Gandalf came back from his searching and did the test that would tell him if this was the ring. I could feel the fear when he handed it to dear Frodo and had him see if there were any markings on it. Unfortunately for all concerned there were. It was the one ring. And Sauron was looking for it. Frodo the dear one had a thought that he could hide it from Sauron. It could not be hidden. That ring has a will of it's own. Then I think that Gandalf took leave of what senses were created in him. He decided to send Frodo off into he wild all alone. Thank Eru Sam Gamgee listens better than Gandalf does. Sam had gone back to his house to go to bed. I put thought into his head to go back outside and just made sure that his curiosity would get the best of him when he heard Frodo's voice. So carefully he went and crept to the window and heard all that Gandalf had said. Though I did not count on Poor Sam getting his head attacked by Gandalf's wicked staff. Sam never really asked questions about the whys and wherefores, and truth be know if he had been told all about the terror that he would experience, he still would have gone. Frodo and Sam were Soul bonded when they were children. So Gandalf set them on the road into the path of a danger that Gandalf did not know was there. He loved Frodo too much to have sent him into that path if he had known. If he Had know that the Saruman the person that he trusted would betray that trust because of fear of Sauron that came from the Palantir. But I get ahead of myself. Frodo took off on their trek across the Shire. It was a fun walk for them. They were such dears. And the danger was still far away and I so wanted them to enjoy themselves before the bad started happening.
Now I had to help out. I needed to get Frodo and Sam some other companions. And there were only two people in al the world that would work and that was Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took. They were cousins and had also been best friends of Frodo's and Sam's as well. Now where were those dear hobbit lads? Ah there they were, oh this could work, and they were near Farmer Maggots farm. The dear rascals had been acquiring things From the Farmer for quite awhile. They were so cleaver they usually did it when Farmer Maggot was not at home or was busy. This would take some good maneuvering. All I had to do was make sure that Farmer Maggot was home at the right time and for Merry and Pippin to be at the right place. Frodo has just got finished telling Sam that this was the land of the very well known Farmer Maggot and they were now walking into his cornfields. Frodo somehow had gotten separated from Sam. Well that was because Sam was thinking of Rosie Cotton and slipped into a little reverie. When he came out of the corn he realized that he had lost Frodo and panic set into his heart. He was never able to get very far from Frodo and now more than ever his fear had taken over. He had heard that there were dark things that could be after his friend and Gandalf had made him promise that he would not let Frodo out of his site and here he had already lost him. He started yelling for Frodo. In a flash Frodo came back from round the bend and gave his such a quizzical look "Sam what ever is the matter" Sam looked at him and tried to calm his voice "I thought that I had lost you and I promised" Sam stopped Frodo looked at him and said "Promised what and to whom? Sam didn't really want to answer that "Sam tell me" Sam took a deep breathe and said, " I promised Gandalf. Don't you lose him Samwise Gamgee and I promised him I wouldn't" Frodo looked at Sam and Said "Well there is nothing to worry about we are still in the shire nothing can happen to us here"
Meanwhile Merry and Pippin had done what they did best too a few things from Farmer Maggots Crop. But this time he was home. I arranged for their usual escape root to be blocked and when the farmer started Chasing them it was right into the cornfield on an interception path with Frodo and Sam.