The Adventures of Tom Bombadil'Tom was here before the river and the trees. He made paths before the Big People and saw the little People arriving. He was here before the Kings and the graves and the Barrow wights. When the Elves passed westward, Tom was here already One of the most intriguing characters in The Lord of the Rings, the amusing and enigmatic Tom Bombadil also appears in verses said to have been written by Hobbits and preserved in the Red Book with stories of Bilbo