Initially entitled The Great Cake, J.R.R. Tolkien's novella Smith of Wootton Major is one of his shorter tales but one that still carries great import for the understanding of his philosophy. Originally intended to be a preface to George MacDonald's fairy-story "The Golden Key" (the fairy tale that inspired C.S. Lewis's similar imaginative writings), the story kept growing until it became a standalone novella. First published on November 9, 1967, the story has been reprinted in many compendiums, notably Redbook Magazine and Tolkien's collection Tales from the Perilous Realm.
Like Leaf by Niggle, Smith of Wootton Major is a short piece of fiction that highlights a particular point in Tolkien's theological philosophy: in this case, his idea of "Faerie," an essential concept when dealing with Tolkien's fantasy that attempts to describe the otherworldly nature and beauty of secondary realities. This concept is more fully fleshed out in Tolkien's essay "On Fairy-Stories," but Smith of Wootton Major is a colorful embodiment of the qualities Tolkien writes about in the essay.
As Tolkien famously detested allegory, there is no obvious allegorical symbolism in the novella's plot. There have been, however, multiple attempts to read allegory into the story, attempts that aren't quite as far-fetched as they sound. Regardless, this beautiful piece of fiction has significant implications for the fantasy reader, as well as anyone seeking an analogous explanation of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty.
