A charming new pocket edition of one of Tolkien's major works of short fantasy, and the only completed work published after the release of "The Fellowship of the Ring." The roots of the story can be traced to a foreword letter to George MacDonald's "The Golden Key," but it eventually evolved into this enchanting little story, which Tolkien named to suggest an early work by P.G. Wodehouse. Almost a decade after "The Fellowship of the Ring," and while his long engagement with "The Silmarillion" was nearing completion, "Smith of Wootton Major" is the product of his mature experience and thought. It was published in 1967 as a small hardcover, accompanied by charming black-and-white illustrations by Pauline Baynes, and marked the last fantasy work published during Tolkien's lifetime. Nearly 50 years later, this magical story of a wanderer finding his way into the perilous world of Faerie is published in paperback. It contains many interesting elements connected with the world of Middle-earth, as well as other stories by Tolkien. This new edition is enriched with a reprint of the illustrated first edition, a manuscript of the early draft of the story, notes and an alternative ending, as well as an extensive essay on the nature of Faerie.