"No, Pippin!"
"Why not? It's just for a bit of fun. Old Gandalf will understand."
Merry scoffed inwardly at this proclamation. Gandalf rarely understood anything that the young lad did. "Even if Gandalf does understand, I doubt Lord Elrond will."
Pippin crossed his arms across his chest and frowned. "You're no fun at all, Merry."
He sighed.
"Remember when it snowed back in the Shire? We'd go down the hills in Tuckborough, and then Uncle Bilbo would let us sled down the very hill that Bag End was built into. Wasn't that fun?"
Getting no response from his cousin, he continued more desperately:
"You saw that hill by the forest this morning! No one will iever/i find out," he concluded, with a grin that would win over even the sourest nanny back home. Merry had become very familiar with that look over the years.
"Oh, all right!" he said. "But if we get caught, it'll be your head, Peregrin Took!"
"Right then! Let's go!" He quickly left his seat on the bench and started off toward the south, with Merry reluctantly in tow.
They hadn't gotten far when they came upon Sam and Frodo eating luncheon on the porch by the Garden.
"Where are you two off to?" asked Sam, between bites.
"You can come along if you promise not to tell." said Pippin, grinning mischievously.
Frodo sighed. "I don't want to know. Have fun, you two."
Pippin gave an awkward half-bow and stepped onto the grounds. Sam looked at them suspiciously, but decided not get mixed up in his friends' schemes; especially when led by Pippin.
They eventually made their way to the kitchen; just a little while after the bell for luncheon rang. Their timing was perfect: All the cooks were off serving the food in the Dining Hall. They crept around, as careful as any hobbit can be, until they saw it: one grand silver serving tray, just big enough for a small hobbit to coast down a snow-covered hill on.
"One left!" whispered Pippin. "Perfect!"
"Shh!" hissed Merry. He kept glancing towards the doors, expecting one of the cooks to enter at any moment.
Unfortunately, the table that the tray rested on was just a little too high. Pippin reached as far as he could, but he could only touch the tray with his fingertips.
"Hurry up, Pip! I hear someone coming!" said Merry. Indeed, footsteps could be heard coming from the nearby hallway.
Pippin was concentrating on getting the tray, and he didn't seem to hear him. "Almost."
In burst a tall, dark-haired elf bearing two empty trays. He seemed very surprise to see the two young hobbits in his kitchen.
"Good afternoon!" he said. "Is there something I can help you with, young sirs? If you are looking for food, it is all in the Dining Hall."
Pippin stuttered, not quite knowing what to say, when Merry cut in:
"We were planning to take our luncheon outside, and we wanted to borrow a tray to carry the food on, begging your pardon."
Pippin glanced at his cousin wit ha look of surprise. Turning back to the elf, he said, "We were going to return it!"
The elf looked at them strangely for a moment. "A strange request, but not unheard of," he said. "I would appreciate it if you would ask me first, next time."
He took the tray off the table and placed it in Pippin's waiting hands. He grinned victoriously at his cousin when the elf was turned away.
A little while later, they were on a small porch finished up the sandwiches and pastries that the cook had given them.
"Brilliant, Merry!" said Pippin.
Merry was rather pleased with himself. Having two lunches in one day was a rare treat.
Once all of the food had been taken care of, the two hobbits set off with their newfound toboggan. They walked through ivy-covered paths, just as they had that same morning, until they came to a small opening in the low evergreen trees. The previously flat landscape dipped rather sharply, and then rolled out into the forest and meadow beyond.
Pippin grinned. "Perfect."
With one last look at Merry, he took the tray and began to slide down the hill on his stomach. The cold winter air whistled through his ears, nipping at his exposed face. He couldn't resist a small cry of joy; he felt like he was back in the Shire again.
As the hill began to level out, he turned around and looked up at Merry. "You have got to try this, Merry!" he said.
Just as Pippin was trudging up the hill, Sam came running down the path. He looked very flustered and out of breath. "Pippin." he panted.
"Hullo, Sam!" he said.
"You had better get that tray back before."
'iPEREGRIN TOOK!i'
".Gandalf finds out."
Despite the cold weather, all the color drained from Pippin's face.
"You've really done it this time, Pip," muttered Merry.
"Why not? It's just for a bit of fun. Old Gandalf will understand."
Merry scoffed inwardly at this proclamation. Gandalf rarely understood anything that the young lad did. "Even if Gandalf does understand, I doubt Lord Elrond will."
Pippin crossed his arms across his chest and frowned. "You're no fun at all, Merry."
He sighed.
"Remember when it snowed back in the Shire? We'd go down the hills in Tuckborough, and then Uncle Bilbo would let us sled down the very hill that Bag End was built into. Wasn't that fun?"
Getting no response from his cousin, he continued more desperately:
"You saw that hill by the forest this morning! No one will iever/i find out," he concluded, with a grin that would win over even the sourest nanny back home. Merry had become very familiar with that look over the years.
"Oh, all right!" he said. "But if we get caught, it'll be your head, Peregrin Took!"
"Right then! Let's go!" He quickly left his seat on the bench and started off toward the south, with Merry reluctantly in tow.
They hadn't gotten far when they came upon Sam and Frodo eating luncheon on the porch by the Garden.
"Where are you two off to?" asked Sam, between bites.
"You can come along if you promise not to tell." said Pippin, grinning mischievously.
Frodo sighed. "I don't want to know. Have fun, you two."
Pippin gave an awkward half-bow and stepped onto the grounds. Sam looked at them suspiciously, but decided not get mixed up in his friends' schemes; especially when led by Pippin.
They eventually made their way to the kitchen; just a little while after the bell for luncheon rang. Their timing was perfect: All the cooks were off serving the food in the Dining Hall. They crept around, as careful as any hobbit can be, until they saw it: one grand silver serving tray, just big enough for a small hobbit to coast down a snow-covered hill on.
"One left!" whispered Pippin. "Perfect!"
"Shh!" hissed Merry. He kept glancing towards the doors, expecting one of the cooks to enter at any moment.
Unfortunately, the table that the tray rested on was just a little too high. Pippin reached as far as he could, but he could only touch the tray with his fingertips.
"Hurry up, Pip! I hear someone coming!" said Merry. Indeed, footsteps could be heard coming from the nearby hallway.
Pippin was concentrating on getting the tray, and he didn't seem to hear him. "Almost."
In burst a tall, dark-haired elf bearing two empty trays. He seemed very surprise to see the two young hobbits in his kitchen.
"Good afternoon!" he said. "Is there something I can help you with, young sirs? If you are looking for food, it is all in the Dining Hall."
Pippin stuttered, not quite knowing what to say, when Merry cut in:
"We were planning to take our luncheon outside, and we wanted to borrow a tray to carry the food on, begging your pardon."
Pippin glanced at his cousin wit ha look of surprise. Turning back to the elf, he said, "We were going to return it!"
The elf looked at them strangely for a moment. "A strange request, but not unheard of," he said. "I would appreciate it if you would ask me first, next time."
He took the tray off the table and placed it in Pippin's waiting hands. He grinned victoriously at his cousin when the elf was turned away.
A little while later, they were on a small porch finished up the sandwiches and pastries that the cook had given them.
"Brilliant, Merry!" said Pippin.
Merry was rather pleased with himself. Having two lunches in one day was a rare treat.
Once all of the food had been taken care of, the two hobbits set off with their newfound toboggan. They walked through ivy-covered paths, just as they had that same morning, until they came to a small opening in the low evergreen trees. The previously flat landscape dipped rather sharply, and then rolled out into the forest and meadow beyond.
Pippin grinned. "Perfect."
With one last look at Merry, he took the tray and began to slide down the hill on his stomach. The cold winter air whistled through his ears, nipping at his exposed face. He couldn't resist a small cry of joy; he felt like he was back in the Shire again.
As the hill began to level out, he turned around and looked up at Merry. "You have got to try this, Merry!" he said.
Just as Pippin was trudging up the hill, Sam came running down the path. He looked very flustered and out of breath. "Pippin." he panted.
"Hullo, Sam!" he said.
"You had better get that tray back before."
'iPEREGRIN TOOK!i'
".Gandalf finds out."
Despite the cold weather, all the color drained from Pippin's face.
"You've really done it this time, Pip," muttered Merry.
