Frodo, Sam, and Pippin continue trekking through the Shire in this week's The Babylon Bee Reads The Lord Of The Rings with Kyle and Dan joined by Jonathan Watson from The One Ring, an online fellowship as well as a place for cool Middle-Earth maps and articles. We discover Farmer Maggot, some black riders, and the shortcut to mushrooms.

Note: We had to salvage the audio on this episode after running into several separate production issues, but the discussion is good and we hope you still enjoy it.

Chapter summary: Frodo, Sam, and Pippin make for Bucklebury after spending the night at a wooden hall where they were hosted by the elves led by Gildor Inglorion. Frodo worries about taking his friends into danger or exile. Sam states his loyalty to Frodo no matter what. Frodo and Pippin banter. They decide to stay just off the road so they won't be spotted on the road by Black Riders and cut straight across the country to Bucklebury Ferry bypassing Stock, crossing the Stock-brook and missing the Golden Perch's fine beer. Sam spots a rider behind them at the top of the green bank from where they climbed down right when they start debating going back because of difficult terrain. They hear the Nazgul cries and cut across open ground until they come to more orderly lands and ultimately Farmer Maggot's lands. Frodo is distressed because he was a mushroom thief and terrified of the farmer's dogs. The farmer was just getting his dogs out due to a black rider being suspicious on his lands. He brings them in and feeds them and gives them good ale on tap and gets them to Bucklebury Ferry.

The banter between Frodo and Pippin.

Pippin didn't want to leave Frodo any breakfast but Sam insisted.

"I don't want to answer a sting of questions while I am eating. I want to think!" "Good heavens! At Breakfast?"

"Short cuts make long delays" "All right!" I will follow you into every bog and ditch! But it is hard! I had counted on passing the Golden Perch at Stock before sundown! The best beer in the Eastfarthing…" "That settles it!' said Frodo. "Short cuts make delays, but inns make longer ones."

The stout loyalty of Sam

'If you don't come back, sir, then I shan't, that's certain,' said Sam. 'Don't you leave him! they said to me. Leave him! I said. I never mean to. I am going with him, if he climbs to the Moon; and if any of those Black Riders try to stop him, they'll have Sam Gamgee to reckon with, I said. They laughed.' … way. I know we are going to take a very long road, into darkness; but I know I can't turn back. It isn't to see Elves now, nor dragons, nor mountains, that I want – I don't rightly know what I want: but I have something to do before the end, and it lies ahead, not in the Shire. I must see it through, sir, if you understand me.'

Special Elf Drink

"When they came to make their meal, they found that the Elves had filled their bottles with a clear drink, pale golden in colour: it had the scent of a honey made of many flowers, and was wonderfully refreshing. Very soon they were laughing, and snapping their fingers at rain, and at Black Riders. The last few miles, they felt, would soon be behind them."

They start singing louder and louder and the evil and lonely sounding black riders begin to cry to one another. CREEPY

Farmer Maggot

A Black Rider had been asking the Farmer about Baggins right before they showed up. Gives advice to stay in Buckland, not get mixed up with those weird Hobbiton folk like Bilbo and says if the Black Rider comes back, he'll deal with him! They get supper, ale, and a dark ride to the ferry and a basket of mushrooms.MAILBAG

Lynn asks us to set aside our Jacksonian lenses.

From David on expected and unexpected parties.

From Sarah on finding rest for this crazy world in Tolkien.

For Kyles fixation on Tolkien tattoos, a message from RDeis23.

From Real Lawyer, Not Rules Lawyer on the cool-as-a-cucumber Gandalf.

2hokies has an audiobook recommendation.