Chapter 5: The Song of Seasons
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The new sun the next morning greeted the wet Shire after the downpour of rain. The ground was damp and the smell of rain in the air still lingered. The thick clouds in the sky promised more rain for the days to come.
Eglantine measured the remaining flour in her bag and had sent Pearl and Pimpernel to town for another bag of flour and sugar. She mixed in the milk and flour for her cake and Paladin hammered at the front window. It had leaked water the night before and he replaced the old wooden frame with a shiny teak frame. Pippin practiced his fiddle on the couch as Pervinca listened in the kitchen with her mother.
Pippin turned the page to his fiddle music and finished the song. He had almost learned every song in the book, except for the exceptionally difficult ones he had tried at times. He waited until his father finished the window and he called him over.
"Da, what's your favourite song in the book?" He asked and Paladin sat next to him.
"My favourite song? I suppose it would be the one my father taught me. I learned it from complete memorization and imitation, so I take it that it is not in this book. Do you want to try it?" Paladin asked and Pippin eagerly nodded, excited for a new song. "Tis the 'Song of Seasons' and I'll teach you each season separately," he explained and he played the first season: Spring.
Bit by bit, Pippin learned the song of Spring from his father's directions and occasionally, Paladin would play it on the fiddle. Finally Pippin got the Spring song completed and he knew he would have to practice a lot to learn and memorize all four. Pippin got better at imitating his father and soon enough, they completed Summer. Paladin played Spring and Summer in a row and started in with Fall. Paladin was playing beautifully until he stopped-and started over again. When he got to the same place before he put the fiddle down.
"I am sorry, Pip. Your old man is losing the finer points of his memory. I can't remember the rest of Fall or the whole song of Winter. I'm so sorry, Pip," He said again and he looked disappointed of himself at Pippin, knowing Pip would never learn the end of the song.
Pippin hugged him, "It's quite all right, Da. I've got Spring and Summer to play, the brighter of the seasons." And he practiced his new songs.
~·· ··÷¦÷·· ··~
Pearl and Pimpernel came through the smial door with a young tweenager hobbit from Tookbank, carrying the bags of flour and sugar. He placed them on top of the kitchen counter and bid Pearl and Pimpernel farewell and winked. The two girls giggled and waved shyly back.
Pearl turned innocently to her Ma and Pa, "He offered to bear the bags for us." She grinned and helped her Ma in the kitchen with Pervinca.
"I will have to bar up our house to keep the hobbit lads out, the prettier you girls get," Paladin said and kissed their foreheads as he carried the bags to the storage room.
Pippin placed his fiddle away and came into the busy kitchen. Eglantine mixed her cake-batter while her daughters cleaned the dirty counters and dishes. She decided to make the cake for no particular reason; it was just a spontaneous treat for her family. Pippin walked over to the cake mix while his mother's back was turned and dipped his finger in. He licked the sweet batter off his finger and he sneezed quietly. He attempted to get another lick of batter when he tried to stifle another sneeze, but it came out even louder.
Eglantine turned around, "Pippin! What did I tell you? I knew that rain would give you a cold, and now look! Come now---I'd rather you not sneeze in the batter and make everyone else sick!" And she pulled him out of the kitchen.
~·· ··÷¦÷·· ··~
Throughout the month, rain poured down at random in light showers. Grey clouds veiled the sky, but the sun always poked through even during the coldest and darkest days. Pippin played the Song of Spring during the rainy days of the new month, Astron, and remembered of his cousin Frodo. He still promised them a song and he knew that the Song of Spring would be a great song to fiddle for them.
Pippin strolled to Hobbiton early in the morning of the new days of Astron. He came to Bag End an hour after noon and even in the dreariness from the sky and rain, the gardens were in bloom of magnificent colour. Samwise was working on the front gardens, tending the flowers that couldn't endure the rain. Pippin came up after the long walk and sat down in front of Sam.
"Good morning, Peregrin," Sam said and he packed the rich soil around the fragile buds.
"Morning, Sam. Guess what?" Pippin said excitedly and before Sam could guess he said, "I learned a new song!"
"Well, well! Just the day for one of your songs, Master Pippin. Will you play?" Sam asked.
"Later, when you are done for the day and I can play for Frodo and Bilbo as well...and Sam? You don't need to be formal with me. Pippin will do," Pippin said and Sam smiled in response.
Pippin looked at the different flowers in the garden, studying their vivid petals and appearances. He watched Sam plant new seeds in the bare patches of the garden, "Do you like gardening, Sam?" Asked he.
Sam stopped and grabbed his shovel and gave him a look like it was the silliest question he ever heard, "Pippin...do you like to fiddle?"
Pippin thought about that and knew his question was pretty obvious, "Well, I wasn't sure if you saw it as work or something..." He mumbled.
"No, I never see it as work," Sam said, "I could garden my fingers to the bone and I will still feel glad, if you get what I'm saying. I feel more alive, if there is such a feeling and---think about how you feel when you fiddle, and you'll know that's what I feel when I garden." Sam said wisely and he moved on to the next little plot of flowers.
Pippin mused what Sam said and started to understand. Fiddling warmed him even in the chilly weather and his soul felt clear and free. He could turn to fiddling in his worst of moods and it would be gone by the end of the song. He could now see the delight in Sam's eyes when he planted the blossoms of colourful life now that Pippin understood.
"What are some of your favourite flowers, Sam?" Pippin asked.
"I don't s'pose I have a favourite flower...they are all too different and pretty in their special ways. I have always liked the simpleness of daises and buttercups, and then there are sweet smelling flowers to choose from like gardenias, and the beautiful flowers like primroses, roses, and bluebells." Sam said and he gently handed a primrose. A drop of rain splashed off the precious petal and Sam muttered scornfully, "Not again..."
He grabbed his tools and finished his planting and Pippin stayed still. "Come on, Pippin, it might just be just a simple drop of rain, but it will be flooded by the time we get settled inside."
Frodo came outside, seeing the sprinkle of rain coming down. "Come in, Sam. Pippin! What a treat to have you here! I'm glad you have your fiddle with you," Frodo said cheerfully and he let them inside.
~·· ··÷¦÷·· ··~
Just like Sam predicted, the mere drop that had come down slowly became a heavy shower, and it pressed on for the rest of the afternoon. Sam shook his head, "It is days like these where I can't enjoy my gardening." He mumbled and Bilbo and Frodo busied themselves with dinner, now that they had two more mouths to feed. Pippin looked out the window and hoped his Ma and Da wouldn't be too worried about him. He had told them before he left where he was off to and he wished he could have gotten home before the rain. He felt a slight twinge of homesickness in his stomach. No, I must be hungry, Pippin thought, and he put his hand on his fiddle case.
The table was set and Frodo pulled in two more chairs. The tabletop was full of vegetables and rich sauces and bread. In the middle was a mouth- watering roast and Pippin couldn't wait to fill his plate.
They ate and it was one of the best meals Pippin had ever eaten. He took a drink of his tea and stretched out, his stomach full. Sam also finished everything on his plate and stood up to take the plates. Bilbo rest a hand on his arm, "Nonsense, dear boy! I will do the cleaning around here," Bilbo said and he took the empty plate from Sam, Pippin, and Frodo.
"I just wanted to make it up to you for feeding me so unexpectedly," Sam said and Bilbo gave a hearty laugh.
"Samwise, you and Pippin aren't the first guests I have had come unexpectedly!" He said and called from the kitchen, "Who wants dessert?"
~`+`~
When the dinner plates were clean (Samwise still insisted to help), they joined by the fireplace like the last time Pippin came to visit. He took his fiddle out and rosined the bow. "This is one of my newer songs, so I might be a little shaky at parts," He said.
"I'm sure it'll be great," Bilbo smiled and when he had gotten his fiddle ready, Pippin started with his Song of Spring. He enjoyed this song the most, it was jumpy and cheerful and it kept him challenged. He then jumped to the Song of Summer, a slower song with its occasional shuffles and breaks. Frodo and Sam clapped loudly after he had finished and he blushed. "There's actually more to the song: the Song of Fall and Winter, but I'll afraid I can't play that for you."
"It was still so beautiful. I think I like the summer song the best," Sam commented and Frodo warmed his hands by the fire.
"I thought you would have liked the spring one, Sam, since your birthday is in the Spring." Frodo said and Sam blushed. Pippin looked over at them confused and Frodo said, "Yes, it is Samwise's birthday today: The 6th of Astron!"
Pippin clapped, "Happy Birthday, Sam! You should have told me because now I have nothing to give!" Pippin said and Sam blushed some more, embarrassed of the attention.
"Well, why not another song, Pip? I'm sure he'd enjoy that," Frodo suggested and Pippin brought up his fiddle again for another song. Sam smiled shyly when he recognized the fiddle tune: the one he named himself.
~`+`~
Afterwards, Bilbo gathered them close to his chair by the fire. They sat in a circle on the soft floor, the rain still pitter-pattering on the windowsill. He lit his pipe and started Sam's favorite story about Elves. Pippin listened to the new story next to Frodo and he tried to imagine such graceful and immortal creatures. He looked next to his shoulder, where Sam was seated and saw him mouthing every word that came from Bilbo. He could tell Sam had heard this story many times but he still had that sparkle in his eyes when Bilbo told the story, like it was his first time hearing it. Pippin listened to the story of the mysterious Elves, and of Beren and the Silmaril. He slowly slipped into a peaceful slumber with the rain tapping on the window, Bilbo's story in his ears, and Frodo and Sam's hands in his.
~·· ··÷¦÷·· ·· ··· ··÷¦÷·· ·· ··· ··÷¦÷·· ··~
~·· ··÷¦÷·· ·· ··· ··÷¦÷·· ·· ··· ··÷¦÷·· ··~
The new sun the next morning greeted the wet Shire after the downpour of rain. The ground was damp and the smell of rain in the air still lingered. The thick clouds in the sky promised more rain for the days to come.
Eglantine measured the remaining flour in her bag and had sent Pearl and Pimpernel to town for another bag of flour and sugar. She mixed in the milk and flour for her cake and Paladin hammered at the front window. It had leaked water the night before and he replaced the old wooden frame with a shiny teak frame. Pippin practiced his fiddle on the couch as Pervinca listened in the kitchen with her mother.
Pippin turned the page to his fiddle music and finished the song. He had almost learned every song in the book, except for the exceptionally difficult ones he had tried at times. He waited until his father finished the window and he called him over.
"Da, what's your favourite song in the book?" He asked and Paladin sat next to him.
"My favourite song? I suppose it would be the one my father taught me. I learned it from complete memorization and imitation, so I take it that it is not in this book. Do you want to try it?" Paladin asked and Pippin eagerly nodded, excited for a new song. "Tis the 'Song of Seasons' and I'll teach you each season separately," he explained and he played the first season: Spring.
Bit by bit, Pippin learned the song of Spring from his father's directions and occasionally, Paladin would play it on the fiddle. Finally Pippin got the Spring song completed and he knew he would have to practice a lot to learn and memorize all four. Pippin got better at imitating his father and soon enough, they completed Summer. Paladin played Spring and Summer in a row and started in with Fall. Paladin was playing beautifully until he stopped-and started over again. When he got to the same place before he put the fiddle down.
"I am sorry, Pip. Your old man is losing the finer points of his memory. I can't remember the rest of Fall or the whole song of Winter. I'm so sorry, Pip," He said again and he looked disappointed of himself at Pippin, knowing Pip would never learn the end of the song.
Pippin hugged him, "It's quite all right, Da. I've got Spring and Summer to play, the brighter of the seasons." And he practiced his new songs.
~·· ··÷¦÷·· ··~
Pearl and Pimpernel came through the smial door with a young tweenager hobbit from Tookbank, carrying the bags of flour and sugar. He placed them on top of the kitchen counter and bid Pearl and Pimpernel farewell and winked. The two girls giggled and waved shyly back.
Pearl turned innocently to her Ma and Pa, "He offered to bear the bags for us." She grinned and helped her Ma in the kitchen with Pervinca.
"I will have to bar up our house to keep the hobbit lads out, the prettier you girls get," Paladin said and kissed their foreheads as he carried the bags to the storage room.
Pippin placed his fiddle away and came into the busy kitchen. Eglantine mixed her cake-batter while her daughters cleaned the dirty counters and dishes. She decided to make the cake for no particular reason; it was just a spontaneous treat for her family. Pippin walked over to the cake mix while his mother's back was turned and dipped his finger in. He licked the sweet batter off his finger and he sneezed quietly. He attempted to get another lick of batter when he tried to stifle another sneeze, but it came out even louder.
Eglantine turned around, "Pippin! What did I tell you? I knew that rain would give you a cold, and now look! Come now---I'd rather you not sneeze in the batter and make everyone else sick!" And she pulled him out of the kitchen.
~·· ··÷¦÷·· ··~
Throughout the month, rain poured down at random in light showers. Grey clouds veiled the sky, but the sun always poked through even during the coldest and darkest days. Pippin played the Song of Spring during the rainy days of the new month, Astron, and remembered of his cousin Frodo. He still promised them a song and he knew that the Song of Spring would be a great song to fiddle for them.
Pippin strolled to Hobbiton early in the morning of the new days of Astron. He came to Bag End an hour after noon and even in the dreariness from the sky and rain, the gardens were in bloom of magnificent colour. Samwise was working on the front gardens, tending the flowers that couldn't endure the rain. Pippin came up after the long walk and sat down in front of Sam.
"Good morning, Peregrin," Sam said and he packed the rich soil around the fragile buds.
"Morning, Sam. Guess what?" Pippin said excitedly and before Sam could guess he said, "I learned a new song!"
"Well, well! Just the day for one of your songs, Master Pippin. Will you play?" Sam asked.
"Later, when you are done for the day and I can play for Frodo and Bilbo as well...and Sam? You don't need to be formal with me. Pippin will do," Pippin said and Sam smiled in response.
Pippin looked at the different flowers in the garden, studying their vivid petals and appearances. He watched Sam plant new seeds in the bare patches of the garden, "Do you like gardening, Sam?" Asked he.
Sam stopped and grabbed his shovel and gave him a look like it was the silliest question he ever heard, "Pippin...do you like to fiddle?"
Pippin thought about that and knew his question was pretty obvious, "Well, I wasn't sure if you saw it as work or something..." He mumbled.
"No, I never see it as work," Sam said, "I could garden my fingers to the bone and I will still feel glad, if you get what I'm saying. I feel more alive, if there is such a feeling and---think about how you feel when you fiddle, and you'll know that's what I feel when I garden." Sam said wisely and he moved on to the next little plot of flowers.
Pippin mused what Sam said and started to understand. Fiddling warmed him even in the chilly weather and his soul felt clear and free. He could turn to fiddling in his worst of moods and it would be gone by the end of the song. He could now see the delight in Sam's eyes when he planted the blossoms of colourful life now that Pippin understood.
"What are some of your favourite flowers, Sam?" Pippin asked.
"I don't s'pose I have a favourite flower...they are all too different and pretty in their special ways. I have always liked the simpleness of daises and buttercups, and then there are sweet smelling flowers to choose from like gardenias, and the beautiful flowers like primroses, roses, and bluebells." Sam said and he gently handed a primrose. A drop of rain splashed off the precious petal and Sam muttered scornfully, "Not again..."
He grabbed his tools and finished his planting and Pippin stayed still. "Come on, Pippin, it might just be just a simple drop of rain, but it will be flooded by the time we get settled inside."
Frodo came outside, seeing the sprinkle of rain coming down. "Come in, Sam. Pippin! What a treat to have you here! I'm glad you have your fiddle with you," Frodo said cheerfully and he let them inside.
~·· ··÷¦÷·· ··~
Just like Sam predicted, the mere drop that had come down slowly became a heavy shower, and it pressed on for the rest of the afternoon. Sam shook his head, "It is days like these where I can't enjoy my gardening." He mumbled and Bilbo and Frodo busied themselves with dinner, now that they had two more mouths to feed. Pippin looked out the window and hoped his Ma and Da wouldn't be too worried about him. He had told them before he left where he was off to and he wished he could have gotten home before the rain. He felt a slight twinge of homesickness in his stomach. No, I must be hungry, Pippin thought, and he put his hand on his fiddle case.
The table was set and Frodo pulled in two more chairs. The tabletop was full of vegetables and rich sauces and bread. In the middle was a mouth- watering roast and Pippin couldn't wait to fill his plate.
They ate and it was one of the best meals Pippin had ever eaten. He took a drink of his tea and stretched out, his stomach full. Sam also finished everything on his plate and stood up to take the plates. Bilbo rest a hand on his arm, "Nonsense, dear boy! I will do the cleaning around here," Bilbo said and he took the empty plate from Sam, Pippin, and Frodo.
"I just wanted to make it up to you for feeding me so unexpectedly," Sam said and Bilbo gave a hearty laugh.
"Samwise, you and Pippin aren't the first guests I have had come unexpectedly!" He said and called from the kitchen, "Who wants dessert?"
~`+`~
When the dinner plates were clean (Samwise still insisted to help), they joined by the fireplace like the last time Pippin came to visit. He took his fiddle out and rosined the bow. "This is one of my newer songs, so I might be a little shaky at parts," He said.
"I'm sure it'll be great," Bilbo smiled and when he had gotten his fiddle ready, Pippin started with his Song of Spring. He enjoyed this song the most, it was jumpy and cheerful and it kept him challenged. He then jumped to the Song of Summer, a slower song with its occasional shuffles and breaks. Frodo and Sam clapped loudly after he had finished and he blushed. "There's actually more to the song: the Song of Fall and Winter, but I'll afraid I can't play that for you."
"It was still so beautiful. I think I like the summer song the best," Sam commented and Frodo warmed his hands by the fire.
"I thought you would have liked the spring one, Sam, since your birthday is in the Spring." Frodo said and Sam blushed. Pippin looked over at them confused and Frodo said, "Yes, it is Samwise's birthday today: The 6th of Astron!"
Pippin clapped, "Happy Birthday, Sam! You should have told me because now I have nothing to give!" Pippin said and Sam blushed some more, embarrassed of the attention.
"Well, why not another song, Pip? I'm sure he'd enjoy that," Frodo suggested and Pippin brought up his fiddle again for another song. Sam smiled shyly when he recognized the fiddle tune: the one he named himself.
~`+`~
Afterwards, Bilbo gathered them close to his chair by the fire. They sat in a circle on the soft floor, the rain still pitter-pattering on the windowsill. He lit his pipe and started Sam's favorite story about Elves. Pippin listened to the new story next to Frodo and he tried to imagine such graceful and immortal creatures. He looked next to his shoulder, where Sam was seated and saw him mouthing every word that came from Bilbo. He could tell Sam had heard this story many times but he still had that sparkle in his eyes when Bilbo told the story, like it was his first time hearing it. Pippin listened to the story of the mysterious Elves, and of Beren and the Silmaril. He slowly slipped into a peaceful slumber with the rain tapping on the window, Bilbo's story in his ears, and Frodo and Sam's hands in his.
~·· ··÷¦÷·· ·· ··· ··÷¦÷·· ·· ··· ··÷¦÷·· ··~
