Shannon Erickson has a David and Goliath-type tale to share, inspired by a Google search. Erickson, who owns three local preschools — Hobbit Hill, Hobbit Hill Too and Hobbit Hill Cottage — is the “little guy” in this story. The big guy? The J.R.R. Tolkien Foundation of California. And in this version, the giant wins the battle. It all started about nine months ago, when Erickson was contacted by legal representatives of the late author, renowned for his books such as “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings” series. They claimed that Tolkien invented the word “hobbit,” and that Erickson, tracked down via the popular Internet search engine, was illegally using the term for her businesses. Preschool owner learns origin of ‘hobbit’ is big deal