October 3002 SR - A Party of Special Magnificence!
The party was named Hundred-weight feast, and Frodo had prepared enough
food to last several days for the expected group of twenty people. He
invited his dear friends the Gamgees, and an array of Hobbiton families and
friends and some that had come from outside of Hobbiton, such as Merry and
Pippin and their families. The table was set and the presents set out,
neatly wrapped and labelled. It was Hobbit custom to give presents on ones
birthday, and receive presents when attending others' birthdays.
The first to arrive were of course the Gamgees, all eight of them,
including the Gaffer, Sam, and of course the radiant May Gamgee. Frodo
welcomed all of his guests on the threshold of Bag End, each passing them
the gift he had for them. The last such Gamgee to pass through his door was
May, and she curtsied to him politely, blushing slightly. He handed her his
gift and she took it softly, gazing up at his eyes and smiling. For a
moment Frodo wondered what could possibly be going through that clever head
of May's, and also what beautiful treasures she had found since their last
meeting, if she had dared venture out as she had done so before. And then
she glided into Bag Eng, marvelling at all the decorations and furnishings
in the many rooms of the grand house.
Later on in the afternoon, after afternoon tea, a band began playing; 6 young hobbits with their banjos and flutes and strings sat by the fireplace and began to play merry tunes. Frodo leapt up, took the hand of the nearest hobbit-maiden and began to dance. That nearest hobbit-maiden just happened to be May Gamgee! They danced together around the room and many hobbits jumped up and followed them, cheering and clicking their heels to toe and jiggling jovially to the music. Frodo was quite enjoying himself with May, when the music changed. The tune was one that they all knew well, it was the hopping dance, and it was time for Frodo to part with May and dance with someone else, and then change again and again as he skipped round the room. Every now and again he would catch May's eyes. When the song finished and the band had had enough for the time being, Frodo and May had just finished dancing too. May gazed up at Frodo for a moment. "Happy Birthday, Mr. Frodo," she cried and kissed him on the cheek, before running off to join her friends by the supper table. Frodo took a moment to register what May had done, and when he realised she'd kissed him, his hand went up to his cheek to touch the place where her lips had been. "You alright there Frodo?" Merry said, slapping Frodo on the back. Frodo blinked up at his friend. "Quite!" He murmured. "I saw you dancing with young May there. Quite the lady I must say, and a good choice for a hobbit-lass if I may say so myself." He grinned vivaciously. Frodo stared at him. "Whatever do you mean, Merry?" Merry simply chuckled at Frodo, took a gulp from his beer mug, then went off to chat to some young hobbit-lads in the hallway.
It was not customary for adult hobbits to court other hobbits under the age of 33, and since May was only 29, Frodo would have to wait a few years before he could customarily ask May to be his hobbit-lass. Yet he did not mention his thoughts on this with any of his close friends, for he felt that under the circumstances poor May didn't deserve to be known as 'the cracked-hobbit-at-Bag-End's' hobbit-lass. She was much too sensible and wise, and her reputation was that of a quiet sort with little associations around Hobbiton. Therefore, Frodo made no move on her for quite some time, though from a distance he observed her as she matured into a finer, more beautiful hobbit-lass than any other in the Shire. And soon she was also the apple of many a hobbit-lads eyes.
Later on in the afternoon, after afternoon tea, a band began playing; 6 young hobbits with their banjos and flutes and strings sat by the fireplace and began to play merry tunes. Frodo leapt up, took the hand of the nearest hobbit-maiden and began to dance. That nearest hobbit-maiden just happened to be May Gamgee! They danced together around the room and many hobbits jumped up and followed them, cheering and clicking their heels to toe and jiggling jovially to the music. Frodo was quite enjoying himself with May, when the music changed. The tune was one that they all knew well, it was the hopping dance, and it was time for Frodo to part with May and dance with someone else, and then change again and again as he skipped round the room. Every now and again he would catch May's eyes. When the song finished and the band had had enough for the time being, Frodo and May had just finished dancing too. May gazed up at Frodo for a moment. "Happy Birthday, Mr. Frodo," she cried and kissed him on the cheek, before running off to join her friends by the supper table. Frodo took a moment to register what May had done, and when he realised she'd kissed him, his hand went up to his cheek to touch the place where her lips had been. "You alright there Frodo?" Merry said, slapping Frodo on the back. Frodo blinked up at his friend. "Quite!" He murmured. "I saw you dancing with young May there. Quite the lady I must say, and a good choice for a hobbit-lass if I may say so myself." He grinned vivaciously. Frodo stared at him. "Whatever do you mean, Merry?" Merry simply chuckled at Frodo, took a gulp from his beer mug, then went off to chat to some young hobbit-lads in the hallway.
It was not customary for adult hobbits to court other hobbits under the age of 33, and since May was only 29, Frodo would have to wait a few years before he could customarily ask May to be his hobbit-lass. Yet he did not mention his thoughts on this with any of his close friends, for he felt that under the circumstances poor May didn't deserve to be known as 'the cracked-hobbit-at-Bag-End's' hobbit-lass. She was much too sensible and wise, and her reputation was that of a quiet sort with little associations around Hobbiton. Therefore, Frodo made no move on her for quite some time, though from a distance he observed her as she matured into a finer, more beautiful hobbit-lass than any other in the Shire. And soon she was also the apple of many a hobbit-lads eyes.
