What is the title of Tolkien’s 1949 short story about a farmer and a dragon?

Farmer Giles of Ham is Tolkien’s 1949 short story about a farmer and a dragon.

The story follows Ægidius Ahenobarbus Julius Agricola de Ham, usually called Farmer Giles, whose accidental encounter with a giant leads him into an unexpected role as a defender of his community. A dragon later threatens the region, forcing Giles to rely on courage, luck, and a magical sword.

Tolkien wrote the work as a humorous medieval-style tale rather than as part of the history of Middle-earth. Its mock-heroic tone, wordplay, and comic treatment of reputation contrast with the grand seriousness of The Lord of the Rings.

The title’s “Ham” refers to the fictional kingdom of Middle England in the story. The book was illustrated by Pauline Diana Baynes, who also illustrated several other Tolkien-related works.