Perry-the-Winkle

Poems by J.R.R. Tolkien
Perry-the-Winkle
Poem Information
Other names	The Bumpus, William and the Bumpus, Perry-the-Winkle: A Nursery Rhyme in the House of Master Samwise, Perry-the-Winkle: A Children's Song in the Shire (Attributed to Master Samwise)
Written	Early 1928
Revised	29 March of 1928, 30 September of 1946, Early 1961, 15 November of 1961
Published	The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, Poems and Songs of Middle Earth, The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien
Subject(s)	Lonely Troll, Perry-the-Winkle, Farmer Hogg, Pott the Mayor, Mrs. Bunce, Bill Butcher, Grip, Peeping Jack, Faraway, Tong, Bree, The Shire

Perry-the-Winkle is a humorous poem written by J.R.R. Tolkien included in The Adventures of Tom Bombadil. The poem is "a children's song in the Shire" that was recorded in the Red Book of Westmarch and attributed to Samwise Gamgee.

First stanza

The Lonely Troll he sat on a stone
and sang a mournful lay:
'O why, O why must I live on my own
in the hills of Faraway?
My folk are gone beyond recall
and take no thought of me;
alone I'm left, the last of all
from Weathertop to the Sea.'

Synopsis

In Samwise Gamgee's poem, a Lonely Troll entered the Shire seeking for friends, because he was the last troll "from Weathertop to the Sea". In fact, he was a very strange troll, because he did not steal gold, drink beer, or eat meat. However, when he came to Delving all the secretive and scared Hobbits started to run and hide whenever they saw him. Thus, only Perry-the-Winkle was unafraid and befriended the troll while he was crying outside of the Lockholes. Because the troll was a very good cook, he thanked Perry by feeding him generously. When the other Hobbits learned that Perry had eaten well thanks to the troll, they showed up asking for food, but they were denied since they had refused to be his friend. Perry, instead, was invited to tea-time Every Thursday and the troll taught him how to be a great Baker.

Background

"The Bumpus" by J.R.R. Tolkien.

The Bumpus

After Tolkien wrote the first version of the poem in early 1928, which he entitled The Bumpus, he drew an unintentionally sinister sketch of the Bumpus on the first manuscript. On 29 March, Tolkien made a second manuscript in which he revised the poem as part of his Tales and Songs of Bimble Bay series. This version may have been the version that Tolkien sent to his publishers on 30 September of 1946 to be possibly published alongside Farmer Giles of Ham. The second manuscript was what was later published posthumously in the 2014 edition of The Adventures of Tom Bombadil.

William and the Bumpus

The third version of the poem was a typescript in which Tolkien had added 111 lines, entitling it William and the Bumpus. It contains some additions that are more in line with the final version of the poem.

Further revisions

In early 1961, Tolkien revised the poem for inclusion within The Adventures of Tom Bombadil. He made numerous changes such as changing the Bumpus to the Lonely Troll and including references to The Shire and Bree in place of references to Bimble Bay. In a later typescript, Tolkien gave the poem the name Perry-the-Winkle: A Nursery Rhyme in the House of Master Samwise. In a final preserved typescript at the Bodleian, the phrase a children's song in the Shire (attributed to Master Samwise) or A Children's Song in the Shire (Attributed to Master Samwise) appears as a heading.

On 15 November of 1961, Tolkien sent the poem to his publishers for inclusion in the poetry collection. Many years later, in 1967, Tolkien recorded a version of the poem for Poems and Songs of Middle Earth, which was later reissued.

Inspiration

While the origins of the name Perry-the-Winkle is not known, it may be possible that it could be related to the word Periwinckle, the name of a marine mollusc and of a creeping plant. The name Winkle may be a short form of the word. The word Brolly is a nickname for "umbrella" and Bong is just a word with a convenient rhyme with "long". The word "cramsome" must be referring to cram.