Amateurs!
The character is based on a little toy figure from the Netherlands that one of his kids had. And he said in one of his letters that Tom is there to represent the spirit of the vanishing countryside.
You can find the published collection of JRRT's letters free online, easily enough. He was forever changing his mind about stuff, and writing new versions. Not like George Lucas though - once he'd published, he only ever made one change - to make The Hobbit line up with the plot of his sequel. No, he just grumbled about free will and Catholicism, and whether orcs had souls.
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Invisible Wizard - 9th Level Pissant, Thu 30 Jun 2022, 11:30,
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