Burning the Midnight Oil

This was a day that would live forever in young Pippin's mind. The whole group spent a lovely afternoon at the pool. Since it was not yet summer, the water was still very cool, and they didn't stay in the water too long. They merely spread out blankets and continued the repartee they began at Wildebury Glen.

After Bywater, they went on to Hobbiton, more notably to Bag End where Frodo threw a party in Pippin's honor; celebrating his thirteenth birthday. There was good food, good friends, and good cheer. Frodo was a much excellent host in that he had games, songs, and even a dance planned for the rest of the day, and on into the evening. At about midnight the gang decided to head back to Tuckborough. It was nearly four in the morning when the young Tooks and Brandybuck stepped into their quarters and tiptoed to their respective bedrooms.

"Master Pippin!"

Pippin thought he was having an ugly dream--where someone was trying to rouse him from his peaceful slumber. He sighed and rolled over, bringing the warm covers over his ears.

"Master Pippin! It's time to get up!"

This time Pippin felt a hand push at his shoulders a tad. He opened his eyes to slits. It was Degger--the lad who slipped Breddo the note the day before. He spoke hoarsely through his sleepiness, "What in the name of wonder do you want?"

"Master Pippin, it's a quarter past seven and breakfast is on the board." Then he added more anxiously, "And Master Breddo will be arriving soon."

Those cursed lessons! Pippin took in a deep breath, then yawned. "Very well, Degger." He stretched and rubbed his eyes. "I'm awake."

"Master Pippin!"

Pippin was growing irritated with the lad, Degger. He rolled over again and muttered, "I told you I was awake!"

"But Master Pippin, it's almost eight o'clock!" Master Breddo will be here any minute!"

Pippin's eyes flew open. Eight o'clock? Just a second ago it was a quarter past seven! "Thank you, Degger!" He threw off his blankets and shivered in the morning chill. Degger helped him to quickly dress, then handed him a slice of buttered bread and an apple, then shooed the young Took out and towards the study.

Pippin entered the study and slipped into his chair mere seconds before Master Breddo walked in.

"Good morning, Master Peregrin. I take it your--shall I say--your day with your riotous friends went well?"

Pippin wanted to rebuttal the Tutor's remark about his friends--even more so because it included his sisters, but his mouth was full of buttered bread. Instead he got up and poured himself a glass of water to wash it all down. "My sist--"

"Sit down, lad."

Pippin glared at the elder hobbit, but he obeyed. He was soon rewarded with a pile of assignments to complete before noon.

He looked up at his Tutor, "Master Breddo, I can't finish all this in four hours!"

"You did yesterday--well before noon...when you so desired to sneak out."

Pippin was livid. He opened his desk drawer and pulled out his lead stick and slammed it shut. His lack of sleep was making him very irritable. He began furiously writing out the calculations on the paper. The first few seemed easy enough; perhaps the rest would be likewise.

Unfortunately, that was not to be so. His mind wandered as he paused to work out the sums on his fingers. He couldn't focus for long. Now he was angry with himself. He laid aside his calculations for a while--until he could wake up more fully. He decided to work on his reading assignments and write the essays that followed. This way, if his mind strayed, Master Breddo wouldn't notice.

"Master Peregrin!"

Pippin opened his eyes. His face nearly slid off the hand that was propping it up. He breathed deep and cleared his throat.

"It's time to wake up." Breddo grinned.

It seemed to Pippin that the old hobbit was enjoying this. "Yes, sir." Pippin straightened himself in his chair and tried desperately to keep his eyes open. It was especially difficult; the book he was reading a passage from was titled, "Pipeweed and Other Herblore" by Tobold Hornblower. This book was as dry as his throat. He took another draught of water before forging on. He stole a glance behind him; Breddo was watching him like a hawk. He felt his Tutor's eyes boring holes into the back of his skull as he read on.

There was a knock on the door and Master Breddo went to answer it. When he opened the door, a young hobbit lad was standing there.

"Let me guess...you have a note for me." He really had no idea that it was Merry who wrote the note, he was just making sarcastic assumptions.

"Uh....no, sir." Merry turned red in the face and cast his eyes to his feet. "Though, I would ask if I might speak with you." He stepped back a pace into the hallway.

Breddo looked back at Pippin, who had turned around in his seat and seemed to continue reading. "I shall only be a moment." Breddo eased the door closed. When he stepped out further, he noticed Paladin standing on the other side of the hallway.

"Master Breddo, I want you to meet my nephew, Meriadoc Brandybuck, though he's known by us all as Merry. He has something he wants to tell you."

Merry slipped his hands into his pockets. "I....I was the one who wrote the note."

Breddo watched Merry's sheepish expression. "So you were the mastermind behind yesterday's flight?"

Merry knew the Tutor wasn't being kind with his words. His eyes remained at his feet, "Yes, sir."

Breddo nodded; he could tell by the lad's speech that he wasn't from Tuckborough--or Tookland for that matter. "A Bucklander. I should've known." He said. He'd tutored a child at Brandy Hall once a long time ago--for a very short period. "I hope your punishment has been meted."

"Well, it was...is sort of." Paladin smirked. "You see, Merry has decided that a bit of higher learning wouldn't be such a bad thing for him." He watched his nephew grimace at his words. "He's decided to join my son in his studies for the next...oh, three weeks or so."

Merry continued looking uncomfortably at his feet. He had already finished his higher learning over five years ago at the ripe old age of fifteen, so it certainly wasn't his decision to give up his free time for more studies--he was...convinced by his uncle that it would be to his advantage.

"Well, Master Meriadoc, the first item on your agenda, is to help keep your cousin awake." He quietly opened the door. "It seems he's having difficulties doing just that."

Poor Pippin. He had given up on any pretense of focusing on his reading. Paladin and Merry observed the young teen with his head down over his book.

"Pippin!" Paladin tried to get his son's attention. The boy never stirred.

The trio walked up behind Pippin and saw that he was indeed asleep; his deep breathing echoed off the pages of his book and within his arms that enclosed about his head.

"Master Peregrin." Breddo spoke loudly, but didn't shout.

Pippin stirred this time, lifting his head ever so slightly. "I was just studying the finer points of old Toby's pipeweed." He managed to say.

"I suppose the study included your drooling saliva all over your book?" Breddo handed Pippin his pocket handkerchief.

Paladin shook his head at his son. "Master Breddo--he'll be no good to you today. Just look at him. His friends kept him out far too late yesterday." He glanced at his nephew. Paladin leaned down and lifted the small teen into his arms. He saw the books and papers with half-written arithmetic calculations on them. "Is this what you have assigned him today?" Breddo nodded.

Paladin nodded to the pile, "I promise you, Pippin--and Merry--will have all of these assignments completed and ready for you at eight o'clock tomorrow. I apologize for wasting your time today." He looked at his nephew. "Merry, gather up his things and bring them with you--unless you intend to stay with Master Breddo beginning today."

Merry didn't need long to think about that one. Quickly he started gathering up Pippin's books, notes, and papers.

Paladin grinned at him. "It seems you lads will be very busy later today!"