Part 2
Chapter 12
Fixing Bagshot Row
Months had past, and just like Sam had promised, every morning he showed up at Bag End. He would practice his reading and writing, but mostly Sam would listen. Listen to all he stories that Bilbo told them of his adventures. Sam could not get enough of the stories, especially that of the Elves. This gave Sam much earnest thought.
Just as the Gaffer predicted, "trouble will come of it," and it did, to him. Sam talked endlessly about the elves in Mr. Bilbo stories. He would bombard the Gaffer with questions and sought every opinion the Gaffer had on the subject. Which usually ended by him telling Sam, "You hear more then what I can speak of." The Gaffer did not like speaking of the fair folk. He often told him, "if you keep pushing and pulling on knowing about foreign matters, their troubles will soon find you."
When Bilbo called an end to the studying for the day Sam asked Bilbo if he could take a week off. He told Bilbo about rebuilding Bagshot Row's garden. Mr. Bilbo agreed and allowed Sam to miss the entire week. Frodo approached Sam and asked him to join him in his wanderings about the Shire. However, Sam refused. He was in a rush so to get back home.
Sam worked from the time the sun just began crested the morning sky until it was time to for the evening meal. He's stop for short periods of time to snack on an apple or pull something from the garden.
He removed the overgrowth to some of the trees so the bigger ones could spread out their branches full of new leaves. Sam burned half the open meadow where the weeds over took the grass. This is where he planned to build a new garden. Some of the crusty patches of ground, Sam tilled and turn the soil over to bring the dark richer soil to the top. However, Sam knew it lacked the minerals it needed to produce a good growth to the flowers and tatters he planned to plant in these areas. So he thought were he could find his minerals to help enrich the soil. He paid a call to Mr. Cotton.
Sam approached Mr. Cotton and asked if he could clean their barn. Mr. Cotton could not afford to pay him, but Sam told him that if he could have the cow manure that would be enough payment for him.
He shoveled and scooped many carts full of manure until his arms ached. Another plus to cleaning out Mr. Cotton's barn was to see Rosie without constant interruptions from Halfred. He would always jumped in the middle just when Sam and Rosie began talking. Halfred would pull her away every time. But working at the Cotton's gave him more time to be with Rosie.
On one hot afternoon when Rosie brought him a cool drink, she sat beside him and asked him, "What do you want for yourself someday, Sam?"
Sam did not have to think about his answer and spoke right up, "To have my own garden that I can tend and the gardens would be as pretty as those of Bag End. Then never go any further than my own land. I would sit on my porch in the evenings with a pile of my children on my lap. There could be no finer life than that. Oh, beggin your pardon, Rosie. I did not mean..you know," Sam said as he blushed from getting so lost in his dream.
"It is quite all right, Sam. It's a lovely dream," Rosie commented as she looked at Sam as if seeing him for the first time. She smiled at him tenderly.
Sam gazed at Rosie and he thought about what he over heard his brother saying. If Halfred asked Rosie to marry him, would she? But Sam did not want to know the answer to that question, because it would hurt too much.
Mr. Cotton was so pleased with the job that Sam did on his barn that he gave him bags of seed potatoes for his garden at Bagshot Row. He also placed in Sam's cart some knew sprouted Chestnut trees with their roots wrapped in burlap. Sam thanked him kindly.
Sam began mixing the manure with the turned up soil were the new garden would be. However, he still needed another ingredient, earthworms. Sam grabbed an empty bucket and shovel. He headed toward the pond by Bagshot Row to fill a bucket full.
While Sam walked to the pond, he heard fast moving feet running through the thick patches of bush and trees. Sam looked around, but he could not see anything. Sam dismissed it at once and continued on down towards the pond.
Sam heard a faint cry and a loud smack coming from behind the tall thick bush. Sam ran behind it to find Ted Sandyman and Lotho holding onto a small hobbit boy who they just punched in the stomach. The small hobbit was hunched over holding on to his belly as tears streamed down his face.
Before Sam could think about it, he grabbed Lotho by the collar and shook him soundly. Ted dropped the small hobbit boy on the ground with a thud and walked right over him to grab Sam.
Sam quick as a rabbit drew back his elbowed hard and smacked Ted right on the nose causing it to bleed. He put his large hand around Ted's neck and thumped their heads together like two ripen watermelons.
"If I have a mind and I have, I'll throttle you both quicker than you can turn around!" Sam shouted at the two wayward brats. "Get yourselves out of here before I have a change of mind!"
Ted and Lotho took off running as fast as their feet hit the ground.
Sam bent down on his knee and stood the small hobbit boy up so he could get a good look at him.
"You look no worst than what my eyes can tell," Sam said sympathetically to him.
The boy shook with fear as he looked up at Sam. He was afraid that Sam would throttle him too.
"It's all right, I'll not hurt you. I'll make sure of it if they come back again, they'll have Sam Gamgee to reckon with. What your name little fellow? I have not seen you around these parts before."
"My name is Pippin. Peregrin Took my father calls me," Pippin said as he slowly began to trust the hobbit who stood before him.
"Took? Then you must be from Tuckborough?" asked Sam.
"Yes. I am," commented Pippin.
"You're a long way from home. How did you get here?"
"I was following Merry and Frodo, but I couldn't keep up. Frodo told me to follow the path back to his home, but I must have taken the wrong path. I am lost. I ran into those two who chased me down to this pond. They hit me in my stomach. I don't think I'll be able to eat again. Then I will die," sobbed Pippin.
"Here now, you will not die from a punch. It may smart a bit, but you'll recover quickly enough," said Sam as he tried to comfort the small hobbit and then he continued, "I don't know any Merry, but I do know Mr. Frodo. Are you staying at Bag End?" Sam asked.
"Yes. My father and my uncle Sarodoc Brandybuck at are staying with old Bilbo Baggins for a few days before we head back to Buckland," Pippin told him.
"Well then, let's see about getting you back to Bag End. Follow me."
Sam joked openly with Pippin and made him laugh. He found that Pippin had a great sense of humor. Sam instantly liked the younger hobbit as he led the way back to Bag End.
~*~
The Gaffer slowly edged his way over to Daddy Two Foot's wagon as they both planned on a quiet day at the Ivy Bush Inn on the Bywater road.
After Bell's death, the Gaffer gave up. No longer did he concern himself with Bagshot Row or the endless hours of fixing what had gotten broken. Even their weekly trips to Bag End to work the garden became more of a hardship for the Gaffer. He spent more time visiting with Mr. Bilbo about the growing of tatters and complaining of aching joints. Sam ended up doing most all the work at Bag End. Even the Gaffer's prized rose bushes that he tended for Mr. Bilbo and worried so much about gave him little heed to them now. After all the years that Sam watched the Gaffer tending the roses, Sam remembered every step. The roses flourished under his care.
The Gaffer spent most of his time in the tavern called the Ivy Bush on the road to Bywater. He would often tell Sam that he needed a pint to help with his aching joints. Daddy Two Foot would often join him.
The Gaffer spied Sam shoveling dirt into his cart and he asked Daddy to pull the cart over to the side of the road. The Gaffer yell out from the wagon at Sam, "Some nastier ruffins must have marked up your rabbit cage with painted letters this morning!"
"No, Gaffer. That was me. I painted on the cage this morning before I began my planting," commented Sam.
"What letters does it say?" asked the Gaffer.
"Why, Henry the rabbit, of course," Sam told him.
"So old Mr. Bilbo has taught you your letters has he?"
"Yes, sir. He has," commented Sam.
The Gaffer shook his head and he began to look over the grounds of Bagshot Row. All this time the Gaffer barely noticed how Sam spent his time each day, but as he sat on the wagon seat he noticed the changes that Sam had made. The Gaffer began to see the possibilities beginning to shape. The Gaffer climbed down from the wagon seat and sent Daddy on his way. He decided to stay with Sam and give him advice on how to get started with fixing Bagshot Row. "It's the job that's never started that takes the longest to finish," the Gaffer said as he looked upon all the changes and remembered his old promise he made to Bell long ago.
"Have ya got any manure and earthworms for the soil?" asked the Gaffer.
"All ready done that, Gaffer. All I have left to do is finish the planting of these seeds. What do you think about were to plant these?" asked Sam as he handed the Gaffer a package of seeds.
"Live and learn is what I say, Sam my boy! You grab a shovel, while I plant these seeds. Come now we have work to do," said the Gaffer as he handed Sam his shovel.
Sam smiled as he took the shovel and began refilling the dirt in his cart.
Sam showed the Gaffer the new Chestnut trees that Mr. Cotton gave him and the Gaffer marveled at them for being the finest young trees he had seen. "Tomorrow, we'll be planting the trees in a straight line next to the road. What say you Sam?" asked the Gaffer.
"Tomorrow it is then!" Sam said agreeing with the Gaffer. "No one knows gardening better than you do."
Sam was so happy that the Gaffer finally found his interest in gardening again. It was good to work with him, Sam thought to himself. After hours planting and digging new holes for his trees, The Gaffer called it a day. He was exhausted and needed some rest.
"I'll join you at home in a few minutes. I have to finish digging the holes for these trees. It'll not take me long," Sam told him.
The Gaffer walked into his house and shut the door.
Three hobbits came rushing at Sam.
Chapter 12
Fixing Bagshot Row
Months had past, and just like Sam had promised, every morning he showed up at Bag End. He would practice his reading and writing, but mostly Sam would listen. Listen to all he stories that Bilbo told them of his adventures. Sam could not get enough of the stories, especially that of the Elves. This gave Sam much earnest thought.
Just as the Gaffer predicted, "trouble will come of it," and it did, to him. Sam talked endlessly about the elves in Mr. Bilbo stories. He would bombard the Gaffer with questions and sought every opinion the Gaffer had on the subject. Which usually ended by him telling Sam, "You hear more then what I can speak of." The Gaffer did not like speaking of the fair folk. He often told him, "if you keep pushing and pulling on knowing about foreign matters, their troubles will soon find you."
When Bilbo called an end to the studying for the day Sam asked Bilbo if he could take a week off. He told Bilbo about rebuilding Bagshot Row's garden. Mr. Bilbo agreed and allowed Sam to miss the entire week. Frodo approached Sam and asked him to join him in his wanderings about the Shire. However, Sam refused. He was in a rush so to get back home.
Sam worked from the time the sun just began crested the morning sky until it was time to for the evening meal. He's stop for short periods of time to snack on an apple or pull something from the garden.
He removed the overgrowth to some of the trees so the bigger ones could spread out their branches full of new leaves. Sam burned half the open meadow where the weeds over took the grass. This is where he planned to build a new garden. Some of the crusty patches of ground, Sam tilled and turn the soil over to bring the dark richer soil to the top. However, Sam knew it lacked the minerals it needed to produce a good growth to the flowers and tatters he planned to plant in these areas. So he thought were he could find his minerals to help enrich the soil. He paid a call to Mr. Cotton.
Sam approached Mr. Cotton and asked if he could clean their barn. Mr. Cotton could not afford to pay him, but Sam told him that if he could have the cow manure that would be enough payment for him.
He shoveled and scooped many carts full of manure until his arms ached. Another plus to cleaning out Mr. Cotton's barn was to see Rosie without constant interruptions from Halfred. He would always jumped in the middle just when Sam and Rosie began talking. Halfred would pull her away every time. But working at the Cotton's gave him more time to be with Rosie.
On one hot afternoon when Rosie brought him a cool drink, she sat beside him and asked him, "What do you want for yourself someday, Sam?"
Sam did not have to think about his answer and spoke right up, "To have my own garden that I can tend and the gardens would be as pretty as those of Bag End. Then never go any further than my own land. I would sit on my porch in the evenings with a pile of my children on my lap. There could be no finer life than that. Oh, beggin your pardon, Rosie. I did not mean..you know," Sam said as he blushed from getting so lost in his dream.
"It is quite all right, Sam. It's a lovely dream," Rosie commented as she looked at Sam as if seeing him for the first time. She smiled at him tenderly.
Sam gazed at Rosie and he thought about what he over heard his brother saying. If Halfred asked Rosie to marry him, would she? But Sam did not want to know the answer to that question, because it would hurt too much.
Mr. Cotton was so pleased with the job that Sam did on his barn that he gave him bags of seed potatoes for his garden at Bagshot Row. He also placed in Sam's cart some knew sprouted Chestnut trees with their roots wrapped in burlap. Sam thanked him kindly.
Sam began mixing the manure with the turned up soil were the new garden would be. However, he still needed another ingredient, earthworms. Sam grabbed an empty bucket and shovel. He headed toward the pond by Bagshot Row to fill a bucket full.
While Sam walked to the pond, he heard fast moving feet running through the thick patches of bush and trees. Sam looked around, but he could not see anything. Sam dismissed it at once and continued on down towards the pond.
Sam heard a faint cry and a loud smack coming from behind the tall thick bush. Sam ran behind it to find Ted Sandyman and Lotho holding onto a small hobbit boy who they just punched in the stomach. The small hobbit was hunched over holding on to his belly as tears streamed down his face.
Before Sam could think about it, he grabbed Lotho by the collar and shook him soundly. Ted dropped the small hobbit boy on the ground with a thud and walked right over him to grab Sam.
Sam quick as a rabbit drew back his elbowed hard and smacked Ted right on the nose causing it to bleed. He put his large hand around Ted's neck and thumped their heads together like two ripen watermelons.
"If I have a mind and I have, I'll throttle you both quicker than you can turn around!" Sam shouted at the two wayward brats. "Get yourselves out of here before I have a change of mind!"
Ted and Lotho took off running as fast as their feet hit the ground.
Sam bent down on his knee and stood the small hobbit boy up so he could get a good look at him.
"You look no worst than what my eyes can tell," Sam said sympathetically to him.
The boy shook with fear as he looked up at Sam. He was afraid that Sam would throttle him too.
"It's all right, I'll not hurt you. I'll make sure of it if they come back again, they'll have Sam Gamgee to reckon with. What your name little fellow? I have not seen you around these parts before."
"My name is Pippin. Peregrin Took my father calls me," Pippin said as he slowly began to trust the hobbit who stood before him.
"Took? Then you must be from Tuckborough?" asked Sam.
"Yes. I am," commented Pippin.
"You're a long way from home. How did you get here?"
"I was following Merry and Frodo, but I couldn't keep up. Frodo told me to follow the path back to his home, but I must have taken the wrong path. I am lost. I ran into those two who chased me down to this pond. They hit me in my stomach. I don't think I'll be able to eat again. Then I will die," sobbed Pippin.
"Here now, you will not die from a punch. It may smart a bit, but you'll recover quickly enough," said Sam as he tried to comfort the small hobbit and then he continued, "I don't know any Merry, but I do know Mr. Frodo. Are you staying at Bag End?" Sam asked.
"Yes. My father and my uncle Sarodoc Brandybuck at are staying with old Bilbo Baggins for a few days before we head back to Buckland," Pippin told him.
"Well then, let's see about getting you back to Bag End. Follow me."
Sam joked openly with Pippin and made him laugh. He found that Pippin had a great sense of humor. Sam instantly liked the younger hobbit as he led the way back to Bag End.
~*~
The Gaffer slowly edged his way over to Daddy Two Foot's wagon as they both planned on a quiet day at the Ivy Bush Inn on the Bywater road.
After Bell's death, the Gaffer gave up. No longer did he concern himself with Bagshot Row or the endless hours of fixing what had gotten broken. Even their weekly trips to Bag End to work the garden became more of a hardship for the Gaffer. He spent more time visiting with Mr. Bilbo about the growing of tatters and complaining of aching joints. Sam ended up doing most all the work at Bag End. Even the Gaffer's prized rose bushes that he tended for Mr. Bilbo and worried so much about gave him little heed to them now. After all the years that Sam watched the Gaffer tending the roses, Sam remembered every step. The roses flourished under his care.
The Gaffer spent most of his time in the tavern called the Ivy Bush on the road to Bywater. He would often tell Sam that he needed a pint to help with his aching joints. Daddy Two Foot would often join him.
The Gaffer spied Sam shoveling dirt into his cart and he asked Daddy to pull the cart over to the side of the road. The Gaffer yell out from the wagon at Sam, "Some nastier ruffins must have marked up your rabbit cage with painted letters this morning!"
"No, Gaffer. That was me. I painted on the cage this morning before I began my planting," commented Sam.
"What letters does it say?" asked the Gaffer.
"Why, Henry the rabbit, of course," Sam told him.
"So old Mr. Bilbo has taught you your letters has he?"
"Yes, sir. He has," commented Sam.
The Gaffer shook his head and he began to look over the grounds of Bagshot Row. All this time the Gaffer barely noticed how Sam spent his time each day, but as he sat on the wagon seat he noticed the changes that Sam had made. The Gaffer began to see the possibilities beginning to shape. The Gaffer climbed down from the wagon seat and sent Daddy on his way. He decided to stay with Sam and give him advice on how to get started with fixing Bagshot Row. "It's the job that's never started that takes the longest to finish," the Gaffer said as he looked upon all the changes and remembered his old promise he made to Bell long ago.
"Have ya got any manure and earthworms for the soil?" asked the Gaffer.
"All ready done that, Gaffer. All I have left to do is finish the planting of these seeds. What do you think about were to plant these?" asked Sam as he handed the Gaffer a package of seeds.
"Live and learn is what I say, Sam my boy! You grab a shovel, while I plant these seeds. Come now we have work to do," said the Gaffer as he handed Sam his shovel.
Sam smiled as he took the shovel and began refilling the dirt in his cart.
Sam showed the Gaffer the new Chestnut trees that Mr. Cotton gave him and the Gaffer marveled at them for being the finest young trees he had seen. "Tomorrow, we'll be planting the trees in a straight line next to the road. What say you Sam?" asked the Gaffer.
"Tomorrow it is then!" Sam said agreeing with the Gaffer. "No one knows gardening better than you do."
Sam was so happy that the Gaffer finally found his interest in gardening again. It was good to work with him, Sam thought to himself. After hours planting and digging new holes for his trees, The Gaffer called it a day. He was exhausted and needed some rest.
"I'll join you at home in a few minutes. I have to finish digging the holes for these trees. It'll not take me long," Sam told him.
The Gaffer walked into his house and shut the door.
Three hobbits came rushing at Sam.