Farmer Maggot

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Farmer Maggot is a Hobbit in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth universe. He is a farmer who lives in Bamfurlong in the Marish region of Eastfarthing in the Shire. Mushrooms grow abundantly on his land. Farmer Maggot often had to deal with Hobbits stealing his mushrooms. When Frodo Baggins was young he lived in Buckland near Farmer Maggot's farm and he once stole mushrooms and Farmer Maggot caught him and said "If I see you stealing mushrooms from my farm again my dogs will eat you." He then set his dogs on Frodo, chasing him all the way to the ferry. The incident so terrified Frodo that even thirty-some years later he quivered at the thought of crossing the old farmer's land.

Nevertheless, necessity forced Frodo, Sam, and Pippin (who was on good terms with Maggot) to cross through his fields. Maggot and his dogs Fang, Grip and Wolf met up with the trio, but Maggot had long set aside any grudge against Frodo. He invited the company to supper and then took them via wagon ride to the ferry to meet Merry—he even gave Frodo a parting gift of a whole basket full of mushrooms.

Maggot had insisted on escorting Frodo because a Black Rider had showed up on his land offering gold for news of Baggins. Maggot told him off and ordered him not to return. The Black Rider nearly ran him down for it- Maggot ordered his dogs on him, but they were terrified of the Rider.

Maggot was said to have three daughters and at least three sons, in addition to his wife (who is only identified as Mrs. Maggot). Through some unknown means, Maggot was acquainted with Tom Bombadil and informed him that Frodo and friends might be coming towards Bombadil's house through the Old Forest. Bombadil himself described Maggot as very wise.

In Peter Jackson's film adaptation of The Fellowship of the Ring, the shortcut through Maggot's field is extremely condensed and altered. In the movie, Frodo and Sam set out from Bag End alone and run into Merry and Pippin stealing food from Maggot's fields. Maggot himself is not seen, though his scythe is seen over the edge of the fields and he is heard shouting at the young Hobbits. According to Pippin, he and Merry had been lifting food from Maggot for some time.