Growing Up Hobbit
Summary – A look into the childhoods of Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin.
Farmer Maggot's Daughter
A fact of living on the edges of the Shire was that no more than five meters late, one would have entered the wilds of Arda outside the peaceful and nature loving land. The Maggot's farm was on such an edge, to one side surrounded by forest holding any sort of evil, while the other side was grown of vegetables, wheat, barley and other crops. The mushrooms were especially guarded, seeing as how the young Hobbit lads liked to steal what they could from the Maggot family.
Taurwen was hoeing a row of carrots when the rustling behind her made her stop in fascination. Her brown skirts were hitched up around her waist to keep off the mud. She had gone barefoot though and was careful to not slip as she turned around. The mutterings of two beings made her smile. Apparently, when father was around they ran scared, but when it was her…she shrugged. There was nothing for it.
"Merry! Pippin! What do you think your doing?" she asked gravely. The Hobbit lads in question turned from their crouched positions and blinked up at her.
"Oh, 'ello Terry!" Pippin jumped up, at ten years old he was a scamp, but a lovely one at that.
"Is that all you can say? You are stealing Father's mushrooms, again," Taurwen pointed out.
"They look so delicious though!" Merry, the older of the two at fifteen and of which should have known better, jumped to the defense.
"I shall tell you what, if you help me muck out the stables, I may repay you some mushrooms," Taurwen smiled. With her Mother and Father to Bree because of the baby and the fact that Bree actually had a good Physician, Taurwen was left on the farm to do all the chores. It got tiring and having discovered two lads who would love some food. Well, a bit of a bribe never hurt anyone. She decided.
"All right, we'll do it!" Merry jumped at the offer. Taurwen laughed and she showed them the barn. Somehow, her father had Hobbit sized shovels and buckets. He would hire some Hobbits for the hard gathering of the crops and he needed such tools for them to use. Taurwen handed one shovel and bucket to each lad. She grabbed some human sized for her self and they set off to work. Here, she wore her father's barn boots; Seeing as how one could usually step in something.
"I think I've stepped in something, nasty!" Pippin cried out in surprise.
"It's all right, Pip, it'll wash right off," Taurwen laughed. Pippin still didn't like the ooze but he held his breathe and got down to work.
Thankfully, it did not take as long as it usually had, with the three of them, Merry and her self taking most of the work, but Pippin was no stranger to the mucking of stalls. Taurwen climbed into the loft and dropped hay into the stalls below. Once the mules and other animals had been fed the three trumped out to the well to wash; pans had been lain out for such an occasion and all feet, hands and faces in the cold, crisp water.
Taurwen then showed her little friends inside the house. Thankfully, she had started some hearty meat and potato stew that morning with bread and an apple pie. They all had huge servings off all and it was only after their lunch had been cleaned up and coffee poured that Taurwen went out to the garden with a huge basket and fill it entirely with mushrooms.
She even added a jar of jam and the left over bread from their lunch.
"Thank you Terry!" Pippin cried when he saw the peach jam.
"No problem, you did help me out after all," she smiled at the two.
"May we help again? That was fun!" Pippin jumped up and down like a goose on fire.
"I don't see why not, it will be another couple of weeks before Mum and Papa arrive home," Taurwen shrugged.
"We'll be back!" Merry promised. Taurwen nodded. She hugged each lad and walked with them down the country road. She said a fine fair well to them when they reached the bridge crossing.
"Don't let Pip fall in!" she admonished Merry before turning and entering a sprint along the long two miles back home.
Merry and Pippin watched her go; "I like her," Pippin said in confidence.
"Yes, Farmer Maggot's Daughter is quite a treasure," Merry smiled hazily.
"Do you have a crush on her!?" Pippin asked in alarm.
"NO!"
"Good, she is so much older. It would never work!" Pippin crossed his arms. Merry laughed, no, he had to admit, it never would work. But, he still had a crush on Taurwen Maggot.
_ _ _
a/n – Just a little thing. I wanted to see what I could do with the unknown family of the Maggot's and this is what I got. Professor Know It All helped me with it too. She gave me the name for Taurwen. "Taur" means Forest and "wen" means "Lady".
That last line was a bit of a play on Prince Caspian and POTC. THe whole "It would never work between us" thing. I thought it was cute.