A/N: Here we are. Aren't snow days wonderful things? Gave me a chance to
get working on my stories again. Yay!
We walked together down the road in companionable silence. I could see that Bilbo and Pippin were getting along like a burning barn and I was happy. In this silence we walked for a while until we heard a cart clip clopping its way towards us.
Around a bend in the road we saw the cart and it was piled high with something covered by a tarpaulin. This cart Pippin recognised as one that often got him food, which tended to get things remembered with Pippin.
"Mister Maggot!" He called out into the falling darkness, "Hello Mr. Maggot!" The cart, which had been trotting up till now came to a fast walk and eventually to a halt where Bilbo, Pippin and I met it.
"Well hello there Pippin, caught me making my deliveries you have. Good evening to you master Merry and to you too Mister Took." He said, referring to Bilbo.
"Mister Took! I should certainly hope not! I may be half Took, but that's no reason to call me mister Took." Said Bilbo in mock outrage. Farmer Maggot took a closer look at Bilbo.
"Why if it isn't Mister Bilbo Baggins of Bag-End! Haven't seen you around these parts for a long while!"
"No, I'm afraid I've been away a bit longer than was good for me. What with the Proudfoots starting their new shop up and the blacksmiths changing hands and not to mention Frodo, I've had quite a time keeping everything in order!"
"Frodo! How is he doing? I can't say I miss his pilfering self but I can't deny that I wonder what's happening with the boy."
"He's calmed down since you last saw him no doubt, but your dogs still hold the same fear for him."
"And so they should!" Maggot laughed a little, "They caught him a good few times, knocked him about a bit too I shouldn't wonder and that always led to the strapping he deserved." The conversation had floated far beyond Pippin's knowledge and he was becoming curious again.
"Why did Frodo need strapping? Frodo never needs to be told off or anything!" he stated.
"He's most certainly changed since I last saw him then." Said Maggot, "He used to be a right scoundrel, thieving from my fields left, right and centre. I would have put it down to starvation did I not know that he was living in Brandy Hall. He just kept coming back." Pippin looked slightly in awe of Frodo. He knew that Frodo had some wicked ideas sometimes, but he didn't know that he'd ever been as far as stealing. "Don't you get any ideas in your head young Pippin. I find you stealing from my land and I'll have no hesitation punishing you as I did Frodo." Said Maggot matter-of- factly.
"Oh no Mister Maggot, of course not sir." Squeaked Pippin, his facial expression quickly becoming one of fear.
"Good, we'll be friends for a good long time then." Said Maggot smiling again. "Now, so no thoughts of pinching anything from the back of my cart pops into your head, why don't you have a mushroom?" I could feel Pippin bouncing with glee atop my shoulders. Pippin would never need to steal from Farmer Maggot, he could probably just turn up on the doorstep one day and get a whole basket of mushrooms. I put Pippin on the cart next to Maggot, who reached under the tarpaulin and pulled out a huge puffball mushroom. Pippin's eyes widened hungrily as he took it in his small hands.
"Thank you Mister Maggot!" Pippin cried as he hugged the mushroom to him. "Mummy will be able to make all sorts of things!"
"Now, I must be getting on if I am to be able to deliver the rest of my crop to all the other mothers who have ravenous sons to feed." Pippin hopped off the cart and took my hand. We all wished Maggot a safe journey and Pippin thanked him a few more times.
As the sounds of a trotting horse faded into the distance we continued on our way.
"Can we go home now?" Said Pippin, nibbling on one of the biscuits he had borrowed from the kitchens. "I don't want to ruin the mushroom by falling on it or anything and Frodo might be there by now." Babbled Pippin, as he is wont to do.
"Very well," sighed Bilbo, "But I don't believe we've been gone for more than half an hour." Bilbo was speaking the truth; it wasn't likely to be much more that half past four, despite the dimness of the sky. But I knew what Pippin could be like when he didn't get his way and I gave Bilbo a look that he shouldn't persue the subject any further as it was bound to end in angry words. On Pippin's behalf anyway.
"Do we have to go back across that field?" asked Bilbo, slightly worried. Pippin giggled.
"Oh no," he said, "There's a footpath just up here."
We walked together down the road in companionable silence. I could see that Bilbo and Pippin were getting along like a burning barn and I was happy. In this silence we walked for a while until we heard a cart clip clopping its way towards us.
Around a bend in the road we saw the cart and it was piled high with something covered by a tarpaulin. This cart Pippin recognised as one that often got him food, which tended to get things remembered with Pippin.
"Mister Maggot!" He called out into the falling darkness, "Hello Mr. Maggot!" The cart, which had been trotting up till now came to a fast walk and eventually to a halt where Bilbo, Pippin and I met it.
"Well hello there Pippin, caught me making my deliveries you have. Good evening to you master Merry and to you too Mister Took." He said, referring to Bilbo.
"Mister Took! I should certainly hope not! I may be half Took, but that's no reason to call me mister Took." Said Bilbo in mock outrage. Farmer Maggot took a closer look at Bilbo.
"Why if it isn't Mister Bilbo Baggins of Bag-End! Haven't seen you around these parts for a long while!"
"No, I'm afraid I've been away a bit longer than was good for me. What with the Proudfoots starting their new shop up and the blacksmiths changing hands and not to mention Frodo, I've had quite a time keeping everything in order!"
"Frodo! How is he doing? I can't say I miss his pilfering self but I can't deny that I wonder what's happening with the boy."
"He's calmed down since you last saw him no doubt, but your dogs still hold the same fear for him."
"And so they should!" Maggot laughed a little, "They caught him a good few times, knocked him about a bit too I shouldn't wonder and that always led to the strapping he deserved." The conversation had floated far beyond Pippin's knowledge and he was becoming curious again.
"Why did Frodo need strapping? Frodo never needs to be told off or anything!" he stated.
"He's most certainly changed since I last saw him then." Said Maggot, "He used to be a right scoundrel, thieving from my fields left, right and centre. I would have put it down to starvation did I not know that he was living in Brandy Hall. He just kept coming back." Pippin looked slightly in awe of Frodo. He knew that Frodo had some wicked ideas sometimes, but he didn't know that he'd ever been as far as stealing. "Don't you get any ideas in your head young Pippin. I find you stealing from my land and I'll have no hesitation punishing you as I did Frodo." Said Maggot matter-of- factly.
"Oh no Mister Maggot, of course not sir." Squeaked Pippin, his facial expression quickly becoming one of fear.
"Good, we'll be friends for a good long time then." Said Maggot smiling again. "Now, so no thoughts of pinching anything from the back of my cart pops into your head, why don't you have a mushroom?" I could feel Pippin bouncing with glee atop my shoulders. Pippin would never need to steal from Farmer Maggot, he could probably just turn up on the doorstep one day and get a whole basket of mushrooms. I put Pippin on the cart next to Maggot, who reached under the tarpaulin and pulled out a huge puffball mushroom. Pippin's eyes widened hungrily as he took it in his small hands.
"Thank you Mister Maggot!" Pippin cried as he hugged the mushroom to him. "Mummy will be able to make all sorts of things!"
"Now, I must be getting on if I am to be able to deliver the rest of my crop to all the other mothers who have ravenous sons to feed." Pippin hopped off the cart and took my hand. We all wished Maggot a safe journey and Pippin thanked him a few more times.
As the sounds of a trotting horse faded into the distance we continued on our way.
"Can we go home now?" Said Pippin, nibbling on one of the biscuits he had borrowed from the kitchens. "I don't want to ruin the mushroom by falling on it or anything and Frodo might be there by now." Babbled Pippin, as he is wont to do.
"Very well," sighed Bilbo, "But I don't believe we've been gone for more than half an hour." Bilbo was speaking the truth; it wasn't likely to be much more that half past four, despite the dimness of the sky. But I knew what Pippin could be like when he didn't get his way and I gave Bilbo a look that he shouldn't persue the subject any further as it was bound to end in angry words. On Pippin's behalf anyway.
"Do we have to go back across that field?" asked Bilbo, slightly worried. Pippin giggled.
"Oh no," he said, "There's a footpath just up here."
