Hi! My beta Mariana Nimeneth and I had this idea at lunch today. This first one comes from an idea that I came up with while writing my other story, We Never Know the Worth of Water. Again, thank you Eneth, beta.

Summary: Morals from middle-earth, and stories to go with them. Chapter one: "The Little Green Apple War" is up. NO SLASH.

And so, with out further ado...(drumroll)


Aesop's Fables From Middle–Earth

The Little Green Apple War


"Now, Elladan, I don't want you pushing Elrohir out of trees again, do you understand?" Elrond lectured is son, but the effect was spoiled by the not-quite-suppressed grin.

"Yes, dear brother, my shoulder is STILL sore," Elrohir drawled.

Aragorn started to get impatient. "Can we GO now? Or is Ada planning to lecture us some more about pushing people out of trees?"

"I just don't want Elrohir coming home with a giant bruise again," Elrond replied.

"All right all right," Elladan muttered. "Let's go."

* * * * * *

"Looks like I win, little brother," Elrohir called back to Aragorn. "Again. There's the finish."

Suddenly, Aragorn's horse put on a burst of speed, passing Elrohir and almost knocking the elf off his horse. "Ha, I won," declared the human triumphantly.

There was a burst of quickly stifled giggles from the tree to their right. Winking at Aragorn, Elrohir scooped up one of the unripe apples on the forest floor. He hurled it right into the midst of the branches. There was a muffled "Ow!" and Elladan fell out of the tree, landing flat on his back with several twigs in his hair. "Owch," he groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Elrohir..." Slowly he stood up, facing away from his brothers to protect his forehead.

An apple hit him in the back of the head. Picking up two apples, Elladan turned and threw one at Elrohir, who was indignant. "I didn't throw that last apple, that was Estel! Don't throw them at me!"

"Elrohir, you liar, You threw it. There aren't even any apples near me," Aragorn replied, kicking a few nearby apples into the undergrowth.

"Elladan, Estel threw it..."

"My aim isn't that good."

"You're right. You were probably aiming for the tree."

"I didn't throw it! Elladan, Elrohir threw it, I swear!"

"Estel threw it, *I* swear.

Elladan, still holding his second apple, looked from one to the other and shook his head, bewildered. Before Elladan could react, Elrohir had an little green apple in hand and had hit Elladan it the exact place on his forehead the other had hit. Estel took the hint and scooped up his own apples.

"Hey that's not fair!" Elladan cried. "I..." he never finished his sentence, because an apple hit him in the mouth and stuck on his teeth. He spat it out and went to grab his own apples.

Somehow, he managed to hit Elrohir once or twice, and Aragorn a few times, although hard little apples were raining down on him. He got several more knocks on the forehead, and as that seemed to be where they were aiming, he turned his back again to protect himself. About ten apples hit him in the back of the head, and he fell over.

"Oops," said Elrohir, looking at Aragorn. "I think we knocked him out."

* * * * * *

Elrond sighed as his three sons entered the house. "What have you done THIS time?"

"Nothing, Ada..." Elrohir began, but the older elf cut him off.

"Elladan, WHY do you have an apple-shaped bruise on your forehead?"

The Moral: 1) Never turn your back on your younger brothers. 2) Never pick a fight when there are little green apples around.