Chapter 4
With a Toss of a Ring
"Pipinn! What is wrong with you? You know better than this! Look what you have done to Pevinca!" Paladine yelled in a very loud booming voice.
"What has happened Paladine?" Eglantine asked as she entered Pippin's bedroom.
"My paints! How could you Pippin? You know not to touch my paints and now they are ruined!" Pearl began crying as she saw all of paints spilled on the floor and she ran out of Pippin's bedroom and into her room.
Pevinca burst out crying and Eglantine picked her up in her arms, rushing her out of Pippin's bedroom. She headed into the kitchen to clean her up.
Pimpernel looked at her brother and shook her head and she walked out of Pippin's bedroom.
Paladine stood in front of Pippin with his arms crossed and his face as red as an apple. His glare bore holes directly through Pippin. "What do you have to say for yourself?" Paladine asked.
"I did not know this was going to happen, I did not mean for this to happen." Pipinn stammered. "I needed just a small amount of paint, I was going to put it away just as soon as I was finished with them. I am sorry father, really I am." Pippin looked down towards his feet.
"Evidentially you have too much time on your hands. I think a day of manly work will quench your thirst for trouble. You have to go to the festival tomorrow, if I could find someone to stay here at home with you, I would never allow you to attend, but this is a family affair for all hobbits, I see no way around it. However, just as soon as the festival is over with, you will begin your duties of cutting logs and make firewood for the stoves and then the stables need to be cleaned out. You are not to leave your room until someone tells you to. I want you to think about what he have done and see the errors of you ways. You will also repay Pearl for her lost paints, all your allowance will go to her until she is paid back in full. You will apologize to her. You will never and I mean never take things that do not belong to you. I think we understand each other, isn't that right!" Paladine lectured his son.
"Yes father, I understand, I will do better!" Pippin said sadly.
Paladine turned and shut the door to his son's bedroom. Paladine's shook his head as he worried about his son. He could not imagine why Pippin all of sudden was acting up so badly. He planned on having a long talk with his son after the festival.
Pipinn lay on his bed in frustration. He pulled the flowerpot from underneath his bed and looked at it. This gift was the hardest thing that he had ever done, even though making it caused so many problems for him, he knew seeing his mother having a gift that she really wanted would be well worth all it took to getting it done. Maybe they would understand someday.
He closed his eyes and went to sleep.
~*~
The next morning the Smial was in a buzz as everyone rushed about in getting ready for the day of the spring festival. Eglantine was the last one to sleep last night and the first one to raise with the morning sun. She was exhausted as she baked the pies and washed all the pans until well into the evening hours. Her back ached and strained from yesterday's activities of cleaning and cooking. Paladine loaded the pies into trucks to be taken to the festival. He placed Eglantine's shawl over her shoulder, lifting her chin and placed a kiss on her lips. "You are one fine women, Mrs. Took!" Paladine said and gave his wife a hug.
Pippin Knocked on Pearls bedroom door and she glared at him in her anger. Pippin cleaned her paints and put want was left neatly into her paint box. "I am so sorry Pearl that I took these without your permission. I promise I will never do that again. I will see to it that I have replaced all those that have been spilt." Pippin looked towards the floor. Pearl took the paints out of his hands and slammed the door in this face. Pippin flinched closed directly in front of his nose. He returned to his bedroom.
Pippin wrapped his flowerpot in a floral cloth and tied a string to hold the ends tight. He climbed into the carriage placing the gift at his feet. He sat quietly in the carriage. Pearl glared at him, and turned away to look out her window. Pevinca was more than happy to sit next to Pippin and rocked back and forth in her seat. She even made Pippin smile at her loud vocalization she would make.
It was a very warm day and the sun brightly shown against a clear blue sky. The gentle breeze was welcomed to all the hobbits who gathered at the party tree to begin the activities of the spring festival. There were many tables set up packed full of bakery goods and craft items. There were booths of activities and prizes to be won. The pie eating contest was going to be the biggest event at the spring festival. Everyone was betting that Fatty Bolger would walk away with the prize pig.
When the carriage had stopped in Hobbiton and Paladine open the door to help his family out. Eglantine placed her arm around Pippin and gave him a warm hug and kissed the top of his head. "It is going to be a beautiful day for the festival and I hope you are hungry enough to win Farmer Maggot's best pig this year!" Eglantine smiled at her son.
"I sure am going to give it my best, but going against Fatty Bolger is going to be a challenge." Pippin teased.
"Pippin, I love you, I know how hard you try. This may be the year you will beat him." Eglantine told her son warmly.
Pippin looked up into his mother's eyes and told her, "I love you too, Mother."
"Off with you now! I am sure you got some friends who will be looking forward to seeing you." Eglantine told him.
Pippin placed his gift next to his sister's at their picnic area, where Paladine was setting up the chairs around his table. Couple of the hobbit men came over to help unload the trunks of pies. Everyone marveled at how wonderful they looked. It was going to be a full day of fun for all the hobbits.
Esmeralda and Saradoc had the picnic area next to the Tooks. Elgantine waved at Esmeralda, as she joined her on her blanket with Pevinca on her lap. Paladine greeted Saradoc and shook his hand.
Pearl and her sister walked up and down the row of booths and greeted the other girls they meet there. Pearl noticed at the ring toss booth, that the big prize was a paint set that was bigger than her old one. Pearl counted her coins to see if she had enough to try and win it.
Pearl threw the first ring and missed. She tried again and again, but failed each time. Pearl almost cried with the failed efforts and the lost of her coins. Hamson Gamgee walked by and noticed Pearl was fretful as she looked longingly at the paint set she wanted so badly.
"Could I assist you in some way, my dear? Hamson greeted her with a warm smile. Hamson was Sam's older brother. He was a bit taller than Sam and had curly, dark blonde hair. He had broad shoulders and which tapered down to a thin waist. Hamson was fair to look upon with his light brown eyes. He had an eye for Pearl.
"Oh Hamson, I have tried so hard to win that beautiful paint set, but I am afraid I am just not strong enough to toss those heavy rings." She batted her eyes endearingly towards Hamson, which melted his heart. He was ten years older than Pearl, but he had kept his eye on her all the years growing up in the Shire. He would continue to wait until she reached the coming of age to ask her what was in his heart. Pearl was a beautiful hobbit with long curly brown hair that she kept tied up neatly. Her soft brown eyes gave a false pretense to her stubborn nature that was so much a part of the Took heritage and she could be quick tempered if the mood suited her. Hamson could only see the wonderful side of Pearl, which filled his heart whenever she was near. Hamson put his coins on the table and began tossing rings to win for his lady fair. Tossing rope was something that he considered himself an expert, being in the rope business with his uncle.
Pimpernel joined a group of girls and giggled at the boys they thought were the cutest.
Pippin walked pass the booths loaded with all typed of activities and food items to eat. There were craft items everywhere and hobbits were lined up looking and purchasing items they found interesting. He must be some where in the crowd. His eyes darted from side to side as he walked rapidly through the crowd. Pippin wished he were taller so he could see over the heads of all the hobbits. Pippin began to turn the make shift corner of the booths and headed toward the bakery booths with hobbit women selling their best breads and cakes. With a whoosh, Pippin was knocked down to the ground. He sat there for a moment to catch his breath and looked up to see what had hit him. There sat Merry all sprawled out on his backside supporting and large loaf of fresh bread. Shaking his head, Merry smiled seeing Pippin next to him sitting on the ground. "Pippin, just who I was looking for!" Merry said.
Suddenly there was a large, wide hobbit women standing above them with her arms crossed looking angrily at Merry. Merry tossed the large loaf of bread and it landed neatly into Pippins hands. Pippin looked up to see the red faced angry, old hobbit women glaring at him, he tossed the loaf of bread back at Merry who caught it in his arms. She snarled at Merry. Merry tossed it back to Pippin, who immediately tossed it back to Merry. "Pippin will you just pay the nice lady for her bread?" Merry smiled up at his cousin.
Pippin looked shocked at Merry, but not wanting to get into more trouble than he was already in, stood up and placed his hands into his pocket and pulled the last of his coins to purchase the bread for Merry.
The hobbit women took the coins and checked to make sure they were real, placed them into her pocket and walked away in a huff.
Pippin helped Merry to his feet. "You're a good friend and cousin, Pip!" Merry patted his back as he stood in front of him.
"You could have gotten me into more trouble than I already am, cousin. If I did not have the coins in my pocket." Pippin told him.
"Don't be worrying your head off there, Pip. I'll be paying you back for the missing coins, you can always trust me." Merry told him as he tore the loaf of bread in half handing one to Pippin. Pippin shook his head towards his wayward cousin and began laughing at all the antics his cousin always found himself in. Merry could have easily paid for the items he snatched, but it was more of a prank to see how much he could get away with. It was all that Brandybuck and Took blood coursing through his veins. What Merry loved the most, was living life on the edge. Pippin understood this about Merry and admired him more so for it. Merry kept life at the Shire fun and exciting.
Merry and Pippin walked down the line of booths trying to decide which one they're going to test their skills on. Pippin looked up in shock, seeing Pearl wrapping her arms around Hamson and placing a kiss on is lips in front of everyone. She was squealing like a child in a candy store, jumping up and down in her excitement.
Pippin and Merry joined the crowd of hobbits as they all gathered around Pearl and Hamson. Hamson did not miss one ring as he tossed a perfect score hitting his mark to win the large paint set for Pearl. Everyone applauded Hamson's skill.
Even though Hamson was seventeen years older than Merry, Merry decided to challenge him to another tossing of the rings. Merry was not about to let a Gamgee beat a Brandybuck. The hobbits placed their bets all favoring Hamson. Pippin was keeping count of the betting. Pippin smiled saying to himself, 'Here we go again!'
With a Toss of a Ring
"Pipinn! What is wrong with you? You know better than this! Look what you have done to Pevinca!" Paladine yelled in a very loud booming voice.
"What has happened Paladine?" Eglantine asked as she entered Pippin's bedroom.
"My paints! How could you Pippin? You know not to touch my paints and now they are ruined!" Pearl began crying as she saw all of paints spilled on the floor and she ran out of Pippin's bedroom and into her room.
Pevinca burst out crying and Eglantine picked her up in her arms, rushing her out of Pippin's bedroom. She headed into the kitchen to clean her up.
Pimpernel looked at her brother and shook her head and she walked out of Pippin's bedroom.
Paladine stood in front of Pippin with his arms crossed and his face as red as an apple. His glare bore holes directly through Pippin. "What do you have to say for yourself?" Paladine asked.
"I did not know this was going to happen, I did not mean for this to happen." Pipinn stammered. "I needed just a small amount of paint, I was going to put it away just as soon as I was finished with them. I am sorry father, really I am." Pippin looked down towards his feet.
"Evidentially you have too much time on your hands. I think a day of manly work will quench your thirst for trouble. You have to go to the festival tomorrow, if I could find someone to stay here at home with you, I would never allow you to attend, but this is a family affair for all hobbits, I see no way around it. However, just as soon as the festival is over with, you will begin your duties of cutting logs and make firewood for the stoves and then the stables need to be cleaned out. You are not to leave your room until someone tells you to. I want you to think about what he have done and see the errors of you ways. You will also repay Pearl for her lost paints, all your allowance will go to her until she is paid back in full. You will apologize to her. You will never and I mean never take things that do not belong to you. I think we understand each other, isn't that right!" Paladine lectured his son.
"Yes father, I understand, I will do better!" Pippin said sadly.
Paladine turned and shut the door to his son's bedroom. Paladine's shook his head as he worried about his son. He could not imagine why Pippin all of sudden was acting up so badly. He planned on having a long talk with his son after the festival.
Pipinn lay on his bed in frustration. He pulled the flowerpot from underneath his bed and looked at it. This gift was the hardest thing that he had ever done, even though making it caused so many problems for him, he knew seeing his mother having a gift that she really wanted would be well worth all it took to getting it done. Maybe they would understand someday.
He closed his eyes and went to sleep.
~*~
The next morning the Smial was in a buzz as everyone rushed about in getting ready for the day of the spring festival. Eglantine was the last one to sleep last night and the first one to raise with the morning sun. She was exhausted as she baked the pies and washed all the pans until well into the evening hours. Her back ached and strained from yesterday's activities of cleaning and cooking. Paladine loaded the pies into trucks to be taken to the festival. He placed Eglantine's shawl over her shoulder, lifting her chin and placed a kiss on her lips. "You are one fine women, Mrs. Took!" Paladine said and gave his wife a hug.
Pippin Knocked on Pearls bedroom door and she glared at him in her anger. Pippin cleaned her paints and put want was left neatly into her paint box. "I am so sorry Pearl that I took these without your permission. I promise I will never do that again. I will see to it that I have replaced all those that have been spilt." Pippin looked towards the floor. Pearl took the paints out of his hands and slammed the door in this face. Pippin flinched closed directly in front of his nose. He returned to his bedroom.
Pippin wrapped his flowerpot in a floral cloth and tied a string to hold the ends tight. He climbed into the carriage placing the gift at his feet. He sat quietly in the carriage. Pearl glared at him, and turned away to look out her window. Pevinca was more than happy to sit next to Pippin and rocked back and forth in her seat. She even made Pippin smile at her loud vocalization she would make.
It was a very warm day and the sun brightly shown against a clear blue sky. The gentle breeze was welcomed to all the hobbits who gathered at the party tree to begin the activities of the spring festival. There were many tables set up packed full of bakery goods and craft items. There were booths of activities and prizes to be won. The pie eating contest was going to be the biggest event at the spring festival. Everyone was betting that Fatty Bolger would walk away with the prize pig.
When the carriage had stopped in Hobbiton and Paladine open the door to help his family out. Eglantine placed her arm around Pippin and gave him a warm hug and kissed the top of his head. "It is going to be a beautiful day for the festival and I hope you are hungry enough to win Farmer Maggot's best pig this year!" Eglantine smiled at her son.
"I sure am going to give it my best, but going against Fatty Bolger is going to be a challenge." Pippin teased.
"Pippin, I love you, I know how hard you try. This may be the year you will beat him." Eglantine told her son warmly.
Pippin looked up into his mother's eyes and told her, "I love you too, Mother."
"Off with you now! I am sure you got some friends who will be looking forward to seeing you." Eglantine told him.
Pippin placed his gift next to his sister's at their picnic area, where Paladine was setting up the chairs around his table. Couple of the hobbit men came over to help unload the trunks of pies. Everyone marveled at how wonderful they looked. It was going to be a full day of fun for all the hobbits.
Esmeralda and Saradoc had the picnic area next to the Tooks. Elgantine waved at Esmeralda, as she joined her on her blanket with Pevinca on her lap. Paladine greeted Saradoc and shook his hand.
Pearl and her sister walked up and down the row of booths and greeted the other girls they meet there. Pearl noticed at the ring toss booth, that the big prize was a paint set that was bigger than her old one. Pearl counted her coins to see if she had enough to try and win it.
Pearl threw the first ring and missed. She tried again and again, but failed each time. Pearl almost cried with the failed efforts and the lost of her coins. Hamson Gamgee walked by and noticed Pearl was fretful as she looked longingly at the paint set she wanted so badly.
"Could I assist you in some way, my dear? Hamson greeted her with a warm smile. Hamson was Sam's older brother. He was a bit taller than Sam and had curly, dark blonde hair. He had broad shoulders and which tapered down to a thin waist. Hamson was fair to look upon with his light brown eyes. He had an eye for Pearl.
"Oh Hamson, I have tried so hard to win that beautiful paint set, but I am afraid I am just not strong enough to toss those heavy rings." She batted her eyes endearingly towards Hamson, which melted his heart. He was ten years older than Pearl, but he had kept his eye on her all the years growing up in the Shire. He would continue to wait until she reached the coming of age to ask her what was in his heart. Pearl was a beautiful hobbit with long curly brown hair that she kept tied up neatly. Her soft brown eyes gave a false pretense to her stubborn nature that was so much a part of the Took heritage and she could be quick tempered if the mood suited her. Hamson could only see the wonderful side of Pearl, which filled his heart whenever she was near. Hamson put his coins on the table and began tossing rings to win for his lady fair. Tossing rope was something that he considered himself an expert, being in the rope business with his uncle.
Pimpernel joined a group of girls and giggled at the boys they thought were the cutest.
Pippin walked pass the booths loaded with all typed of activities and food items to eat. There were craft items everywhere and hobbits were lined up looking and purchasing items they found interesting. He must be some where in the crowd. His eyes darted from side to side as he walked rapidly through the crowd. Pippin wished he were taller so he could see over the heads of all the hobbits. Pippin began to turn the make shift corner of the booths and headed toward the bakery booths with hobbit women selling their best breads and cakes. With a whoosh, Pippin was knocked down to the ground. He sat there for a moment to catch his breath and looked up to see what had hit him. There sat Merry all sprawled out on his backside supporting and large loaf of fresh bread. Shaking his head, Merry smiled seeing Pippin next to him sitting on the ground. "Pippin, just who I was looking for!" Merry said.
Suddenly there was a large, wide hobbit women standing above them with her arms crossed looking angrily at Merry. Merry tossed the large loaf of bread and it landed neatly into Pippins hands. Pippin looked up to see the red faced angry, old hobbit women glaring at him, he tossed the loaf of bread back at Merry who caught it in his arms. She snarled at Merry. Merry tossed it back to Pippin, who immediately tossed it back to Merry. "Pippin will you just pay the nice lady for her bread?" Merry smiled up at his cousin.
Pippin looked shocked at Merry, but not wanting to get into more trouble than he was already in, stood up and placed his hands into his pocket and pulled the last of his coins to purchase the bread for Merry.
The hobbit women took the coins and checked to make sure they were real, placed them into her pocket and walked away in a huff.
Pippin helped Merry to his feet. "You're a good friend and cousin, Pip!" Merry patted his back as he stood in front of him.
"You could have gotten me into more trouble than I already am, cousin. If I did not have the coins in my pocket." Pippin told him.
"Don't be worrying your head off there, Pip. I'll be paying you back for the missing coins, you can always trust me." Merry told him as he tore the loaf of bread in half handing one to Pippin. Pippin shook his head towards his wayward cousin and began laughing at all the antics his cousin always found himself in. Merry could have easily paid for the items he snatched, but it was more of a prank to see how much he could get away with. It was all that Brandybuck and Took blood coursing through his veins. What Merry loved the most, was living life on the edge. Pippin understood this about Merry and admired him more so for it. Merry kept life at the Shire fun and exciting.
Merry and Pippin walked down the line of booths trying to decide which one they're going to test their skills on. Pippin looked up in shock, seeing Pearl wrapping her arms around Hamson and placing a kiss on is lips in front of everyone. She was squealing like a child in a candy store, jumping up and down in her excitement.
Pippin and Merry joined the crowd of hobbits as they all gathered around Pearl and Hamson. Hamson did not miss one ring as he tossed a perfect score hitting his mark to win the large paint set for Pearl. Everyone applauded Hamson's skill.
Even though Hamson was seventeen years older than Merry, Merry decided to challenge him to another tossing of the rings. Merry was not about to let a Gamgee beat a Brandybuck. The hobbits placed their bets all favoring Hamson. Pippin was keeping count of the betting. Pippin smiled saying to himself, 'Here we go again!'