Welcome to Aulë

"I offer to thee these things, the work of the hands which thou hast made. Do with them what thou wilt. But should I not rather destroy the work of my presumption?"

Then Aulë took up a great hammer to smite the Dwarves; and he wept. But Ilúvatar had compassion upon Aulë and his desire, because of his humility; and the Dwarves shrank from the hammer and were afraid, and they bowed down their heads and begged for mercy. And the voice of Ilúvatar said to Aulë "Thy offer I accepted even as it was made. Dost thou not see that these thing have now a life of their own, and speak with their own voices? Else they would not have flinched from thy blow, nor from any command of thy will."

Then Aulë cast down his hammer and was glad, and he gave thanks to Ilúvatar, saying "May Eru bless my work and amend it!" But Ilúvatar spoke again and said: "Even as I gave being to the thoughts of the Ainur at the beginning of the World, so now I have taken up thy desire and given to it a place therein; but in no other way will I amend thy handiwork, and as thou hast made it, so shall it be."