Chapter 3
The Red and Pink Flowers that She Loved
As soon as his mother and sisters were out of sight, Pippin ran to the kitchen to find something to eat. There were some dried flat bread and a wedge of cheese. He cut up a hefty portion from them and found an apple that he shared with Pevinca. They both sat at the table to eat.
Paladine came in seeing his son at the table with Pevinca, sat down next to them and helped himself to the cheese and flat bread. He told Pippin about the wonderful day he had spent with Milo and how much fish they have caught. Pippin commented, "Clay Ridge Flat is the best place for catching fish, especially in the beginning of spring."
"Well how did you know that we were fishing there, I do not think that I mentioned that was the spot where I caught these fish." Paladine looked questionable at his son.
Pippin gulped in thinking he had just gotten himself in more trouble. He looked at Paladine as his shoulders sunk in despair. "I guess I saw you there when I went there to play over the noon luncheon." Pippin closed his eyes in dread think what his father was going to say to him.
"Pippin did you have your mother's permission to go to the river?" Paladine asked him.
"Well, not really, I guess I forgot to ask." Pippin said shyly while looking up to his father with the saddest pout he could muster.
"Did your mother find out that you were there?"
"Yes, and she gave me a long list of chores I have to get done." Pippin said, "as soon as I get done eating I have to collect the berries for Mother's pies she has to bake for the spring festival."
"So old Hilda talked her into making those pies, did she?" Paladine asked.
"Yes, mother, Pearl and Pimpernel went to the Miller's to get more flour to back those pies." Pippin told him.
"Well then, I better go see to helping them bring the flour home and Pippin, I sure hope that you have learned your lesson about leaving the Smial without telling anyone." Paladine tried to look stern at his son all the while wanting to smile somewhat in thinking how his wife was going to make Pippin work his fingers off in teaching him that lesson.
"Yes sir, father, I will not make that mistake again I promise." Pippin was happy that his father was not going to lecture him endlessly.
Paladine put the fish in the bucket of cool water and left to find his wife.
Pippin grabbed Pevinca's hand and led her out to the blueberry bushes to pick some berries. For a short time Pevinca's pulled the berries from the bushes and put them into her bag. Pippin would have to remind her many times not to eat the berries as she picked them. "They must go into the bag", he would tell her. After a short time, Pevinca walked away from Pippin and sat down on the ground to play with her fingers. Pippin smiled at his sister as he watched her and continued picking the blueberries as fast as he could.
She sat with her legs sprawled out and the bag in the center. Her little hands would dig into the bag to find berries to eat. She wiped her hands that were covered in berry juice all over her hair and face.
"Pippin, where are you?" Merry called out as he stood in front of the Great Smial.
Pippin could hear Merry's voice calling to him and he shouted for him to join him.
Merry laughed in seeing Pevinca covered from head to toe with juice from the berries.
"Pevinca, now look what you have done." Pippin scolded her.
"Merry what are you doing here?" Pippin asked.
"I saw your mother and sister's at in Hobbition buy supplies and she asked my mother to come over to help her with the pie baking. So I thought maybe you and I could find something to do while the women bake." Merry told him.
"Merry I would love to, but I got myself is a bit of trouble this afternoon and now I have to take care of Pevinca. Plus get the all chores done around the house." Pippin told him and continued. "Merry I was wondering if you could do me a small favor. I made my mother a flowerpot for spring festival from the clay by Buckland and I left it in the sun to dry. It means everything to me to surprise my mother. Could you fetch it for me, so I can paint it." Pippin asked.
"Yes, Pippin I would be glad to help you any way that I can, but you know it takes more than drying in the sun to make a pot. It needs to be heating in the fire to cure it. I would be happy to do that for you." Merry told him.
They said their good-byes as Merry got back on his pony and rode out back to Buckland.
Pippin got Pevinca back into the house and cleaned her up before his family returned.
~*~
Merry found the pot that Pippin had made and almost laughed out loud by the looks of it. Pippin thinned it out too much, both the sides fell into each other and the clay cracked as it dried in the sun. Merry felt bad for Pippin and all the hard work he put into making this for his mother. So he went back to Buckland and took one of the pots he had already cured when he helped his mother in making them. Merry's pots were not as fine as his mothers, but good enough for Pippin. He may even fool him in thinking this one was his pot that he made.
Merry got back on his pony and headed back to Tookland.
~*~
Pippin's eyes widen when Merry got off his pony and presented him with the flowerpot.
"Why Merry, it looks a lot better than it did when it was wet." Pippin held it up proudly as he looked it over. Merry just smiled back a Pippin.
"All I need to do now is paint it, but that would mean taking Pearl's paint set. There is no way she would ever let me barrow it. Since she is so busy in the kitchen with all the women folk, I can have it back in her bedroom before she would even miss it." He gave Merry a hug for helping him with the flowerpot.
Pearl loved her paint set she just got from her birthday months ago. Paladine had to go all the way to Bree to purchase them for her. Pearl was an accomplished artist and her paintings hung proudly in the halls of the Great Smail. Friends and family would also pose for her so she could paint their picture as well.
Pippin hid the flowerpot behind a rose bush so no one would spot it.
Pempernel came out to tell everyone it was suppertime. Everyone gathered around the Took table for their evening meal.
With Esmeralda's help in the kitchen, they had prepared all the pies. The only thing left to do was to bake them. After the evening meal while the adults sat in the kitchen visiting, Pippin and Merry went outside with Pippin's sisters. Pevinca pulled at her sweater and loosen a button. She stuck one into her mouth and chewed it. Merry took the button from her mouth, patted her tenderly on the top of her head. He re-buttoned her sweater. Merry found a flower in the garden and placed that in her hand. Pevinca giggled in glee at her gift from Merry. She twirled that in her fingers as she watched it.
Esmeralda came outside with the Tooks and said their good-byes. They thanked her for all of her help. Eglantine gave her the first pie that they baked to take home with her. There was still a stack of pies to be baked and she turned going back into the kitchen.
"I'll be seeing you at the Spring festival tomorrow, you are going aren't you?" Pippin asked.
"Why I would not miss it." Merry told him. He tied his pony to the carriage and drove his mother home.
Pippin sneaked back into the house and opened Pearl's bedroom door. He quickly found her paint set and tipped toed into his bedroom and placed the paint under his bed. He ran outside with his coat in his arms and headed towards the gardens to get the flowerpot. Draping his coat over the flowerpot and picking it up, he headed for his bedroom.
Eglantine, Pearl and Pimpernel were busy loading pies into the oven and taking the finished one out to cool. The kitchen smelt wonderful with all fresh pies they were making. Pevinca pulled all the pots and pans out from the cupboards. Paladine sat in his comfortable chair with his pipe between his teeth as he turned another page from a book that he was reading.
Pippin closed his bedroom door and with a sigh of relief that he made it to his bedroom without being discovered, leaned against his door for a moment. Suddenly his mother knocked on his bedroom door that he leaned against and Pippin jumped being so startled. The flowerpot slipped through his fingertips, but he caught it again in mid air. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he tucked the flowerpot under his bed and answered his door.
"Pippin will you play with Pevinca in your room, we need sometime to finish those pies." Eglantine asked.
"Yes, Mother, I will be happy to play with her." Pippin took her hand and led her into his room.
Eglantine put her finger to her brow, thinking that was somewhat odd. Pippin has always protested every time someone wanted to enter his bedroom. She was prepared to use her motherly influence to convince Pippin to watch Pevinca. She thought to herself, 'maybe I needed to check up on him to see what he was up.'
Pippin was glad that Pevinca could not speak, so he knew his secret would be safe. He looked at his sister with her crispy white apron and flowing green skirt of her dress that was just below her knees. His mother always kept her appearance as neatly as possible and he thought how wonderful she is from his other sisters. She lived in a world all to herself and she loved the movement from her own hands and finger. She would spend hours gazing at them. She delighted in every movement of them. Her vocalizations were always happy and somewhat musical rhythms. Such little things pleased her and she would never have to worry about worldly things, having the best dress to wear or who she would marry? Someone would always be watching over her all of her life. He loved Pevinca most of all. There were times he wished he could escape to her world. The presence of her life made those around her feel well grounded and made you realize that true happiness came from within and not from things around you.
Pippin took out the flowerpot and began painting it. He made the beautiful flowers of pink and red that his mother loved. The only thing left to do was to paint the dark green leaves at the bottom. When Pippin finished the last leaf, he heard his father's foot steps as he walked towards Pippin's bedroom door. He rushed and placed the flowerpot under his bed. Pippin stood when he heard his father lightly knocking on his door. Pippin opened the door and walked out into the hallway, shutting the door behind him.
"Pippin, I was just checking to see how Pevinca was doing." His father looking suspiciously at his son.
A crash was heard coming from Pippin's bedroom. Paladine and Pippin rushed in to see what had happen. Pevinca toppled the paint the he was using as she painted handprints all over Pippin's bedroom wall. Pevinca had paint dripping all over her crisp white apron and her hands were full of dark green paint.
Paladine's loud voiced could be heard throughout the house as he yelled at Pippin in his bedroom, which sent everyone rushing to see what has happened.
The Red and Pink Flowers that She Loved
As soon as his mother and sisters were out of sight, Pippin ran to the kitchen to find something to eat. There were some dried flat bread and a wedge of cheese. He cut up a hefty portion from them and found an apple that he shared with Pevinca. They both sat at the table to eat.
Paladine came in seeing his son at the table with Pevinca, sat down next to them and helped himself to the cheese and flat bread. He told Pippin about the wonderful day he had spent with Milo and how much fish they have caught. Pippin commented, "Clay Ridge Flat is the best place for catching fish, especially in the beginning of spring."
"Well how did you know that we were fishing there, I do not think that I mentioned that was the spot where I caught these fish." Paladine looked questionable at his son.
Pippin gulped in thinking he had just gotten himself in more trouble. He looked at Paladine as his shoulders sunk in despair. "I guess I saw you there when I went there to play over the noon luncheon." Pippin closed his eyes in dread think what his father was going to say to him.
"Pippin did you have your mother's permission to go to the river?" Paladine asked him.
"Well, not really, I guess I forgot to ask." Pippin said shyly while looking up to his father with the saddest pout he could muster.
"Did your mother find out that you were there?"
"Yes, and she gave me a long list of chores I have to get done." Pippin said, "as soon as I get done eating I have to collect the berries for Mother's pies she has to bake for the spring festival."
"So old Hilda talked her into making those pies, did she?" Paladine asked.
"Yes, mother, Pearl and Pimpernel went to the Miller's to get more flour to back those pies." Pippin told him.
"Well then, I better go see to helping them bring the flour home and Pippin, I sure hope that you have learned your lesson about leaving the Smial without telling anyone." Paladine tried to look stern at his son all the while wanting to smile somewhat in thinking how his wife was going to make Pippin work his fingers off in teaching him that lesson.
"Yes sir, father, I will not make that mistake again I promise." Pippin was happy that his father was not going to lecture him endlessly.
Paladine put the fish in the bucket of cool water and left to find his wife.
Pippin grabbed Pevinca's hand and led her out to the blueberry bushes to pick some berries. For a short time Pevinca's pulled the berries from the bushes and put them into her bag. Pippin would have to remind her many times not to eat the berries as she picked them. "They must go into the bag", he would tell her. After a short time, Pevinca walked away from Pippin and sat down on the ground to play with her fingers. Pippin smiled at his sister as he watched her and continued picking the blueberries as fast as he could.
She sat with her legs sprawled out and the bag in the center. Her little hands would dig into the bag to find berries to eat. She wiped her hands that were covered in berry juice all over her hair and face.
"Pippin, where are you?" Merry called out as he stood in front of the Great Smial.
Pippin could hear Merry's voice calling to him and he shouted for him to join him.
Merry laughed in seeing Pevinca covered from head to toe with juice from the berries.
"Pevinca, now look what you have done." Pippin scolded her.
"Merry what are you doing here?" Pippin asked.
"I saw your mother and sister's at in Hobbition buy supplies and she asked my mother to come over to help her with the pie baking. So I thought maybe you and I could find something to do while the women bake." Merry told him.
"Merry I would love to, but I got myself is a bit of trouble this afternoon and now I have to take care of Pevinca. Plus get the all chores done around the house." Pippin told him and continued. "Merry I was wondering if you could do me a small favor. I made my mother a flowerpot for spring festival from the clay by Buckland and I left it in the sun to dry. It means everything to me to surprise my mother. Could you fetch it for me, so I can paint it." Pippin asked.
"Yes, Pippin I would be glad to help you any way that I can, but you know it takes more than drying in the sun to make a pot. It needs to be heating in the fire to cure it. I would be happy to do that for you." Merry told him.
They said their good-byes as Merry got back on his pony and rode out back to Buckland.
Pippin got Pevinca back into the house and cleaned her up before his family returned.
~*~
Merry found the pot that Pippin had made and almost laughed out loud by the looks of it. Pippin thinned it out too much, both the sides fell into each other and the clay cracked as it dried in the sun. Merry felt bad for Pippin and all the hard work he put into making this for his mother. So he went back to Buckland and took one of the pots he had already cured when he helped his mother in making them. Merry's pots were not as fine as his mothers, but good enough for Pippin. He may even fool him in thinking this one was his pot that he made.
Merry got back on his pony and headed back to Tookland.
~*~
Pippin's eyes widen when Merry got off his pony and presented him with the flowerpot.
"Why Merry, it looks a lot better than it did when it was wet." Pippin held it up proudly as he looked it over. Merry just smiled back a Pippin.
"All I need to do now is paint it, but that would mean taking Pearl's paint set. There is no way she would ever let me barrow it. Since she is so busy in the kitchen with all the women folk, I can have it back in her bedroom before she would even miss it." He gave Merry a hug for helping him with the flowerpot.
Pearl loved her paint set she just got from her birthday months ago. Paladine had to go all the way to Bree to purchase them for her. Pearl was an accomplished artist and her paintings hung proudly in the halls of the Great Smail. Friends and family would also pose for her so she could paint their picture as well.
Pippin hid the flowerpot behind a rose bush so no one would spot it.
Pempernel came out to tell everyone it was suppertime. Everyone gathered around the Took table for their evening meal.
With Esmeralda's help in the kitchen, they had prepared all the pies. The only thing left to do was to bake them. After the evening meal while the adults sat in the kitchen visiting, Pippin and Merry went outside with Pippin's sisters. Pevinca pulled at her sweater and loosen a button. She stuck one into her mouth and chewed it. Merry took the button from her mouth, patted her tenderly on the top of her head. He re-buttoned her sweater. Merry found a flower in the garden and placed that in her hand. Pevinca giggled in glee at her gift from Merry. She twirled that in her fingers as she watched it.
Esmeralda came outside with the Tooks and said their good-byes. They thanked her for all of her help. Eglantine gave her the first pie that they baked to take home with her. There was still a stack of pies to be baked and she turned going back into the kitchen.
"I'll be seeing you at the Spring festival tomorrow, you are going aren't you?" Pippin asked.
"Why I would not miss it." Merry told him. He tied his pony to the carriage and drove his mother home.
Pippin sneaked back into the house and opened Pearl's bedroom door. He quickly found her paint set and tipped toed into his bedroom and placed the paint under his bed. He ran outside with his coat in his arms and headed towards the gardens to get the flowerpot. Draping his coat over the flowerpot and picking it up, he headed for his bedroom.
Eglantine, Pearl and Pimpernel were busy loading pies into the oven and taking the finished one out to cool. The kitchen smelt wonderful with all fresh pies they were making. Pevinca pulled all the pots and pans out from the cupboards. Paladine sat in his comfortable chair with his pipe between his teeth as he turned another page from a book that he was reading.
Pippin closed his bedroom door and with a sigh of relief that he made it to his bedroom without being discovered, leaned against his door for a moment. Suddenly his mother knocked on his bedroom door that he leaned against and Pippin jumped being so startled. The flowerpot slipped through his fingertips, but he caught it again in mid air. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he tucked the flowerpot under his bed and answered his door.
"Pippin will you play with Pevinca in your room, we need sometime to finish those pies." Eglantine asked.
"Yes, Mother, I will be happy to play with her." Pippin took her hand and led her into his room.
Eglantine put her finger to her brow, thinking that was somewhat odd. Pippin has always protested every time someone wanted to enter his bedroom. She was prepared to use her motherly influence to convince Pippin to watch Pevinca. She thought to herself, 'maybe I needed to check up on him to see what he was up.'
Pippin was glad that Pevinca could not speak, so he knew his secret would be safe. He looked at his sister with her crispy white apron and flowing green skirt of her dress that was just below her knees. His mother always kept her appearance as neatly as possible and he thought how wonderful she is from his other sisters. She lived in a world all to herself and she loved the movement from her own hands and finger. She would spend hours gazing at them. She delighted in every movement of them. Her vocalizations were always happy and somewhat musical rhythms. Such little things pleased her and she would never have to worry about worldly things, having the best dress to wear or who she would marry? Someone would always be watching over her all of her life. He loved Pevinca most of all. There were times he wished he could escape to her world. The presence of her life made those around her feel well grounded and made you realize that true happiness came from within and not from things around you.
Pippin took out the flowerpot and began painting it. He made the beautiful flowers of pink and red that his mother loved. The only thing left to do was to paint the dark green leaves at the bottom. When Pippin finished the last leaf, he heard his father's foot steps as he walked towards Pippin's bedroom door. He rushed and placed the flowerpot under his bed. Pippin stood when he heard his father lightly knocking on his door. Pippin opened the door and walked out into the hallway, shutting the door behind him.
"Pippin, I was just checking to see how Pevinca was doing." His father looking suspiciously at his son.
A crash was heard coming from Pippin's bedroom. Paladine and Pippin rushed in to see what had happen. Pevinca toppled the paint the he was using as she painted handprints all over Pippin's bedroom wall. Pevinca had paint dripping all over her crisp white apron and her hands were full of dark green paint.
Paladine's loud voiced could be heard throughout the house as he yelled at Pippin in his bedroom, which sent everyone rushing to see what has happened.