Silmarillion Awards 2017 - Stangest Character Award Presentation

   And .. it's finally time! The votes have been tallied, the forms have been closed, and all loose ends have been tied. Now it's time to reveal to you the illustrious winner of the Strangest Character Silmaril - but I won't be the one presenting it! So I'll go ahead and put this shindig into the capable hands of the just-as-illustrious presenter of the Strangest Character Silmaril award! (and if you haven't read the Lord Of The Rings books, you won't know the character presenting the award - but he's quite delightful, so I'd advise that you do read them!)  

   *and the curtain goes up*

   Hey dol! merry dol! Can you hear me singing?.
   Here's Tom Bombadil, Silmaril a-bringing.
   Hey dol! merry dol! Come and follow me.
   Here's Tom Bombadil, the winner off to see.

   But first we have a stop to make, a friend we shall be meeting
   He shall have to go with us, the winner to be greeting!
   "Hoy there, Puddleglum! I see that you've been fishing.
   Have you caught anything - or are you only wishing?"

   A strange, skinny creature - with thin hair, a pointy hat, and an expression that would make one think the world had just ended - was sitting on the riverbank, dangling a rather decrepit fishing pole into the water. He looked over his shoulder when he heard Tom Bombadil, and his expression fell even further (if that were at all possible, which indeed it was. Marsh-Wiggles are not known to be particularly joyful creatures.). Puddleglum stood up and looked suspiciously at Tom. 

   "Oh, you're back, aren't you? I always thought you would be - come to tell me that there was some mistake in giving me a Silmaril Award last year, I suppose? Took you long enough to figure that out. But here, I've always carried it with me ... you might as take it now, I don't have time to waste when the clouds are rolling in-"  

   "Not at all, my wiggly friend, that's not what I'm wanting!
   That Silmaril is your's to keep, forever to be flaunting!
   I'm here to bring you along with me, a friend we shall be seeing
   But you're right, no time to waste, so we really should be fleeing!"

   Puddleglum began to voice his worry about "fleeing" ("I'm not done recovering from my last adventure - but the other Marsh Wiggles said it made me less cheerful, so I suppose there may be some good in adventures after all, though we'll all die along the way, I shouldn't wonder..."), but it was a little late for that. For then world blurs, and suddenly Tom and Puddleglum are standing in a forest, and a long table is in front of them. Tom spreads his arms wide and smiles. 

   "Now let the song begin! Let us sing together,
   Of characters and Silmarils, and other things that flatter
   Readers all, I present to you your winner, The Mad Hatter!"  

   The three inhabitants at the table start, and one jumps up, holding a tea cup in his hand. Tea sloshes over the side, but he doesn't seem to notice. "An award for me?!" he cried, "What day of the month is it? No matter! We're prepared for visitors any day, especially any that come with awards attached!" while the March Hare shouted, "No room, no room!" as Puddleglum slumped at the far end of the table.
   "Oh, I see," the Marsh-Wiggle glumly said, digging around in his pocket for his own Silmaril award. "You've found another strange character to replace me, I shouldn't wonder. The other Marsh Wiggles always told me it would happen - they said I was too optimistic about the whole thing. Here, you might as well take it now ..." 

   "Now, now, my gloomy friend, your Silmaril's for keeping!
   And as for you, my Hatter friend - for joy you should be leaping!
   The readers have voted for you, of their own accord,
   So for being the strangest character, I present you this award!" 

   
   The Mad Hatter picked it up and squinted one eye shut, cocking his head as he looks at it suspiciously. "What's this strange writing on it?" he asked, while the sleepy dormouse inquires if it can be eaten. "Does it explain why a raven is like a writing desk? I haven't the slightest idea."    
   "A raven isn't like a writing desk," Puddleglum said, shaking his head while looking at the dried crust of old tea on one of the tea cups. "I don't think you understand-" 
   "Why, it isn't very POLITE to contradict your hosts!" the Mad Hatter declared, waving his Silmaril in the air. "And as you're sitting at our table, drinking our tea - which is quite cold, seeing as it was yesterday's - that would be us! Now, someone explain all of these to me. It's six o' clock, far to late for deep thinking! Why is a raven like a writing desk?" No one answered, and the Hatter shook his head. "Bother it all, I suppose I'll have to ask Time himself when I see him next. We're well acquainted you know, even though he has rudely left me at six o' clock for the last who-knows-how-long!" 
   Suddenly standing and raising his Silmaril high above his head, the Hatter cried, "I want a clean cup, let's all move one place over!" 
   And with a leap and a bound, the Hatter, the Hare, and the Dormouse scampered to new seats, peering into their new cups of tea to see how full they were. The Hatter's was the only full one left at the table, and he grinned madly as he raised it. "Won't you stay around for tea, award-bringer and sulky one? We'd love to invite you, but there's no more tea!" 
   "So there's also no more room!" chorused the March Hare and the dormouse, as the March Hare hopped over and grabbed Puddleglum by the arm, dragging him away from the platter of cookies he had been eyeing.  
   
   "No more room? I think there is! But we really should be going -
   We must now be trotting along, like the river flowing!
   Many happiness's to you, my dear Hatter Mad!
   That you have won the Silmaril, I certainly am glad!"

   Tom bowed to the Hatter, and Puddleglum waved, and then the Hatter and the Hare fell to bickering over whether or not the Silmaril could be used as a tea-tray.

   The world blurs, and Puddgleum is gone. Tom stands alone on a stage, beaming quite benignly. 
 
   "Well, readers many - all of you we have to thank!
   For giving the Mad Hatter this very impressive rank!
   So honored I was to present this award to the one you chose.
   What fun it was to help you all! But the curtain must now ... close."

   ... and the curtain falls. 

  *applause* Congratulations to the Mad Hatter! Who was surprised that he won? (he took over the votes by a landslide, and I kind of expected it - he has the word MAD in his name, after all xD) I hope you all had an amazing time traipsing around with Tom and Puddleglum and visiting the Mad Hatter - I certainly did!

   And with this post, my time hosting the Silmarillion Awards 2017 has ended - but don't forget to visit the rest of the blogs who haven't presented their awards yet! It's going to be a ton of fun, and you don't want to miss it ;).
   Happy Silmarillion Awards 2017, everyone!

~ Savannah Grace

   I hope y'all had fun during the award presentation, my friends! Did any of you guess that the Mad Hatter would win?