Like Brothers
Chapter 2
Pippin Shows Off
Merry awoke the next morning. Almost instantly he heard the sound of raindrops hitting the window. It was still raining. He reluctantly sat up and saw that Pippin was already awake. He sit at the small desk writing something. Merry yawned, "What are you doing, Pippin?" He got up from bed and walked over to his cousin. There was a small stack of parchment next to him.
Merry picked one up:
'PEREGRIN TOOK... PEREGRIN TOOK... PEREGRIN TOOK...' it read over and over again.
"Pippin, how long have you been awake?"
The little hobbit didn't answer. Merry looked at him. His small face wrinkled with extreme concentration, and his tiny had grasped a quill tightly; it slid across the piece of parchment slowly and carefully:
'PIPPIN... PIPPIN... PIPPIN... PIPPIN...PIPPIN...'
Merry stared at the writing, "I didn't show you this... How did you figure out how to spell 'Pippin'?"
"I sounded it out. Like you said, Merry. Sounded it out... P-I-P-P-I-N. Is it right, Merry? Is that how it's spelled?"
Merry nodded, "P-I-P-P-I-N... that's how it's spelled."
Pippin dug through the pile of parchment. He pulled one out and handed it to Merry, "I tried to spell your name, Merry, but I'm not sure it's right... I don't think I have it yet... Did I get it?"
Merry looked over the writing. There were multiple spellings of 'Merry', each one crossed out after the other:
'MERI... MERE... MERREE... MERY... MERRI'
"But I think I figured it out, Merry. I was thinking... Merry, I was thinking really hard... And I sounded out your name... Meeeeer-reeeeeeee. Is it, spelled M-E-R-R-....Y? M-E-R-R-Y? Is that it?"
Merry was impressed, "... M-E-R-R-Y... Aye, that's it, Pippin."
Pippin clapped his hands, "M-E-R-R-Y... M-E-R-R-Y... M-E-R-R-Y..." Pippin repeated to himself. He dipped his quill in ink, "Meeeer-reee."
Merry sat beside Pippin, on the chair next to his, and watched Pippin spell out his name over and over again. Pippin stopped and thought for a while, "Merry?"
"Yes, Pippin?"
"How do you spell 'Brandybuck'? Wait! Don't tell me..." Pippin paused, "Brrraaaaaaaaann-deeeeeeee-buuuuuuuuuk.... B-R-A.....N-D...Y?"
Merry nodded.
"Right. B-R-A-N-D-Y....B....U....K?"
Merry shook his head, "No. It's B-R-A-N-D-Y-B-U-C-K."
Pippin frowned, "O..."
Merry frowned too, disappointed to see a frown on his cheerful cousin's face, "It's alright, Pippin... We'll practice writing again after breakfast."
Pippin's smile reappeared, "Really? You'll show my how to spell 'Brandybuck'? And, and other words, and--"
"Yes, Pippin, yes! But after breakfast, alright?"
Pippin nodded. The little hobbit jumped out of his chair and gathered all the pieces of parchment, "I'm going to go show Father, and Mother... and Pervinca, Pearl, and Pimpernel, and-- Everyone!" Pippin exclaimed. He ran out of the room quickly, leaving a smiling, chuckling Merry behind.
If someone wasn't awake in Brandy Hall, they were now. Pippin ran loudly down the hall, occasionally dropping some parchment and running back to get it. He ran to where his sisters slept. He found Pervinca and Pimpernel awake.
"Pippy, what is it?"
"What do you have there?"
Pippin stood at the doorway bouncing up and down, grinning from ear to ear.
Pimpernel went to Pearl's bed, "Pearl? Wake up. Pippin's here... he looks eager about something..." Pimpernel shook his sister awake.
"Mmmm, What?" Pearl sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily.
Pippin rushed over to Pearl and jumped on her bed; he dropped the pile of parchments in front of her.
"What's this?"
Pippin said nothing, but bounced up and down excitedly.
The three Took sisters crowded around their brother, looking over what Pippin had wrote.
"Pippin, you wrote this?" asked Pimpernel.
Pippin nodded, "Yes! See? I spelled my name! I spelled it!"
"How?" asked Pervinca.
"Merry showed me. He showed me how, because he told me he would. I told you! I told you he doesn't lie! I told you!"
Pearl, Pimpernel, and Pervinca looked at each other, then returned to look over Pippin's work.
"He showed me the alphabet! The WHOLE alphabet. He showed how each letter sounded like! And then he said that later, after breakfast, he would show me more!"
"Good job, Pippy," breathed Pervinca.
"That's my little brother," said Pimpernel.
Merry walked into the room and sat next to Pippin on Pearl's bed. He looked up at Pearl, "Liar, am I?"
Pearl starred blankly at him. She looked down at her brother, "Pippy, why don't you go and show Mother and Father, now?"
Pippin nodded, he gathered his things, and he, Pimpernel, and Pervinca headed to their parents room.
Pearl turned to Merry, "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For taking time to help Pippin; for keeping your word," she said softly, "And, also, I'm sorry for telling Pippin you were a liar. I guess... I guess I was wrong about you, Meriadoc."
Merry blushed slightly, "O... it was... I just... well, Pippin isn't as annoying as I thought him to be... I guess I was wrong about him as well..." he said shrugging his shoulders, "Anyway, he's a good lad. And intelligent, like you."
Pearl smiled, "Come on, let's go see what the others are doing."
Merry and Pearl walked down the hall to the next room. There, they found Paladin Took sitting up in bed with his son on his lap, showing off his new skills. A happy Eglantine Took stood at the bed side, smiling. Pimpernel and Pervinca sat besides their father.
"...W...X...Y... and Z!" Pippin completed reciting the alphabet and everyone clapped for him.
"Good job, lad," Paladin said giving his son a gentle pat on the head.
Merry leaned against the wall, with his arms crossed, smiling proudly. He watched the Took family talk excitedly about Pippin's new talent. Merry's parents soon walked into the room. His mama turned to him, "What's going on, Merry?"
"Pippin's just showing off his spelling skills."
"Spelling?"
"Meriadoc taught him how to spell his name and such last night," said Pearl.
"Did you?" Saradoc said in a slightly surprised tone.
Merry's face turned slightly red.
"And Father," piped Pippin, "I can spell Merry's name too!"
Everyone looked to Merry, and he turned redder.
Pippin cleared his throat, and everyone turned their attention back to Pippin, "M-E-R-R-Y."
They all clapped.
"Bravo!"
"O, isn't it adorable?"
"He's so gifted!"
"Merry's quite the tutor!"
"Hooray for Pippin!"
"He's so intelligent!"
Never before had Pippin had this much attention. He looked at Merry and grinned at him. Merry grinned back. Pippin called out to him, "Merry! Tell them how you're going to show me more words after breakfast! Tell them!" Pippin turned to his mother, "He said he was going to show me more after breakfast."
"Are you, Meriadoc?" asked his mother.
Merry simply nodded.
"Merry's going to show me every single word there is in Middle Earth!"
Everyone laughed, amused with the adorable little hobbit.
"Isn't that cute?"
"He's so sweet..."
"That's my boy," chuckled his father.
"Well," sighed Esmeralda Brandybuck, "I bet get started with breakfast."
"I'll help," said Eglantine.
"Me too," said Pearl.
As soon as the three left, those that remained in the room quickly directed their attention back to Pippin.
"Recite the alphabet again, Pippy!" exclaimed Pervinca.
"Yes, recite it again!" agreed Pimpernel.
"A...B...C...D...E...F...G..."
Merry laughed to himself. He was glad to see Pippin so happy and content. And for once, everyone was pleased with him. For once no one scolded him for being mean towards his cousin. He thought today would be one of the first, that he would be able to live the day without hearing, 'Behave yourself Meriadoc!' or, 'Be a gentleman, Meriadoc!'
Today would be a good day.
Chapter 2
Pippin Shows Off
Merry awoke the next morning. Almost instantly he heard the sound of raindrops hitting the window. It was still raining. He reluctantly sat up and saw that Pippin was already awake. He sit at the small desk writing something. Merry yawned, "What are you doing, Pippin?" He got up from bed and walked over to his cousin. There was a small stack of parchment next to him.
Merry picked one up:
'PEREGRIN TOOK... PEREGRIN TOOK... PEREGRIN TOOK...' it read over and over again.
"Pippin, how long have you been awake?"
The little hobbit didn't answer. Merry looked at him. His small face wrinkled with extreme concentration, and his tiny had grasped a quill tightly; it slid across the piece of parchment slowly and carefully:
'PIPPIN... PIPPIN... PIPPIN... PIPPIN...PIPPIN...'
Merry stared at the writing, "I didn't show you this... How did you figure out how to spell 'Pippin'?"
"I sounded it out. Like you said, Merry. Sounded it out... P-I-P-P-I-N. Is it right, Merry? Is that how it's spelled?"
Merry nodded, "P-I-P-P-I-N... that's how it's spelled."
Pippin dug through the pile of parchment. He pulled one out and handed it to Merry, "I tried to spell your name, Merry, but I'm not sure it's right... I don't think I have it yet... Did I get it?"
Merry looked over the writing. There were multiple spellings of 'Merry', each one crossed out after the other:
'MERI... MERE... MERREE... MERY... MERRI'
"But I think I figured it out, Merry. I was thinking... Merry, I was thinking really hard... And I sounded out your name... Meeeeer-reeeeeeee. Is it, spelled M-E-R-R-....Y? M-E-R-R-Y? Is that it?"
Merry was impressed, "... M-E-R-R-Y... Aye, that's it, Pippin."
Pippin clapped his hands, "M-E-R-R-Y... M-E-R-R-Y... M-E-R-R-Y..." Pippin repeated to himself. He dipped his quill in ink, "Meeeer-reee."
Merry sat beside Pippin, on the chair next to his, and watched Pippin spell out his name over and over again. Pippin stopped and thought for a while, "Merry?"
"Yes, Pippin?"
"How do you spell 'Brandybuck'? Wait! Don't tell me..." Pippin paused, "Brrraaaaaaaaann-deeeeeeee-buuuuuuuuuk.... B-R-A.....N-D...Y?"
Merry nodded.
"Right. B-R-A-N-D-Y....B....U....K?"
Merry shook his head, "No. It's B-R-A-N-D-Y-B-U-C-K."
Pippin frowned, "O..."
Merry frowned too, disappointed to see a frown on his cheerful cousin's face, "It's alright, Pippin... We'll practice writing again after breakfast."
Pippin's smile reappeared, "Really? You'll show my how to spell 'Brandybuck'? And, and other words, and--"
"Yes, Pippin, yes! But after breakfast, alright?"
Pippin nodded. The little hobbit jumped out of his chair and gathered all the pieces of parchment, "I'm going to go show Father, and Mother... and Pervinca, Pearl, and Pimpernel, and-- Everyone!" Pippin exclaimed. He ran out of the room quickly, leaving a smiling, chuckling Merry behind.
If someone wasn't awake in Brandy Hall, they were now. Pippin ran loudly down the hall, occasionally dropping some parchment and running back to get it. He ran to where his sisters slept. He found Pervinca and Pimpernel awake.
"Pippy, what is it?"
"What do you have there?"
Pippin stood at the doorway bouncing up and down, grinning from ear to ear.
Pimpernel went to Pearl's bed, "Pearl? Wake up. Pippin's here... he looks eager about something..." Pimpernel shook his sister awake.
"Mmmm, What?" Pearl sat up and rubbed her eyes sleepily.
Pippin rushed over to Pearl and jumped on her bed; he dropped the pile of parchments in front of her.
"What's this?"
Pippin said nothing, but bounced up and down excitedly.
The three Took sisters crowded around their brother, looking over what Pippin had wrote.
"Pippin, you wrote this?" asked Pimpernel.
Pippin nodded, "Yes! See? I spelled my name! I spelled it!"
"How?" asked Pervinca.
"Merry showed me. He showed me how, because he told me he would. I told you! I told you he doesn't lie! I told you!"
Pearl, Pimpernel, and Pervinca looked at each other, then returned to look over Pippin's work.
"He showed me the alphabet! The WHOLE alphabet. He showed how each letter sounded like! And then he said that later, after breakfast, he would show me more!"
"Good job, Pippy," breathed Pervinca.
"That's my little brother," said Pimpernel.
Merry walked into the room and sat next to Pippin on Pearl's bed. He looked up at Pearl, "Liar, am I?"
Pearl starred blankly at him. She looked down at her brother, "Pippy, why don't you go and show Mother and Father, now?"
Pippin nodded, he gathered his things, and he, Pimpernel, and Pervinca headed to their parents room.
Pearl turned to Merry, "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For taking time to help Pippin; for keeping your word," she said softly, "And, also, I'm sorry for telling Pippin you were a liar. I guess... I guess I was wrong about you, Meriadoc."
Merry blushed slightly, "O... it was... I just... well, Pippin isn't as annoying as I thought him to be... I guess I was wrong about him as well..." he said shrugging his shoulders, "Anyway, he's a good lad. And intelligent, like you."
Pearl smiled, "Come on, let's go see what the others are doing."
Merry and Pearl walked down the hall to the next room. There, they found Paladin Took sitting up in bed with his son on his lap, showing off his new skills. A happy Eglantine Took stood at the bed side, smiling. Pimpernel and Pervinca sat besides their father.
"...W...X...Y... and Z!" Pippin completed reciting the alphabet and everyone clapped for him.
"Good job, lad," Paladin said giving his son a gentle pat on the head.
Merry leaned against the wall, with his arms crossed, smiling proudly. He watched the Took family talk excitedly about Pippin's new talent. Merry's parents soon walked into the room. His mama turned to him, "What's going on, Merry?"
"Pippin's just showing off his spelling skills."
"Spelling?"
"Meriadoc taught him how to spell his name and such last night," said Pearl.
"Did you?" Saradoc said in a slightly surprised tone.
Merry's face turned slightly red.
"And Father," piped Pippin, "I can spell Merry's name too!"
Everyone looked to Merry, and he turned redder.
Pippin cleared his throat, and everyone turned their attention back to Pippin, "M-E-R-R-Y."
They all clapped.
"Bravo!"
"O, isn't it adorable?"
"He's so gifted!"
"Merry's quite the tutor!"
"Hooray for Pippin!"
"He's so intelligent!"
Never before had Pippin had this much attention. He looked at Merry and grinned at him. Merry grinned back. Pippin called out to him, "Merry! Tell them how you're going to show me more words after breakfast! Tell them!" Pippin turned to his mother, "He said he was going to show me more after breakfast."
"Are you, Meriadoc?" asked his mother.
Merry simply nodded.
"Merry's going to show me every single word there is in Middle Earth!"
Everyone laughed, amused with the adorable little hobbit.
"Isn't that cute?"
"He's so sweet..."
"That's my boy," chuckled his father.
"Well," sighed Esmeralda Brandybuck, "I bet get started with breakfast."
"I'll help," said Eglantine.
"Me too," said Pearl.
As soon as the three left, those that remained in the room quickly directed their attention back to Pippin.
"Recite the alphabet again, Pippy!" exclaimed Pervinca.
"Yes, recite it again!" agreed Pimpernel.
"A...B...C...D...E...F...G..."
Merry laughed to himself. He was glad to see Pippin so happy and content. And for once, everyone was pleased with him. For once no one scolded him for being mean towards his cousin. He thought today would be one of the first, that he would be able to live the day without hearing, 'Behave yourself Meriadoc!' or, 'Be a gentleman, Meriadoc!'
Today would be a good day.