Chapter 23 The Man in the Moon came down too soon

The hike was wonderful. Frodo took his cousins all over Tuckburrough, pleased that they had no trouble at all keeping up with his quick stride. Eventually they all settled down to eat their lunch and were grateful, for they were famished. "This has been wonderful," said Pimpernel as she handed each of them a mushroom sandwitch. "I don't even MIND that my dress is all scratched and my face and hands all dirty."

Pervinca looked at her food but didn't eat it. "I wish Pippin could have come. He would have enjoyed this." She sighed. Pearl smiled at her as she took a bite.

"Oh Vinca-Pippin would have had a difficult time keeping up. He's still too little for this kind of an adventure."

Pimpernel suddenly stood and began to sing loudly as she walked around the triangle. "The man in the moon had a silver shoon, and his beard was of silver thread; with opals crowned and pearls all bound about his girdlestead. In his mantle grey he walked one day across a shining floor, and with crystal key in secrecy, he opened an ivory door."

The other girls began to join in: "On a filigree stair of glimmering hair (Pervinca touched her hair at that point sending them into fits of laughter) then lightly down he went, and merry was he at last to be free on a mad adventure bent. In diamonds white he had lost delight he was tired of his minaret, of tall moonstone that towered alone on a lunar mountain set." When the song ended, Pearl, Pervinca and Frodo began clapping and Pimpernel bowed. She knew her sisters enjoyed that song and it always cheered them up, even in their dullest moods. Pervinca giggled as she sipped from her bottle of milk.

"On a filigree stair of glimmering hair.brilliant.just brilliant." She lay back on the grass and gazed up at the sky. "I never want to grow up. Never ever."

Frodo squeezed her nose and replied "But you will one day." He teased.

"Nah uh, Frodo! Gerrof!" She pushed him away. "You're such a boy!" she added in disgust.

"And you're such a niminy piminey chit, do you know that?" Frodo laughed.

"A what?" Pervinca asked. She'd never heard that phrase before and it sounded so funny that it made her laugh. "A niminy piminey chit."

"Birds in their little nests agree," said Pearl as she adjusted her hairbow that had gone askew and the others chuckled. Frodo smiled as he drew his knees up to his chest. He missed Bilbo but he enjoyed being with his cousins on outings. He did not have too many friends at Bag-End except for Samwise Gamgee and Daisy Gamgee, but they were young. When lunch ended, Frodo decided that they should pack up and head back to the Great Smial receiving groans and grumbles from the other three. They wanted to go further than Tuckbrough-perhaps all the way to Buckland, but Frodo would not hear of it.

"Your parents would kill me!" He laughed. "I would have had to ask their permission ahead of time and that is a long walk." He told them. "I do promise you this-one day we will go that far."

"Truly, Frodo?" Pearl asked.

"Truly. Come on, let's get home."



Back at the Great Smial, Eglatine sat beside Pippin and watched as the healer, Flora, took his temperature and listened to his breathing. "He is coming down with influenza, Eglatine. The fever's high and there many be complications with that as he is so small. His breathing is conjested, and I would suggest herbal steam baths every two hours to ease it."

Pippin let out a few whimpers and moved around in bed but did not open his precious eyes. "Mama's here, sweetheart." Eglatine promised, taking his hand, which now felt so icy cold.

"Mama." he whimpered, his gray eyes slitting open a bit.

"Shhhh love-everything is going to be fine."

"The girls-where are they?" Flora asked anxiously.

"They are with Frodo on a hike and should be back shortly," Eglatine replied. "Why?"

"It is not safe for them here. Influenza is contagious and could be." she let out a long breath. "And could be fatal if the fever gets too high."

Eglatine covered her mouth with her hands and fought the urge to cry. Flora frowned. As a healer she had to remain calm. "The girls must go and stay with friends or other relatives till Pippin recovers."

"We could send them to Bag-End as Frodo is here," Eglatine told her.

About a minute later they heard the door to the smial open and heard singing: "The man in the moon had a silver shoon." Eglatine stood quickly and ran to her girls and Frodo, who were removing their cloaks and hanging them on the hooks in the main corridor.

"What's wrong, mother?" asked Pearl, noting her mother's pale face.

"It's Pippin. He's coming down with Influenza."

The girls gasped and Pervinca immediately burst into tears.

"Shhhh, dear heart-you musn't panic. Frodo-I'm going to write a letter to your Uncle Bilbo. It will be safer if the three of you went to stay at Bag-End till Pip recovers."

"No!" Pearl snapped. "I won't go and leave my little brother. If I have to fall sick then let me." She stomped to Pippin's room causing the others to stare. Eglatine folded her hands and sighed.

"Right. But Pervinca and Pimpernel, I think it would be in your best interest to stay at Bag-End till Pippin feels better."

"They will be," said Frodo. "My Uncle Bilbo rarely rarely gets sick so you won't have to worry about bringing anything over there."

"Oh dear-I hadn't thought about that." Eglatine covered her mouth with one hand. "Looks like you two will be staying after all. But Frodo- we'll have to send you away."

"If it is for the best, then I will go." He replied earnestly.

"Mama!" Pippin's voice cried from down the corridor. "I'll have Paladin send for a carriage immediately," she told Frodo before hurrying to Pippin's room. Frodo felt numb as he stood listening to Pimpernel and Pervinca sobbing quietly, holding each other. He knew that Bilbo would be frantic if he heard Pippin was ill, for Frodo tended to catch things from a mile away. He decided that he'd best start to pack so that he could leave as soon as the carriage arrived.