Ruby's Adventure
Chapter 3
Ruby silently slipped along the starlit country roads of the Shire, followed by the more cautious Daisy and finally the reluctant Primrose. She began to hum to herself, as she often did, when she began a journey- though never before had she attempted so long or hazardous a journey as this.
"Shhh!" hissed Primrose, ever patronizing, "Someone will hear you!"
"But isn't that what you want?" Ruby teased, "to get caught so that you won't have to come with us?" Primrose adopted a sullen and sour look.
"Stop bickering!" Daisy whispered, "otherwise, I'll go insane and probably scream, and the jig will be up and you," she pointed to Ruby, "can say good-bye to ever being let out of anyone's sight again, and you," she poked Primrose, "can say good-bye to being everyone's pet." Both hobbits, feeling thoroughly and somewhat unfairly rebuked, fell silent and glared at each other.
Daisy now led the way, through field and forest. She might have only been twenty-nine, but as the oldest was a natural leader. They found a little dell where they could rest, but Ruby was adamant.
"If we sleep, then in the morning, we'll be caught! We must be out of the Shire by day!"
"But we can't just run to Bree without sleep!" argued Primrose, "and I, for one, am so" she yawned "tired."
"I know somewhere where we can rest and not be noticed in the morning.' Said Daisy, as usual mediator and peacemaker. Her sisters looked up at her intently.
"If we get to the ferry tonight, say we're on an important errand for father, perhaps, and leave the Shire by tomorrow afternoon, no one will hinder us and father could not possibly catch up to us." Primrose was startled. It seemed to her that she had not noticed how smart her older sister was.
"I didn't know you were so clever," she said, "how come you never showed anyone before?"
"Because she's not a show-off like you." Ruby retorted. Primrose stuck out her tongue.
"CHILDREN!"
"I'm not a child!" Ruby protested, "I'm twenty-four!"
"And I'm twenty-seven!"
"If you're not children, then prove it by not acting like it!"
The three hobbits resumed their walking, past the well-tended, fragrant gardens and underneath the pale spring moon. Daisy could be heard muttering:
"If those two keep this up, I'm going to need a vacation after this vacation! Hmph!"
Later that night (or, technically, early the next morning) they arrived at the Brandywine Ferry; tired, dirty, hungry, and ready for a rest. They sat on a little white wooden waiting-bench, only intending to close their eyes for a moment, but soon all three -even Ruby- fell into a deep sleep. And that's where the adventure (and the trouble) really began.
Chapter 3
Ruby silently slipped along the starlit country roads of the Shire, followed by the more cautious Daisy and finally the reluctant Primrose. She began to hum to herself, as she often did, when she began a journey- though never before had she attempted so long or hazardous a journey as this.
"Shhh!" hissed Primrose, ever patronizing, "Someone will hear you!"
"But isn't that what you want?" Ruby teased, "to get caught so that you won't have to come with us?" Primrose adopted a sullen and sour look.
"Stop bickering!" Daisy whispered, "otherwise, I'll go insane and probably scream, and the jig will be up and you," she pointed to Ruby, "can say good-bye to ever being let out of anyone's sight again, and you," she poked Primrose, "can say good-bye to being everyone's pet." Both hobbits, feeling thoroughly and somewhat unfairly rebuked, fell silent and glared at each other.
Daisy now led the way, through field and forest. She might have only been twenty-nine, but as the oldest was a natural leader. They found a little dell where they could rest, but Ruby was adamant.
"If we sleep, then in the morning, we'll be caught! We must be out of the Shire by day!"
"But we can't just run to Bree without sleep!" argued Primrose, "and I, for one, am so" she yawned "tired."
"I know somewhere where we can rest and not be noticed in the morning.' Said Daisy, as usual mediator and peacemaker. Her sisters looked up at her intently.
"If we get to the ferry tonight, say we're on an important errand for father, perhaps, and leave the Shire by tomorrow afternoon, no one will hinder us and father could not possibly catch up to us." Primrose was startled. It seemed to her that she had not noticed how smart her older sister was.
"I didn't know you were so clever," she said, "how come you never showed anyone before?"
"Because she's not a show-off like you." Ruby retorted. Primrose stuck out her tongue.
"CHILDREN!"
"I'm not a child!" Ruby protested, "I'm twenty-four!"
"And I'm twenty-seven!"
"If you're not children, then prove it by not acting like it!"
The three hobbits resumed their walking, past the well-tended, fragrant gardens and underneath the pale spring moon. Daisy could be heard muttering:
"If those two keep this up, I'm going to need a vacation after this vacation! Hmph!"
Later that night (or, technically, early the next morning) they arrived at the Brandywine Ferry; tired, dirty, hungry, and ready for a rest. They sat on a little white wooden waiting-bench, only intending to close their eyes for a moment, but soon all three -even Ruby- fell into a deep sleep. And that's where the adventure (and the trouble) really began.