Part III
(4 years later)
Chapter 12 Farmer Maggot
A/N: I would have gotten this chapter up sooner but Fanfiction.net was down for the September 11th anniversary (when I typed it up).a very kind thing to do but annoying for site participants! Anyway.I really appreaciate all of your kind reviews as usual.I actually dreamt this chapter while I was napping after school today LOL. Again.please keep reading & reviewing!
A/N # 2: Thank you for pointing out my age mistake w/ the hobbits. See Chapter 5 for my explination. I'm not going to rewrite the note here.
One bright early spring afternoon Merry (17) and Pippin (9) bolted through the fields of produce belonging to Farmer Maggot. Merry held a head of lettuce and three carrots in his arms that he had lifted from one section of the field, and Pippin-because he was still quite small-carried a few mushrooms. Little Pip had come to visit Brandy Hall for two weeks while his mother and father went on Holiday to Michel Delving to visit some friends of theirs. Already Merry was showing the little hobbit the fine art of mischief making (right under his mother's and father's nose).
"Hurry up," Merry whispered as he heard Farmer Maggot's dogs barking and the old hobbit's shouts of:
"You little devils! Get back here.I'll 'ave you I swear to Elbreth."
They made it to the edge of the field, nearly running straight into an old scarecrow. "Blast!" Merry cried as he tripped and fell. Pippin knelt down and helped his elder cousin up.
"Merry-what is the point of stealing from Farmer Maggot when we both know he has dogs and will probably eventually sick them on us?"
Merry stood and brushed dirt from his breeches, also shaking it from his head of thick curly hair. "It wouldn't be any fun otherwise. You'll learn soon enough dear Pip. Now come on.let's get back home."
They picked up their "rewards" and headed back to Brandy Hall.
"Won't your Mum and Papa be angry when they see what we've got?" Pippin wanted to know, gazing longingly at his stolen mushrooms.
"Papa has a cold and Mama is upstairs taking care of him so no.they won't," Merry replied. "If neither of them were ill then I would hide this stuff in the shed behind the hall.nobody suspects." They headed through a field of multicolored flowers, and Pippin immediately felt an urge to roll around in them so he did, much to the amusement of his cousin. (Don't ask)
"Blimey, Pippin.what are you doing?" Merry laughed once Pippin turned and lay on his back, gazing up at the cloudless sky.
"I could live outside, Merry. I do love it so."
Merry sat down beside Pippin, taking in the fresh country air. "Come on, Pippin.we have to get back before supper or my parents will have my hide."
Pippin's lower lip trembled. "Awww.do we have to?"
Merry lifted Pippin into his arms, grabbing the strewed vegetables lying on the ground and without another word continued walking. When they reached Brandy Hall, Merry saw his father outside speaking with Rorimac.
"Papa?" Merry asked in surprise.
"Hello, Merry. Where did you and Pippin go off to?"
"What are you doing outside? Aren't you still sick?"
Saradoc glanced at Rorimac who chuckled. "The little lad's right, Saradoc. You still look a bit flushed to me.go on inside and rest and I'll take care of things out here."
"Now where did you boys get those fine looking vegetables?" The Master of Brandy Hall asked as he pulled a handkerchief from his trouser pocket.
"Where did we get them?" asked Merry with confusion. "Er.um."
"In a tree?" asked Pippin with a shrug. Saradoc sneezed loudly before turning back to his son.
"Answer me, Merry. Where did you get them?"
Merry looked like a dog with its tail between its legs as he looked down at his furry feet.
"Were you bothering old Farmer Maggot again?"
"Um.yes."
"Meriadoc Brandybuck. How many times have your mother and I told you that stealing from anyone is wrong?"
"At least three." Merry whimpered. "Am I in trouble, Papa?"
Saradoc sighed and folded his arms. "Not today, lad, as I'm not feeling very well. But remember for next time." He turned to Rorimac. "I think I am going to turn in for the night.my head feels as though it is about to explode."
Rorimac patted Saradoc's shoulder. "Go on, then." Saradoc walked back inside leaving the other three alone.
"So teaching the little one mischief early, eh?" asked Rorimac glancing at Pippin whom was now standing on the ground.
"Well." Merry stuttered. "I um."
"Hobbitlads." Rormiac chuckled. "Get on inside and wash up for supper now."
"Can we still keep the vegetables?" asked Pippin curiously.
"Put them in the shed." Rorimac replied with a sparkle in his eyes and the boys immediately hurried off.
Back inside, Saradoc lay down on the couch in the main parlor, covering himself in a thick, patchwork quilt. Esmerelda entered the room a few moments later with a tray filled with chamomile tea and chicken soup. "How are you feeling?" she asked, sitting beside him.
"A bit better. Ooh.what's this?" He struggled to sit up against the arm of the couch.
"Supper. Nothing too heavy, but we have to keep you filled up." She planted a kiss on his forehead. "You're warm."
"Not so bad," Saradoc promised as he broke into a fit of coughing.
"Mama?" Merry appeared in the doorway with Pippin at his heels.
"Boys! What are you doing here? Your father is trying to rest." Esmerelda snipped.
"We wanted to see how he was." Pippin spoke.
Saradoc smiled weakly. "I'll be just fine, lads. Go on and eat your supper now."
Merry hurried into the room and gave his father a hug, receiving one back. "Feeling left out?" Esmerelda teased Pippin as she enveloped the young hobbit into her arms. "Now go on and make sure you wash up before supper.goodness knows WHAT you two have gotten into today!"
Merry stared at his father who winked as he climbed down and headed out of the room. Before leaving Merry turned around and put a finger to his lips and Saradoc just smiled. Pippin did the same thing, which was so funny that Merry snorted with laughter and both of them rushed out.
"What was that all about?" asked Esmerelda. "Some kind of new signal?"
Saradoc chuckled. "Yes of course, Esme."
She rolled her eyes as she fluffed his pillows. "Now you sit back and eat this while I go and tend to the rest of the house."
"All right, then."
Esmerelda bustled out of the room, her lavender skirts swishing as she walked.
A/N: Uh oh.Saradoc has a cold! *evil grin* no one ever thought to make one of Frodo's Brandybuck or Took Aunts/Uncles ill have they? Hehehehehehehehe. I am so evil to our poor hobbits.but they are SO fun to torture! ;) Again I'll have this posted as soon as fanfiction.net is back up tomorrow. (Or at least we hope it will be!) Please R&R!
(4 years later)
Chapter 12 Farmer Maggot
A/N: I would have gotten this chapter up sooner but Fanfiction.net was down for the September 11th anniversary (when I typed it up).a very kind thing to do but annoying for site participants! Anyway.I really appreaciate all of your kind reviews as usual.I actually dreamt this chapter while I was napping after school today LOL. Again.please keep reading & reviewing!
A/N # 2: Thank you for pointing out my age mistake w/ the hobbits. See Chapter 5 for my explination. I'm not going to rewrite the note here.
One bright early spring afternoon Merry (17) and Pippin (9) bolted through the fields of produce belonging to Farmer Maggot. Merry held a head of lettuce and three carrots in his arms that he had lifted from one section of the field, and Pippin-because he was still quite small-carried a few mushrooms. Little Pip had come to visit Brandy Hall for two weeks while his mother and father went on Holiday to Michel Delving to visit some friends of theirs. Already Merry was showing the little hobbit the fine art of mischief making (right under his mother's and father's nose).
"Hurry up," Merry whispered as he heard Farmer Maggot's dogs barking and the old hobbit's shouts of:
"You little devils! Get back here.I'll 'ave you I swear to Elbreth."
They made it to the edge of the field, nearly running straight into an old scarecrow. "Blast!" Merry cried as he tripped and fell. Pippin knelt down and helped his elder cousin up.
"Merry-what is the point of stealing from Farmer Maggot when we both know he has dogs and will probably eventually sick them on us?"
Merry stood and brushed dirt from his breeches, also shaking it from his head of thick curly hair. "It wouldn't be any fun otherwise. You'll learn soon enough dear Pip. Now come on.let's get back home."
They picked up their "rewards" and headed back to Brandy Hall.
"Won't your Mum and Papa be angry when they see what we've got?" Pippin wanted to know, gazing longingly at his stolen mushrooms.
"Papa has a cold and Mama is upstairs taking care of him so no.they won't," Merry replied. "If neither of them were ill then I would hide this stuff in the shed behind the hall.nobody suspects." They headed through a field of multicolored flowers, and Pippin immediately felt an urge to roll around in them so he did, much to the amusement of his cousin. (Don't ask)
"Blimey, Pippin.what are you doing?" Merry laughed once Pippin turned and lay on his back, gazing up at the cloudless sky.
"I could live outside, Merry. I do love it so."
Merry sat down beside Pippin, taking in the fresh country air. "Come on, Pippin.we have to get back before supper or my parents will have my hide."
Pippin's lower lip trembled. "Awww.do we have to?"
Merry lifted Pippin into his arms, grabbing the strewed vegetables lying on the ground and without another word continued walking. When they reached Brandy Hall, Merry saw his father outside speaking with Rorimac.
"Papa?" Merry asked in surprise.
"Hello, Merry. Where did you and Pippin go off to?"
"What are you doing outside? Aren't you still sick?"
Saradoc glanced at Rorimac who chuckled. "The little lad's right, Saradoc. You still look a bit flushed to me.go on inside and rest and I'll take care of things out here."
"Now where did you boys get those fine looking vegetables?" The Master of Brandy Hall asked as he pulled a handkerchief from his trouser pocket.
"Where did we get them?" asked Merry with confusion. "Er.um."
"In a tree?" asked Pippin with a shrug. Saradoc sneezed loudly before turning back to his son.
"Answer me, Merry. Where did you get them?"
Merry looked like a dog with its tail between its legs as he looked down at his furry feet.
"Were you bothering old Farmer Maggot again?"
"Um.yes."
"Meriadoc Brandybuck. How many times have your mother and I told you that stealing from anyone is wrong?"
"At least three." Merry whimpered. "Am I in trouble, Papa?"
Saradoc sighed and folded his arms. "Not today, lad, as I'm not feeling very well. But remember for next time." He turned to Rorimac. "I think I am going to turn in for the night.my head feels as though it is about to explode."
Rorimac patted Saradoc's shoulder. "Go on, then." Saradoc walked back inside leaving the other three alone.
"So teaching the little one mischief early, eh?" asked Rorimac glancing at Pippin whom was now standing on the ground.
"Well." Merry stuttered. "I um."
"Hobbitlads." Rormiac chuckled. "Get on inside and wash up for supper now."
"Can we still keep the vegetables?" asked Pippin curiously.
"Put them in the shed." Rorimac replied with a sparkle in his eyes and the boys immediately hurried off.
Back inside, Saradoc lay down on the couch in the main parlor, covering himself in a thick, patchwork quilt. Esmerelda entered the room a few moments later with a tray filled with chamomile tea and chicken soup. "How are you feeling?" she asked, sitting beside him.
"A bit better. Ooh.what's this?" He struggled to sit up against the arm of the couch.
"Supper. Nothing too heavy, but we have to keep you filled up." She planted a kiss on his forehead. "You're warm."
"Not so bad," Saradoc promised as he broke into a fit of coughing.
"Mama?" Merry appeared in the doorway with Pippin at his heels.
"Boys! What are you doing here? Your father is trying to rest." Esmerelda snipped.
"We wanted to see how he was." Pippin spoke.
Saradoc smiled weakly. "I'll be just fine, lads. Go on and eat your supper now."
Merry hurried into the room and gave his father a hug, receiving one back. "Feeling left out?" Esmerelda teased Pippin as she enveloped the young hobbit into her arms. "Now go on and make sure you wash up before supper.goodness knows WHAT you two have gotten into today!"
Merry stared at his father who winked as he climbed down and headed out of the room. Before leaving Merry turned around and put a finger to his lips and Saradoc just smiled. Pippin did the same thing, which was so funny that Merry snorted with laughter and both of them rushed out.
"What was that all about?" asked Esmerelda. "Some kind of new signal?"
Saradoc chuckled. "Yes of course, Esme."
She rolled her eyes as she fluffed his pillows. "Now you sit back and eat this while I go and tend to the rest of the house."
"All right, then."
Esmerelda bustled out of the room, her lavender skirts swishing as she walked.
A/N: Uh oh.Saradoc has a cold! *evil grin* no one ever thought to make one of Frodo's Brandybuck or Took Aunts/Uncles ill have they? Hehehehehehehehe. I am so evil to our poor hobbits.but they are SO fun to torture! ;) Again I'll have this posted as soon as fanfiction.net is back up tomorrow. (Or at least we hope it will be!) Please R&R!
