"Mother, Father! Mister Gandalf is taking me on an adventure!" Bilbo crowed as he flew in through the door, making the carpet slide and knocking over the vase on the little table Belladonna was dusting. Belladonna caught the vase just in time and the only thing that crashed to the ground was the book Bungo had been reading on the sofa before his son startled him.

"Is he now?" Belladonna asked, trying to hide her grin. "Where is this adventure going to lead you?"

"Down the Hill, past Widow Brownlock's garden and the mill, across the water, miles and leagues down the road, over the big mountains, across rivers and the sea and over more, even bigger mountains to Ha… Hardard in the South and then to the Eastwest like on your maps and all the way to Bywater Forest! He's going to teach me how to climb a tree!"

"Is that so?" She asked, looking up at Gandalf who had followed Bilbo into the room after a brief tussle with the chandelier. He smiled and nodded.

"Yes, he says he knows the perfect climbing tree! It's a big alder and its branches are easy to reach." Bilbo paused and wrinkled his brow as if he had remembered something. "But he says I must ask you first. May I go please?"

Belladonna exchanged a glance with Bungo. "Alright. But make sure you are back in time for tea. Aunt Donnamira is coming over with little Jago and I don't want you to miss their visit." She gave Gandalf a sharp look. "And none of that 'a wizard is always on time' nonsense. It might apply out in the wild, but here, we have clocks." She jerked her head in the direction of the clock on the mantelpiece.

Gandalf nodded. "We'll be on time. I wouldn't want to miss your rhubarb pie."

"And be careful, Bilbo," Bungo added. "I don't want you breaking any bones. Remember how miserable your cousin Adalgrim was when he got too daring while showing off cartwheels at your Grandfather's birthday last year?"

Bilbo nodded and chewed on his bottom lip, suddenly rather less keen on this adventure.

"Oh, don't give me that face," Bungo said, realising Bilbo was taking his warning to heart more than he had meant him to. "You'll be fine if you are careful and I'm sure it will be lots of fun. Maybe I can help you write down your adventure when you come back, alright?"

Bilbo nodded eagerly, his apprehension quickly fading. "I'll do the drawings!"

"Good. Well then that's settled. Have fun!"

Bungo ruffled Bilbo's hair, Belladonna gave Bilbo a hug and then Bilbo skipped out of the room at Gandalf's side, waving back at them.

"Well, that's an adventure even I might even have enjoyed when I was younger," Bungo chuckled.

"Don't be silly," Belladonna laughed. "You were even afraid of crossing the log over the Water because it was too high for your taste."

"True enough," Bungo admitted, laughing as well. "But I do like the things Gandalf sells as adventures nowadays."