Chapter 3
An Enigma
"Merry? How many fingers am I holding up?"
"Unnnnnhhhhh..." Merry moaned as he opened his blue eyes. His head throbbed and he felt incredibly dizzy.
"What did you do to him, Sam?" Merry heard another voice that wasn't Frodo's, but his other cousin Peregrin (Pippin) Took's. Merry's real name was Meriadoc Brandybuck but ever since he was a baby his parents called him "Merry".
"It was an accident. We've just been so busy today and I just didn't want anymore visitors botherin' Mr. Frodo."
Merry turned his head and he gasped. Frodo was kneeling beside him, but there were two of him! Merry let out another moan but grimaced as he felt something cold and hard being placed on top of his head. "Thank heaven's he's movin'," Sam told.
"Can you sit up, Merry?" asked Pippin hopefully.
"I-I don't know." With the help of Frodo Merry managed to sit up against the arm of the couch, but the movement made his head ache even worse. "What-what happened?"
Frodo laughed. "Sam accidentally hit you over the head with a frying pan.
"What'd you do that for?" Merry snapped.
"I didn't think, Mr. Merry. I was just so irritated with all of these other intruders that I smacked the next one who entered. I'm awfully sorry, sir."
"You SHOULD be." Merry growled. "Frodo-why are you in your pajamas? Have I been asleep all this time?"
Frodo laughed. "I woke up with a cold, today and I didn't get a chance t-t." He held his nose and both Sam and Pippin darted to the other side of the room.
"It's gonna be a big one!" Pippin hollered, covering his ears with his hands. Frodo managed to stall the sneeze by pinching his nostrils together, but his ears popped as a result. Merry gave Frodo a sympathetic smile.
"You should be in bed, Frodo. You could've just left a sign on the door telling us to come back another day."
Frodo shook his head. "That wouldn't have made any difference. So how was elevensies with Fredegar?"
"Fine. He drunk four pints of beer. He can certainly hold it!" Pippin laughed as he relaxed, knowing Frodo wasn't going to sneeze again for a few moments. Sam came over to Merry, who was giving him a suspicious glance out of the corner of his eye.
"Can I get you anything, sir? Mr. Frodo has a nice pot of ginger tea on the stove."
"Yes please."
Sam turned around but Pippin yanked the frying pan from his grasp. "Put that thing away before you hurt someone else!" he snarled and stomped into the kitchen to place it in the cupboard. Sam blinked before turning to Frodo who smiled. Eventually all four hobbits gathered in the cozy living room laughing over the party and wondering why Bilbo had decided to disappear.
"He'd been talking about that for so long that I didn't think he'd actually do it," Frodo told his cousins as Sam poured them each second cups of tea. Merry still held the ice pack against his head, for it was still throbbing with pain and he kept giving Sam nasty looks out of the corner of his eye. Sam, however, didn't notice. He caught sight of something pointy and blue bobbing out the window and his eyes widened.
"M-Mr. Frodo? Someone's out there," Sam whispered.
Frodo quickly made a bee-line for Bilbo's study and locked himself up in it. "I'm not at home!" he shouted. Merry, who was suddenly feeling much better, slid off of the couch and hurried to pick up the small foot stool from the end of Bilbo's rocking chair, holding it with the legs facing the door and Pippin grabbed one of the three wooden walking sticks. Sam hurried back into the kitchen to retrive the frying pan and the three hobbits stood facing the round door, ready to strike. Moments later there were a few raps and Sam looked at the others.
"Merry, Pippin-stand back a little," he warned.
A few more knocks sounded and neither hobbit moved. Suddenly a familiar voice broke out over the silence: "Frodo Baggins! You had better let me in or I'll blow your door right down your hole and out through the hill!"
"Gandalf!" Merry breathed with relief. "Frodo! It's all right-it's just Gandalf!"
The door to Bilbo's study opened and Frodo hurried back out again and immediately opened the front door. "My dear Gandalf! I'm sorry-I thought you were Lobelia."
Gandalf chortled as he stepped inside Bag-End, taking off his hat and handing it to Sam. "Then I forgive you."
Frodo laughed. "Honestly, sneaking into Bag-End using her hairpins!" He took out his handkerchief once again and prepared to sneeze.
"Still have that cold, eh?" Gandalf asked, pulling the "weapons" straight out of the hands of Merry, Pippin and Sam without question and set them on the coffee table. Frodo nodded, sniffling.
"Perhaps I should send for the healer. I think I need to stay in bed for a few days till this passes over."
"I'll send for him, sir, if you feel you need 'im," said Sam. "P'raps it's for the best anyway."
"Could you, Sam? Thank you."
Sam nodded and grabbed his cloak before heading out the front door.
"We'd best be off too, Frodo. 'Tis a long walk back to Buckland and I have to drop Pippin off in Tuckburough. His parents would have my head if I let him walk home alone."
"Good to see the both of you." Frodo told them. "I would hug you but I don't want you catching my cold!"
Merry shrugged. "Very thoughtful of you, cousin. I'll see you again soon sometime I am sure."
Frodo nodded and waved as his last relatives left Bag-End, leaving him alone with Gandalf. He went to sit on the couch and wrapped himself back up in his blankets. "You look worried, Gandalf. Is something the matter?" he wanted to know.
"Frodo-did you by any chance realize that Bilbo left you this? I am not sure if he mentioned it." The wizard pulled an envelope from the mantle and held it up in front of the hobbit.
"What is it?" Frodo asked.
The wizard opened the envelope and pulled out Bilbo's shiny, gold magic ring. Frodo gasped and sat up.
"I wish I had known it was there-how I longed to put it on and disappear when all of those guests were over!"
The wizard laughed. "Don't do that, Frodo! Do be careful of that ring, lad. In fact, it is partly about that that I have come to say a last word."
"Well, what about it?" Frodo asked.
"What do you know already?"
"Only what Bilbo told me. I have heard his story: how he found it, and how he used it: on his journey, I mean."
"Which story, I wonder?" said Gandalf.
"Oh, not what he told the dwarves and put in his book," said Frodo. "He told me the true story soon after I came to live here. He said you had pestered him till he told you, so I had better know too. "No secrets between us, Frodo," he said. "but they are not to go any further. It is mine anyway."
Gandalf frowned. He also remembered how years ago Bilbo had struck Frodo after the lad had gone to examine the Ring.
"That's interesting." Said Gandalf. "Well, what did you think of it all?"
"I'm sorry, Gandalf." Frodo apologized as he turned and sneezed. "Think of it all? Rather queer, but I thought the true story much more likely."
"I thought it was queer as well. But odd things may happen to people that have such treasures, Frodo. Please-I warn you beforehand, be VERY careful with it. Even if the temptation is so strong that you can hardly bare it, I beg you NOT to put it on. It may have other powers than just making you vanish when you wish to."
"But I don't understand," Frodo replied.
"Neither do I. But I will surely go and find out-just remember these two things: keep it secret and keep it safe. And also, take care of that chill." He placed a hand against the hobbit's forehead. "You are a bit warm, lad." The wizard tucked Frodo into the blankets so that he was comfortable and then put his hat back on. "I must go and when I come back I may have answers, so this is good-bye for the present."
"Good-bye, Gandalf. I'll take good care of it, I promise. Could you put it back on the mantle for me? I don't feel much like getting up and I don't suppose I ought."
"Of course." Gandalf took the envelope and put it back into it's original place before grabbing his walking stick and leaving.
"Merry? How many fingers am I holding up?"
"Unnnnnhhhhh..." Merry moaned as he opened his blue eyes. His head throbbed and he felt incredibly dizzy.
"What did you do to him, Sam?" Merry heard another voice that wasn't Frodo's, but his other cousin Peregrin (Pippin) Took's. Merry's real name was Meriadoc Brandybuck but ever since he was a baby his parents called him "Merry".
"It was an accident. We've just been so busy today and I just didn't want anymore visitors botherin' Mr. Frodo."
Merry turned his head and he gasped. Frodo was kneeling beside him, but there were two of him! Merry let out another moan but grimaced as he felt something cold and hard being placed on top of his head. "Thank heaven's he's movin'," Sam told.
"Can you sit up, Merry?" asked Pippin hopefully.
"I-I don't know." With the help of Frodo Merry managed to sit up against the arm of the couch, but the movement made his head ache even worse. "What-what happened?"
Frodo laughed. "Sam accidentally hit you over the head with a frying pan.
"What'd you do that for?" Merry snapped.
"I didn't think, Mr. Merry. I was just so irritated with all of these other intruders that I smacked the next one who entered. I'm awfully sorry, sir."
"You SHOULD be." Merry growled. "Frodo-why are you in your pajamas? Have I been asleep all this time?"
Frodo laughed. "I woke up with a cold, today and I didn't get a chance t-t." He held his nose and both Sam and Pippin darted to the other side of the room.
"It's gonna be a big one!" Pippin hollered, covering his ears with his hands. Frodo managed to stall the sneeze by pinching his nostrils together, but his ears popped as a result. Merry gave Frodo a sympathetic smile.
"You should be in bed, Frodo. You could've just left a sign on the door telling us to come back another day."
Frodo shook his head. "That wouldn't have made any difference. So how was elevensies with Fredegar?"
"Fine. He drunk four pints of beer. He can certainly hold it!" Pippin laughed as he relaxed, knowing Frodo wasn't going to sneeze again for a few moments. Sam came over to Merry, who was giving him a suspicious glance out of the corner of his eye.
"Can I get you anything, sir? Mr. Frodo has a nice pot of ginger tea on the stove."
"Yes please."
Sam turned around but Pippin yanked the frying pan from his grasp. "Put that thing away before you hurt someone else!" he snarled and stomped into the kitchen to place it in the cupboard. Sam blinked before turning to Frodo who smiled. Eventually all four hobbits gathered in the cozy living room laughing over the party and wondering why Bilbo had decided to disappear.
"He'd been talking about that for so long that I didn't think he'd actually do it," Frodo told his cousins as Sam poured them each second cups of tea. Merry still held the ice pack against his head, for it was still throbbing with pain and he kept giving Sam nasty looks out of the corner of his eye. Sam, however, didn't notice. He caught sight of something pointy and blue bobbing out the window and his eyes widened.
"M-Mr. Frodo? Someone's out there," Sam whispered.
Frodo quickly made a bee-line for Bilbo's study and locked himself up in it. "I'm not at home!" he shouted. Merry, who was suddenly feeling much better, slid off of the couch and hurried to pick up the small foot stool from the end of Bilbo's rocking chair, holding it with the legs facing the door and Pippin grabbed one of the three wooden walking sticks. Sam hurried back into the kitchen to retrive the frying pan and the three hobbits stood facing the round door, ready to strike. Moments later there were a few raps and Sam looked at the others.
"Merry, Pippin-stand back a little," he warned.
A few more knocks sounded and neither hobbit moved. Suddenly a familiar voice broke out over the silence: "Frodo Baggins! You had better let me in or I'll blow your door right down your hole and out through the hill!"
"Gandalf!" Merry breathed with relief. "Frodo! It's all right-it's just Gandalf!"
The door to Bilbo's study opened and Frodo hurried back out again and immediately opened the front door. "My dear Gandalf! I'm sorry-I thought you were Lobelia."
Gandalf chortled as he stepped inside Bag-End, taking off his hat and handing it to Sam. "Then I forgive you."
Frodo laughed. "Honestly, sneaking into Bag-End using her hairpins!" He took out his handkerchief once again and prepared to sneeze.
"Still have that cold, eh?" Gandalf asked, pulling the "weapons" straight out of the hands of Merry, Pippin and Sam without question and set them on the coffee table. Frodo nodded, sniffling.
"Perhaps I should send for the healer. I think I need to stay in bed for a few days till this passes over."
"I'll send for him, sir, if you feel you need 'im," said Sam. "P'raps it's for the best anyway."
"Could you, Sam? Thank you."
Sam nodded and grabbed his cloak before heading out the front door.
"We'd best be off too, Frodo. 'Tis a long walk back to Buckland and I have to drop Pippin off in Tuckburough. His parents would have my head if I let him walk home alone."
"Good to see the both of you." Frodo told them. "I would hug you but I don't want you catching my cold!"
Merry shrugged. "Very thoughtful of you, cousin. I'll see you again soon sometime I am sure."
Frodo nodded and waved as his last relatives left Bag-End, leaving him alone with Gandalf. He went to sit on the couch and wrapped himself back up in his blankets. "You look worried, Gandalf. Is something the matter?" he wanted to know.
"Frodo-did you by any chance realize that Bilbo left you this? I am not sure if he mentioned it." The wizard pulled an envelope from the mantle and held it up in front of the hobbit.
"What is it?" Frodo asked.
The wizard opened the envelope and pulled out Bilbo's shiny, gold magic ring. Frodo gasped and sat up.
"I wish I had known it was there-how I longed to put it on and disappear when all of those guests were over!"
The wizard laughed. "Don't do that, Frodo! Do be careful of that ring, lad. In fact, it is partly about that that I have come to say a last word."
"Well, what about it?" Frodo asked.
"What do you know already?"
"Only what Bilbo told me. I have heard his story: how he found it, and how he used it: on his journey, I mean."
"Which story, I wonder?" said Gandalf.
"Oh, not what he told the dwarves and put in his book," said Frodo. "He told me the true story soon after I came to live here. He said you had pestered him till he told you, so I had better know too. "No secrets between us, Frodo," he said. "but they are not to go any further. It is mine anyway."
Gandalf frowned. He also remembered how years ago Bilbo had struck Frodo after the lad had gone to examine the Ring.
"That's interesting." Said Gandalf. "Well, what did you think of it all?"
"I'm sorry, Gandalf." Frodo apologized as he turned and sneezed. "Think of it all? Rather queer, but I thought the true story much more likely."
"I thought it was queer as well. But odd things may happen to people that have such treasures, Frodo. Please-I warn you beforehand, be VERY careful with it. Even if the temptation is so strong that you can hardly bare it, I beg you NOT to put it on. It may have other powers than just making you vanish when you wish to."
"But I don't understand," Frodo replied.
"Neither do I. But I will surely go and find out-just remember these two things: keep it secret and keep it safe. And also, take care of that chill." He placed a hand against the hobbit's forehead. "You are a bit warm, lad." The wizard tucked Frodo into the blankets so that he was comfortable and then put his hat back on. "I must go and when I come back I may have answers, so this is good-bye for the present."
"Good-bye, Gandalf. I'll take good care of it, I promise. Could you put it back on the mantle for me? I don't feel much like getting up and I don't suppose I ought."
"Of course." Gandalf took the envelope and put it back into it's original place before grabbing his walking stick and leaving.