Author's Note: This is a series of ten stories that were written back in 2003, before I ever started writing Harry Potter fanfiction. ElfFlame and I posted them under the name "Lembas Productions" and the plan was to have a whole series of Lord of the Rings stories, but she never finished any, and I switched over to Harry Potter after a while. I'm finally deleting them from Lembas Productions and putting them under my own name, since they are actually mine. This is a bit of a homecoming for them! I hope you enjoy them! They're all based on the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, and the start after Frodo moved out of Brandy Hall and in with Bilbo after being named his heir.

The Education of Master Samwise

1387 S.R.

Sam - 7

"You're coming with me to Mr. Bilbo's place today to learn how to garden, and that's final!" the Gaffer yelled at his son, Samwise. "You're seven years old and that's high time for you to start earning your keep around here!"

With a resigned sigh, Sam sat down to breakfast with his family and picked at his food until it was time to leave.

Sam trudged along the road, behind his father, towards Bag End. Bag End was the largest hole in Hobbiton and Sam was very nervous about having to work for Mr. Bilbo. He knew Mr. Bilbo was very rich and Sam was afraid of him because of the stories people told about him. They said he was crazy. Sam was afraid of crazy people.

At last Sam and the Gaffer reached Bag End. The Gaffer knocked on the door and waited for Bilbo to answer. When Bilbo answered the door, the Gaffer introduced him to Sam, explaining that he would be learning the family business and that he was here to help out. Bilbo shook Sam's hand and gave him a warm smile that made Sam feel more at ease.

Sam spent the next few months under the Gaffer's supervision, learning how to plant seeds, pull weeds, and water a garden properly. The Gaffer taught him many things about herb lore and the best time to plant certain flowers and vegetables. Sam loved working in the earth and helping to create life out of a tiny, dried seed. It thrilled him to no end when he saw the first shoots come out of the ground, from the seeds that he had planted.

One day when Bilbo and the Gaffer were sitting in the kitchen drawing out plans for new garden plots, Sam was exploring the main sitting room of Bag End. There was a large fireplace in the center of the back wall. On the table across from the fireplace were many papers. Sam looked at them until he came across one paper that had all sorts of strange shapes and letters on it. It was some type of drawing but he had no idea what it was of. He stared at it for several minutes, just wondering what it was. He was so enthralled that he did not hear Bilbo come into the room and stand next to him.

"That took many years to make," Bilbo said, startling Sam out of his enchantment. Surprised, Sam dropped the paper back on the desk and guiltily looked at the ground, wringing his hands together.

"Please, Mr. Bilbo, I'm sorry I touched your stuff, it just looked so interesting. Please don't tell my Gaffer, he'd tan my hide," begged Sam, his eyes filling with tears.

"Oh Sam, I'm not angry, you're not in trouble," Bilbo said, trying to comfort a very upset Sam. "Do you know what that was?" he asked.

Sam shook his head, sniffling.

"That was a map, of the Shire," explained Bilbo. He picked up the map and pointed to a part it. "This is Hobbiton, where we live. And all of this land on the map is where Hobbits live."

Sam's eyes grew wide, "Middle Earth sure is big, isn't it Mr. Bilbo?"

Bilbo laughed, "Why this is only a small part of Middle Earth, there are many more parts of this world that are even larger than the Shire. And there are different kinds of people who live there."

"What kinds of people?" asked Sam.

"There are Men and Dwarves and Elves. They all live in different parts of Middle Earth." Bilbo looked at Sam and saw two things: a boy with a thirst for knowledge, and perhaps, the first person who would truly believe the stories of his adventures. The other children in Hobbiton loved to listen to his stories, but saw them only as fairy tales. Bilbo liked the idea of having somebody to tell his stories to who wouldn't laugh at or dismiss them. He knew Sam would never laugh at him. "Sam, do you know how to read or write?"

"No, Mr. Bilbo, sir. My old Gaffer says that's a waste of time if you're going to spend you're life in a garden," replied Sam.

"What if I taught you how? Would you like that?" Bilbo asked.

Sam's eyes grew even wider at the idea of learning to read and write. "Oh yes sir, more than anything!"

"Very well, I'll talk to your father and see about giving you lessons."

That afternoon, Bilbo talked to the Gaffer and convinced him to let Sam learn to read and write. With much reluctance, the Gaffer agreed to let Sam have lessons two hours a day, and then it was back to the garden to help out.

Over the next few months, Bilbo taught Sam letters and numbers, and congratulated him the first time he spelled his own name. Sam was brimming with pride when he saw the letters he had written that made his name. It was a feeling he remembered for the rest of his life.

In between reading, writing, and doing sums, Bilbo told Sam many stories about his adventures. He told him about Elves, Dwarves, Men and Wizards. He showed Sam maps of different parts of Middle Earth and taught him many songs. Bilbo loved teaching these things to Sam, for Sam was very smart and an enthralled student.

The Gaffer on the other hand, was not so pleased. "The boy's too big for his britches, thinks he knows everything. He's never going to be a good gardener with all this useless nonsense filling up his mind," he complained to Bell, Sam's mother the day he showed them the map of Hobbiton he'd drawn. He'd never wanted this, but, Mr. Bilbo paid the bills and he had to keep him happy, so he'd agreed to it.

On September 22, Bilbo gave Sam his very first book as a birthday present. Bilbo loved giving gifts on his birthday and he knew Sam would treasure this one very much. It was filled with songs and stories of adventures. From then on, Sam's dreams at night were filled with beautiful images of elves, comical images of dwarves, and many other things he now knew existed in the world.

One day, Sam went into Bag End for his morning lesson to find Bilbo talking to a giant. The giant was very old, with gray hair and a long beard. He wore gray clothes and had a pointy hat and a gnarled wooden staff in his hand. Sam had never seen anybody so big before and was instantly terrified.

Bilbo looked over at Sam cowering in the corner and called out to him, "Sam, come here. I want you to meet someone. This is Gandalf, the one I've told you so many stories about. Gandalf, this is Samwise Gamgee, my part-time pupil and apprentice gardener."

Gandalf walked over to Sam and bent down until he could look him in the face. His eyes twinkled with kindness as he held out his hand. "Pleased to meet you, Samwise Gamgee. Bilbo tells me you're a fine student."

Bravely, Sam shook Gandalf's large hand. He couldn't believe it. A wizard! The very one from all of Bilbo's stories! "Mr. Bilbo's told me many things about you. He's a good teacher," Sam said politely. He knew Gandalf was very kind and wise, and yet capable of doing terrible things if he wished and it made Sam nervous.

Sam was allowed to sit at Bilbo and Gandalf's feet and listen to them reminisce over old times, instead of his lesson that day. He sat as still and silent as a stone. He knew it was rude to interrupt his betters with questions, so he didn't ask any, even though he had many for them.

As Sam tried to fall asleep that night, he remembered the events of that day. He wished to know what the world outside the Shire was like. He fell asleep while making plans to go off and see all of Middle Earth when he grew up.

The next morning, Sam skipped up to Bag End with a smile on his face, ready for another lesson from his teacher, Bilbo.