Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit (scene)

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This article is about the scene from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. For the chapter from The Two Towers, see Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit.
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"Boil 'em, mash 'em, stick 'em in a stew."
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Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit
Scene from
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
The Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers - Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit.png
Scene number22 (theatrical)
30 (extended)
Event Frodo and Sam are captured by Faramir in Ithilien
Characters Frodo, Sam, Gollum, Faramir
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Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit (scene) is the twenty-second scene of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and the thirtieth scene of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (extended edition). This scene was extended in the latter edition.

Synopsis[edit | edit source]

While Frodo and Sam take rest in Ithilien, Sméagol returns from hunting, having caught two rabbits. He is very pleased with himself and chuckles; Frodo looks at Sam in surprise, who is not impressed. Sméagol begins to eat the rabbits raw, which prompts Sam to take them from him and begin cooking them in a stew with potatoes. Sméagol is somewhat distraught at this and accuses Sam of ruining the rabbits. Indeed, Sméagol tells Sam he prefers them "raw and wriggling".

Frodo notices a number of odd bird-calls and slowly walks to explore the surrounding area. Coming to a low ridge line, he sees droves of soldiers marching through the country. Sam and Sméagol catch up with Frodo; the two hobbits learn from Sméagol that the soldiers are all servants of Sauron, who is readying his armies to make his war on Middle-earth. As they make to leave, Sam notices an oliphaunt, and he and Frodo stare at it in wonder. Sméagol slinks away as they hear more odd bird-calls, closer this time.

Suddenly, arrows rain down on the soldiers. Faramir espies the two hobbits and, as an oliphaunt approaches their location, he looses an arrow, killing a soldier seated atop the creature who falls to the ground close to the hobbits. As Frodo and Sam leave, they are captured by Faramir and a company of Gondorians. Upon claiming to be innocent travellers, Faramir says, "There are no travellers in this land, only servants of the Dark Tower". Frodo tells him that their task is one of secrecy and that any who "oppose the enemy" should not hinder them. Faramir muses over Frodo's use of the word "enemy". He walks to the Haradrim soldier and says "His sense of duty was no less than yours, I deem. You wonder what his name was, where he came from, and if he was really evil at heart". He turns back to Frodo, says "War will make corpses of us all", and instructs his soldiers to bind their hands.