The Shire shone like a green jewel under a brilliant blue sky. A fresh spring breeze occasionally ruffled the longer grasses and cooled the young walkers as they tramped along the road, passing acre after acre of wide- open fields. Everything was gloriously alive. The trees and hedgerows were in blossom, the shrill twitter of birdsong filled the air and in the tilled fields the tufty shoots of plants could be seen.

As a golden-orange butterfly fluttered in front of his face, Theo fancied he could almost feel the gentle touch of its delicate wing on his cheek. He giggled for sheer joy at the ticklish sensation.

His stomach rumbled, and he bit back the desire to ask Merry for the umpteenth time when they would stop for lunch. The last time he'd asked, Merry had told him that brave adventurers didn't always have time for six meals a day. The thought worried him for a little while, but between Goldie pestering him to join her loud singing and Cousin Farry pointing out the wild things growing in the hedgerows and teaching him the names of creepy crawly creatures he barely had time to think about food until at long, long last Merry announced that it was time to stop for lunch.

They sat down on a grassy slope looking back over the route they had taken. The ground was rising a little now onto the White Downs and the West Farthing was spread out in front of them.

Theo stretched out his small body on the warm grass, cheering in delight as his cousin and friends began to unpack the picnic. Their rash packing earlier in the morning meant most of the food was a good deal squashed.

It was no less delicious however, and walking outdoors had given everyone a healthy appetite. All songs and chatter stopped as they got on with the serious business of tucking into the bread, cheese and sausages. There were cakes and plum jam to follow. Eventually they were all quite stuffed and sat back to recover.

Theo gazed across the landscape trying to catch sight of any sign of hobbit life. In the far distance he could see a small farm holding, but otherwise they were entirely alone. It really was a proper adventure.

Behind him, Goldie and Farry lay on their backs looking up at the small fluffy clouds overhead, laughing at the increasingly absurd suggestions as to the shapes they could see.

"A rabbit."

"A wizard's hat."

"A balrog."

"What? Where?"

"That one."

"No, nothing like. Where are the wings?"

"Balrogs don't have wings."

"Yes they do."

Goldie wasn't like most of the other girls Theo knew, who preferred dolls to adventuring. Her long golden curls were generally tangled and often matted with mud or twigs and leaves and she was daring enough to climb higher up trees than many of the tweenage lads.

He thought it was funny that Farry and Goldie were such good friends, given that they were so very different. Theo adored his quiet cousin, for all the older boy's seriousness and bookishness. Farry was quiet and thoughtful and kind. He never climbed trees - even before the accident that left his leg so twisted and strange-looking. But there was a true friendship between the pair. Farry always seemed more cheerful in Goldie's presence and when he was stuck abed with a broken leg she had spent afternoon after afternoon playing quiet indoor games to keep him company. For several months she had looked almost respectable.

"Look at this!"

Theo rolled onto his stomach to look at what Pippin was shouting about. He discovered the bizarre sight of an upside down hobbit.

Theo heard Merry sigh. "Don't stand on your head Pip, not straight after lunch. You'll make yourself sick," said the eldest adventurer.

Pippin thumped to the ground and rolled over, groaning a little as if suffering stomach pains, then grinning broadly he flung himself onto his older brother, tickling furiously. "Merry! You sound just like Mum. When did you get so serious all of a sudden?"

Merry squirmed frantically under his brother and finally got the advantage of him, returning the tickles with gusto. Eventually they separated and lay back on the ground, saying in exact unison, "Ooh, I feel sick," then bursting out laughing.