The Village
Merry and Pippin strode happily into the village, glancing from left to right at all the Elves. Merry had the Ring on the necklace around his neck and he stuck out his chest proudly. Pippin followed like a dog, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. The dusty street was lined with merchants selling goods and Elves bustled about, talking idly.
Just then Merry spotted a lovely maiden. She was very short, a little taller than a hobbit. She was. . . "a midget elf!" cried Merry, mouth watering. She turned and saw him, gave him a bright smile and lifted up her finger, which she used to indicate she wanted him to follow.
Drooling slightly, Merry trailed after the maiden until Pippin grabbed him rather rudely from the back of his shirt.
"What?" Merry cried angrily, eyes trailing after the maiden.
"Can I carry the ring?" he asked eagerly.
"Yah. . .sure. . ." Merry replied distantly. He took the ring off and handed it absently to Pippin. "I'll be back later ok?" and with that he hurried and ran off after the maiden.
Now Pippin was the one who could stick out his chest proudly. He walked down the road eyes alight, the ring shining from his chest. After strutting his stuff for awhile past a particularly rich looking elf, a sales Elf waved him over.
"That's mighty fine ring ya got there, little hobbit," said the merchant, eyeing the ring hungrily.
Pippin smiled proudly as he stuck his chest out even further "Well of course it is, what do you expect from a rich hobbit such as myself?"
"Well I have ta tell ya, it's a bit out of shape. . .would you like to trade that one for say, oh, maybe TWO rings?"
"Weeeelll. . ." said Pippin uncertainly.
"Lookie here, these two rings are the finest in all of middle earth." The merchant pulled out two rings, one encrusted with diamonds, the other a clear shiny gold. They were the most amazing things Pippin had ever seen. He glanced down at the dirty, plain old gold ring. . . then at the studded diamond one and the clean magnificent gold one. He smiled happily. Think how happy Frodo will be with two rings instead of one! Everyone would be SO proud of him to do such a good trade!
Eagerly he removed the One Ring from his neck and traded it with the other two. Smiling proudly, he continued walking down the street.
--
Merry caught up to him a half an hour later. His hair was ruffled and his clothes seemed to have been put on rather hurriedly. He had a big lopsided grin on his face and his eyes were wide.
"Merry. . ."
"Guess what I di. . ."
They both said at the same time. Pippin continued rambling, "Look, look! I traded that ugly old ring for two beautiful ones! See! See!"
Merry's smile quickly faded, "YOU WHAT?"
Pippin smiled happily and related his story. Merry clenched his fist and smacked Pippin on the back of his head. "YOU IDIOT!" he cried.
Pippin was knocked to his knees. He quickly stood up rubbing the back of his head "What was that for?"
"YOU GAVE AWAY THE ONE RING!" Merry roared furiously.
"Yes! Exactly, I gave away the one Ri. . .AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! I GAVE AWAY THE ONE RING!" Pippin shrieked, finally understanding.
"Oh MAN! Frodo is going to KILL us!" Merry sobbed, pacing back and forth clutching his hair.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no. . ." Pippin choked struck with a horrible thought. "He's going to throw us into Mount Doom!"
Merry glared at him and hit him on the head again. "SHUT UP! We'll just have to go trade the rings back, that's all. Frodo will never have to know about it."
So they both stood up and, after much searching, they found the merchant.
"Oh sorry lads, I sold the ring just a moment ago . . ."
Pippin was smiling dumbly, certain that they had found a way out. He was still smiling long after Merry had paled. Then, about a minute after the merchants' words, his smile faded and he started choking. Merry hit him hard on the back. Pippin flew forward and started moaning incoherently.
"What are we gonna do?" Pippin wailed, his voice a faint hiss.
"There's only one thing to do," Merry replied, his voice scratchy and his face pale.
Together they walked back into the forest to find Frodo
Merry and Pippin strode happily into the village, glancing from left to right at all the Elves. Merry had the Ring on the necklace around his neck and he stuck out his chest proudly. Pippin followed like a dog, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. The dusty street was lined with merchants selling goods and Elves bustled about, talking idly.
Just then Merry spotted a lovely maiden. She was very short, a little taller than a hobbit. She was. . . "a midget elf!" cried Merry, mouth watering. She turned and saw him, gave him a bright smile and lifted up her finger, which she used to indicate she wanted him to follow.
Drooling slightly, Merry trailed after the maiden until Pippin grabbed him rather rudely from the back of his shirt.
"What?" Merry cried angrily, eyes trailing after the maiden.
"Can I carry the ring?" he asked eagerly.
"Yah. . .sure. . ." Merry replied distantly. He took the ring off and handed it absently to Pippin. "I'll be back later ok?" and with that he hurried and ran off after the maiden.
Now Pippin was the one who could stick out his chest proudly. He walked down the road eyes alight, the ring shining from his chest. After strutting his stuff for awhile past a particularly rich looking elf, a sales Elf waved him over.
"That's mighty fine ring ya got there, little hobbit," said the merchant, eyeing the ring hungrily.
Pippin smiled proudly as he stuck his chest out even further "Well of course it is, what do you expect from a rich hobbit such as myself?"
"Well I have ta tell ya, it's a bit out of shape. . .would you like to trade that one for say, oh, maybe TWO rings?"
"Weeeelll. . ." said Pippin uncertainly.
"Lookie here, these two rings are the finest in all of middle earth." The merchant pulled out two rings, one encrusted with diamonds, the other a clear shiny gold. They were the most amazing things Pippin had ever seen. He glanced down at the dirty, plain old gold ring. . . then at the studded diamond one and the clean magnificent gold one. He smiled happily. Think how happy Frodo will be with two rings instead of one! Everyone would be SO proud of him to do such a good trade!
Eagerly he removed the One Ring from his neck and traded it with the other two. Smiling proudly, he continued walking down the street.
--
Merry caught up to him a half an hour later. His hair was ruffled and his clothes seemed to have been put on rather hurriedly. He had a big lopsided grin on his face and his eyes were wide.
"Merry. . ."
"Guess what I di. . ."
They both said at the same time. Pippin continued rambling, "Look, look! I traded that ugly old ring for two beautiful ones! See! See!"
Merry's smile quickly faded, "YOU WHAT?"
Pippin smiled happily and related his story. Merry clenched his fist and smacked Pippin on the back of his head. "YOU IDIOT!" he cried.
Pippin was knocked to his knees. He quickly stood up rubbing the back of his head "What was that for?"
"YOU GAVE AWAY THE ONE RING!" Merry roared furiously.
"Yes! Exactly, I gave away the one Ri. . .AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! I GAVE AWAY THE ONE RING!" Pippin shrieked, finally understanding.
"Oh MAN! Frodo is going to KILL us!" Merry sobbed, pacing back and forth clutching his hair.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no. . ." Pippin choked struck with a horrible thought. "He's going to throw us into Mount Doom!"
Merry glared at him and hit him on the head again. "SHUT UP! We'll just have to go trade the rings back, that's all. Frodo will never have to know about it."
So they both stood up and, after much searching, they found the merchant.
"Oh sorry lads, I sold the ring just a moment ago . . ."
Pippin was smiling dumbly, certain that they had found a way out. He was still smiling long after Merry had paled. Then, about a minute after the merchants' words, his smile faded and he started choking. Merry hit him hard on the back. Pippin flew forward and started moaning incoherently.
"What are we gonna do?" Pippin wailed, his voice a faint hiss.
"There's only one thing to do," Merry replied, his voice scratchy and his face pale.
Together they walked back into the forest to find Frodo