Chapter 11
Discovering the trinket
(Two years later)
"T-R-A-N-S-F-O-R-M."
"Very good."
Frodo sat in the kitchen watching with curiosity as Bilbo taught the now six-year-old Samwise how to read and write. The lessons had started less than two weeks ago and Sam seemed to be doing very well. "Now. When you transform something, what does that mean?"
Sam thought for a minute. "It means that you turn something into something else, right sir?"
"Correct. I am going to give you a bit of homework tonight. Practice writing out these words in print and sound out each vowell to get the correct pronunciation."
Sam accepted his workbook and thanked Bilbo before heading home. "Sam?" asked Frodo, stopping the little hobbit before he left the kitchen.
"Yes Mr. Frodo?"
"I wanted to go for a walk down to the lake tomorrow. Did you want to come? Bilbo is going to make a picnic lunch and everything!"
Sam's eyes lit up in excitement. "Of course I would, sir! I'll ask my Da' and see if he'll let me. Good night Mr. Bilbo."
"Good night, Samwise."
Once the main door to Bag-End had opened and closed, Frodo yawned and stretched his arms over his head. "Sam is a very bright hobbit isn't he, Uncle?" he asked watching as Bilbo began preparations for supper.
"In deed he is, dear Frodo. He will be a very successful hobbit one day." Bilbo took a large pot from one of the cabinets and placed it over the stove. "How does a good batch of my mushroom soup sound to you?" he asked.
"Mmmm." Said Frodo, licking his lips. "Do you need any help with the cooking, Uncle?"
"No lad. Go and relax in the parlor and I'll call you when supper is ready."
Frodo did as he was told and it wasn't until he took a seat on one of the couches that he noticed somehing gold and shiny in a glass case up on the fireplace mantle. Why hadn't he seen it before in the two years he had been here? It looked like a ring of sorts but why in the name of Middle- Earth would Bilbo put the ring up there? Frodo slid off of the couch and made his way over to the fireplace mantle. With a velvet-cushioned stool he managed to slowly and carefully take the glass case down from its place and brought it over to the couch. The ring appeared to be ordinary and when Frodo tried to take the top off of the case he realized it was stuck. "It's padlocked even."
"Frodo.I'm sorry to disturb you my boy, but could you help me with."
Frodo looked up quickly and saw his Uncle standing in the doorway of the parlor. His brown eyes had caught sight of the glass case in Frodo's hands and his face paled. "What are you doing with that?" the old hobbit snapped and immediately snatched the case away. Frodo jumped at his Uncle's harsh voice and watched as Bilbo put it back up on the mantle. "Do not touch things without permission, Frodo."
Frodo looked down at his feet. "I just wanted to see what was in the case.I don't believe I never caught sight of it before now. It's just a ring, Bilbo. What is so important about it?"
Bilbo took a deep breath and then sat down beside Frodo on the couch. "It is not just a ring, lad. It is a magic ring. Makes a person disappear when they wear it."
"Disappear?" Frodo cried.
"Yes. It is VERY valuable and I do not want anything to happen to it. If I see it in your hands again, you will be in a good deal of trouble."
Frodo watched in amazement as Bilbo went back to tend to the meal in the kitchen and took a deep, shaky breath. He had never heard his Uncle speak so harshly to him. Normally Frodo had access to anything he wished in Bag-End and did not have to ask for permission. Not often, anyway. When Bilbo called him into the kitchen for supper he hesiatated.not wanting to be yelled at again. The old hobbit seemed to have relaxed and his lips had formed into a smile once more. "This smells delicious," Frodo complimented before picking up his spoon.
Bilbo nodded. "One of my many specialties. That and my homemade jam and blueberry pie."
"Angelica always looked forward to visiting you because you always had something delicious that you just made," Frodo giggled. "I think she enjoyed your blueberry pie the most."
Bilbo laughed. "Do you miss her, Frodo?" he asked.
Frodo nodded. "I never thought I would miss her.she was such a dreadful nuisance when I was at Brandy Hall.never giving me a moments peace. But now.yes.I think I do."
"Well.then I have a surprise for you." Bilbo took a sip of his soup.
"A surprise? For me?" Frodo asked, amazed.
"Yes my boy. Angelica is coming next week to visit. She wanted to attend the spring fair and she wanted to see you. I told her she was always welcome."
Frodo gave his Uncle a forced smile. "A whole week?" he asked.
"Aren't you excited?"
In Frodo's mind he thought 'I think I'm going to be sick.' but he humoured Bilbo and nodded. "It sounds wonderful." 'I'd rather shoot myself in the foot,' he added sourly.
"Excellent! Then you two will have a great time together. You rarely see your Brandy Hall cousins, Frodo. I want to make sure you still keep in contact with them."
'Why can't Merry come instead of Angelica?' Frodo thought to himself again as he finished the last of his mushroom soup and started on the fresh- baked bread.
Neither of them spoke again during the rest of the meal.
(Two years later)
"T-R-A-N-S-F-O-R-M."
"Very good."
Frodo sat in the kitchen watching with curiosity as Bilbo taught the now six-year-old Samwise how to read and write. The lessons had started less than two weeks ago and Sam seemed to be doing very well. "Now. When you transform something, what does that mean?"
Sam thought for a minute. "It means that you turn something into something else, right sir?"
"Correct. I am going to give you a bit of homework tonight. Practice writing out these words in print and sound out each vowell to get the correct pronunciation."
Sam accepted his workbook and thanked Bilbo before heading home. "Sam?" asked Frodo, stopping the little hobbit before he left the kitchen.
"Yes Mr. Frodo?"
"I wanted to go for a walk down to the lake tomorrow. Did you want to come? Bilbo is going to make a picnic lunch and everything!"
Sam's eyes lit up in excitement. "Of course I would, sir! I'll ask my Da' and see if he'll let me. Good night Mr. Bilbo."
"Good night, Samwise."
Once the main door to Bag-End had opened and closed, Frodo yawned and stretched his arms over his head. "Sam is a very bright hobbit isn't he, Uncle?" he asked watching as Bilbo began preparations for supper.
"In deed he is, dear Frodo. He will be a very successful hobbit one day." Bilbo took a large pot from one of the cabinets and placed it over the stove. "How does a good batch of my mushroom soup sound to you?" he asked.
"Mmmm." Said Frodo, licking his lips. "Do you need any help with the cooking, Uncle?"
"No lad. Go and relax in the parlor and I'll call you when supper is ready."
Frodo did as he was told and it wasn't until he took a seat on one of the couches that he noticed somehing gold and shiny in a glass case up on the fireplace mantle. Why hadn't he seen it before in the two years he had been here? It looked like a ring of sorts but why in the name of Middle- Earth would Bilbo put the ring up there? Frodo slid off of the couch and made his way over to the fireplace mantle. With a velvet-cushioned stool he managed to slowly and carefully take the glass case down from its place and brought it over to the couch. The ring appeared to be ordinary and when Frodo tried to take the top off of the case he realized it was stuck. "It's padlocked even."
"Frodo.I'm sorry to disturb you my boy, but could you help me with."
Frodo looked up quickly and saw his Uncle standing in the doorway of the parlor. His brown eyes had caught sight of the glass case in Frodo's hands and his face paled. "What are you doing with that?" the old hobbit snapped and immediately snatched the case away. Frodo jumped at his Uncle's harsh voice and watched as Bilbo put it back up on the mantle. "Do not touch things without permission, Frodo."
Frodo looked down at his feet. "I just wanted to see what was in the case.I don't believe I never caught sight of it before now. It's just a ring, Bilbo. What is so important about it?"
Bilbo took a deep breath and then sat down beside Frodo on the couch. "It is not just a ring, lad. It is a magic ring. Makes a person disappear when they wear it."
"Disappear?" Frodo cried.
"Yes. It is VERY valuable and I do not want anything to happen to it. If I see it in your hands again, you will be in a good deal of trouble."
Frodo watched in amazement as Bilbo went back to tend to the meal in the kitchen and took a deep, shaky breath. He had never heard his Uncle speak so harshly to him. Normally Frodo had access to anything he wished in Bag-End and did not have to ask for permission. Not often, anyway. When Bilbo called him into the kitchen for supper he hesiatated.not wanting to be yelled at again. The old hobbit seemed to have relaxed and his lips had formed into a smile once more. "This smells delicious," Frodo complimented before picking up his spoon.
Bilbo nodded. "One of my many specialties. That and my homemade jam and blueberry pie."
"Angelica always looked forward to visiting you because you always had something delicious that you just made," Frodo giggled. "I think she enjoyed your blueberry pie the most."
Bilbo laughed. "Do you miss her, Frodo?" he asked.
Frodo nodded. "I never thought I would miss her.she was such a dreadful nuisance when I was at Brandy Hall.never giving me a moments peace. But now.yes.I think I do."
"Well.then I have a surprise for you." Bilbo took a sip of his soup.
"A surprise? For me?" Frodo asked, amazed.
"Yes my boy. Angelica is coming next week to visit. She wanted to attend the spring fair and she wanted to see you. I told her she was always welcome."
Frodo gave his Uncle a forced smile. "A whole week?" he asked.
"Aren't you excited?"
In Frodo's mind he thought 'I think I'm going to be sick.' but he humoured Bilbo and nodded. "It sounds wonderful." 'I'd rather shoot myself in the foot,' he added sourly.
"Excellent! Then you two will have a great time together. You rarely see your Brandy Hall cousins, Frodo. I want to make sure you still keep in contact with them."
'Why can't Merry come instead of Angelica?' Frodo thought to himself again as he finished the last of his mushroom soup and started on the fresh- baked bread.
Neither of them spoke again during the rest of the meal.