Chapter 5
All in Favor

Merry had an uncanny sense when it came to hitting his target with about anything he was aiming at. Shooting marbles as a child, he would always walk away with more marbles then he started out with. Even at the horseshoe pits, the older hobbits knew better not to up their betting too much in fear of being parted with all of their coins. If Merry ever was in need of a fast coin to put in his pocket, he could count on the horseshoe pit.

However, Merry had never tossed the rings before and Hamson was the leading expert of rope. That hobbit could lasso any moving target and rarely miss his mark. Everyone wanted to see a Brandybuck getting wiped by a Gamgee.

Merry was first up, since Hamson already shown his talent with the rope rings. They were each given five rings a piece. "Best out of five wins." Merry smiled as he took his first ring. He aimed and tossed his ring and it spun round the lip of a bottle of wine, only to slip from its mark falling off to the side of the bottle. The crowd awed at the missed target and a smile cut across their lips. "Hamson will be a tak'n the coins 'is day, I'll wager." Old man Bolger said.

Hamson was up next and with a flick of his wrist, hit his target dead center of the bottles. The crowd cheered for their favorite. Hamson turned and gave Merry a knowing smile, "Now that's how 'is done, my laddy!"

Merry just brushed pass him, taking his ring and prepared to give it a toss. All eyes were on Merry to see if he would make his second toss. Merry flicked his wrist and the ring flew threw the air and landed dead center on the neck of a wine bottle, making its mark. Merry turned to Hamson, "You mean just like that, old fellow?" Merry taunted him.

Hamson approached the table taking his second ring and tossed it hitting the far end of the stack of wine bottles, making his mark. The crowd of hobbits looked at each other thinking this was going to be the easiest bet they have every made.

"Oh, that was a close one." Merry walked up taking his third turn and he too hit his target, but he was still down by one.

Hamson took his time and looked over the position of the bottles. His eyes aiming the distance he would toss his ring. With a fast flick, his ring sailed hitting the neck of a wine bottle and bounced off, landing on the next bottle making his target. The crowd almost wiped the sweat off their brow as they thought he had missed his shot. Merry feeling the pressure as he held his fourth ring in his hand. 'Come on Merry you cannot miss,' he said to himself. He flicked his wrist and watched in anticipation as his ring landed directly on the neck of a wine bottle. Merry gave a sigh of relief, but not letting Hamson know he was worried about it in the slightest bit. "Well what do you think of that one Hammy, another ringer." Merry teased him.

Hamson gave Merry a cocky smile taking his fourth ring and thinking this was too easy. He tossed his ring and watched it hit a wine bottle only to spin around the tip of the wine bottle, then falling off. He had missed his shot. The crowd awed again and moved in closer. They fell completely silent when Merry walked up to take his ring. Merry eyed the bottle closely and the distance he would toss his ring. Taking his time and with nerves of steel he tossed his fifth ring, knowing if he made it, they would be tied. Merry's aim was perfect nailing the center wine bottle. "Just as easy as that!" Merry smiled at him.

The crowd grew silent and tense as they watched Hamson picking up his last ring. Their anticipation grew with each second that ticked away.

Hamson's hand shook a bit as he began to feel the pressure. He could only hope that he would tie Merry. He took his time, eyeing his target and aiming for it with eyes of steel. He flicked his wrist letting go of the ring. It flew through the air and smacked directly into the wine bottle, bounced off skidding across the very tips of the row of wine bottles and sliding off onto the floor.

The crowd screamed in disappointment, knowing they had lost their coins again to the wayward Brandybuck lad. Hamson cringed to turn around and face Merry and seeing that smug look in his eyes being victorious over him. He would not likely live this one down.

Pippin screamed and grabbed Merry almost picking him up from the ground. "Ya did it again, Merry!" Pippin said as he admired his cousin all the more.

Merry walked over to Hamson and shook his hand, "Better luck next time, laddy!" Merry commented to him.

Pearl placed her hand in the crook of Hamson's arm, stuck her tongue out at Merry and said, "What of it Merry? My dear Hamson's does not have to prove nothing to the likes of you. He is still my hero." Pearl raised her nose in the air with her new paint set securely under her other arm and strutted off with her hobbit man. The crowd all went their own way.

Pippin patted Merry shoulder as he returned to his side. "So now that we got all these coins in our pocket, What shall with do next?" Pippin paused a moment and continued, "And by the way, I'll be taking my coins back for the bread." He smiled laughingly at his cousin.

Merry messed up Pippin's hair with a knowingly smile on his face. "I have to get a candy stick for a fair little lady that I have an eye for." He walked over to the candy booth, making his way pass all the hobbit children that were gathered around this booth.

"Who is it, Merry, tell me? Which gal has caught your eye?" Pippin questioned him wanting to know immediately who this hobbit girl was.

Merry threw a couple of coins to the women who tended the candy booth, turned and told Pippin, "Why just follow me and I'll show you."

Merry suddenly spied the old bread women, who was now eyeballing Merry very suspiciously. He walked over to her to and tossed her a enough coins from his pocket that would of paid for three loaves of bread. Merry told her, "That was the best bread that I have eaten. These coins are for you." Merry said with a twinkle in his eye and a sly bit of smile on his lips.

"Why, Meridoc Brandybuck, you're a rascal and that's for sure, but a good one if ya know my meaning." The old women laughed as she put the coins in her pocket.

Merry turned around when he heard a loud voice jabbering away making no sense out of the words that he heard. Pevinca and Elgantine were walking down the row of booths heading in their direction. Merry walked over to Pevinca and bent down to one knee and presented her with a candy stick. "Here's the candy stick I was promising you, my sweet young lady." Merry gave her a wink. Pevinca giggled with glee and touched Merry's face with her small hand and quickly stuck the candy stick in her mouth.

Pippin rolled his eyes, "I should of known it was not some gal you fancied, but rather Pevinca. Anyway Merry, that was sure nice of you to do that for her."

Eglantine also thanked Merry for his gift for her daughter. She turned to Pippin and said, "Now remember Pippin, you are not to be eating anything. You have to save yourself for the pie eating contest, it will be coming up right after noon luncheon."

"I have only ate a bit of a chunk of bread with Merry." Pippin told her.

"Merry are you joining the eating contest?" Eglantine asked.

"No, that is one thing I am not good at, Mrs. Took. I will leave that to Pippin here, I know he will win it for us." Merry smiled as he told Eglantine.

"We'll be seeing you there then, I will be pulling for you, Peregrin." His mother pinched his cheek sweetly.
"It is time then for glass of ale." Merry put his arm roughly around Pippin's neck.

"Yuk, how can you drink that stuff, Merry?" Pippin asked.

"Don't worry Pip, in a few years you'll be loving it, just like me." Merry smiled warmly at his cousin.

~*~
Pippin could see the Took's and The Brandybuck's lining up to get their noon luncheon. He stomach suddenly began to rumble. He did not know if he could hold out any longer for the pie-eating contest.
Pippin almost stole Merry's bacon from his plate as he was washing down the tomato he just ate with a swallow of ale. Merry caught Pippin motioning his hands towards his plate. He quickly moved it away. "Now Pippin, you can wait just a few more minutes, it will not be long until your stomach will be bursting from all the pies you will be eating." Merry laughed seeing his cousin so uncomfortable. "Besides, look at Fatty Bolger over there. He is saving himself from eating any luncheon. Your not going to allow a Bolger beating a Took, are ya, Pip?"

Pippin nodded his head, but he was still hungry.
He did not have to wait too much long, when Paladin was called over to the pie eating booth and they began setting up the tables and placing stacks of pie for the contestants. Only four brave hobbits entered this year contest. Fatty Bolger has won this event every single year and taken home the top prize during the festival. All sorts of bets were placed, but mostly all favored Fatty. When he put his mind to it, that hobbit could eat.

Carl Cotton, better known as Nibs, was the first to sit in the middle section of the long table. Joining him was Doderic Bracegirdle. Pippin and Fatty Bolger sat at each end of the table. Fatty Bolger was the oldest contestant and Pippin was the youngest. Last year contest, Fatty Bolger won after completely eating the fifth pie. Merry, knowing Pippin's stubbornness, made the only bet waged towards him.
Paladin gave the "Go" and the contestants started shoving and swallowing as much pie that would fit into their mouths. The hobbit hollered and hooted watching the contestants coming up for air, only to have their face caked in blueberry pie filling and running down their cheeks. Fatty Bolger was the first to finish the first pie and to head for his second. Merry screamed at Pippin at the top of his voice for him to swallow faster.

Pippin sucked and slurped the remaining first pie and finished it within seconds from Fatty Bolger. Taking his second pie and this time holding it up to his face with one hand and with the other, began shoving it in his mouth as fast as he could go. The only thing you could see over Pippin's pie pan, was his head bobbing up and down from each bit and swallowing of his second pie. Pippin finished his second and was now in the lead over Fatty. The crowd all screamed for Fatty to hurry. This time Pippin pulled the entire third pie from it's pan and carefully cupped his hands round it. He took giant bites as the filling ran down in between his fingers and down his arm, falling into the cuffs of his sleeves.

Doderic Bracegirdle, pulled himself from the table, holding his stomach and claiming defeat, he could not take another bite. Fatty placed his second pie pan down and picked-up his third. With two rapidly speeding hands shoved more pie into his mouth than was hobbitly possible, closing in on Pippin's gain.

Carl Cotton pulled away from the table as his finished his second pie and could not take another bite. He too was defeated. Only Pippin and Fatty were battling it out, neck to neck.

Pippin picked up his fourth pie and his eyes almost popped out from his head being so full. He looked towards the side to see how Fatty was doing. Fatty kept his rapid pace of shoving pie into his mouth. "Come on Pippin you can do it!" Merry screamed, "Faster now, faster!"

Pippin, now copying Fatty's fast moving hands, began shoveling the pie into his mouth. They both reached for their fifth pie at the same time. Pippin paused for just a moment, letting out the loudest burp that was ever heard in all of the shire and some of the on looker who stood too close to the table now backed up some, just in case.

Fatty Bolger looked very uncomfortable as his hands now moved a bit slower and the swallowing of the pie was getting harder to put down. The crowds began screaming at the top of their voices for Fatty to hurray. Pippin smiled knowing he now had enough room to add the fifth pie down, gulped and swallowed beating Fatty Bolger by a good three mouthfuls.

Pippin stood from the table victorious over Fatty Bolger. His stomach now bulging and hard as a rock. Pippin was almost the color of purple, except for a small patch on this forehead and on top of his hair. Blueberries covered his entire face, neck and chest. His hands and arms, up to his elbows dripped with pie filling. It was caked thick to the sides of his hair. Even his lap to his knees had pie filling on them. The crowd of hobbits roared with laughter seeing the two standing there covered with pie.

Merry ran up to Pippin wanting to hug his cousin for finally beating Fatty Bolger, but Pippin held his hands up to keep Merry from touching him. Merry was more than happy to comply with his wishes.

"I am never going to eat ever again!" Pippin told Merry as he held his stomach groaning.

Merry laughed patting Pippin on his back as Pippin let out another large burp.