I'm a bit puzzled by this fairy tale. It doesn't seem to have much purpose to it, the story-arc is simple, and yet, there seems to be more to this story than meets the eye. It is the last story Tolkien wrote, and according to him, it was not written for children. Is it an allegory? Is it autobiographical? Does the passing down of the 'star' that gives access to the faerie world evoke Tolkien passing on the gift of fantasy to the generation that will follow in his footsteps? A lot to think about..