I don’t see that anyone has posted a solution to this one yet:
In a forest lived he
as hearty as the proverbial tree
during the struggle he helped as he could
but in the end, he did as he would
Anybody got anything? Per the old messages I could find the following have all been tried:
Fangorn
Quickbeam
Radagast
Legolas
Thranduil
Tom Bombadil
Celeborn
Old Man Willow
Ghan-buri-Ghan
Beorn
Well, before I even put on my thinking cap, you could try some of Tom Bombadil’s other names that Elrond mentions. As I recall: Orald, Iarwain Ben-Adar and Forn. Though it doesn’t seem quite cricket for those to be the correct answer, since there’s no hint of using the Elve’s name for him or the Dwarves…
Treebeard as someone suggested might also be a good bet, the part about “in the end…” referring to him releasing Saruman. If you take that last line seriously, then it would rule out Bombadil since he doesn’t even figure “in the end” of the struggle
One thing to do also is to go back to all the turns you put in answers, and double-check that you made no typo and really put in the answer you intended.
My last thought is, perhaps it refers to an earlier struggle? Have to go back and re-read the War of Wrath or some of the other conflicts to see if anyone seems to jump out.
Jeremy
In spain the name is : “Zarcillo” in English is: Leaflock
I’m not really very good at riddles but I don’t think any of the Ents could be described as hearty. Just a thought, it might be Cirdan.
I would try Treebeard for the reasons expressed by others.
I tried Treebeard and it was not correct.
Treebeard seems to me to be the only answer the addresses the line “in the end he did as he would” which I would have said refers to releasing Saruman. But I guess not.
I can’t see this referring to Tom Bombadil, there’s nothing that relates to the last time.
Jeremy
“Skinbark lived on the mountain-slopes west of Isengard. That is where the worst trouble has been. He was wounded by the Orcs, and many of his folk and his tree-herds have been murdered and destroyed. He has gone up into the high places, among the birches that he loves best, and he will not come down.”
Try Skinbark, it seems like I remember answering this one before but I can’t remember when and to whom.