Chapter 5
A small celebration
By the first day of the Yule holiday, dear Frodo's cold had not cleared up but Bilbo decided to have the party just the same. He wrapped his nephew in a quilt and carried him downstairs to the parlor where close family and friends gathered. "There is the little trooper!" Saradoc Brandybuck, Merry's father and the master of Brandy Hall, greeted with a smile.
"How are you feeling today, Frodo?" asked Esmerelda, Saradoc's wife.
"Stuffy." Frodo mumbled as Bilbo set him on the couch.
Pippin sat on the floor by the tree and inspected the new pencils Merry had bought him. "I like them a lot, Merry." He said smiling.
"An' I like the new toy you got me Mr. Frodo." Said little Samwise as he held his new wooden pony.
"Oh.Uncle Bilbo.your gift is in my closet," said Frodo as he wiped his runny nose with a handkerchief.
Bilbo smiled kindly as Merry jumped up. "I'll get it for him, Frodo!" The younger hobbit dashed out of the parlor and received laughs from the rest of the guests. Eglatine and Paladin Took, the parents of Peregrin "Pippin" shook their heads.
"We should all be thankful that our dear Frodo is well enough to be downstairs with us."
Bilbo nodded as he joined Frodo on the couch and cuddled the tweenager. A few moments later Merry returned carrying a large, lumpy package in his hands and Frodo sat up straight, beaming as he accepted the gift. "This is for you, Uncle. I thought you might need it."
Bilbo kissed Frodo on the cheek, his eyes glistening with unshed tears as he took off the wrapping and the ribbon. "Oh Frodo." he held up the brand new winter cloak. "My dear boy.this is beautiful. Just what I needed."
"I'm glad you like it."
Soon the party really kicked in.food was served of every possible type; stories were told and songs were sung. It wasn't until 8:00 that Frodo began to feel unusually sleepy and his old headache had returned. He lay his head against his Uncle Bilbo's shoulder as the old hobbit went on about his escape from the prison of King Thranduil of the Mirkwood Elves. "Frodo lad.are you all right?" Bilbo asked, noticing the tweenager's droopy eyes.
"I don't feel good, Uncle." He whimpered.
Pippin looked up from his sketchpad frowning and watched as Bilbo placed a hand against Frodo's forehead. "You're a little warm, Frodo. I think I had better get you back into bed."
Esmerelda stood up. "I'll help you." She offered and followed Bilbo down the hallway to Frodo's room. Merry, meanwhile, looked down at his feet.
"Now Merry--your cousin will feel better." Saradoc encouraged placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "He's made of sterner stuff than you realize."
"There we are. All nice and snug in bed." Bilbo told Frodo after tucking his nephew under the covers. Frodo nodded, sniffling as Esmerelda stroked his forehead.
"I'm sorry you aren't feeling well, pumpkin." She soothed. "But your Uncle Bilbo will take good care of you.as will I while I'm here."
Frodo's nose crinkled as he whimpered, "I'm going to sneeze again."
Both of the elder hobbits jumped. "Let me give you some of that deconjestant Dr. Goodbody gave us." Bilbo told the tweenager, picking up the brown bottle on the nighttable and unscrewed the cap. Esmerelda took Frodo's soiled handkerchief and gave him a new one as Bilbo poured a teaspoon of the medicine.
"Here you are lad." Frodo opened his mouth and took the medicine down. After a few moments of licking his lips, Frodo smiled. "It tastes like cherries!"
Esmerelda and Bilbo both laughed. "I'll sit here with you." Esmerelda told Frodo.
"Are you sure?" asked Bilbo. She nodded.
"You have a lot of guests left downstairs that you need to entertain, Master Baggins."
Bilbo smiled. "All right. But I'll be up in a few hours. Try and get some rest, Frodo." The old hobbit kissed Frodo on the forehead before heading back downstairs to join the party.
By the first day of the Yule holiday, dear Frodo's cold had not cleared up but Bilbo decided to have the party just the same. He wrapped his nephew in a quilt and carried him downstairs to the parlor where close family and friends gathered. "There is the little trooper!" Saradoc Brandybuck, Merry's father and the master of Brandy Hall, greeted with a smile.
"How are you feeling today, Frodo?" asked Esmerelda, Saradoc's wife.
"Stuffy." Frodo mumbled as Bilbo set him on the couch.
Pippin sat on the floor by the tree and inspected the new pencils Merry had bought him. "I like them a lot, Merry." He said smiling.
"An' I like the new toy you got me Mr. Frodo." Said little Samwise as he held his new wooden pony.
"Oh.Uncle Bilbo.your gift is in my closet," said Frodo as he wiped his runny nose with a handkerchief.
Bilbo smiled kindly as Merry jumped up. "I'll get it for him, Frodo!" The younger hobbit dashed out of the parlor and received laughs from the rest of the guests. Eglatine and Paladin Took, the parents of Peregrin "Pippin" shook their heads.
"We should all be thankful that our dear Frodo is well enough to be downstairs with us."
Bilbo nodded as he joined Frodo on the couch and cuddled the tweenager. A few moments later Merry returned carrying a large, lumpy package in his hands and Frodo sat up straight, beaming as he accepted the gift. "This is for you, Uncle. I thought you might need it."
Bilbo kissed Frodo on the cheek, his eyes glistening with unshed tears as he took off the wrapping and the ribbon. "Oh Frodo." he held up the brand new winter cloak. "My dear boy.this is beautiful. Just what I needed."
"I'm glad you like it."
Soon the party really kicked in.food was served of every possible type; stories were told and songs were sung. It wasn't until 8:00 that Frodo began to feel unusually sleepy and his old headache had returned. He lay his head against his Uncle Bilbo's shoulder as the old hobbit went on about his escape from the prison of King Thranduil of the Mirkwood Elves. "Frodo lad.are you all right?" Bilbo asked, noticing the tweenager's droopy eyes.
"I don't feel good, Uncle." He whimpered.
Pippin looked up from his sketchpad frowning and watched as Bilbo placed a hand against Frodo's forehead. "You're a little warm, Frodo. I think I had better get you back into bed."
Esmerelda stood up. "I'll help you." She offered and followed Bilbo down the hallway to Frodo's room. Merry, meanwhile, looked down at his feet.
"Now Merry--your cousin will feel better." Saradoc encouraged placing a hand on his son's shoulder. "He's made of sterner stuff than you realize."
"There we are. All nice and snug in bed." Bilbo told Frodo after tucking his nephew under the covers. Frodo nodded, sniffling as Esmerelda stroked his forehead.
"I'm sorry you aren't feeling well, pumpkin." She soothed. "But your Uncle Bilbo will take good care of you.as will I while I'm here."
Frodo's nose crinkled as he whimpered, "I'm going to sneeze again."
Both of the elder hobbits jumped. "Let me give you some of that deconjestant Dr. Goodbody gave us." Bilbo told the tweenager, picking up the brown bottle on the nighttable and unscrewed the cap. Esmerelda took Frodo's soiled handkerchief and gave him a new one as Bilbo poured a teaspoon of the medicine.
"Here you are lad." Frodo opened his mouth and took the medicine down. After a few moments of licking his lips, Frodo smiled. "It tastes like cherries!"
Esmerelda and Bilbo both laughed. "I'll sit here with you." Esmerelda told Frodo.
"Are you sure?" asked Bilbo. She nodded.
"You have a lot of guests left downstairs that you need to entertain, Master Baggins."
Bilbo smiled. "All right. But I'll be up in a few hours. Try and get some rest, Frodo." The old hobbit kissed Frodo on the forehead before heading back downstairs to join the party.