Chapter 4
Mishap with Pickles
"Well, Belladonna, How can I put this delicately? Your Bilbo is just not a right match for our dear Hanna! Bilbo is just.....is just so very.... different!" said Mrs. Burrows while she put down her teacup and stood up. "I'm sorry, really I am, it will just not work out!"
Belladonna's face fell with the disappointment that another marriage arrangement could not be made. "I understand, Mrs. Burrows. Our children need to be compatible to make a solid marriage. Thank you anyway!"
Belladonna folded her napkin and laid it on the table. Standing she walked Mrs. Burrows to the front door and bid her a good day.
Closing the door, she leaned up against it feeling defeated when Bungo walked into the hallway and saw his wife. "Is there anything wrong, my dear?"
"Well....Yes and no!" commented Belladonna. "It's just that was the third marriage arrangement that had failed! If this keeps up, I do not think I will ever find a good match for our Bilbo and his coming of age in just in a couple of weeks!"
Bungo approached his wife and took her hands. "These things take time, my dear, and there is no rushing these things!"
"But Bungo, really we are getting on in age and I want to know our Bilbo will be happily married with the right kind of lass and to see my grandchildren before I die!"
Bungo shook his head, "You're still young, my dear, and there will be time enough for all those things."
Belladonna walked over to her list and crossed off the Burrows family and noticed that the names were become few with eligible prominent lasses left on her list.
Scratching her head, Belladonna commented. "I just do not understand this! Bilbo has a wonderful inheritance and a very respectable name to go along with all of this. Surely, there has to be one prominent family in Hobbiton willing to see their daughter married to such a wonderful match!"
Bungo smiled at his wife who thought she could make a match with such ease. "Really, Bella! There is no rushing into these things. We will find the perfect lass for our Bilbo!"
"Perhaps your right, my dear. I am just trying too hard!" said Belladonna. "Beside those other lasses we interviewed would have made a terrible wife. They may have a good position, but they diffidently did not have any personality and our Bilbo just has too much of it!"
Bungo burst out laughing at his wife ascertaining the situation. "You maybe quite right about that, my dear!"
Bungo put his arm around his wife as they both turned and walked into the kitchen. "It is almost five o'clock and Bilbo will want his meal on time. I think for once he will be pleasantly delighted having the meal on the table!"
~*~
Logo had just finished putting up the new trim around the Bolger's store and stood back to make sure everything was in place. The new leaf design was beautiful and gave the store a real homey feeling in which the hobbits loved.
Lobelia riffled through the stacks of bolts of cloth looking for a pretty color for a new dress. Finding a soft green fabric, she took it out to admire it as she held it up to her.
Seeing her father talking with Mr. Bolger, she approached her father and tapped him on his shoulder, "Da, I want this cloth for my new dress."
Logo glanced down at the fabric in her hands and then back up to his daughter. "Now, Lobelia, I think you have plenty of nice dresses at home. Are you sure you need another one?"
Lobelia not liking the word no or anything that sounded anywhere near to it, began to fume with her anger. "How can you even think of saying no to such a wonderful fabric as this? Why don't you want your daughter to look her best? Have I not worked my fingers to the bones cleaning and cooking for you all week?"
Logo held his hand up to his daughter to stop her from going on any further. "I was not telling you that you could not have it, rather just making sure that you needed another dress!"
"Well of course I need another dress! Why wouldn't I want another dress? It certainly seems we can afford to buy some of the finer things with all the money you made on putting up these ridiculous leaves all over town! It is not like we are poor and have to make each coin count. We certainly can afford a few lengths of cloth for your only daughter!" stated Lobelia.
Logo rushed to get the coins he needed to purchase the cloth before she said another word. "Here, here! Take my coins and hurry to cut the cloth!"
Seeing that her father had given in to her demands made her quite please with herself as the clerk that worked in the store rushed to cut the lengths of cloth and folded it before he handed it back to her. Mr. Bolger looked at Lobelia and thought how spoiled this child sounded and was in need of a good spanking. But he understood Logo, who had lost his wife years ago and was not really sure how to raise such a headstrong daughter as Lobelia.
Logo shook his head before he turned and walked out of the store. Heading towards his shop that he moved to Hobbiton since he become so busy with all the new orders for his woodcarvings, he opened the door and walked in. Lobelia soon followed from behind.
Still in a persnickety mood, Lobelia began to complain. "I don't see why I have to stay at the shop today to help you with your customers. I do have better things I could be doing besides standing around here all day!"
Logo's nerves twitched and shuddered from her constant nagging. "Now, Lobelia! That is enough out of you! You know that Bungo and Belladonna have traveled to Tuckborough today to put the new trim boards around the Great Smial. Beside when Bilbo gets here and after he has eaten lunch with us, then you can leave for home!"
"Bilbo, Bilbo, Bilbo!" shouted Lobelia. "That is all you talk about! Bilbo does this and Bilbo does that! If I did not know any better, I would say you wanted him for your child instead of me!"
"Now, my daughter that is not true!" said Logo trying to calm her.
"Oh, isn't it! Just when was the last time you told me you were proud of me?" asked Lobellia. "I know you're certainly proud of Biblo Baggins, but your own daughter! You give me no credit at all!"
"Lobellia, please, now! This is quite enough!" pleaded Logo. "I'll be in my shop, send Bilbo in as soon as he gets here. We'll have lunch there after!"
Logo turned away from Lobellia and shut the door behind him.
Lobellia stood in the greeting room of the store and folder her arms. She whispered quietly to herself. "You can't say it, father, can you? You can never tell me that you are proud of me or that you love me!"
Turning she opened the door to the living quarters behind the store and went in to make lunch.
Biblo opened the door to the shop and went in. Looking around he saw no one about, but heard the hammering of Logo in his workshop. Bilbo dashed over to the workshop door and opened it, calling out to Logo, Bilbo walked further into the shop.
Logo put down his hammer and walked over to greet Bilbo. "There you are my fine lad! Right on time as always!"
Bilbo smiled at Logo and raised his eyebrows. "Yes, yes! One must be very prompt or it messes up the entire engagement tablet and causes a hobbit to miss important things like lunch! What do you have for me to do today? I've finished my aunt Cameilla's kitchen shelf and I added my mothers new design of her leaves!"
Bilbo walked over to his workbench and removed the cloth that covered the shelf. Logo strummed his fingers across the carving of leaves and smiled seeing how perfectly detailed they were. "You're work is just wonderful, my lad. I'm proud of the way you can use a chisel for such fine craftsmanship!"
Bilbo rocked on his heels feeling very proud of himself being so complimented by Logo. "Thank you, Logo! I enjoy working with this fine chisel!"
Logo noticed just under the cloth a fine small square of carved wood. He took it from the workbench to examine it. "What have you here, Bilbo?"
Bilbo stammered thinking that Logo would be somewhat angry with him working on a piece for his own entertainment. "Why....why it's a book cover for my new book!"
"New book, you say! What book have you written?" asked Logo.
Biblo took the wooden cover from Logo and gently placed it back down upon his bench. "If you see here on this carving, I've made a map of the Shire. This book will cover the pages I've drawn of the borders of the shire! I love maps, as it were! I'm planning on stretching a fine leather to make the cover over this carving!"
"You done a fine piece of work here, Bilbo! You have such a wonderful skill with carving!"
They heard the door open to the workshop and saw Camellia Sackville-Baggins walk in.
Logo shuddered at hearing her shrill voice. After today's episode with his daughter's bad temperament, he did not know how he was going to deal with Camellia, too.
"Mr. Logo Bracegirdle! There you are?" snapped Camellia sounding so perturbed. "What is this that I hear about the Baggins gone for the week to Tuckborough! You promised me that my knew shelves would be put in today for my tea-party on the following day!"
Biblo's ears twitched as he backed away from Logo to find a seat at his bench so he would not have to greet her.
"There, there, Mrs. Sackville-Baggins!" pleaded Logo. "I was going to come by your home this afternoon to put it in for you! But seeing that you are here now, I'll take your shelves and install them for you right away!"
"Well that is to my liking, Mr. Bracegirdle!" said Camellia while she waited for Logo to get her shelves and follow her back to her home.
Logo turned to Bilbo, "It shouldn't take me too long to finish this job. My daughter is in the kitchen making lunch. You go on and eat your lunch with her and I'll join you just as soon as I get back!"
Bilbo nodded and looked over towards Camellia who glared at the two hobbits. Turning quickly back to his bench, Bilbo pretended that he was really busy working on something.
After he heard the door close behind them, Bilbo relaxed and took his wooden book cover in his hands. He admire the fine carving he placed on the thin board and thought about his own comfortable hobbit home sitting in his favorite chair surrounded by his books.
It was getting close to lunchtime, when his stomach rumbled as he remembered what time it was. Looking over his shoulder, he wondered when Lobelia would announce the noon luncheon.
Since she had not come into the workshop to announce lunchtime. Bilbo decided to see about lunch for himself. After all, one should not be late for his mealtime.
Bilbo straightened his woolen red-vest and checked his pockets nervously as he entered the kitchen. Wiping his feet on the mat as any good hobbit with manners would do, he saw Lobelia stirring the pot of vittles. He stood there waiting for her to acknowledge him, but she did not turn around from her cook-stove. As Bilbo watched her, he noticed her shoulders shuttered oddly. He saw her hand lift towards her face and it looked like she was wiping tears away from her eyes. Bilbo thought of onions. "It does the same thing to me when I cook them!"
Lobelia turned around from the cook-stove and was shocked to see Bilbo standing there unannounced. She turned around quickly to wipe the tears from her eyes so he would not see that she was crying. To keep control of her emotions she snapped at him. "I've not welcomed you to lunch nor have you been announced properly, Mr. Baggins!"
"Why Miss Lobelia, speaking of proper, it is three minutes pass the time of lunch and I've waited here at least another minute for you to notice me!" said Bilbo.
She spoke over her shoulders in a sarcastic tone, "Well then by all means, do sit yourself down, so I can wait on you hand and foot and serve you your meal!"
Bilbo smiled as he strolled over to the table and sat taking his napkin and putting it about his neck and took his fork, while he waited for her to serve him. He did not realize the tone of her voice was sarcasm, but took her literally. "Well, well I'm waiting!"
Lobelia turned around and saw Bilbo sitting at the head of the table as if he was master of this house. Lobelia slammed her spoon onto the wooden counter-top and placed her hands upon her hips. "If you truly think that I'm going to serve you your meal, you have another think coming!"
Bilbo rounded his eyes and stared at her, "But....but....but you just said for me to sit so you can serve me!"
The tears swelled up in her eyes and she dashed off from the room crying. Bilbo blinked a couple of time being so shocked by her emotional outburst to bring him a bowl of stew. He tried over and over again to think what just happened and if he was the cause of all of this.
Dismissing the thought further from his mind, he decided it was getting well past the time for a meal and stood up from the table to fill his bowl. His eyes darted around the kitchen and spotted a thick wedge of cheese sitting on a flat dish. Looking up from the cheese on the shelf he saw a small wooden barrel with the label attached saying 'Pickles'. Bilbo thought that he would very much like to have a crispy pickle with his stew. He scuttled across the wooden floor and the finely woven green rug to get the stool so he could reach them. Going back to the pickles he placed the stool on the floor and stood upon it. Standing on his toes as he reached as far as he could, but was still not able to get the barrel. "Fiddle-sticks!" Bilbo growled. Looking at the wooden counter-top, he decided to step-up on it to retrieve the pickles. When he had both feet on the counter-top, he smiled as he easily grabbed the small barrel of pickles from the shelf. He bent over to place it on the counter-top before he would climb down, but his foot stepped on a splatter of stew from the spoon that Lobelia slammed down upon the counter. Bilbo slipped and toppled over the pickle barrel and rolled off the counter-top hitting the bowl of his stew that sent it flying in the air as he landed with a thud onto the floor. The pickles tipped over and its lid popped off spilling the entire contents of pickles and pickle juice all over the counter-top and dripping down onto the floor. The bowl of stew splattered the walls and shelves and it landed on the floor next to Bilbo.
The clamor of the mishap brought Lobelia running into the kitchen and she stood staring at Bilbo in horror. "Look what you have done to my kitchen!" shouted Lobelia.
Bilbo grimaced as he tried to stand from his backside hurting him so much. He turned to face Lobelia calmly. "Begging your pardon, Miss Lobelia. If you had served me properly, this little mishap would not have occurred! It all comes from being late for noon time luncheons!"
"Little! Little is not what I'd call this mishap!" shouted Lobelia as grabbed her mop and handed it to Bilbo, "Clean this mess up, now!"
Bilbo took the mop from her hand and began to mop the floor, while she picked-up the pickles all about the counter-top and floor. She spotted the stew spills on her wall and shelves. Standing on the stool and then climbing upon the counter-top to clean those spots, she too slipped off the counter-top from it being wet and Bilbo just had enough time to drop his mop and hold his arms out to catch her. Lobelia fell into Bilbo's arms and toppled him over onto his back, landing on his lap. Bilbo sat up and stared at Lobelia sitting on him and she stared back at him. Knowing how ridiculous they both looked, Lobelia burst out laughing when Logo opened the door and saw the two hobbits in this most peculiar position on the floor.
Logo crossed his arms in front of himself and he too began to laugh at the couple sitting on his kitchen floor when an idea came to his mind. Logo walked over to help his daughter to stand and assist Bilbo up from the floor.
After a good laugh Logo sat the two down at the table and offered to serve them each a bowl of stew and some unharmed pickles that did not escape the barrel. Logo's eyes wandered from his daughter to Bilbo while they ate their lunch together.
Mishap with Pickles
"Well, Belladonna, How can I put this delicately? Your Bilbo is just not a right match for our dear Hanna! Bilbo is just.....is just so very.... different!" said Mrs. Burrows while she put down her teacup and stood up. "I'm sorry, really I am, it will just not work out!"
Belladonna's face fell with the disappointment that another marriage arrangement could not be made. "I understand, Mrs. Burrows. Our children need to be compatible to make a solid marriage. Thank you anyway!"
Belladonna folded her napkin and laid it on the table. Standing she walked Mrs. Burrows to the front door and bid her a good day.
Closing the door, she leaned up against it feeling defeated when Bungo walked into the hallway and saw his wife. "Is there anything wrong, my dear?"
"Well....Yes and no!" commented Belladonna. "It's just that was the third marriage arrangement that had failed! If this keeps up, I do not think I will ever find a good match for our Bilbo and his coming of age in just in a couple of weeks!"
Bungo approached his wife and took her hands. "These things take time, my dear, and there is no rushing these things!"
"But Bungo, really we are getting on in age and I want to know our Bilbo will be happily married with the right kind of lass and to see my grandchildren before I die!"
Bungo shook his head, "You're still young, my dear, and there will be time enough for all those things."
Belladonna walked over to her list and crossed off the Burrows family and noticed that the names were become few with eligible prominent lasses left on her list.
Scratching her head, Belladonna commented. "I just do not understand this! Bilbo has a wonderful inheritance and a very respectable name to go along with all of this. Surely, there has to be one prominent family in Hobbiton willing to see their daughter married to such a wonderful match!"
Bungo smiled at his wife who thought she could make a match with such ease. "Really, Bella! There is no rushing into these things. We will find the perfect lass for our Bilbo!"
"Perhaps your right, my dear. I am just trying too hard!" said Belladonna. "Beside those other lasses we interviewed would have made a terrible wife. They may have a good position, but they diffidently did not have any personality and our Bilbo just has too much of it!"
Bungo burst out laughing at his wife ascertaining the situation. "You maybe quite right about that, my dear!"
Bungo put his arm around his wife as they both turned and walked into the kitchen. "It is almost five o'clock and Bilbo will want his meal on time. I think for once he will be pleasantly delighted having the meal on the table!"
~*~
Logo had just finished putting up the new trim around the Bolger's store and stood back to make sure everything was in place. The new leaf design was beautiful and gave the store a real homey feeling in which the hobbits loved.
Lobelia riffled through the stacks of bolts of cloth looking for a pretty color for a new dress. Finding a soft green fabric, she took it out to admire it as she held it up to her.
Seeing her father talking with Mr. Bolger, she approached her father and tapped him on his shoulder, "Da, I want this cloth for my new dress."
Logo glanced down at the fabric in her hands and then back up to his daughter. "Now, Lobelia, I think you have plenty of nice dresses at home. Are you sure you need another one?"
Lobelia not liking the word no or anything that sounded anywhere near to it, began to fume with her anger. "How can you even think of saying no to such a wonderful fabric as this? Why don't you want your daughter to look her best? Have I not worked my fingers to the bones cleaning and cooking for you all week?"
Logo held his hand up to his daughter to stop her from going on any further. "I was not telling you that you could not have it, rather just making sure that you needed another dress!"
"Well of course I need another dress! Why wouldn't I want another dress? It certainly seems we can afford to buy some of the finer things with all the money you made on putting up these ridiculous leaves all over town! It is not like we are poor and have to make each coin count. We certainly can afford a few lengths of cloth for your only daughter!" stated Lobelia.
Logo rushed to get the coins he needed to purchase the cloth before she said another word. "Here, here! Take my coins and hurry to cut the cloth!"
Seeing that her father had given in to her demands made her quite please with herself as the clerk that worked in the store rushed to cut the lengths of cloth and folded it before he handed it back to her. Mr. Bolger looked at Lobelia and thought how spoiled this child sounded and was in need of a good spanking. But he understood Logo, who had lost his wife years ago and was not really sure how to raise such a headstrong daughter as Lobelia.
Logo shook his head before he turned and walked out of the store. Heading towards his shop that he moved to Hobbiton since he become so busy with all the new orders for his woodcarvings, he opened the door and walked in. Lobelia soon followed from behind.
Still in a persnickety mood, Lobelia began to complain. "I don't see why I have to stay at the shop today to help you with your customers. I do have better things I could be doing besides standing around here all day!"
Logo's nerves twitched and shuddered from her constant nagging. "Now, Lobelia! That is enough out of you! You know that Bungo and Belladonna have traveled to Tuckborough today to put the new trim boards around the Great Smial. Beside when Bilbo gets here and after he has eaten lunch with us, then you can leave for home!"
"Bilbo, Bilbo, Bilbo!" shouted Lobelia. "That is all you talk about! Bilbo does this and Bilbo does that! If I did not know any better, I would say you wanted him for your child instead of me!"
"Now, my daughter that is not true!" said Logo trying to calm her.
"Oh, isn't it! Just when was the last time you told me you were proud of me?" asked Lobellia. "I know you're certainly proud of Biblo Baggins, but your own daughter! You give me no credit at all!"
"Lobellia, please, now! This is quite enough!" pleaded Logo. "I'll be in my shop, send Bilbo in as soon as he gets here. We'll have lunch there after!"
Logo turned away from Lobellia and shut the door behind him.
Lobellia stood in the greeting room of the store and folder her arms. She whispered quietly to herself. "You can't say it, father, can you? You can never tell me that you are proud of me or that you love me!"
Turning she opened the door to the living quarters behind the store and went in to make lunch.
Biblo opened the door to the shop and went in. Looking around he saw no one about, but heard the hammering of Logo in his workshop. Bilbo dashed over to the workshop door and opened it, calling out to Logo, Bilbo walked further into the shop.
Logo put down his hammer and walked over to greet Bilbo. "There you are my fine lad! Right on time as always!"
Bilbo smiled at Logo and raised his eyebrows. "Yes, yes! One must be very prompt or it messes up the entire engagement tablet and causes a hobbit to miss important things like lunch! What do you have for me to do today? I've finished my aunt Cameilla's kitchen shelf and I added my mothers new design of her leaves!"
Bilbo walked over to his workbench and removed the cloth that covered the shelf. Logo strummed his fingers across the carving of leaves and smiled seeing how perfectly detailed they were. "You're work is just wonderful, my lad. I'm proud of the way you can use a chisel for such fine craftsmanship!"
Bilbo rocked on his heels feeling very proud of himself being so complimented by Logo. "Thank you, Logo! I enjoy working with this fine chisel!"
Logo noticed just under the cloth a fine small square of carved wood. He took it from the workbench to examine it. "What have you here, Bilbo?"
Bilbo stammered thinking that Logo would be somewhat angry with him working on a piece for his own entertainment. "Why....why it's a book cover for my new book!"
"New book, you say! What book have you written?" asked Logo.
Biblo took the wooden cover from Logo and gently placed it back down upon his bench. "If you see here on this carving, I've made a map of the Shire. This book will cover the pages I've drawn of the borders of the shire! I love maps, as it were! I'm planning on stretching a fine leather to make the cover over this carving!"
"You done a fine piece of work here, Bilbo! You have such a wonderful skill with carving!"
They heard the door open to the workshop and saw Camellia Sackville-Baggins walk in.
Logo shuddered at hearing her shrill voice. After today's episode with his daughter's bad temperament, he did not know how he was going to deal with Camellia, too.
"Mr. Logo Bracegirdle! There you are?" snapped Camellia sounding so perturbed. "What is this that I hear about the Baggins gone for the week to Tuckborough! You promised me that my knew shelves would be put in today for my tea-party on the following day!"
Biblo's ears twitched as he backed away from Logo to find a seat at his bench so he would not have to greet her.
"There, there, Mrs. Sackville-Baggins!" pleaded Logo. "I was going to come by your home this afternoon to put it in for you! But seeing that you are here now, I'll take your shelves and install them for you right away!"
"Well that is to my liking, Mr. Bracegirdle!" said Camellia while she waited for Logo to get her shelves and follow her back to her home.
Logo turned to Bilbo, "It shouldn't take me too long to finish this job. My daughter is in the kitchen making lunch. You go on and eat your lunch with her and I'll join you just as soon as I get back!"
Bilbo nodded and looked over towards Camellia who glared at the two hobbits. Turning quickly back to his bench, Bilbo pretended that he was really busy working on something.
After he heard the door close behind them, Bilbo relaxed and took his wooden book cover in his hands. He admire the fine carving he placed on the thin board and thought about his own comfortable hobbit home sitting in his favorite chair surrounded by his books.
It was getting close to lunchtime, when his stomach rumbled as he remembered what time it was. Looking over his shoulder, he wondered when Lobelia would announce the noon luncheon.
Since she had not come into the workshop to announce lunchtime. Bilbo decided to see about lunch for himself. After all, one should not be late for his mealtime.
Bilbo straightened his woolen red-vest and checked his pockets nervously as he entered the kitchen. Wiping his feet on the mat as any good hobbit with manners would do, he saw Lobelia stirring the pot of vittles. He stood there waiting for her to acknowledge him, but she did not turn around from her cook-stove. As Bilbo watched her, he noticed her shoulders shuttered oddly. He saw her hand lift towards her face and it looked like she was wiping tears away from her eyes. Bilbo thought of onions. "It does the same thing to me when I cook them!"
Lobelia turned around from the cook-stove and was shocked to see Bilbo standing there unannounced. She turned around quickly to wipe the tears from her eyes so he would not see that she was crying. To keep control of her emotions she snapped at him. "I've not welcomed you to lunch nor have you been announced properly, Mr. Baggins!"
"Why Miss Lobelia, speaking of proper, it is three minutes pass the time of lunch and I've waited here at least another minute for you to notice me!" said Bilbo.
She spoke over her shoulders in a sarcastic tone, "Well then by all means, do sit yourself down, so I can wait on you hand and foot and serve you your meal!"
Bilbo smiled as he strolled over to the table and sat taking his napkin and putting it about his neck and took his fork, while he waited for her to serve him. He did not realize the tone of her voice was sarcasm, but took her literally. "Well, well I'm waiting!"
Lobelia turned around and saw Bilbo sitting at the head of the table as if he was master of this house. Lobelia slammed her spoon onto the wooden counter-top and placed her hands upon her hips. "If you truly think that I'm going to serve you your meal, you have another think coming!"
Bilbo rounded his eyes and stared at her, "But....but....but you just said for me to sit so you can serve me!"
The tears swelled up in her eyes and she dashed off from the room crying. Bilbo blinked a couple of time being so shocked by her emotional outburst to bring him a bowl of stew. He tried over and over again to think what just happened and if he was the cause of all of this.
Dismissing the thought further from his mind, he decided it was getting well past the time for a meal and stood up from the table to fill his bowl. His eyes darted around the kitchen and spotted a thick wedge of cheese sitting on a flat dish. Looking up from the cheese on the shelf he saw a small wooden barrel with the label attached saying 'Pickles'. Bilbo thought that he would very much like to have a crispy pickle with his stew. He scuttled across the wooden floor and the finely woven green rug to get the stool so he could reach them. Going back to the pickles he placed the stool on the floor and stood upon it. Standing on his toes as he reached as far as he could, but was still not able to get the barrel. "Fiddle-sticks!" Bilbo growled. Looking at the wooden counter-top, he decided to step-up on it to retrieve the pickles. When he had both feet on the counter-top, he smiled as he easily grabbed the small barrel of pickles from the shelf. He bent over to place it on the counter-top before he would climb down, but his foot stepped on a splatter of stew from the spoon that Lobelia slammed down upon the counter. Bilbo slipped and toppled over the pickle barrel and rolled off the counter-top hitting the bowl of his stew that sent it flying in the air as he landed with a thud onto the floor. The pickles tipped over and its lid popped off spilling the entire contents of pickles and pickle juice all over the counter-top and dripping down onto the floor. The bowl of stew splattered the walls and shelves and it landed on the floor next to Bilbo.
The clamor of the mishap brought Lobelia running into the kitchen and she stood staring at Bilbo in horror. "Look what you have done to my kitchen!" shouted Lobelia.
Bilbo grimaced as he tried to stand from his backside hurting him so much. He turned to face Lobelia calmly. "Begging your pardon, Miss Lobelia. If you had served me properly, this little mishap would not have occurred! It all comes from being late for noon time luncheons!"
"Little! Little is not what I'd call this mishap!" shouted Lobelia as grabbed her mop and handed it to Bilbo, "Clean this mess up, now!"
Bilbo took the mop from her hand and began to mop the floor, while she picked-up the pickles all about the counter-top and floor. She spotted the stew spills on her wall and shelves. Standing on the stool and then climbing upon the counter-top to clean those spots, she too slipped off the counter-top from it being wet and Bilbo just had enough time to drop his mop and hold his arms out to catch her. Lobelia fell into Bilbo's arms and toppled him over onto his back, landing on his lap. Bilbo sat up and stared at Lobelia sitting on him and she stared back at him. Knowing how ridiculous they both looked, Lobelia burst out laughing when Logo opened the door and saw the two hobbits in this most peculiar position on the floor.
Logo crossed his arms in front of himself and he too began to laugh at the couple sitting on his kitchen floor when an idea came to his mind. Logo walked over to help his daughter to stand and assist Bilbo up from the floor.
After a good laugh Logo sat the two down at the table and offered to serve them each a bowl of stew and some unharmed pickles that did not escape the barrel. Logo's eyes wandered from his daughter to Bilbo while they ate their lunch together.