"And then that Peregrin said it wasn't his fault!" Milly spat at her friend Teldise Boffir. The two of them were walking to the post office to get their family mail. Teldise laughed. "Goodness Milly! Don't you realize that's the seventeenth time you've mentioned Pippin today?" Milly said nothing. She hadn't realized. Teldise continued. "I should be thinking you're taking a liking to that Took." Milly stared at her friend. She was shocked. "What? What makes you say that?"
"Well for one thing, you haven't stopped talking about him, and a few minutes ago you just said he was cute."
Milly turned beat red. "I did not!"
"Yes you did. Not more than three minutes ago you says to me, 'Teldise Boffir that Peregrin Took is the cutest hobbit I've ever seen."
"I said he got me into a cute bit of trouble, that's all."
Teldise smiled. She knew better. "Right Milly. Whatever you say..."
Meanwhile Pippin had met up with Sam and Frodo, only to learn they had received the same punishment he had, except they got it from their guardians and not Mr. Maggot. "Yet Bilbo's worse that Maggot." commented Frodo, leaning against a tree. He was too sore to sit down. "Well I can assure you the Gaffer has no lighter a hand than Bilbo." said Sam. "With all due respect," Frodo continued. "I do not think we will be taking much of your advice from now on Pippin." Pippin sighed. He may have been only ten at the time, but he was already getting a reputation for being a troublemaker. "Well I missed elevenist and lunch while I was at Maggot's yesterday." Pippin replied. All the hobbits gasped. "You poor Took!" Frodo said. "Elevenist and lunch...." reflected Sam. "I do feel sorry for you Pippin."
It was about this time that Merry came on the scene. "You!" he cried, pointing at Pippin. "You peahead! Thanks to you and your brilliant idea of stealing Maggot's crops, I'm going to half to stand at the table for the next three weeks! You fool of a Took!"
"Mr. Brandybuck's really that bad?" asked Sam.
"You wouldn't believe." retorted Merry.
"Well you should have seen the beatin' Milly got yesterday. I'll warrant they'll be no chair under her for quite some time. " Pippin said.
"Serves that girl right." added Merry. "She's got as big a Pudifoot temper as I've ever seen on a hobbit."
"She must hate me." said Pippin. "She called me a fool and told me I don't have my head on straight."
Merry smiled. "Pippin, everyone calls you a fool." The other's laughed. Pippin tried to, but his own thoughts were taking him far away. "Too bad." he thought to himself. "Milly is kind of cute."
"Say," remarked Frodo after a silence, "Isn't it high time for lunch?"
"Goodness, I'd think it is!" said Merry.
"We best be gettin' home then." remarked Sam.
With that all the hobbits made for their homes, with Merry going over to Pippin's for his noontime meal.
Milly stood outside the gate to the Took residence. She had been standing there for awhile, not quite having the courage to go in. Teldise had told her to apologize to Pippin for calling him names and yelling at him, but now Milly was wondering if she could do it. Teldise might think she was using the opportunity as an excuse to see Pippin. "Whom I don't like." Milly had assured herself, even though she was having second thoughts. Besides, she wasn't one to apologize. "Alright Milly. Don't be proud." she said to herself. Finally, still shaky and nervous, Milly opened the gate and headed towards the round door.
Meanwhile inside, Merry and Pippin were enjoying a light (well, light for hobbits) lunch. They were talking away as usual, when suddenly Merry jumped up from his bench. "Gracious!" he cried. "Maggot's coming!" Pippin scrambled to his feet and ran towards the window. Sure enough, there was Maggot, walking towards his front gate. "Uh oh!" he cried, looking around. "If he tells my parents what happened, they'll be no tellin' what will become of me!"
"Well if you do die," said Merry. "Can I have that great toy of yours? You know that one that-"
"Merry!"
"Sorry."
The hobbit's looked around. Suddenly something caught Merry's eye. "There!" he cried, dragging Pippin towards the broom closet. The two of them squeezed inside, just in time to avoid the knock on the door. One of Pippin's sister's came to answer it. "Yes?" Pippin heard her say. "No, Peregrin's not here. He was a moment ago. He might be in the back parlour. Yes, I'll go check. You can wait here in the kitchen." Miss Took headed off towards the back parlour.
"Oh boy, did you hear that?" whispered Merry. "Maggot's in your kitchen!" Pippin shifted his weight nervously. Suddenly he bumped into a broom. He tried desperately to grab it, but it fell, hit Merry on the head and caused him to fall forward. Merry hit the door to the closet knocking it open which in turn, hit Milly who was standing on the other side, and flung her back into the wall. She gave a small yelp, just before falling into a lifeless heap on the floor. Pippin cringed. Merry gasped. The doorbell rang again.
"She's dead Pippin!" Cried Merry, jumping to his feet. " You've killed Milly!" Pippin began to panic. "She's not dead!" he whined, more hoping than declaring the fact. "Look." he grabbed a pitcher of water and gave Milly a little splash on the face. "Here Milly! Wake up! There's a good hobbit! Come on! Ohh.."
"Peregrin?! Peregrin Took is that you?! Let me in this instant."
The hobbit boys turned towards the door. "Maggot!" they both whispered. "Quick! Over there!" Pippin shouted, pointing to the side window. He ran over, propped open the shudders and slipped right through. Merry picked up Milly, dashed across the room and quickly pushed her out. Then he himself went through the window. His furry feet disappeared merely seconds before Pippin's sister came back to answer the door.
Meriadoc and Peregrin ran to the back of the house and into the woods. Only when the Took residence was out of sight did they stop to put Milly down and catch their breaths. They set the hobbit girl against a tree.
"This is terrible!" Pippin whimpered. "We're murderers! We'll have to change our names and move to Bree! I'll be known as....Iggy Scruffel or something for the rest of my life!"
"No, no, calm down Pippin. There's got to be something we can do!" Merry cried, even though he was also losing hope. Merry lifted Milly's arm. It dropped like a sack of lead weights. A large purple bump was swelling on her forehead. Things certainly didn't look bright. "Maybe we could revive her or wake her up." Pippin hopelessly suggested.
"Don't be stupid!" Merry retorted. "Reviving the dead. That's only something a wizard could do."
(Disclaimer: All characters, settings and species concepts are the property of Tolkien , excluding Teldise and Milly, who are mine. I make no profit from my work except experience. Ü)
"Well for one thing, you haven't stopped talking about him, and a few minutes ago you just said he was cute."
Milly turned beat red. "I did not!"
"Yes you did. Not more than three minutes ago you says to me, 'Teldise Boffir that Peregrin Took is the cutest hobbit I've ever seen."
"I said he got me into a cute bit of trouble, that's all."
Teldise smiled. She knew better. "Right Milly. Whatever you say..."
Meanwhile Pippin had met up with Sam and Frodo, only to learn they had received the same punishment he had, except they got it from their guardians and not Mr. Maggot. "Yet Bilbo's worse that Maggot." commented Frodo, leaning against a tree. He was too sore to sit down. "Well I can assure you the Gaffer has no lighter a hand than Bilbo." said Sam. "With all due respect," Frodo continued. "I do not think we will be taking much of your advice from now on Pippin." Pippin sighed. He may have been only ten at the time, but he was already getting a reputation for being a troublemaker. "Well I missed elevenist and lunch while I was at Maggot's yesterday." Pippin replied. All the hobbits gasped. "You poor Took!" Frodo said. "Elevenist and lunch...." reflected Sam. "I do feel sorry for you Pippin."
It was about this time that Merry came on the scene. "You!" he cried, pointing at Pippin. "You peahead! Thanks to you and your brilliant idea of stealing Maggot's crops, I'm going to half to stand at the table for the next three weeks! You fool of a Took!"
"Mr. Brandybuck's really that bad?" asked Sam.
"You wouldn't believe." retorted Merry.
"Well you should have seen the beatin' Milly got yesterday. I'll warrant they'll be no chair under her for quite some time. " Pippin said.
"Serves that girl right." added Merry. "She's got as big a Pudifoot temper as I've ever seen on a hobbit."
"She must hate me." said Pippin. "She called me a fool and told me I don't have my head on straight."
Merry smiled. "Pippin, everyone calls you a fool." The other's laughed. Pippin tried to, but his own thoughts were taking him far away. "Too bad." he thought to himself. "Milly is kind of cute."
"Say," remarked Frodo after a silence, "Isn't it high time for lunch?"
"Goodness, I'd think it is!" said Merry.
"We best be gettin' home then." remarked Sam.
With that all the hobbits made for their homes, with Merry going over to Pippin's for his noontime meal.
Milly stood outside the gate to the Took residence. She had been standing there for awhile, not quite having the courage to go in. Teldise had told her to apologize to Pippin for calling him names and yelling at him, but now Milly was wondering if she could do it. Teldise might think she was using the opportunity as an excuse to see Pippin. "Whom I don't like." Milly had assured herself, even though she was having second thoughts. Besides, she wasn't one to apologize. "Alright Milly. Don't be proud." she said to herself. Finally, still shaky and nervous, Milly opened the gate and headed towards the round door.
Meanwhile inside, Merry and Pippin were enjoying a light (well, light for hobbits) lunch. They were talking away as usual, when suddenly Merry jumped up from his bench. "Gracious!" he cried. "Maggot's coming!" Pippin scrambled to his feet and ran towards the window. Sure enough, there was Maggot, walking towards his front gate. "Uh oh!" he cried, looking around. "If he tells my parents what happened, they'll be no tellin' what will become of me!"
"Well if you do die," said Merry. "Can I have that great toy of yours? You know that one that-"
"Merry!"
"Sorry."
The hobbit's looked around. Suddenly something caught Merry's eye. "There!" he cried, dragging Pippin towards the broom closet. The two of them squeezed inside, just in time to avoid the knock on the door. One of Pippin's sister's came to answer it. "Yes?" Pippin heard her say. "No, Peregrin's not here. He was a moment ago. He might be in the back parlour. Yes, I'll go check. You can wait here in the kitchen." Miss Took headed off towards the back parlour.
"Oh boy, did you hear that?" whispered Merry. "Maggot's in your kitchen!" Pippin shifted his weight nervously. Suddenly he bumped into a broom. He tried desperately to grab it, but it fell, hit Merry on the head and caused him to fall forward. Merry hit the door to the closet knocking it open which in turn, hit Milly who was standing on the other side, and flung her back into the wall. She gave a small yelp, just before falling into a lifeless heap on the floor. Pippin cringed. Merry gasped. The doorbell rang again.
"She's dead Pippin!" Cried Merry, jumping to his feet. " You've killed Milly!" Pippin began to panic. "She's not dead!" he whined, more hoping than declaring the fact. "Look." he grabbed a pitcher of water and gave Milly a little splash on the face. "Here Milly! Wake up! There's a good hobbit! Come on! Ohh.."
"Peregrin?! Peregrin Took is that you?! Let me in this instant."
The hobbit boys turned towards the door. "Maggot!" they both whispered. "Quick! Over there!" Pippin shouted, pointing to the side window. He ran over, propped open the shudders and slipped right through. Merry picked up Milly, dashed across the room and quickly pushed her out. Then he himself went through the window. His furry feet disappeared merely seconds before Pippin's sister came back to answer the door.
Meriadoc and Peregrin ran to the back of the house and into the woods. Only when the Took residence was out of sight did they stop to put Milly down and catch their breaths. They set the hobbit girl against a tree.
"This is terrible!" Pippin whimpered. "We're murderers! We'll have to change our names and move to Bree! I'll be known as....Iggy Scruffel or something for the rest of my life!"
"No, no, calm down Pippin. There's got to be something we can do!" Merry cried, even though he was also losing hope. Merry lifted Milly's arm. It dropped like a sack of lead weights. A large purple bump was swelling on her forehead. Things certainly didn't look bright. "Maybe we could revive her or wake her up." Pippin hopelessly suggested.
"Don't be stupid!" Merry retorted. "Reviving the dead. That's only something a wizard could do."
(Disclaimer: All characters, settings and species concepts are the property of Tolkien , excluding Teldise and Milly, who are mine. I make no profit from my work except experience. Ü)