So, isn't the book "The Hobbit" itself the Hobbit of Legendarium?
The Hobbit, a single sentence that even Tolkien himself didn't consciously conceive, became a beloved fairy tale. Isn't that the nature of fairy tales? It seems cute and insignificant, but it's actually a deeply important story. It's a story of stories. That's why it captivated him and his many readers, becoming a symbol of the lovable wonders hidden throughout the middle-earth(and our world), small and insignificant as they may be. It personifies the things we must protect from Sauron, and in itself, it becomes his downfall, a symbol of the core themes of the Legendarium universe. The author really thought and talked without any intention and thought it was nothing special, but after receiving everyone's attention and continuing to look back, he eventually found that it was the key to the conclusion of his life's work that he would not have been able to find if he had thought about it intentionally.
After a delightful teatime with Bilbo and Frodo, filled with delightful stories, Celebrimbor rose to do the dishes. Elrond smoothly dissuaded the hobbits, distracting them with his garden before following suit. As expected, Elrond was more enthusiastic about household chores like the dishes than Galadriel. According to Elrond, this is what happens when you grow up as a refugee, raised by one with a prosthetic limb and one who distract himself with musical instruments.
"I couldn't send the hobbits on such a dangerous mission," Celebrimbor said.
"You're the type who needs to do everything yourself."
"And that's why you refused to take the oath. You've always understood that nothing is absolute, that the world is unpredictable and uncontrollable, that what seems small can hide great power, and that what seems grand can be empty."
"If you're going to indulge in self-loathing againâŠ"
"I miss Middle-earth so much. It's a shame. I regret dying without knowing about that wonderful race. There must have been more like it hidden in every corner there. That's why we chose it in the first placeâŠ"
"I understand your regret. But haven't you seen many other wonders?"
"The ring was a mistake."
Before Elrond could ask again, Celebrimbor continued quickly. "It's not self-loathing. Don't do it. Yeah. I don't think it's wrong to want to improve, but⊠I should have thought more carefully about why I chose Middle-earth in the first place. I should have enjoyed it more. There was no need to fix it. I should have remembered that it was a place where wonders and small joys were hidden, even more so because they were beyond our reach. He became what he was, after all⊠but if we had remembered that more, and kept our focus on accepting and enjoying Middle-earth as it was, at least we wouldn't have fueled his fireâŠ"
Elrond spoke bluntly, snatching the bowl from Celebrimbor's slowing hands and finishing cleaning it. "What he did was his own fault."
"When he first arrived⊠Galadriel rejected him because he wasn't innocent, Gil-galad rejected him because he was ambitious, and you rejected him because you were wary of his absolute desires." "We told him to go to you. Turning down a Maia would be a terrible thing, so we left it to you, saying there was a better place for him. We were cowards, and you were kind and brave."
With that, Elrond glared at Celebrimbor. Celebrimbor, flinching, swallowed the words that had risen to his throat, deciding to regret his choice another day. "I don't think I was wrong in what I saw at first. He truly wanted to heal the world. He wanted to fix it. He desperately wanted to help it become better. And I truly believe our actions were right, at first. Middle-earth was broken and wounded. Up to that point, he and we were right. But after that⊠there was no need to fix it. It would have been better to just accept it as it was and enjoy it. No, we started to do that, but he couldn't. The Ainur are purer and more devoted than we are. They don't change as easily as we do. He still tried to heal and give gifts, but Middle-earth and we were already healed, leaving him behind. What does a doctor do when a patient is cured?"
Elrond said wryly. "Let's enjoy our vacation."
Celebrimbor chuckled. "Yes! We should have. But it was uselessâŠ"
"As the bearer of Vilya, I won't hear you say your Three Rings were a harbinger of evil, a useless act."
From the garden, the hobbits murmured with surprise and laughter. Celebrimbor shook his head. "It's nothing compared to that. They didn't need it, after all."
"It helped protect them."
Knowing that their paths would remain parallel forever, Celebrimbor finished washing the dishes and planned to end the conversation there. But his hands were empty, and the dishes had already been cleared away. Celebrimbor looked away, embarrassed, as Elrond dragged him out into the garden. He wondered what the hobbits were admiring, and it would help him forget this conversation.