And in that very moment, away behind in some courtyard of the city, a cock crowed. Shrill and clear he crowed, recking nothing of war nor of wizardry, welcoming only the morning that in the sky far above the shadows of death was coming with the dawn. And as if in answer there came from far away another note. Horns, horns, horns, in dark Mindolluin's sides they dimly echoed. Great horns of the north wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last.”
Also, the story of Creation in the Ainulindale, the first story in the published Silmarillion, is just gorgeous.
This passage is the best
“I sit beside the fire and think
of people long ago
and people who will see a world
that I shall never know.”
The whole poem...
“I sit beside the fire and think
of all that I have seen
of meadow-flowers and butterflies
in summers that have been;
Of yellow leaves and gossamer
in autumns that there were,
with morning mist and silver sun
and wind upon my hair.
I sit beside the fire and think
of how the world will be
when winter comes without a spring
that I shall ever see.
For still there are so many things
that I have never seen:
in every wood in every spring
there is a different green.
I sit beside the fire and think
of people long ago
and people who will see a world
that I shall never know.
But all the while I sit and think
of times there were before,
I listen for returning feet
and voices at the door.”
My favorite part of the book is during the battle of Pelennor fields, the army of Rohan slips through the broken walls.
Great evil is about to sack the city and help is sneaking in the back door and about to spring a surprise on the bad guys.