Chapter Fifteen
Nina kept her eyes away from the ticking clock - not caring if Friado or her parents came out looking for her. There was no way she was going to leave Frodo and her true friends to go that place to live with a hobbit she did not love.
Holly and Nina laughed out loud as Pippin and Merry stood up and started singing drunkenly - courtesy of the strong ale Holly got from the Green Dragon Inn. Even Rose, herself was not tipsy, but near enough to it and laughed in on the jokes.
Elanor walked towards Pippin and tugged on the hobbits shirt.
"Uncle Pippin, Uncle Merry?"
"Yes?" Pippin squeaked and hiccupped.
"Why are you dancing and singing as though you are cracked?"
"Because . . ." Holly laughed, picking up the young girl. "They are cracked!"
"Is it because they are Tooks and Brandybucks?" Elanor frowned again causing Sam, Rose, Frodo and Nina to burst out laughing. Holly put her down and folded her arms to the laughing hobbits.
"Who told you that Elanor?" Holly scowled at the hobbits.
"Mr Frodo" Elanor answered.
"Hey!" Frodo turned to Elanor. "I told you to keep it a secret!"
Holly walked to Frodo, warning him with her fists. Frodo laughed and backed away. With one final step, Holly leaped up and knocked him down to the couch, jumping on top of him, holding him down.
"Yeah! Get him Holly!" Merry said, struggling to walk in a straight line.
"What did you call me Frodo?" Holly couldn't resist a laugh as Frodo tried to think up some lame excuse.
"Um . . ." he started. "Well . . . just because I told Elanor that Took's and Brandybucks are cracked, I didn't mean *all * Brandybucks!"
"Well it is quite true that Meriadoc is cracked" Holly chuckled.
"Precisely" Frodo inquired, struggling to get out from under her. "Now," he waked towards Nina. "As for these Roper's . . ."
"They are cracked" Nina laughed.
"All except for one" Frodo whispered, kissing her cheek lightly.
"Please!" Pippin called as he swayed to and fro. Holly put her arm around his waist to support him. "This is a PARTY! No kissy, kissy, lovey, dovey please!"
"Aww . . . now that's not fair Pip," Holly smiled.
"Why?"
"Coz I wanted to get kissy, kissy, lovey, dovey with you!" she laughed.
"Well if you put it like that . . .!"
"But what about me?!" Merry pouted. "You all get the lasses, who do I get?"
"I love you Uncle Merry!" Elanor stepped forward happily as everyone let out a loud laugh at Merry's expense.
"I do believe I'm a bit old for you lass"
The laughing went on and on and on.
//
Portia excused her herself from supper and the endless questions lurking about why Nina did not come home to pack. Some Hobbits in the market said they saw here earlier on with Holly Brandybuck, but that did not rest Meruda's ease.
"She should have been here, packing! This was a very special day and she simply does not care! Poor Friado! The pain she is putting her fiancé through!"
"Well it does get rather boring after a while Pop" Friagrin commented. "I can hardly blame her. Ever since that party it has been 'Friado this' and 'Friado that' and 'You're doing this and that with Friado and no arguments' You're pushing her around like a rag doll. No wonder she keeps running off"
"When I want your comment Friagrin Roper I shall ask for it" Meruda snapped.
"See, Pop, I agree with Friagrin" Sogrin added. "Just let Nina be on her own for a while. Just coz she's marrying the guy doesn't mean she has to be his shadow for the rest of her life."
"Hush your tone Sogrin!" Lilla said. "If your Papa wants your comments, you can express them then. Now is not the time"
"If I may comment," Nissa paused as her father nodded his head once. "I do have a feeling Friagrin and Sogrin are correct . . . for once. Nina does not like to be pressured, which is probably why we cannot find her half the time. I think we can solve this problem by talking to her and taking some pressure off her chest. After all, the bigger excitement is still to come"
"You're right," Meruda sighed. "Yes, Nissa, you are right"
"Excuse me, but it was us who suggested it!" Friagrin moaned. Everyone ignored them.
"As soon as Nina comes home, we shall have a discussion. Portia, do you have any comments?"
Portia wanted to confess all, but something inside her, held her back from doing so.
"Well . . . see . . . I . . ."
Everyone gave her a puzzled expression.
""It does not matter, I agree with you all. Could you please excuse me, I need a little walk"
"Okay," Lilla sighed. "As long as you don't go walk abouts like Nina"
Portia stepped out the house; feeling trapped . . . now she had some idea of what Nina was going through. She turned her head towards Bag End and heard an extreme amount of laughter and music from it. Portia looked around to see if anyone was watching her. No one was.
She crept up to an open window of Bag End and took a peak inside. Merry, Pippin and Holly were on top of a dining table - playing some music and singing drunkenly. Samwise and his wife were laughing and clapping along. And there was Nina and Frodo - Frodo embracing her from behind - both of them laughing and cheering.
"I've never seen her so happy . . ." Portia whispered to no one in particular.
Holly jumped up and sang:
"Ho! Ho! Ho! to the bottle I go ,To heal my heart and drown my woe. Rain may fall and wind may blow, And many miles be still to go, But under a tall tree I will lie,
And let the clouds go sailing by."
And not soon after, all hobbits were singing along to the famous song in the shire:
"There is an inn, a merry old inn, beneath an old grey hill, And there they brew a beer so brown, That the Man in the Moon himself came down, one night to drink his fill.
The ostler has a tipsy cat that plays a five-stringed fiddle; And up and down he runs his bow, Now squeaking high, now purring low, now sawing in the middle.
The landlord keeps a little dog that is mighty fond of jokes; When there's good cheer among the guests, He cocks an ear at all the jests and laughs until he chokes.
They also keep a hornéd cow as proud as any queen; But music turns her head like ale, And makes her wave her tufted tail and dance upon the green.
And O! the rows of silver dishes and the store of silver spoons! For Sunday there's a special pair, And these they polish up with care on Saturday afternoons.
The Man in the Moon was drinking deep, and the cat began to wail; A dish and a spoon on the table danced, The cow in the garden madly pranced, and the little dog chased his tail.
The Man in the Moon took another mug, and rolled beneath his chair; And there he dozed and dreamed of ale, Till in the sky the stars were pale, and dawn was in the air.
Then the ostler said to his tipsy cat: "The white horses of the Moon, They neigh and champ their silver bits; But their master's been and drowned his wits, and the Sun'll be rising soon!"
So the cat on his fiddle played hey-diddle-diddle ,a jig that would wake the dead: He squeaked and sawed and quickened the tune, While the landlord shook the Man in the Moon: "It's after three!" he said.
They rolled the Man slowly up the hill and bundled him into the Moon, While his horses galloped up in rear, And the cow came capering like a deer, and a dish ran up with the spoon.
Now quicker the fiddle went deedle-dum-diddle; the dog began to roar, The cow and the horses stood on their heads; The guests all bounded from their beds and danced upon the floor.
With a ping and a pang the fiddle-strings broke! the cow jumped over the Moon, And the little dog laughed to see such fun, And the Saturday dish went off at a run with the silver Sunday spoon.
The round Moon rolled behind the hill, as the Sun raised up her head. She hardly believed her fiery eyes; For though it was day, to her surprise they all went back to bed."
Portia smiled at the sight of them all hugging and dancing together, wishing she too could join. She finally understood Nina . . . what Nina was sacrificing for . . . she could tell Nina and Frodo were in love but . . . she was engaged to Friado. Portia sighed and closed her eyes. She knew that Nina would * have * to marry Friado and that these days of happiness she was living would all be gone. And so would Frodo if Meruda ever found out. Portia backed away from the window slowly and silently, trying to hold in all she wanted to let out.
Nina kept her eyes away from the ticking clock - not caring if Friado or her parents came out looking for her. There was no way she was going to leave Frodo and her true friends to go that place to live with a hobbit she did not love.
Holly and Nina laughed out loud as Pippin and Merry stood up and started singing drunkenly - courtesy of the strong ale Holly got from the Green Dragon Inn. Even Rose, herself was not tipsy, but near enough to it and laughed in on the jokes.
Elanor walked towards Pippin and tugged on the hobbits shirt.
"Uncle Pippin, Uncle Merry?"
"Yes?" Pippin squeaked and hiccupped.
"Why are you dancing and singing as though you are cracked?"
"Because . . ." Holly laughed, picking up the young girl. "They are cracked!"
"Is it because they are Tooks and Brandybucks?" Elanor frowned again causing Sam, Rose, Frodo and Nina to burst out laughing. Holly put her down and folded her arms to the laughing hobbits.
"Who told you that Elanor?" Holly scowled at the hobbits.
"Mr Frodo" Elanor answered.
"Hey!" Frodo turned to Elanor. "I told you to keep it a secret!"
Holly walked to Frodo, warning him with her fists. Frodo laughed and backed away. With one final step, Holly leaped up and knocked him down to the couch, jumping on top of him, holding him down.
"Yeah! Get him Holly!" Merry said, struggling to walk in a straight line.
"What did you call me Frodo?" Holly couldn't resist a laugh as Frodo tried to think up some lame excuse.
"Um . . ." he started. "Well . . . just because I told Elanor that Took's and Brandybucks are cracked, I didn't mean *all * Brandybucks!"
"Well it is quite true that Meriadoc is cracked" Holly chuckled.
"Precisely" Frodo inquired, struggling to get out from under her. "Now," he waked towards Nina. "As for these Roper's . . ."
"They are cracked" Nina laughed.
"All except for one" Frodo whispered, kissing her cheek lightly.
"Please!" Pippin called as he swayed to and fro. Holly put her arm around his waist to support him. "This is a PARTY! No kissy, kissy, lovey, dovey please!"
"Aww . . . now that's not fair Pip," Holly smiled.
"Why?"
"Coz I wanted to get kissy, kissy, lovey, dovey with you!" she laughed.
"Well if you put it like that . . .!"
"But what about me?!" Merry pouted. "You all get the lasses, who do I get?"
"I love you Uncle Merry!" Elanor stepped forward happily as everyone let out a loud laugh at Merry's expense.
"I do believe I'm a bit old for you lass"
The laughing went on and on and on.
//
Portia excused her herself from supper and the endless questions lurking about why Nina did not come home to pack. Some Hobbits in the market said they saw here earlier on with Holly Brandybuck, but that did not rest Meruda's ease.
"She should have been here, packing! This was a very special day and she simply does not care! Poor Friado! The pain she is putting her fiancé through!"
"Well it does get rather boring after a while Pop" Friagrin commented. "I can hardly blame her. Ever since that party it has been 'Friado this' and 'Friado that' and 'You're doing this and that with Friado and no arguments' You're pushing her around like a rag doll. No wonder she keeps running off"
"When I want your comment Friagrin Roper I shall ask for it" Meruda snapped.
"See, Pop, I agree with Friagrin" Sogrin added. "Just let Nina be on her own for a while. Just coz she's marrying the guy doesn't mean she has to be his shadow for the rest of her life."
"Hush your tone Sogrin!" Lilla said. "If your Papa wants your comments, you can express them then. Now is not the time"
"If I may comment," Nissa paused as her father nodded his head once. "I do have a feeling Friagrin and Sogrin are correct . . . for once. Nina does not like to be pressured, which is probably why we cannot find her half the time. I think we can solve this problem by talking to her and taking some pressure off her chest. After all, the bigger excitement is still to come"
"You're right," Meruda sighed. "Yes, Nissa, you are right"
"Excuse me, but it was us who suggested it!" Friagrin moaned. Everyone ignored them.
"As soon as Nina comes home, we shall have a discussion. Portia, do you have any comments?"
Portia wanted to confess all, but something inside her, held her back from doing so.
"Well . . . see . . . I . . ."
Everyone gave her a puzzled expression.
""It does not matter, I agree with you all. Could you please excuse me, I need a little walk"
"Okay," Lilla sighed. "As long as you don't go walk abouts like Nina"
Portia stepped out the house; feeling trapped . . . now she had some idea of what Nina was going through. She turned her head towards Bag End and heard an extreme amount of laughter and music from it. Portia looked around to see if anyone was watching her. No one was.
She crept up to an open window of Bag End and took a peak inside. Merry, Pippin and Holly were on top of a dining table - playing some music and singing drunkenly. Samwise and his wife were laughing and clapping along. And there was Nina and Frodo - Frodo embracing her from behind - both of them laughing and cheering.
"I've never seen her so happy . . ." Portia whispered to no one in particular.
Holly jumped up and sang:
"Ho! Ho! Ho! to the bottle I go ,To heal my heart and drown my woe. Rain may fall and wind may blow, And many miles be still to go, But under a tall tree I will lie,
And let the clouds go sailing by."
And not soon after, all hobbits were singing along to the famous song in the shire:
"There is an inn, a merry old inn, beneath an old grey hill, And there they brew a beer so brown, That the Man in the Moon himself came down, one night to drink his fill.
The ostler has a tipsy cat that plays a five-stringed fiddle; And up and down he runs his bow, Now squeaking high, now purring low, now sawing in the middle.
The landlord keeps a little dog that is mighty fond of jokes; When there's good cheer among the guests, He cocks an ear at all the jests and laughs until he chokes.
They also keep a hornéd cow as proud as any queen; But music turns her head like ale, And makes her wave her tufted tail and dance upon the green.
And O! the rows of silver dishes and the store of silver spoons! For Sunday there's a special pair, And these they polish up with care on Saturday afternoons.
The Man in the Moon was drinking deep, and the cat began to wail; A dish and a spoon on the table danced, The cow in the garden madly pranced, and the little dog chased his tail.
The Man in the Moon took another mug, and rolled beneath his chair; And there he dozed and dreamed of ale, Till in the sky the stars were pale, and dawn was in the air.
Then the ostler said to his tipsy cat: "The white horses of the Moon, They neigh and champ their silver bits; But their master's been and drowned his wits, and the Sun'll be rising soon!"
So the cat on his fiddle played hey-diddle-diddle ,a jig that would wake the dead: He squeaked and sawed and quickened the tune, While the landlord shook the Man in the Moon: "It's after three!" he said.
They rolled the Man slowly up the hill and bundled him into the Moon, While his horses galloped up in rear, And the cow came capering like a deer, and a dish ran up with the spoon.
Now quicker the fiddle went deedle-dum-diddle; the dog began to roar, The cow and the horses stood on their heads; The guests all bounded from their beds and danced upon the floor.
With a ping and a pang the fiddle-strings broke! the cow jumped over the Moon, And the little dog laughed to see such fun, And the Saturday dish went off at a run with the silver Sunday spoon.
The round Moon rolled behind the hill, as the Sun raised up her head. She hardly believed her fiery eyes; For though it was day, to her surprise they all went back to bed."
Portia smiled at the sight of them all hugging and dancing together, wishing she too could join. She finally understood Nina . . . what Nina was sacrificing for . . . she could tell Nina and Frodo were in love but . . . she was engaged to Friado. Portia sighed and closed her eyes. She knew that Nina would * have * to marry Friado and that these days of happiness she was living would all be gone. And so would Frodo if Meruda ever found out. Portia backed away from the window slowly and silently, trying to hold in all she wanted to let out.