In the land of men, big men, that is there's little time to sit and ponder,
or watch as the clouds drift by, indeed little time for anything at all,
but we aren't in the world of men, not at the moment anyway. We are in the
Shire, we are watching the jolly little leather footed Hobbits, as they do
absolutely as little as possible and enjoy life in a much more serene and
possibly naïve way. Moving around the bright life filled Shire, we see
children playing merrily, old and young sitting on rocking chairs outside,
small hobbit sized homes, just right and not to large not to small, talking
to their neighbors with out having the worry of moving too much.
On one such a day we find, Fingle, yes I did say Fingle, and why not indeed? Fingle is not a well known Hobbit neither is he really interested in being well known, his one claim to nearly being found interesting was he had a tendency to find strange shaped stones paint them and give them names.
Now I know this sounds totally boring to all of you, but to Fingle it was extremely exciting. He found stones could talk, if one only looked at them long enough, and by stones, I am referring to pebble sized stones, not large rocks of which one could sculpt a beautiful statue. Stones to Fingle, held an inner beauty, they were magical beyond anything else, he had no worries informing anyone or indeed anything of the magical qualities of a nice round slightly water eroded bit of stone. Which could explain, why he wasn't particularly that popular. He had long dreamed of traveling outside the Shire, of moving on and finding Dwarves, yes Dwarves, although Fingle did find caves threatening, he would love to walk among real life dwarves like the legendary hero hobbits of old, but thus saying he never actually tried to put any of what he thought into actions. As you all know hobbits have big dreams but seldom do anything about them.
On this particular day, the sun was up shinning, sunflowers had their heads pointed upwards to make the most of this most warmest of spring days, just another note incase you didn't know. Since the fabled day of long ago that the most well known of hobbit gardeners came back from his wanderings and added the magic soil to the Shire, sunflowers had in the years passing decided this was the place they could grow all year round and did, producing all sorts of strange and other not thought about varieties.
Alas once more I've strayed from what I was meant to be saying, I do believe I was going to tell you the tale of how Fingle finally decided to leave the Shire, leave the Shire? I hear you ask in shocked voices, your bottom lips quivering at such a statement, but yes, leave the Shire he did, in search of Dwarves, stones and even more stones.
Now Fingle wasn't a particularly bright Hobbit, so the journey from the Shire, took him rather a long time, as he ended up walking around in circles for six months thinking he was in the world of men and other bigger more fearsome things, when all he was doing was wandering around the edges of the Shire. After a while he did realize his mistake and ventured forward, having a knap sack filled with his most favorite of foods and a couple of prized stones he felt he could not, no matter what leave behind.
After walking for what seemed an extremely long time, which on all accounts, knowing Fingle's habit of wandering around in circles, it probably was, he found the first signs of life on his intrepid journey.
Sat on a large and well used tree stump, was a strange and even if I do use Fingles exact words, threatening looking big thing, it had a dark brown cape over it's shoulders, its face hidden beneath the cowl, but Fingle being rather hungry and the smell of food cooking lured him closer. There was a small but well built camp fire, burning brightly nearby the big what ever it was, and the smell of bacon was just too much for Fingle to resist. He believed he'd read somewhere that all fellow travelers tended to share with others, and introduced himself post haste, mouth of course drooling slightly.
"Good evening to you my fellow traveler, has the day been as tiring to you as it has to me? I must say my feet could do with a nice long soak and my nose detects you have a rather nice bit of bacon cooking, pray I ask you may I join you keep you company and share in your ..
The big threatening thing, moved slightly, making Fingle halt in his rambling.
"Long time since I've seen one of your kind Halfling, the lands not safe for little ones like you, maybe instead of wasting your time thinking of your belly you should be heading back to the safety of the Shire."
Fingle, curious now and a little worried by the words 'not safe', stops not attempting to get too much closer to the tempting lure of the bacon.
"Come do not feel threatened, what I have I will willingly share with one of the Shire, and as payment you of course will tell me a tale or maybe sing one of the Shires more pleasant of songs, I am weary and in need of good companionship."
With saying this, the big threatening thing, removed the cowl covering its face, to reveal the tell tale face of a true man. Long dark hair, and facial hair was a dead give away, and the height of course, if he'd been a good bit shorter, Fingle would of assumed he'd found a dwarf and would probably of headed back to the Shire.
On one such a day we find, Fingle, yes I did say Fingle, and why not indeed? Fingle is not a well known Hobbit neither is he really interested in being well known, his one claim to nearly being found interesting was he had a tendency to find strange shaped stones paint them and give them names.
Now I know this sounds totally boring to all of you, but to Fingle it was extremely exciting. He found stones could talk, if one only looked at them long enough, and by stones, I am referring to pebble sized stones, not large rocks of which one could sculpt a beautiful statue. Stones to Fingle, held an inner beauty, they were magical beyond anything else, he had no worries informing anyone or indeed anything of the magical qualities of a nice round slightly water eroded bit of stone. Which could explain, why he wasn't particularly that popular. He had long dreamed of traveling outside the Shire, of moving on and finding Dwarves, yes Dwarves, although Fingle did find caves threatening, he would love to walk among real life dwarves like the legendary hero hobbits of old, but thus saying he never actually tried to put any of what he thought into actions. As you all know hobbits have big dreams but seldom do anything about them.
On this particular day, the sun was up shinning, sunflowers had their heads pointed upwards to make the most of this most warmest of spring days, just another note incase you didn't know. Since the fabled day of long ago that the most well known of hobbit gardeners came back from his wanderings and added the magic soil to the Shire, sunflowers had in the years passing decided this was the place they could grow all year round and did, producing all sorts of strange and other not thought about varieties.
Alas once more I've strayed from what I was meant to be saying, I do believe I was going to tell you the tale of how Fingle finally decided to leave the Shire, leave the Shire? I hear you ask in shocked voices, your bottom lips quivering at such a statement, but yes, leave the Shire he did, in search of Dwarves, stones and even more stones.
Now Fingle wasn't a particularly bright Hobbit, so the journey from the Shire, took him rather a long time, as he ended up walking around in circles for six months thinking he was in the world of men and other bigger more fearsome things, when all he was doing was wandering around the edges of the Shire. After a while he did realize his mistake and ventured forward, having a knap sack filled with his most favorite of foods and a couple of prized stones he felt he could not, no matter what leave behind.
After walking for what seemed an extremely long time, which on all accounts, knowing Fingle's habit of wandering around in circles, it probably was, he found the first signs of life on his intrepid journey.
Sat on a large and well used tree stump, was a strange and even if I do use Fingles exact words, threatening looking big thing, it had a dark brown cape over it's shoulders, its face hidden beneath the cowl, but Fingle being rather hungry and the smell of food cooking lured him closer. There was a small but well built camp fire, burning brightly nearby the big what ever it was, and the smell of bacon was just too much for Fingle to resist. He believed he'd read somewhere that all fellow travelers tended to share with others, and introduced himself post haste, mouth of course drooling slightly.
"Good evening to you my fellow traveler, has the day been as tiring to you as it has to me? I must say my feet could do with a nice long soak and my nose detects you have a rather nice bit of bacon cooking, pray I ask you may I join you keep you company and share in your ..
The big threatening thing, moved slightly, making Fingle halt in his rambling.
"Long time since I've seen one of your kind Halfling, the lands not safe for little ones like you, maybe instead of wasting your time thinking of your belly you should be heading back to the safety of the Shire."
Fingle, curious now and a little worried by the words 'not safe', stops not attempting to get too much closer to the tempting lure of the bacon.
"Come do not feel threatened, what I have I will willingly share with one of the Shire, and as payment you of course will tell me a tale or maybe sing one of the Shires more pleasant of songs, I am weary and in need of good companionship."
With saying this, the big threatening thing, removed the cowl covering its face, to reveal the tell tale face of a true man. Long dark hair, and facial hair was a dead give away, and the height of course, if he'd been a good bit shorter, Fingle would of assumed he'd found a dwarf and would probably of headed back to the Shire.