Chapter 3
Plans for a jolly evening
"How are we off for leaf, Sam?" Frodo sat on the old bench outside Bilbo's old place. From there he could watch the goings-on in Hobbiton, such as they were, he could gaze at the clouds as though looking for meaning, or simply watch Sam pottering about in the garden. Right now he was pulling some wurzels for a stew.
"I got hold of half a pound of flake from the Bracegirdles a few days ago" said Sam, standing up and rubbing the small of his back vigorously. "Right good it is too – I tried a pipeful before buying it. Not that it isn't always goo, mind, they know how to fill a pipe, all right."
"They sure do, Sam," said Frodo, smiling. "Now, Sam, I think Merry and Pippin might come round this evening to help me eat up some of these wonderful vegetable you're growing for me here. I'm a stone goblin if you aren't a better gardener than old Gaffer Gamgee."
"I don't know about that, Master Frodo," said Sam, blushing visibly, but clearly pleased, "He's been a doing of it longer than I care to think. But I do my best, and that's a fact."
"Well, I only know what I see and what I see is a store-house full of wurzels and pumpkins and pickled plums and dried plums and plum jam – even salted plums. And, of course, all the nuts as well. You do a great job, Sam. But what I was going to ask was, how is the cellar?"
"I think we might be getting a bit low on ale, Master Frodo," Sam replied. He looked rather uncomfortable. "Why, whatever is the matter, Sam?" asked Frodo, serious for once.
"Well, it's like this, Sir," Sam answered, "I don't rightly know why, but that Jaker always puts me in a state. I'm not used to dealing with men, I suppose, for we don't see many of them in there parts. But it's not just that. He always seems to look at me kind of queer, like."
"What do you mean, 'queer-like', Sam?" asked Frodo. "Well, he has these kind of piercing eyes," replied Sam, pulling on his earlobe, "and when he looks at you it's like he can see right through to what you're thinking. And since I know as how what I'm thinking is how quickly I can get away from him, it makes for a nasty to-do altogether."
"But are you frightened of him, my sturdy farmer?" asked Frodo, still serious despite the play on Sam's trade. "Well, not frightened of a fight, I suppose, Master Frodo" answered Sam, "for I think I could give as good as I get, no matter that he's half as big again as me. No, it's more that he can best me in any kind of dealing or argument. Like if he was to give me five barrels instead of six, and I was to tell him he was wrong, he'd find some way of making me look in the wrong. That kind of thing. They say he used to work in the markets all over the Wilder lands, and I don't doubt he knows all the tricks of how to muddle poor country folk, and especially hobbits."
"Well, I'm sorry you haven't told me about this before, Sam," said Frodo thoughtfully. "Anything else that's bothering you?"
"Not really, Master Frodo," Sam replied. "Though My Gaffer was telling me that he heard down at the Half-Moon that there's been some more of them palemen around." "Palemen?" quizzed Frodo. "Yes, Sir, that's what the hobbits out in the outer villages call them. They look like men, but then again they don't. Awful big, they are, or so they say, and buck-ugly, and deathly pale. I hear they get up to bits of mischief, stealing from folk's gardens and the like, though nothing serious like hurting no-one. And they like their ale. But they're very restless, folk say, and they don't stay in one place very long"
"Well, I should like to see one of these palemen one day," said Frodo. "But right now I want to settle this business with Jaker. If you're so uncomfortable about seeing him, I'll go myself. What do we need, Sam?"
"Oh, just a crate each of stout and of cider," replied Sam, "but you needn't mind about Jaker today – he's gone off on one of his jaunts."
"Jaunts, eh?" said Frodo. "Where does he go, Sam?" "Oh, all over," replied Sam, "he calls them his 'sales trips' but I hear Ogar thinks they're more like holidays."
"He probably just misses being among men – he must get tired of having to look down on us hobbits" offered Frodo. "Look down on us is right, I'm minding, said Sam. "I don't know why he ever came here if he likes us so little."
"Oh, don't take on so," said Frodo, "let's........" He broke off at that point. Along the road there came two men, or, thought Frodo to himself, they must be palemen. They were the same height as Jaker, but much more swarthy across the shoulders. Their features were coarse, and they were pale as death. As they approached, it seemed as though a sudden chill was in the air.
"Could you spare us some coins, good Sir?" asked the older-looking of the two, "we're just passing through." "Be gone with you," replied Sam angrily, "and don't go scaring honest folk like that."
"Don't look for offence where none is intended" said Frodo. Sam looked doubtful. "Here's two silver coins," he said to the one who'd spoken, "make sure you buy bread as well as beer." "You're a real noble hobbit" replied the paleman, doffing his cap, "my son is sick, and he needs something more than the plants I've collected in the forest to make him well again."
"We don't have a healer in Hobbiton any more," said Frodo, concerned. "You'll have to go further on, to Bywater." "That's where we're a-going anyway," said the paleman, "we never stay anywhere long. Is there any little service we can do for you before we go?"
"Well, you could tell us a little about yourselves and your – cousins, shall we say, in the other villages around. I hear tell that some of you have been getting into trouble? Stolen hens and lost potatoes and so on?" Frodo seemed to speak as gently as anyone could when asking a question like that.
"Our kind are no worse than others when it comes to stealing," replied the paleman, "but oftentimes we get blamed for what was a wolf or an owl or a rabbit, or sometimes even a hobbit ..." here he looked sideways at Sam. "I en't been doing no thieving!" cried Sam angrily.
"No, I'm sure you haven't, I meant no offence," continued the paleman. "But people take on about us because of how we look, you see. And we can't help that. It's the Murrain."
"Murrain?" quizzed Frodo, "what's that?" The paleman sighed. "It is the blight that fell upon my people. We don't know where it came from, but it sucks the colour out of us, and those of us that get it can no longer have children."
"But that's dreadful!" cried Frodo. Even Sam looked sympathetic.
"Is it something that you can pass on?" asked Frodo, hesitantly. "Oh, no, good Sir, you don't have to worry on that account. But our people, once one of us falls under the blight, they drive us away, you see. That's why we're travellers."
"Well, I'd like to do more to help you," said Frodo, "but I have no need of anyone apart from my gardener. Perhaps there might be work for you in the village? At the smithy, or the brewery? I could put in a word for you with Ogar or Jaker at the brewery, if you like?"
At the name of Jaker, the two palemen looked thunderstruck.
[to reviewers Luth, FB & BB: I have to take a few days off to care for my daughters – N-R]
Plans for a jolly evening
"How are we off for leaf, Sam?" Frodo sat on the old bench outside Bilbo's old place. From there he could watch the goings-on in Hobbiton, such as they were, he could gaze at the clouds as though looking for meaning, or simply watch Sam pottering about in the garden. Right now he was pulling some wurzels for a stew.
"I got hold of half a pound of flake from the Bracegirdles a few days ago" said Sam, standing up and rubbing the small of his back vigorously. "Right good it is too – I tried a pipeful before buying it. Not that it isn't always goo, mind, they know how to fill a pipe, all right."
"They sure do, Sam," said Frodo, smiling. "Now, Sam, I think Merry and Pippin might come round this evening to help me eat up some of these wonderful vegetable you're growing for me here. I'm a stone goblin if you aren't a better gardener than old Gaffer Gamgee."
"I don't know about that, Master Frodo," said Sam, blushing visibly, but clearly pleased, "He's been a doing of it longer than I care to think. But I do my best, and that's a fact."
"Well, I only know what I see and what I see is a store-house full of wurzels and pumpkins and pickled plums and dried plums and plum jam – even salted plums. And, of course, all the nuts as well. You do a great job, Sam. But what I was going to ask was, how is the cellar?"
"I think we might be getting a bit low on ale, Master Frodo," Sam replied. He looked rather uncomfortable. "Why, whatever is the matter, Sam?" asked Frodo, serious for once.
"Well, it's like this, Sir," Sam answered, "I don't rightly know why, but that Jaker always puts me in a state. I'm not used to dealing with men, I suppose, for we don't see many of them in there parts. But it's not just that. He always seems to look at me kind of queer, like."
"What do you mean, 'queer-like', Sam?" asked Frodo. "Well, he has these kind of piercing eyes," replied Sam, pulling on his earlobe, "and when he looks at you it's like he can see right through to what you're thinking. And since I know as how what I'm thinking is how quickly I can get away from him, it makes for a nasty to-do altogether."
"But are you frightened of him, my sturdy farmer?" asked Frodo, still serious despite the play on Sam's trade. "Well, not frightened of a fight, I suppose, Master Frodo" answered Sam, "for I think I could give as good as I get, no matter that he's half as big again as me. No, it's more that he can best me in any kind of dealing or argument. Like if he was to give me five barrels instead of six, and I was to tell him he was wrong, he'd find some way of making me look in the wrong. That kind of thing. They say he used to work in the markets all over the Wilder lands, and I don't doubt he knows all the tricks of how to muddle poor country folk, and especially hobbits."
"Well, I'm sorry you haven't told me about this before, Sam," said Frodo thoughtfully. "Anything else that's bothering you?"
"Not really, Master Frodo," Sam replied. "Though My Gaffer was telling me that he heard down at the Half-Moon that there's been some more of them palemen around." "Palemen?" quizzed Frodo. "Yes, Sir, that's what the hobbits out in the outer villages call them. They look like men, but then again they don't. Awful big, they are, or so they say, and buck-ugly, and deathly pale. I hear they get up to bits of mischief, stealing from folk's gardens and the like, though nothing serious like hurting no-one. And they like their ale. But they're very restless, folk say, and they don't stay in one place very long"
"Well, I should like to see one of these palemen one day," said Frodo. "But right now I want to settle this business with Jaker. If you're so uncomfortable about seeing him, I'll go myself. What do we need, Sam?"
"Oh, just a crate each of stout and of cider," replied Sam, "but you needn't mind about Jaker today – he's gone off on one of his jaunts."
"Jaunts, eh?" said Frodo. "Where does he go, Sam?" "Oh, all over," replied Sam, "he calls them his 'sales trips' but I hear Ogar thinks they're more like holidays."
"He probably just misses being among men – he must get tired of having to look down on us hobbits" offered Frodo. "Look down on us is right, I'm minding, said Sam. "I don't know why he ever came here if he likes us so little."
"Oh, don't take on so," said Frodo, "let's........" He broke off at that point. Along the road there came two men, or, thought Frodo to himself, they must be palemen. They were the same height as Jaker, but much more swarthy across the shoulders. Their features were coarse, and they were pale as death. As they approached, it seemed as though a sudden chill was in the air.
"Could you spare us some coins, good Sir?" asked the older-looking of the two, "we're just passing through." "Be gone with you," replied Sam angrily, "and don't go scaring honest folk like that."
"Don't look for offence where none is intended" said Frodo. Sam looked doubtful. "Here's two silver coins," he said to the one who'd spoken, "make sure you buy bread as well as beer." "You're a real noble hobbit" replied the paleman, doffing his cap, "my son is sick, and he needs something more than the plants I've collected in the forest to make him well again."
"We don't have a healer in Hobbiton any more," said Frodo, concerned. "You'll have to go further on, to Bywater." "That's where we're a-going anyway," said the paleman, "we never stay anywhere long. Is there any little service we can do for you before we go?"
"Well, you could tell us a little about yourselves and your – cousins, shall we say, in the other villages around. I hear tell that some of you have been getting into trouble? Stolen hens and lost potatoes and so on?" Frodo seemed to speak as gently as anyone could when asking a question like that.
"Our kind are no worse than others when it comes to stealing," replied the paleman, "but oftentimes we get blamed for what was a wolf or an owl or a rabbit, or sometimes even a hobbit ..." here he looked sideways at Sam. "I en't been doing no thieving!" cried Sam angrily.
"No, I'm sure you haven't, I meant no offence," continued the paleman. "But people take on about us because of how we look, you see. And we can't help that. It's the Murrain."
"Murrain?" quizzed Frodo, "what's that?" The paleman sighed. "It is the blight that fell upon my people. We don't know where it came from, but it sucks the colour out of us, and those of us that get it can no longer have children."
"But that's dreadful!" cried Frodo. Even Sam looked sympathetic.
"Is it something that you can pass on?" asked Frodo, hesitantly. "Oh, no, good Sir, you don't have to worry on that account. But our people, once one of us falls under the blight, they drive us away, you see. That's why we're travellers."
"Well, I'd like to do more to help you," said Frodo, "but I have no need of anyone apart from my gardener. Perhaps there might be work for you in the village? At the smithy, or the brewery? I could put in a word for you with Ogar or Jaker at the brewery, if you like?"
At the name of Jaker, the two palemen looked thunderstruck.
[to reviewers Luth, FB & BB: I have to take a few days off to care for my daughters – N-R]
