Like Brothers
Chapter 8
Separated and Lost
"Breakfast!" said Eglantine Took as she set a plate of eggs, sausage, toast with raspberry jam, and a tall glass of fresh milk in front of her son and nephew.
Pippin looked down at the food in front of him, but it took him only half a second to tear into the food hungrily. Merry too was very hungry he had not eaten since Pippin last ate and he was glad to see his cousin had his appetite back once more.
The hobbit ate every spec of food on his plate and drank every drop of milk in, "Can I have a second serving?" he asked his mother as she collected his plate.
Eglantine nodded happily and left to get more food. Pippin looked at Merry's plate which was still half full, "Are you going to eat your toast, Merry?"
Merry smiled and handed him the piece, "I can see you're feeling better," said Merry.
Pippin nodded; he was too busy eating to talk.
"Here you are," said Eglantine as she set another plate of food in front of Pippin.
Before Pippin finished his meal, the healer came. Merry could see that his cousin was a little upset that the healer interrupted his eating. The healer talked to Eglantine outside the room. Merry wondered what they were talking about, "What do you suppose they're saying?" he asked.
Pippin shrugged. He said something, but it was not understandable with all the food in his mouth. He swallowed, "Can we learn sentences today, Merry?"
"No, no, no," said Pippin's mother as she reentered the room, "You need to rest all of today. The healer says you're better, but it isn't a good idea get out of bed just yet."
"Please, Mother..."
"Yes, Please Auntie!"
Eglantine shook her head, "No. Pippin, you need plenty of rest. We leave tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? But, Mother... I don't want to leave!"
"Come! Come! Eat! After you're done, you will take a bath, and go to sleep," his mother said.
Pippin looked to Merry for help.
"I can't do anything, Pippin," he whispered back.
Pippin frowned.
"O... cheer up..." he whispered, "Don't worry... I'll think of something..."
Though Pippin protested much, after he took his bath he was forced to go to bed. Merry was disappointed as well. As soon as he had seen that smile on Pippin's face he had been planning out the lesson plan for an entire week . Now the Tooks were leaving and Merry didn't want them to go.
Pippin slept most of the day, only awakening to eat. The hobbit had lost some weight during his illness, but it wouldn't be too hard for him to gain it back at the rate he was eating. When he ate he asked from two to three servings, and when he would finish the lad would whine, "Please, please, please, please, please, please...." just to be able to stay up, but Merry could tell that he did indeed need to restore his energy, for it would take just a few minutes for him to fall asleep.
"Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, PLEASE!" he begged after he finished dinner.
"NO," his mother answered for the hundredth time.
Pippin looked very upset. When Eglantine left, Merry closed the door behind her.
"What are you doing, Merry?" Pippin asked curiously.
Merry took out a folded up piece of parchment from his vest pocket, "You wrote this didn't you?" he handed Pippin the piece of parchment that he found under the mattress.
Pippin nodded.
Merry took the parchment, and with a quill he wrote:
'Merry and Pippin are friends.'
He handed it back to Pippin, "Can you read that?"
"Sure I can! .... just wait for a while..." he paused, looking the writing over carefully, "Merry and Pippin are friends," he read perfectly.
"That is a sentence."
Pippin stared at the writing again, "Can I try?"
Merry nodded and handed him the quill. Pippin reached out to retrieve the quill, but stopped short. "What?" asked Merry.
"Mother wants me to go to bed.... I'm not supposed to..."
"But, Pippin... we won't be able to practice for who knows how long! You're leaving tomorrow!" This was an odd moment; Merry wanted to spend time with Pippin and Pippin was the one with second thoughts. It surprised even Merry.
Pippin paused, "Yes... I suppose so... Alright!" he took the quill and began to practice writing sentences. Merry explained to him about capitals at the beginning of sentences, and of periods, exclamations, and more. Time went by fast and it was three hours later when Merry realized the time.
"Whoa, Pippin, you need to get to bed."
"But, Merry!" whined Pippin.
"No, Pippin."
"Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, PLEASE!"
"No."
Pippin reluctantly crawled under the sheets of the bed and laid down, "Good night, Merry."
"Good night."
**
Merry forgot how much sleep he had lost during the past four days, and he slept late into the next morning. When he awoke he found that Pippin was not in bed. He sleepily dragged himself down the hall and into the kitchen, where he found his mama cooking. She turned and smiled at Merry, "It's about time you woke up! Are you ready for lunch?"
"Lunch?"
She nodded.
"Where's Pippin?"
"Sweetie, they left."
"What?"
"They left."
"When?"
"Nearly two hours ago."
"Mama, why didn't you wake me?"
"I didn't want to. You looked so tired!"
Merry sighed. He was usually content just being alone in Brandy Hall; he was very independent being an only child, and enjoyed time by himself.
"Mama?"
"Yes, Merry?"
"When exactly will we see the Tooks again?"
"Well, exactly? I don't know."
"O..." Merry paused, "Mama?"
"Yes, Merry?"
"Will it be like a week or--"
"Merry, I don't know," she sighed, "Go play outside."
Merry went outside and sat down on the front steps. He sat there for a long time, not doing anything. There was nothing to do. Finally he stood and walked down the yard; he reached the stables and decided to pay a visit to his favorite pony, Strawberry.
"Hullo," he greeted the pony and he brushed her nose tenderly with his finger. Then he got an idea. He could ride to the Great Smials where Pippin lived. Strawberry knew the way. She would always accompany Merry's family there .
Merry readied the pony. He rode the pony out of the stables and to the main road, he stopped. He looked down the south road and down the north, "Which one is it?" He leaned over to the pony's ear, "Strawberry? You have to take me to see Pippin, alright? I don't remember the way exactly, but you do."
The pony turned south and began to trot down the road at a steady pace.
Merry sighed, "I hope you're right about this girl." He looked behind him and watched Brandy Hall slowly disappear.
Strawberry continued down the road for some forty minutes, then turned east. Merry looked around; things started to look familiar and he knew they were going in the correct direction. Some ten minutes later Merry heard his stomach growl. It was time for afternoon tea and he was hungry. He saw that there were some wild berries growing on the road and stopped, "Strawberry, let's get something to eat." he said and he lead the pony off the road to the brush, but before they reached the berries, Strawberry began to act strangely. She cried and veered away, and Merry felt it hard to keep control, "What's the matter?"
There was something in the brush. It jumped out... a snake. Merry yelped as the pony sped away, through the wilderness, and Merry desperately held on as hard as he could, "Stop!" he screamed, "Stop, Strawberry! Stop! STOP!" Finally Merry flew off, besides from scraping an elbow, he was fine. He watched Strawberry run away, "Come back!" he shouted, "Come back!"
The horse kept going.
Merry desperately looked around. Which way did they come from? Where was the road? He took a step towards what he thought was north, then stepped back. He wheeled around, "No, no, no, no, no..." he said softly. He began to run through the thick brush, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" he said, his voice growing louder and louder. He ran faster, "Where's the road?!" he screamed, "Where's the road?!" He halted and stared at the threatening wilderness, then collapsed on to his knees, "I-I-I'm lost..." he said, "I'm lost!" he buried his face in his hands, "I'm lost," he sobbed, "No, no, no, no... I'm lost..."
Chapter 8
Separated and Lost
"Breakfast!" said Eglantine Took as she set a plate of eggs, sausage, toast with raspberry jam, and a tall glass of fresh milk in front of her son and nephew.
Pippin looked down at the food in front of him, but it took him only half a second to tear into the food hungrily. Merry too was very hungry he had not eaten since Pippin last ate and he was glad to see his cousin had his appetite back once more.
The hobbit ate every spec of food on his plate and drank every drop of milk in, "Can I have a second serving?" he asked his mother as she collected his plate.
Eglantine nodded happily and left to get more food. Pippin looked at Merry's plate which was still half full, "Are you going to eat your toast, Merry?"
Merry smiled and handed him the piece, "I can see you're feeling better," said Merry.
Pippin nodded; he was too busy eating to talk.
"Here you are," said Eglantine as she set another plate of food in front of Pippin.
Before Pippin finished his meal, the healer came. Merry could see that his cousin was a little upset that the healer interrupted his eating. The healer talked to Eglantine outside the room. Merry wondered what they were talking about, "What do you suppose they're saying?" he asked.
Pippin shrugged. He said something, but it was not understandable with all the food in his mouth. He swallowed, "Can we learn sentences today, Merry?"
"No, no, no," said Pippin's mother as she reentered the room, "You need to rest all of today. The healer says you're better, but it isn't a good idea get out of bed just yet."
"Please, Mother..."
"Yes, Please Auntie!"
Eglantine shook her head, "No. Pippin, you need plenty of rest. We leave tomorrow."
"Tomorrow? But, Mother... I don't want to leave!"
"Come! Come! Eat! After you're done, you will take a bath, and go to sleep," his mother said.
Pippin looked to Merry for help.
"I can't do anything, Pippin," he whispered back.
Pippin frowned.
"O... cheer up..." he whispered, "Don't worry... I'll think of something..."
Though Pippin protested much, after he took his bath he was forced to go to bed. Merry was disappointed as well. As soon as he had seen that smile on Pippin's face he had been planning out the lesson plan for an entire week . Now the Tooks were leaving and Merry didn't want them to go.
Pippin slept most of the day, only awakening to eat. The hobbit had lost some weight during his illness, but it wouldn't be too hard for him to gain it back at the rate he was eating. When he ate he asked from two to three servings, and when he would finish the lad would whine, "Please, please, please, please, please, please...." just to be able to stay up, but Merry could tell that he did indeed need to restore his energy, for it would take just a few minutes for him to fall asleep.
"Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, PLEASE!" he begged after he finished dinner.
"NO," his mother answered for the hundredth time.
Pippin looked very upset. When Eglantine left, Merry closed the door behind her.
"What are you doing, Merry?" Pippin asked curiously.
Merry took out a folded up piece of parchment from his vest pocket, "You wrote this didn't you?" he handed Pippin the piece of parchment that he found under the mattress.
Pippin nodded.
Merry took the parchment, and with a quill he wrote:
'Merry and Pippin are friends.'
He handed it back to Pippin, "Can you read that?"
"Sure I can! .... just wait for a while..." he paused, looking the writing over carefully, "Merry and Pippin are friends," he read perfectly.
"That is a sentence."
Pippin stared at the writing again, "Can I try?"
Merry nodded and handed him the quill. Pippin reached out to retrieve the quill, but stopped short. "What?" asked Merry.
"Mother wants me to go to bed.... I'm not supposed to..."
"But, Pippin... we won't be able to practice for who knows how long! You're leaving tomorrow!" This was an odd moment; Merry wanted to spend time with Pippin and Pippin was the one with second thoughts. It surprised even Merry.
Pippin paused, "Yes... I suppose so... Alright!" he took the quill and began to practice writing sentences. Merry explained to him about capitals at the beginning of sentences, and of periods, exclamations, and more. Time went by fast and it was three hours later when Merry realized the time.
"Whoa, Pippin, you need to get to bed."
"But, Merry!" whined Pippin.
"No, Pippin."
"Please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, PLEASE!"
"No."
Pippin reluctantly crawled under the sheets of the bed and laid down, "Good night, Merry."
"Good night."
**
Merry forgot how much sleep he had lost during the past four days, and he slept late into the next morning. When he awoke he found that Pippin was not in bed. He sleepily dragged himself down the hall and into the kitchen, where he found his mama cooking. She turned and smiled at Merry, "It's about time you woke up! Are you ready for lunch?"
"Lunch?"
She nodded.
"Where's Pippin?"
"Sweetie, they left."
"What?"
"They left."
"When?"
"Nearly two hours ago."
"Mama, why didn't you wake me?"
"I didn't want to. You looked so tired!"
Merry sighed. He was usually content just being alone in Brandy Hall; he was very independent being an only child, and enjoyed time by himself.
"Mama?"
"Yes, Merry?"
"When exactly will we see the Tooks again?"
"Well, exactly? I don't know."
"O..." Merry paused, "Mama?"
"Yes, Merry?"
"Will it be like a week or--"
"Merry, I don't know," she sighed, "Go play outside."
Merry went outside and sat down on the front steps. He sat there for a long time, not doing anything. There was nothing to do. Finally he stood and walked down the yard; he reached the stables and decided to pay a visit to his favorite pony, Strawberry.
"Hullo," he greeted the pony and he brushed her nose tenderly with his finger. Then he got an idea. He could ride to the Great Smials where Pippin lived. Strawberry knew the way. She would always accompany Merry's family there .
Merry readied the pony. He rode the pony out of the stables and to the main road, he stopped. He looked down the south road and down the north, "Which one is it?" He leaned over to the pony's ear, "Strawberry? You have to take me to see Pippin, alright? I don't remember the way exactly, but you do."
The pony turned south and began to trot down the road at a steady pace.
Merry sighed, "I hope you're right about this girl." He looked behind him and watched Brandy Hall slowly disappear.
Strawberry continued down the road for some forty minutes, then turned east. Merry looked around; things started to look familiar and he knew they were going in the correct direction. Some ten minutes later Merry heard his stomach growl. It was time for afternoon tea and he was hungry. He saw that there were some wild berries growing on the road and stopped, "Strawberry, let's get something to eat." he said and he lead the pony off the road to the brush, but before they reached the berries, Strawberry began to act strangely. She cried and veered away, and Merry felt it hard to keep control, "What's the matter?"
There was something in the brush. It jumped out... a snake. Merry yelped as the pony sped away, through the wilderness, and Merry desperately held on as hard as he could, "Stop!" he screamed, "Stop, Strawberry! Stop! STOP!" Finally Merry flew off, besides from scraping an elbow, he was fine. He watched Strawberry run away, "Come back!" he shouted, "Come back!"
The horse kept going.
Merry desperately looked around. Which way did they come from? Where was the road? He took a step towards what he thought was north, then stepped back. He wheeled around, "No, no, no, no, no..." he said softly. He began to run through the thick brush, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" he said, his voice growing louder and louder. He ran faster, "Where's the road?!" he screamed, "Where's the road?!" He halted and stared at the threatening wilderness, then collapsed on to his knees, "I-I-I'm lost..." he said, "I'm lost!" he buried his face in his hands, "I'm lost," he sobbed, "No, no, no, no... I'm lost..."