TCG Letter #511

Tolkien writes on Christmas Day to Nancy Smith, who in the 1950s had prepared an index to the Lord of the Rings. He explains he had retrieved her letter among the turmoil of Christmas. Tolkien notes in this letter that January 8 will be the anniversary of his baptism. This is in fact incorrect. It is 31 January, as noted by Carpenter and Hammond & Scull (see references below).

Wayne Hammond and Christina note in their Chronology (see reference below) that Tolkien wrote to Nancy Smith saying he wrote a story of a "great green dragon" when he was approximately six years old yet in his letter to W.H. Auden of 7 June 1955 (Carpenter #163: Letter from J.R.R. Tolkien to W. H. Auden • 7 June 1955 (#476)) he says that he is "about seven". He also notes to Nancy Smith, and in a letter to Paula Coston (26 August 1965) that he wrote some verses about the dragon, and he says to W.H. Auden he had written a "story".

Part of this letter is included at the end of Carpenter #165: Letter from J.R.R. Tolkien to Houghton Mifflin Co. • 30 June 1955 (#478) from an article Tolkien on Tolkien in The Diplomat magazine in 1966. The original letter with a complete transcript is held at the Marquette archives.