Chapter Three
I walked down the path from my hobbit hole to the washing area. I had started the water before first breakfast. Mother had yelled at me for being dirty at the table and sent me out. If she had let me wash up the night before I would have been dirty at breakfast. After my bath I had to wash my bed linings and clean the house.

I put my hand under the faucet. The fire had kept the water hot in the kettle. I added it to the cold tub. Sometimes I hated having the tub outside. If we didn't have four kids and have a room for each of us then the tub would be inside. The only advantage it had was the fact the tub was under a large tree and there was a sheet hanging from the branch.

I peeled off my sooty shirt and trousers and tossed them into the an empty, smaller tub. i quickly hopped into the larger, bathing tub. I wished I had added more water. I sunk under the water, letting it break through my meshed soot filled hair.

Suddenly a pebble flew into the water, landing on my stomach. I pushed herself out of the water to see Pippin leaning against the tree.

"Pippin!" I shrieked, bringing my knees to my chest to hid my body. "What the blazes are you doing?!"

"You disappeared after it went off,"

"I know. That was so I wouldn't have to do dishes,"

"If you came home then why are you bathing now?"

"Mum said it's my punishment. Once again, why are you back here, especially since I'm trying to bathe?"

"I told you. Just checkin' up," he tossed another stone in the water.

"Stop it!"

"Whiner,"

"Are you going to let me bathe or not?" I tapped my knee as I glared at him.

"Fine," he rolled his eyes. "See you after luncheon?"

"Yes," I sighed. He ducked behind the tree and was on his way.

I sunk back under the water. I was wondering how long he had been watching me.

***
"Did you find her?" Merry asked when Pippin came strolling down the lane to Merry's house.

Pippin nodded. "She was gettin' mad at me though."

"Why? Because we got her in trouble again?"

"No. I was disturbin' her bath or somethin',"

"Pippin!"

"What?"

"She's a girl! You just can't go around girls when they're bathing and are in the nip,"

"Its just Wisteria-"

"Pip..." Merry placed a hand on his younger cousin's shoulder. "I know that you're still just well...how to put this...you've haven't had much experience with women and...when a lass reaches a certain age..." Merry couldn't quite figure how to explain it. "Point is she's grown up. So things are gonna start to change." He released him and began walking away, towards Farmer Maggot's farm.

"But I don't want things to change!" he chased after Merry.