RIDDLES IN THE DARK - the ninth LbNA #62192

“Ash nazg durbatuluk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatuluk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul!”

This year, 2012, marks the 75th anniversary of the publication of J.R.R. Tokien’s THE HOBBIT. This is the book that tells the story which is the center of his more monumental work, THE LORD OF THE RINGS. Later this year, the movie will be released in two parts. To celebrate the anniversary, here is a nine-box series of two-sided hand-carved, NOT FOR TRADE, stamps which illustrate the nine riddles in Chapter 5, which I believe is the center of the center of the Trilogy.

The ninth riddle:

This thing all things devours:
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
Gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard stones to meal;
Slays kings, ruins town,
And beats high mountain down.

DIRECTIONS: At the Junction of RT84 and RT34 in Sandy Hook, CT, head East in the direction of Monroe, and you will come upon the Misty Vale Deli and General Store. It is tucked away on a curve in the road in such a way that you cannot see clearly where you have come from. Nor can you see clearly, up the hill, and where you are to go. It will be as if the Sands of Time have stopped.

You will be tempted by the tables and the surroundings to stop and pass the time, exchanging local news and sampling some great victuals including CT-Made Deep River Chips. (And we all know that hobbits have to stop and eat at least eight times a day!)

But the one who forged the ring is calling it back to himself. The ring has found a new ring-bearer, and will not permit any delay.

CLUES: (TRY NOT TO BE SEEN.)

With the Deli to your right, walk to the upper left-hand corner of the parking lot. You will come to the end of the fence, and will see a small path leading into the woods. Two steps into the woods and you are in Fangorn Forest. Six steps to your right and you will see, through the brush, an Ent who has gone tree-ish (or an Entish-looking tree!) Either way, don’t wake it. But you will have to search around its feet to find the RIDDLE-the ninth LETTERBOX hidden under a few stones.
There is a special metallic ink for stamping. But no logbook. PLEASE SNAP THE INK PAD CLOSED TIGHTLY. Please hide it well, after you have stamped in.












BONUS BOX: If you know the history of the GREAT RING OF POWER, then you know that the journey doesn’t end here. And you know that the lure of the Ring is nearly irresistible. Feel it call you out of the parking lot, and left and up the hill until you come to a large sign on the right and a VERY obvious clue!
Follow that road down into the Valley of the Shadow, past the pond and the Dead Marshes on the left. Be sure to stay on the Road where the Great Ring is calling you. At the end, a left on High Rock will take you to the very Gateway into Mordor. Pass through the gateway and park. Turn back and tremble; you will not pass through that way again. The GREAT RING BONUS BOX is hidden at the foot of your right side of the gateway, under weeds and rocks.
After you have printed both sides of the stamp, return the box and hide it well. Then continue along the road until to come to Hammertown to the left or Fan Hill to the right.