by Blondo Butterchurn
Schoolmaster of Merrydale
with approved text suitable for use
in all classrooms across the Several Shires.
Dalto the Scribe
It was the Elf Folk who broke the long silence of the Wide World. The fourth and fifth ages had passed and the Hobbit people went unnoticed by the outside world. But in the sixth age, an Elf prince, Ronoar Silverlimb, arrived outside Dalefir seeking the Hobbits of whom their ancient tales spoke. Dalto was the dean of the academy in those days and treated with the Elf Folk on behalf of the people. He learned many things about the way of the world and of the writing of words and of the keeping of time.
Dalto himself was invited to live among the Elfin Folk for a time and he forsook his garden to bring knowledge back to the people of Dalefir. Upon returning, he taught all what the Elf Folk had shown him. He recorded much of his travels in great volumes and these remain hidden to this very day.
Dalto traveled much and was gone long, but he was not afflicted with the Restless Rage as some have been. His heart ever longed for Dalefir while he was away and his garden did not suffer neglect after he returned. Though he was without harvest for the season of his return, his neighbors were not troubled. Though he sometimes received strange visitors at strange times, they were never noisy.
The Library of Dalefir
Now when Dalenas was closed, much of the learning of the Hobbits had been lost. So too, the people had forgotten the manner of marking pictures upon stone. But when Dalto returned from his many travels, he brought with him the manner of writing he learned from the Elfin Folk. This he taught to any who would be troubled to learn. So his home became a school of sorts. In time all the people were taught in the manner of writing, so that all their children were also taught and Dalto was no longer the schoolmaster to many. However, his home became a great repository of all that was written by the people and so it remains to this day.
Brandobaris the Stealthy
During the sixth age there was born one Brandobaris of the Stoutbrush Shire. His youngest years were unmarked by any peculiarity, but by the time he had become a man, he was unrivaled in the sport of Hiding While Sought. There were many who believed that he could become invisible at will, such was the testament to his ability. For eleven years he won the Golden Gourd trophy and news of his accomplishment was eventually noised abroad.
So it was that his great skill brought him fame outside of the Dales and Prince Erevan Ilesere of the Elfin Folk sent a delegation to honor Brandobaris and bring him to the woodland realm. But while there, among the Elfin Folk, Brandobaris was taken ill with the Restless Rage. So he passed from that place into many other realms and kingdoms in search of relief from that illness and was not heard from for many years.
When Brandobaris returned to the Dales and to the Shire of his birth, strange folk rode with him. He came with a train of wagons bearing treasure and an armed retinue in escort. Great were the rumors of his adventures and he had many names, Pathmaker, Urokbane, Wyrmtamer among them, but among his neighbors he was called nuisance, and peculiar.
The Discovery of Stoor Leaf
It was the Stoor family of Merril Shire who first discovered the Nicotia plant which grew as Mulnechir along the banks of the Nico Stream. Holdo Whitewreath thought to expand his garden plot and so gathered this wild plant to be burned in a bonfire. Thus was discovered a pleasing effect. Soon he committed rows of his garden to this enterprise and sold the Stoor Leaf to all the people. In time the genius of the People gave way to cultivating a second strain of the Nicotia plant with a brighter leaf. So Stoor Leaf spread across all Dalefir and was eventually carried even to Lochdale, where that strain is still known as Brightbrittle Green.
The Great War
The end of the Sixth Age was the time of the Great War. Dragons filled the skies breathing their murderous breaths and Titans walked the earth conquering all. The Folk of many races all fought, one against the other and even the Dales were not spared the violence. In those days great heroes came among the people, these were hobbits of strength and skill at war who defended the Dale and smote all those who would disrupt its peace. There were mighty Curates in the day such as Fluro Firelord and Chorobar Brandobarkin. There were great warriors too, such as Dradon Drumbeater, Belero the Mighty and Bobben Bradagoon. Their tales are amply told elsewhere and have no need of repeating here.
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