Gandalf Visits Hobbiton
Disclaimer: See Chapter One
Frodo and Sam were sitting on Frodo's bed looking at the stars through a round window that dotted the skies. Frodo began to trace the stars with his fingers trying to draw a picture of a pony with it.
"What are you drawing Mr. Frodo?"
"A pony," Frodo answered.
"This is his ear," Frodo said while tracing three stars that made a triangle. "This is his back," he said while he traced a horizontal group of stars. "This is his underside," he said while tracing a line of stars below it. "And this is his tail," said Frodo while tracing a few stars that seemed to go downward.
"That's very good Mr. Frodo. Can I have my turn now?"
Frodo nodded his head.
Sam looked at the stars for a few minutes until he saw something that he liked to draw.
"I'm drawing a wheel barrow, Mr. Frodo," said Sam while he traced a square with handles.
"You are very good at this game, Sam," said Frodo.
"I play this game with my sisters and brothers a lot. It is one of my favorite games."
Frodo and Sam continued to play for a half hour drawing pictures by tracing stars. They drew a cat, a mountain, a cup, a crown, a bird, and a scone. As the game went on it was getting harder for them to draw pictures.
"It's your turn, Sam," said Frodo.
Sam looked at the stars for a while trying to find another picture to draw, but he was having a hard time finding something new to draw. Soon he gave up.
"I can't find anything else to draw."
"Let me try," said Frodo.
Frodo studied the stars to see if he can draw another picture but no matter what stars he looked at he was unable to draw another picture.
"I can't either," said Frodo. "I guess the game is over today."
Sam was beginning to show signs of fatigue by yawning and by having some bags under his eyes.
"Can we do some coloring?" Sam asked. "I like coloring pictures. Marigold and I do it all the time."
"Why don't we do that tomorrow, Sam? It is getting late and your parents would not approve of me having you stay up too late, and you look tired."
Sam climbed in the bed and Frodo climbed in next to him and pulled the blanket up to cover them.
"I had a lot of fun today, Mr. Frodo," Sam said quietly barely able to keep his eyes open.
"So did I," said Frodo.
"Goodnight, Mr. Frodo," said Sam while closing his eyes.
"Goodnight Sam."
Meanwhile Bilbo and Gandalf were sitting on couches watching stars and drinking tea.
"I love watching the stars," Bilbo said before he sipped some tea. "It is so peaceful."
"Watching the stars is so peaceful, and so is visiting the shire. I like the simple life the hobbits lead here. It is so peaceful and quiet, and it is refreshing from all the noise, constant activities, and the dangers I find in other parts of this world. The only other places I find peaceful is Rivendell, Lothlorien, and Tom Bombadil's house. I also missed you, Frodo and the others."
Gandalf drank some tea.
"We missed you too. Frodo and Sam were looking forward to seeing you again. They really enjoy your company," Said Bilbo. Bilbo took another sip of his tea.
"And my fireworks," Gandalf laughed. "I'm going to do some magic tomorrow for the hobbit children and tell them a story."
"Sam loves listening to stories especially about elves. How is Elrond?"
"He is doing great. Of course he is troubled about Mordor than he always is. He misses his Celebrian very much, but he still has his sons and daughter whom he loves very much."
Gandalf and Bilbo continued to watch the stars and conversing with each other. They were really enjoying each other's company.
The next day Frodo was walking down the paths to the market place to buy food to fill the larders of Bagend. Sam received Permission from his father to accompany Frodo after he finished helping his father with the gardening. The birds filled the air with their beautiful music which delighted both of the hobbits. They passed by two hobbit ladies who were picking ripped blue berries off the bush in front of their hole. The hobbit ladies and Frodo and Sam nodded their heads towards each other in greeting. They passed by another hole were the daffodils and the blue bells were blooming and next door was a hobbit man trimming the hedge. A few holes down there a hobbit girl feeding chickens. She gave a polite greeting to the two hobbits while they were passing by. Sam waved to Lilac, but Frodo just looked at her with bright eyes for a few seconds before he returned the greetings. Lilac had curly brown hair and chestnut colored eyes. She was wearing a red calico dress and an apron. It was one of her work dresses. Lilac was plain looking but to Frodo she was the most beautiful girl Frodo had ever seen.
Sam noticed that look.
"You're in love with her aren't you Mr. Frodo?"
"Shush," said Frodo.
"How's your uncle?"
"He's doing fine. How are your parents and siblings?"
"They are doing great my oldest sister is going to marry Holbert."
"That is great," said Frodo happy for her sister. "We have to go now. We are buying groceries for my uncle."
"Tell your uncle I said hello," Lilac called to them.
"I will," Frodo answered her.
Frodo and Sam began to walk again towards the market.
"How did you know that I have a crush on her," Frodo asked Sam.
"You were looking at her the same way that my gaffer looks at my mama."
"You are intelligent for a young child, Sam," said Frodo.
Sam blushed at the compliment.
"You are the first one to tell me that, Mr. Frodo."
They continued to walk for about 20 minutes until they came to the Proudfoots' hole. Rows of Tomatoes that were growing in front of the hole to the left were ripped and ready to be plucked off the vines. On the other side was a pink rose bush. Sam walked to the rose bush and began to sniff it.
"I love roses, Mr. Frodo," said Sam. "They smell so sweet."
At that moment the door to the Proudfoots' hole opened and a big shaggy dog came lumbering down the path and greeting the hobbits by licking their faces. His tail was waving from side to side indicating that he was happy to see them.
"That tickles," Sam said while he was laughing.
Mr. Proudfoot came outside and walked towards his dog.
"Bear! Here Bear!"
Bear came running to his master and stood up on his hind legs to greet his master. Mr. Proudfoot was scratching behind his ears which made the dog happy.
"You naughty dog, what am I going to do with you," he said, good naturedly.
"I'm sorry about my dog, Mr. Frodo. He's always excited to see people."
"Get inside Bear," he ordered his dog.
Bear obeyed his master and went inside the house again.
"That's alright," said Frodo. "He seems to be a very friendly dog."
"How's your uncle?"
"He's doing fine. We're going to the market to buy some groceries for him. He wants to make roast chicken with potatoes and boiled carrots for dinner. We are also going to make some cookies to eat after dinner."
"I here that Gandalf is also staying in your hole during his visit," said Proudfoot.
"Yes, he is and we are enjoying his company."
"Mr. Gandalf made great fireworks last night," said Sam.
"He always makes spectacular fireworks. I was there last night and I really enjoyed them, Sam," said Proudfoot.
"It was good seeing you Mr. Proudfoot we have to get going to the market."
"It was good to see both of you as well. Give your uncle my greetings for me."
"I will," said Frodo. "And give your family my greetings as well."
"Bye Mr. Proudfoot," said Sam.
They resumed their trip to the market. They walked for about another five minutes passing by more hobbit holes and hobbits. They soon came to a pig pen where two of the pigs were wallowing in the mud and next door was a tween leading his sheep out of the pen to pasture. They nodded their heads in greeting. They passed by another hole. This one was filled with sunflowers in front of it. Sam walked over to the sunflowers and bent over to take a good look at them.
"I love sun flowers," said Sam. "They are prettier than marigolds."
"Yes, they are," said Frodo. "They are almost as bright as the sun."
They passed by a few more hobbit holes before they entered the market square. The market square was teaming with many hobbits going to different shops and carrying bags of groceries and other items like gardening tools, paint cans, and homemade rugs. There were also lots of vendors outside selling different things. One side there was a man hobbit selling his wares, and on the other side was a lady hobbit selling gardening tools. Straight ahead of them were a hobbit man and lady selling bushels of bright red and green apples and next to them was a hobbit lady selling watermelon. Next to her was a grocery store and Frodo and Sam walked to the store.
"Now we need some eggs, sugar, jam, honey, flour, nuts, biscuits, carrots, apple and grape juice, and some tea bags. Help me find them Sam."
Sam and Frodo walked around on different shelves picking up different things until they got everything that Frodo's uncle asked them to buy. Then they went to the cashier and paid for the groceries. Frodo picked up the large bag while Sam picked up the small bag.
"Thank you for helping me, Sam," said Frodo.
"You're welcome," said Sam. "I like doing things for you."
Frodo smiled at Sam's words.
Such care for somebody so young Frodo thought. Some of the adults can learn from him
"Can we do some coloring when we get back?" Sam asked.
"Yes we will," Frodo answered.
When they were halfway back to bagend they encountered Lotho.
"Well, well, well, look who is here: the Brandybuck and his useless servant carrying groceries." Lotho said mockingly.
Sam put his bag down and started towards him ready to tell him off, but Frodo put a hand in front of him to stop him.
"Don't Sam," Frodo said quietly. "Just ignore him, maybe he will go away."
Sam picked up his bag again.
"Your little servant is braver than you are," said Lotho. "This little thing is not a coward like you."
Frodo said nothing, and began to walk away with Sam but Lotho followed them.
"Hey how's your uncle the cracked hobbit? Only cracked hobbits would let a wizard inside his hobbit hole. He lost his hobbit sense a long ago."
Frodo continued to ignore him he knew that Lotho was goading him on to fight him, and he would not let Lotho's words get to him.
"He should never have returned from the shire," said Lotho getting really mean. "The shire is better off without him stirring it up with his talks of adventures from the wilds."
Frodo stopped walking for a moment and looked at Lotho. He wanted to punch him because he did not like anyone insulting his uncle, but he kept control of himself.
When Lotho saw that Frodo was ignoring him, he pushed him angrily knocking down his bag of groceries which spilled out on the path. Luckily no eggs were broken because Sam was carrying them.
"Don't you know when you are being insulted or are you just too cowardly to fight me," said Lotho challenging him.
"Leave him alone," Sam said angrily putting up his fists ready to fight Lotho.
He pushed Frodo again. "Come on fight me," he said.
At that moment Gandalf came.
"Causing trouble I see," said Gandalf to Lotho.
Gandalf raised his staff as if to turn Lotho into a small fury animal. Lotho immediately took off running as fast as he could.
"Look who the real coward is," Frodo said quietly to Sam as they were watching Lotho fleeing.
"Thank you Gandalf," said Frodo.
"You're welcome my boy."
"You always show up at the right time."
"I always seemed too."
"Don't let him get to you, Frodo."
"I don't," said Frodo."
"Sam here is very brave," said Frodo. "He wanted to fight Lotho."
"You are brave, Sam," said Gandalf. "But Lotho is more than twice your size and it would be unwise to try and fight him."
"I didn't want him to hurt Mr. Frodo," said Sam who bent down and began to pick up the food that spilled out of the bag.
Gandalf and Frodo also bent down and helped Sam pick up the food and put it back in the bag. They noticed that the two bottles of juice did not break and they were glad.
"Where did you go, Gandalf?" said Frodo.
"I was taking a stroll in Hobbiton looking at the different sites including a small duck pond, and Ted Sandyman's watermill. I'm heading back to your hole."
"We're heading back there too," said Frodo. "Can we join you?"
"I will be happy to receive your company."
"Would you like me to carry your bags for you?" Gandalf asked.
"No thank you," they said.
"Your fireworks are great, Mr. Gandalf; are you going to do anymore?" Sam asked
"I'm going to entertain you and the other hobbit children with some magic, and I will be telling you a story later on."
"Can it be about elves? I love elves. They are so beautiful. I hope to see one soon. Maybe the elf will show me some elf magic."
Gandalf ruffled Sam's hair affectionately.
To Be Continued.
Authors Note: Lilac is very close in age to Frodo.