If you saw the movie, The Lord of the Rings, you may recall the crazy magical guy that lived in the woods, drove a cart pulled by a rabbit, and was a little looney. That was Tom Bombadil. The hobbits learn that Tom not only understands the woods and has befriended it, but that he is very, very, old. He remembers when the firsts of the firsts arrived. He gives the hobbits some background about Sauron and the ring.
