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The next morning was stranger than any Merry had lived through.
For the first time of all the times Merry and Pippin had slept either at Brandy Hall or the Great Smials, Pippin did not wake Merry up in the morning. Pippin had crawled into bed with Merry during the night and stayed there, shaking. Merry had wrapped his arm around his small cousin, hoping to make his cousin feel safe. Pippin had calmed down, and the night was quiet. And so was the morning. Merry, as if by an alarm, awoke, expecting Pippin to come and jump on him, or shake him awake. But there was no bright smile, no high-pitched voice begging him to get up. He turned over and saw Pippin, huddled against the wall, breathing lightly. Merry put a hand on his cousin's head, just to make sure that Pippin was feeling alright. His temperature was normal, and he didn't look sick. Merry shrugged and turned over, falling back into a light sleep.
Esmerelda came into wake up her son and nephew, a bit surprised that they had slept through first breakfast. She was used to helping Pippin dress himself, but this time, he was less reluctant. He wanted to do it himself, and so Esmerelda watched while Pippin comically tried to dress himself with one arm in a sling. After a while, the frustrated child gave up and allowed his aunt to help dress him. Merry, who had already finished dressing, watched this with concern. Pippin usually never passed up the chance to have some one else dress him.
Second breakfast came as another shock to Merry over Pippin's strange behaviour. Pippin simply started at his plate, pushing around the eggs, fried potatoes and sausage with his fork. When Saradoc inquired to his nephew why he wasn't eating, Pippin said that he didn't have the appetite. This was the biggest shock of all, and even Saradoc gazed at the boy with some concern.
"Not hungry? Are you running a fever, Peregrin?"
"He's not, Father. I checked him this morning. He's feeling normal."
"Yes, well, keep an eye out for him, won't you, Meriadoc?"
His father told him, inclining his head slightly. "A hobbit with no appetite
is a strange thing indeed."
After second breakfast, Merry suggested going outside for some air. His mother told him to stay away from the ferry for the time, because the river was rather choppy that day, and it might upset Pippin's rib. She'd had to remind her son to be cautious with his injured cousin on several occasions. Merry, hoping to show his mother how responsible he was, gently lifted Pippin, who was carrying a small ball, onto his shoulders and carried him from the house as gently as possible. Esmerelda called after then, and hurried to hand Merry a basket filled with sandwiches, fruit, and cheese, for elevensies, in case they got hungry. Merry carried Pippin on his shoulders and the basket in his teeth until reaching the shores of the Brandywine River. He sat the basket down first, then lifted Pippin from his shoulders. They dipped their feet into the water and splashed one another for a while. Because it was such a hot day, the boys removed their vests and shirts, letting the sun beat down upon them. Merry dove into the water, laughing. Pippin threw him the ball, and Merry dove under the water to retrieve it, emerging with damp curls plastered to his forehead. Pippin threw him the ball again, and again Merry dove under to get it.
Most hobbits do not swim, but those who live along the Brandywine bridge, and most of then Brandybucks, learned the art of swimming before they learned to walk. It is one of the things that separates Buckland hobbits from the Hobbiton hobbits, among others. Then again, some talents shown by other hobbits, Bucklanders do not have. Many of those in the Tuckborough area, among them, Tooks, have a love of heights and climbing. Most other hobbits, especially Bucklanders, wouldn't climb a tree, but Merry had enough Took blood in him to enjoy tree climbing. Upon retrieving the ball and returning it to Pippin, Merry promptly climbed a large oak tree, and leapt, whooping and yelling, ("For the Shire!") from its branches. Pippin giggled. Merry resurfaced, and Pippin threw the ball again. When Merry had disappeared under the water, Pippin foolishly began to climb the tree. He was not quite as good at swimming as he was climbing, and with his arm in a sling, he was even less skilled at the climbing. Slowly and clumsily, he scaled the branches. Meanwhile, Merry had resurfaced, but Pippin was no where to be found. It was only by extreme luck that he looked up in the tree, and saw Pippin. The branches were wet from Merry having been in them, and Pippin was having a hard time. He gave a shriek as he lost his footing. Merry was out of the water in a second, throwing the ball aside. Just in the nick of time, moved under the tree to catch Pippin. In complete shock over falling, Pippin buried his face in Merry's chest, sobbing. Merry gave Pippin an angry shake.
"What have I told you about that? You're too small and you don't know how to swim enough to try jumping from the tree. Plus, you're hurt, and my mother and your mother both would have my head if you'd fallen!" Even though his tone was menacing, his eyes told Pippin otherwise.
"I did fall, Merry." Pippin pointed out.
"If I hadn't seen you! If I hadn't caught you, you might
have really hurt yourself. You might have died!"
"But you saved me, Merry." Pippin said softly, his face still buried in Merry's chest. Merry smiled and managed to sit down, rubbing Pippin's back. Merry dug in the basket and pulled out two apples. He pried Pippin away, and handed him the apple, which Pippin gladly accepted. They sat quietly, munching on their apples, gazing at the rippling water. Pippin broke the silence.
"How do I get my Papa back?"
"What?"
"My papa. You said you were going to get him back for me. How?"
"I don't know, Pippin. I'll try everything I can. I'll ask my father for help, and my mother. I'll need your help, too, Pip."
"What can I do?"
"You'll see. Come on, let's finish these sandwiches and go home."
Again, as they ate the three sandwiches they each had, there was a silence. Again, Pippin broke it.
"I wish you were my brother."
"I'm almost like your brother. I'm your cousin, and that's almost a brother."
"I wish your Papa was my Papa. Or my Papa was like he was Before. I miss him."
"Don't say that. I'm sure that your Papa still loves you. But the ale, maybe it makes him bad. Maybe it mixes up his mind."
"I'll never drink ale, ever ever." Pippin said, licking the last bits of sandwich from his fingers.
"You won't be saying that by the time you come of age, I'm sure." Merry said, ruffling his cousin's hair, and forgetting how Pippin had just scared the death out of him. He swung the smaller boy onto his shoulders again, with a shriek of delight from Pippin. Merry put the ball in the basket and carried it in his left hand, holding Pippin's back with his right.
"We won't tell my parents that you nearly fell from the tree, Pip. Don't say anything about it, or we'll both be dead or worse."
"I know. Let's sing the song that Bilbo always sings when he comes. I like that one!"
"'The Road Goes Ever On'?"
"Yes, that one!"
With a laugh, their two voices sang out among the trees.
Merry's rich baritone voice, and Pippin's high tenor, mixed togeter in
a perfect harmony:
'The Road Goes Ever On and On!
Down from the door where it began,
Now far ahead the road has gone,
And I must follow if I can.....'