It's a comeback that would rival the Return of the King. A set of rare Lord of the Rings books that had gone missing from a hospice charity shop has mysteriously been returned just 10 days after its disappearance. It is now believed that the thief realized their mistake after the public called for the novels' return.
According to Daily Mail, St Richard's Hospice in Worcester, the UK had kept the rare collection in a locked cabinet before its disappearance in December. The three-volume set, which includes J.R.R. Tolkien's novels The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King had been on sale for £1,495 (approximately US$2,000).
The charity immediately noticed the theft and reported it to the police. The organization went public with the disappearance, admitting that the crime would ruin the hospice's plans to raise a large amount of cash for their charitable work for the holidays.
Amazingly, the thief may have learned the true value of the LOTR books and the purpose they would serve. Just 10 days after the novels disappeared, the shop workers were surprised to find that the collection had been returned without any damage.
The hospice's commercial director Dan Corns expressed his gratitude for the books' safe return and pointed out that the thief had a wonderful change of heart.
"Obviously someone has thought about it and through their conscience has decided perhaps they didn’t do the right thing," Corns said.
It's a truly happy ending for the hospice. The Lord of the Rings book set is expected to be sold to help fund the hospice's charity work.
In related news, the new Lord of the Rings TV show is expected to premiere on Amazon Prime later this year. The series is based on Tolkien's works but will not adapt the story of the Fellowship of the Ring.
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