A different draft is also existing about the story of the finding of the ring. Tolkiens first idea was that, after the One Ring was lost in the Anduin, it was eaten by a huge fish. That fish swam upstream until it casts himself on a bank, spat out the ring and died. On that bank the One Ring was found by Dígol (became later Sméagol).

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The names of the main characters were often changed. So it came that Frodo was first called Bingo, and his companions were Odo, Frodo and Marmaduke (Meriadoc). Also Farmer Maggot first had another name. He was first called Puddifoot.

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In the first drafts of the Lord of the Rings Bingo (Frodo) was able to use the ring more easily. He already disappeared while using it, but the relationship between the Ringwraith and the One Ring was not clear. Bingo used the Ring quite often, for example to hide for the Black Riders.

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When Bingo, Odo and Frodo first reached Farmer Maggot's farm Tolkien's first idea was that Bingo would put on the Ring to hide. While Odo and Frodo would go into Farmer Maggot's farm, Bingo was supposed to stay outside.

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In later drafts, Farmer Maggot was meant to be a creature similar to Tom Bombadil and not a Hobbit.

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The Prancing Pony was first called "White Horse", the inn kepper's first name was Timothy Titus. In the inn, the Hobbits introduce themselves by using the names : Mr. Hill, Mr. Rivers, Mr. Green and Mr. Brown.

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Strider was first meant to be a Hobbit, called Trotter. In one of his drafts Tolkien described him like that :

"Suddenly Bingo noticed that a queer-looking, brown-faced Hobbit, sitting in the shadows behind the others, was also listening intently. He has an enormous mug (more like a jug) in front of him and was smoking a broken-stemmed pipe right under his rather long nose. He was dressed in dark rough brown cloth, and he had a hood on, in spite of the warmth, - and, very remarkably, he had wooden shoes! Bingo could see them sticking out under the table in front of him."

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Actually in the first drafts, the conception of Bree was a different one. While in the later book Men and Hobbits are both living in Bree, in the first drafts Bree was full of Hobbits only.

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In the first drafts, it is Trotter who gives Bingo the letter of Gandalf in the Prancing Pony and not the inn-keeper. In that letter Gandalf told Bingo that Trotter is a friend of him and that they should amke out for the Weathertop as he will be camping there. The poem about Trotter is still missing in these early drafts.

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The Hobbits leave Bree with Trotter to meet Gandalf at the Weathertop. Arriving there they don't only find the rune of Gandalf like it happens to be in the published book, but they find a more detailed note from Gandalf :

"Waited three days. Must go. What has happened to you. Push on for the Ford beyond Troll-shaw, as fast as you can. Help will come there from Rivendell, as soon as I can manage it. Be watchfull. G."

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At the Weathertop Gandalf was first meant to leave some food and fire wood behind which the hobbits and Trotter (Strider) should find under some stones. In the final book all this was left by Rangers.

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In one draft, the Trolls turned into stone which the Hobbits and Strider meet on their way to Rivendell are called William and Bert. These names were also used in the Hobbit bur were exculded in the Fellowship of the Ring.

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On their way to Rivendell Trotter finds a stone marked with "G" and "B". This stone once marked the place where Gandalf and Bilbo hid the Troll's gold. In that draft Bingo (Frodo) had spent all the treasure before.

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In an earlier draft Gandalf had reached Rivendell much earlier and sent out Glorfindel to look for Trotter and the Hobbits.

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Trotter had two elvish names : Padathir and Rimbedir.

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The island Númenor was first meant to be called Avallon. For all those who don't know : Avalon was an island in the legend about King Artus which could only be reached over a hidden path and only with the help of a priestress from Avalon.

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Only slowly the idea arose that there should be more than one ring. Tolkien thought of making the Elves to have some rings, but his idea was first that they would become Elve-wraith, that couldn't be ruled by Sauron. Tolkien also thought of rings for the dwarfes but his first intention was that nothing could make dwarfes become invisble.

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Tolkien invented different versions of the poem about the Rings of Power. Here are two of them :

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After he had written many chapters of the story from Hobbiton to Rivendell, Tolkien developed a completely different draft and told that part of the story again. Based on this draft he went on telling the story, that's why we give here a small description of that draft.

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Trotter should turn out to be Peregrin Boffin who was also a nephew of Bilbo and who had been to Mordor. He had followed Gollum to Mordor but was himself caught. He was tortured there and that seems to be the reason why he wears wooden shoes. He was saved by Gandalf.

The members of the Fellowship changed in the different drafts. Tolkien's first idea was that Frodo, Gandalf, Trotter, Sam, Odo, Folco, Merry, Glorfindel and Frár (later called Burin, finally turned into Gimli) should join.

Later the Fellowship was built by Gandalf, Trotter, Frodo, Sam, Merry, Faramond (an elf) and Boromir.

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Tolkien now wrote the story as far as the Fellowship enters the Mines of Moria without many differences to the final story. Then he wrote the following sketch :