3-
No need to fear.
Pippin stopped crying. He heard something. Footsteps. Frantic, pounding footsteps. What was it? It could be anything out here-a dragon, a troll-it could even be the "Hobbit-eating-flying-beast" Pervinca had told him about. She had told him that it only ate naughty Hobbits, and now Pippin feared what could happen to him. He really, really didn't mean to wake up Frodo, he really didn't-and as for running away, that's what he thought was best at the time being. Now he really was in trouble. He was going to get eaten up!
"Pippin!"
Pippin stood up. That didn't sound like a monster--that sounded like Merry. Pippin listened again and hoped it was.
"Pippin!" That wasn't Merry-that was his father!
He was going to be safe!
"Da?" Pippin shouted loudly.
The footsteps grew closer; he could hear two sets of feet running along the grass. Two sets! Both Merry and his father.
"Merry?" Pippin shouted.
"Stay where you are! We'll find you! Keep talking, son, keep speaking to us." His father called.
Pippin didn't quite know what to say at first. He was sure his father would want to know why he was outside all by himself and in the dark so he thought that maybe he should start explaining now.
"Da, I didn't mean to wake up Frodo, so I hid when he shouted, but he found me and said some nasty things and he sent me to my room because he said I was being silly, but I wasn't being silly, I just wanted to play. So I thought he didn't want to baby-sit me because he was very grumpy so I thought I'd go to Buckland instead because Aunt and Uncle don't mind looking after me, so I thought if I went there instead Frodo wouldn't be mad anymore. So that's why I left, but then I got hungry but I only packed some week-old biscuits, and I was thirsty but I didn't have any water-just a mug and then I felt sleepy so I sat down. I woke up again and it was dark so I got scared and then I thought the big "Hobbit-eating-flying-beast was going to get me and-"
Pippin suddenly let out an ear-splitting scream as something grabbed his shoulder. It took him a while to realise it was just Merry, but it had frightened him so much that he began to cry. Merry picked his tiny cousin up into his arms and stroked back his hair.
"Oh, shh, it's alright, Pip, it's only me." Merry soothed.
Pippin sniffled a little and gripped hold of Merry's shirt tightly. He could see his father too, and he reached out his hand. Paladin gripped it tightly and Pippin could make out his father's smile.
"I'm a fool! I forgot to bring a lantern. It's a good job we know our way round, isn't?" Paladin said.
Pippin giggled. Merry kept a tight hold of him and they began to make their way back out of the woods and back to the Smials.
"So what's this about a "Hobbit-eating-flying-beast"?" Merry asked him.
Pippin gave a soft sigh.
"Pervinca said there was a big Hobbit-eating-flying-beast that ate bad hobbit children for breakfast. She said if I didn't behave it would come and get me and eat me all up. She said that it could eat me up in one gulp and then she said-"
Paladin cut him off.
"I don't think you should listen to Pervinca, lad, she doesn't know what she's talking about. There's no such thing. Now then, I want you to tell me what you did to make Frodo so grumpy." Paladin said.
Pippin knew Merry was already laughing, but the Brandybuck was good at concealing such things.
"Well first of all I was in the kitchen and we were going to make a cake, but I dropped the flour all over the floor, then he said I should play with my toys and I did, but I knocked over the inkwell and spilled it all over his letters. Then he said he wanted to sit down because he felt tired so I thought I'd make him some Hawthorn tea but I tripped up on my coat and it went all over his leg."
Pippin heard Merry giggle.
"And what was your coat doing on the floor?" Paladin asked.
Pippin was silent for a little while, but then he let out a small giggle.
"I was pretending to be a stone." He replied.
"Pretending to be a stone?" Merry questioned.
Pippin nodded.
"Yes. Frodo said I should play a quiet game and stones are quiet so I thought if I was one of them it would be quiet, but stones are boring because they don't seem to do very much." Pippin replied.
Paladin smiled too, they'd reached the edge of the woods and he was just relived to have his son back safe and sound.
Pippin stopped crying. He heard something. Footsteps. Frantic, pounding footsteps. What was it? It could be anything out here-a dragon, a troll-it could even be the "Hobbit-eating-flying-beast" Pervinca had told him about. She had told him that it only ate naughty Hobbits, and now Pippin feared what could happen to him. He really, really didn't mean to wake up Frodo, he really didn't-and as for running away, that's what he thought was best at the time being. Now he really was in trouble. He was going to get eaten up!
"Pippin!"
Pippin stood up. That didn't sound like a monster--that sounded like Merry. Pippin listened again and hoped it was.
"Pippin!" That wasn't Merry-that was his father!
He was going to be safe!
"Da?" Pippin shouted loudly.
The footsteps grew closer; he could hear two sets of feet running along the grass. Two sets! Both Merry and his father.
"Merry?" Pippin shouted.
"Stay where you are! We'll find you! Keep talking, son, keep speaking to us." His father called.
Pippin didn't quite know what to say at first. He was sure his father would want to know why he was outside all by himself and in the dark so he thought that maybe he should start explaining now.
"Da, I didn't mean to wake up Frodo, so I hid when he shouted, but he found me and said some nasty things and he sent me to my room because he said I was being silly, but I wasn't being silly, I just wanted to play. So I thought he didn't want to baby-sit me because he was very grumpy so I thought I'd go to Buckland instead because Aunt and Uncle don't mind looking after me, so I thought if I went there instead Frodo wouldn't be mad anymore. So that's why I left, but then I got hungry but I only packed some week-old biscuits, and I was thirsty but I didn't have any water-just a mug and then I felt sleepy so I sat down. I woke up again and it was dark so I got scared and then I thought the big "Hobbit-eating-flying-beast was going to get me and-"
Pippin suddenly let out an ear-splitting scream as something grabbed his shoulder. It took him a while to realise it was just Merry, but it had frightened him so much that he began to cry. Merry picked his tiny cousin up into his arms and stroked back his hair.
"Oh, shh, it's alright, Pip, it's only me." Merry soothed.
Pippin sniffled a little and gripped hold of Merry's shirt tightly. He could see his father too, and he reached out his hand. Paladin gripped it tightly and Pippin could make out his father's smile.
"I'm a fool! I forgot to bring a lantern. It's a good job we know our way round, isn't?" Paladin said.
Pippin giggled. Merry kept a tight hold of him and they began to make their way back out of the woods and back to the Smials.
"So what's this about a "Hobbit-eating-flying-beast"?" Merry asked him.
Pippin gave a soft sigh.
"Pervinca said there was a big Hobbit-eating-flying-beast that ate bad hobbit children for breakfast. She said if I didn't behave it would come and get me and eat me all up. She said that it could eat me up in one gulp and then she said-"
Paladin cut him off.
"I don't think you should listen to Pervinca, lad, she doesn't know what she's talking about. There's no such thing. Now then, I want you to tell me what you did to make Frodo so grumpy." Paladin said.
Pippin knew Merry was already laughing, but the Brandybuck was good at concealing such things.
"Well first of all I was in the kitchen and we were going to make a cake, but I dropped the flour all over the floor, then he said I should play with my toys and I did, but I knocked over the inkwell and spilled it all over his letters. Then he said he wanted to sit down because he felt tired so I thought I'd make him some Hawthorn tea but I tripped up on my coat and it went all over his leg."
Pippin heard Merry giggle.
"And what was your coat doing on the floor?" Paladin asked.
Pippin was silent for a little while, but then he let out a small giggle.
"I was pretending to be a stone." He replied.
"Pretending to be a stone?" Merry questioned.
Pippin nodded.
"Yes. Frodo said I should play a quiet game and stones are quiet so I thought if I was one of them it would be quiet, but stones are boring because they don't seem to do very much." Pippin replied.
Paladin smiled too, they'd reached the edge of the woods and he was just relived to have his son back safe and sound.