Disclaimer: I own nothing.
I was pondering the bearded dwarf women recently and this is what resulted. If you want, the young dwarf can be Gimli, although I wasn't really thinking that when I wrote this piece. Comments welcome!
A Cultural Exchange 3/18/2013
"How come you cutted it all off?"
"Excuse me?"
The dwarf child looked up at me, his head tilted in innocent confusion. Across the room, my boyfriend winced. It was my first visit to the Kingdom Under the Mountain, and although I had spent several years studying dwarven culture, there's always something that no amount of reading can prepare you for.
"Your beard." The child pointed to my chin. "How come you got rid of it?"
Our guide, the boy's father, was frantically moving to intercept. I motioned to him that it was alright.
"I didn't get rid of my beard. I don't have one."
"You don't?"
"No. I'm from the race of Men."
"And Mens don't have beards?"
I shook my head. "Mannish women don't."
"Really?" The boy considered me with wide eyes. Clearly I was the most unfortunate person he'd ever met. "Can't you get one?"
"I don't want one. It wouldn't look good on me."
The child thought about this for a moment before replying. "Can I feel?"
"Sure." I bent down. Earnestly, the child reached out a chubby hand and felt my chin and jaw. After a moment he giggled.
"It feels like a peach."
I laughed. My boyfriend and our guide breathed sighs of relief. Satisfied, my new friend scampered back to his father, and we continued our tour.