You're a Lovely Sight to Behold Upon a Manifold
Chapter 1: Strange Pickings
Every year on February 14th, hobbits of the Shire held the tradition of Valentine Day. I believe it is just another excuse to hold parties and give gifts, but they like the tradition and it's usually celebrated by all.
On personal terms, the wife bakes a special tart for her husband. In return, the husband expressions love for his wife through song at a party or in the confines of their own hole.
The tweens and unchained hobbits do something very different. Hobbit lasses are the special ones on that day. Hobbit lads gather in small groups; picking a name of a hobbit lass he favors, writing it on a piece of paper, and picking from a jar. Whichever lass's name he receives, he must pay special attention to her the entire day and escort her to the local party. This venture isn't a romantic one - unless they choose it to be - but most marriages start this way.
Here is a look in the day of a hobbit tween on this very day:
Fatty Bolger dropped the last strip of folded paper into the small preserves jar. Pippin shook the jar for a few moments then set it back down on the table the six encircled. "You first, Cousin Frodo, since you are the oldest."
As usual, they went by age. "All right." Frodo stuck in his hand, and pulled out a strip. He opened it, breathing a sigh of relief "Wonderful! I received Daisy again."
"Why are you always excited when you get Daisy?" Folco Boffin asked. "She's you're cousin."
"That's the whole point, Folco" Pippin said, leaning beside him. "Nothing can come between the two. He choose to be alone all his life."
Frodo threw Pippin a friendly glare. "I have good reasons. Besides, how can I ever be alone when you dunders always show up on my doorstep."
Sam was next. He picked a name, and leaped for joy at the result. Frodo smiled. "You got Rosie, didn't you?" All Sam could do was nod and blush. He held the most favor for Rose Cotton out of all the maidens in Hobbiton and Bywater. He was glad she would be the lass he gave special attention to, because the year before Gatlin Crubbs laid it on thick to keep Rose's attention.
The next was Fatty's turn. "I want to wait to open mine. I'm afraid of who it will be."
"Oh, Fatty, you're always afraid of something" Merry remarked. It was his turn. He didn't want to admit it, but he was nervous of which girl he'd receive. There was only one he desired to have, and that one was Azalea Hood. She was a beautiful maiden - with fair beauty and voluptuous shape - who was rarely seen without a line of boy tweens following her. She usually warded them off by handing them food and telling them politely to 'go away'. "I think I'll wait as well" Merry added, gripping the strip tightly in his hand.
Folco's turn. He nodded in amusement. "I received who I wanted" was all he said. They knew who it was: Laurel Bracegirdle, a maiden he'd gotten last year and had become very fond of.
It was finally Pippin, the youngest of the group, to pick. He squalled with delight. "Dahlia, my darling, here I come!" He jumped up to leave.
"Hold on there, Pip" Merry said, grabbing hold of his cousin's coattail. "Wait until we all know who we have. Ready Fatty?" Fatty nodded, and they opened they're strips at the same time.
Fatty nearly fell off his chair and couldn't speak from shock of who he got. Sam did it for him, laughing in the process. "Azalea Hood. Begging your pardon, Fatty, but you have a very high price to pay with her."
At the same moment, Merry was blankly staring at his strip not believing who he had gotten. "Merry, who'd you get?" Pippin asked.
"Bitty Goodfellow" he answered with a slight grimace. If you knew of Bitty Goodfellow, you'd know why. She was rarely seen outside her hole or land around it, being shy to other folk. Her hair was dark and her eyes even darker, and she was one of the skinniest maidens in Hobbiton which made her less attractive to others. Now Merry had to waste his attention on her?
"Good luck even getting her to speak to you" Pippin remarked, slapping his cousin on the back.
Chapter 1: Strange Pickings
Every year on February 14th, hobbits of the Shire held the tradition of Valentine Day. I believe it is just another excuse to hold parties and give gifts, but they like the tradition and it's usually celebrated by all.
On personal terms, the wife bakes a special tart for her husband. In return, the husband expressions love for his wife through song at a party or in the confines of their own hole.
The tweens and unchained hobbits do something very different. Hobbit lasses are the special ones on that day. Hobbit lads gather in small groups; picking a name of a hobbit lass he favors, writing it on a piece of paper, and picking from a jar. Whichever lass's name he receives, he must pay special attention to her the entire day and escort her to the local party. This venture isn't a romantic one - unless they choose it to be - but most marriages start this way.
Here is a look in the day of a hobbit tween on this very day:
Fatty Bolger dropped the last strip of folded paper into the small preserves jar. Pippin shook the jar for a few moments then set it back down on the table the six encircled. "You first, Cousin Frodo, since you are the oldest."
As usual, they went by age. "All right." Frodo stuck in his hand, and pulled out a strip. He opened it, breathing a sigh of relief "Wonderful! I received Daisy again."
"Why are you always excited when you get Daisy?" Folco Boffin asked. "She's you're cousin."
"That's the whole point, Folco" Pippin said, leaning beside him. "Nothing can come between the two. He choose to be alone all his life."
Frodo threw Pippin a friendly glare. "I have good reasons. Besides, how can I ever be alone when you dunders always show up on my doorstep."
Sam was next. He picked a name, and leaped for joy at the result. Frodo smiled. "You got Rosie, didn't you?" All Sam could do was nod and blush. He held the most favor for Rose Cotton out of all the maidens in Hobbiton and Bywater. He was glad she would be the lass he gave special attention to, because the year before Gatlin Crubbs laid it on thick to keep Rose's attention.
The next was Fatty's turn. "I want to wait to open mine. I'm afraid of who it will be."
"Oh, Fatty, you're always afraid of something" Merry remarked. It was his turn. He didn't want to admit it, but he was nervous of which girl he'd receive. There was only one he desired to have, and that one was Azalea Hood. She was a beautiful maiden - with fair beauty and voluptuous shape - who was rarely seen without a line of boy tweens following her. She usually warded them off by handing them food and telling them politely to 'go away'. "I think I'll wait as well" Merry added, gripping the strip tightly in his hand.
Folco's turn. He nodded in amusement. "I received who I wanted" was all he said. They knew who it was: Laurel Bracegirdle, a maiden he'd gotten last year and had become very fond of.
It was finally Pippin, the youngest of the group, to pick. He squalled with delight. "Dahlia, my darling, here I come!" He jumped up to leave.
"Hold on there, Pip" Merry said, grabbing hold of his cousin's coattail. "Wait until we all know who we have. Ready Fatty?" Fatty nodded, and they opened they're strips at the same time.
Fatty nearly fell off his chair and couldn't speak from shock of who he got. Sam did it for him, laughing in the process. "Azalea Hood. Begging your pardon, Fatty, but you have a very high price to pay with her."
At the same moment, Merry was blankly staring at his strip not believing who he had gotten. "Merry, who'd you get?" Pippin asked.
"Bitty Goodfellow" he answered with a slight grimace. If you knew of Bitty Goodfellow, you'd know why. She was rarely seen outside her hole or land around it, being shy to other folk. Her hair was dark and her eyes even darker, and she was one of the skinniest maidens in Hobbiton which made her less attractive to others. Now Merry had to waste his attention on her?
"Good luck even getting her to speak to you" Pippin remarked, slapping his cousin on the back.