo in <em>The Hobbit</em><BR><BR> <strong> "He is surer of finding the way home in a blind night than the cats of Queen Berúthiel." </strong> Aragorn, in Moria