Disclaimer - I don't own LOTR, it belongs to New Line Cinema, Peter
Jackson, and most importantly, J.R.R Tolkein.
THE ART OF THE DEAL
Merry stood gob smacked behind Pippin. Pippin was standing smugly, looking quite pleased with himself. Merry shook his head, trying to clear the haze in his head.
"How did you get that, Pip?" Merry asked again. Pippin eyed his prize with a satisfied look.
"Well, a farmer was passin' through and said he was looking to get rid of these, so we made a trade." Pippin explained. Merry's eyes widened in admiration and he beamed at his friend.
"Wow! Great Pip! What'd you trade?" He asked. Pippin turned away nervously.
"Uh...nothing you'll, I mean we'll miss in a hurry." He offered with a small laugh. Merry shook his head. He didn't want to think of all the foolish trades Pippin could've made. At the moment, if he didn't know, it would be better.
"Good job, Pip. Looks like we'll finish the job today!" Merry said proudly. He walked over to their new horse. It looked a bit tired, but it had strong muscles and seemed used to having the plow on it's back. Merry patted it on the shoulder. It was nearly three times his size. But what did it matter? The pipe weed field would be done in no time now. Pippin grinned happily and slapped the horse's hind quarters.
"I know! Git along, horse! Yah!" Pippin yelled excitedly. The horse began to pull. The sharp blades of the plow sliced through the rich soil and Pippin and Merry ran along behind, jumping and clapping in delight. In about two hours, the entire field was done. Pippin and Merry clasped hands and began to jump around.
"We did it! We did it! A hard day's work!" Pippin shrieked. Merry kept laughing as they spun around. They led the horse to a stream and then filled a bucket with vegetables and headed inside. Pippin settled into his chair, throwing his feet onto the footrest. Merry settled into his own chair and reached over to the end table for his own pipe. His hand closed over air. Alarmed, his hand scrabbled over the entire surface. He leaned over, looking. Nothing.
"Pippin, have you seen my pipe?" Merry asked, panicking. Pippin froze.
"N-no! Course not, Merry. Why would I have seen your pipe?" Pippin stuttered. Merry whipped around.
"You did something." He said in an accusing voice. Pippin offered his most charming smile.
"What did you do with my pipe, Pippin?" Merry thundered. Pippin shrank in his chair.
"T-traded it for the horse and plow?" He said, blinking furiously and smiling weakly. Merry groaned and flopped back against the back of his chair.
"Now what am I going to use when the pipe weed grows?" He moaned. Pippin smiled.
"This is an emergency, right? We can ask Eomer!" Pippin said quickly, pleased with himself for coming up with an answer. However, fortunately for both Eomer and the Hobbits, there was a sudden knock on the door.
"Pippin! Merry! Are you home?" Asked a desperate sounding voice. The Hobbits turned to each other, amazed.
"Legolas?!" Down they ran to the door. When they opened it, they were stunned to see the blonde prince panting.
"May I come in?" He asked, breathing heavily. The Hobbits nodded eagerly, glad for more company.
"Of course!"
"Make yourself at home!"
"Have a seat?"
"Hungry?'
"Thirsty?"
"Tired?"
"Do you have pipe by any chance?" The Hobbits asked, each asking a question in turn, with Pippin getting the last question. Legolas laughed, taking a seat and turning the chair away from the window.
"Thanks. No, no, no, and yes, actually." Legolas said in response. His eyes gleamed at the last question. "Actually, would you do me a favor?" Pippin nodded. "Great! Would you accept this, as a gift?" Legolas asked, holding out a beautifully carved pipe. Pippin's eyes shone and he snatched it up.
"It's perfect, Merry!" He whispered in excitement. Suddenly, they could hear heavy hooves beating the ground.
"Legolas Greenleaf, you stupid elf! Where are you?" They all heard. Legolas froze.
"I must go. Farewell!" Legolas whispered, running out the door and jumping into the saddle of his horse. The Hobbits watched in astonishment as the Prince raced off and the King of Mirkwood gave chase.
"You better run, you good for nothing prince of evil! When I get my hands on you, I'll teach you to steal my pipe and draw mustaches with black marker on my face!" Thranduil screamed. Indeed, if you looked close enough (which few choose to do) you could see a black mustache, a goatee and horns. Pippin hastily shut the door.
"Let's....go to bed, shall we?" Pippin shoved the pipe into Merry's hand and went past him.
"Yes, let's." Merry growled, stomping after Pippin.
THE ART OF THE DEAL
Merry stood gob smacked behind Pippin. Pippin was standing smugly, looking quite pleased with himself. Merry shook his head, trying to clear the haze in his head.
"How did you get that, Pip?" Merry asked again. Pippin eyed his prize with a satisfied look.
"Well, a farmer was passin' through and said he was looking to get rid of these, so we made a trade." Pippin explained. Merry's eyes widened in admiration and he beamed at his friend.
"Wow! Great Pip! What'd you trade?" He asked. Pippin turned away nervously.
"Uh...nothing you'll, I mean we'll miss in a hurry." He offered with a small laugh. Merry shook his head. He didn't want to think of all the foolish trades Pippin could've made. At the moment, if he didn't know, it would be better.
"Good job, Pip. Looks like we'll finish the job today!" Merry said proudly. He walked over to their new horse. It looked a bit tired, but it had strong muscles and seemed used to having the plow on it's back. Merry patted it on the shoulder. It was nearly three times his size. But what did it matter? The pipe weed field would be done in no time now. Pippin grinned happily and slapped the horse's hind quarters.
"I know! Git along, horse! Yah!" Pippin yelled excitedly. The horse began to pull. The sharp blades of the plow sliced through the rich soil and Pippin and Merry ran along behind, jumping and clapping in delight. In about two hours, the entire field was done. Pippin and Merry clasped hands and began to jump around.
"We did it! We did it! A hard day's work!" Pippin shrieked. Merry kept laughing as they spun around. They led the horse to a stream and then filled a bucket with vegetables and headed inside. Pippin settled into his chair, throwing his feet onto the footrest. Merry settled into his own chair and reached over to the end table for his own pipe. His hand closed over air. Alarmed, his hand scrabbled over the entire surface. He leaned over, looking. Nothing.
"Pippin, have you seen my pipe?" Merry asked, panicking. Pippin froze.
"N-no! Course not, Merry. Why would I have seen your pipe?" Pippin stuttered. Merry whipped around.
"You did something." He said in an accusing voice. Pippin offered his most charming smile.
"What did you do with my pipe, Pippin?" Merry thundered. Pippin shrank in his chair.
"T-traded it for the horse and plow?" He said, blinking furiously and smiling weakly. Merry groaned and flopped back against the back of his chair.
"Now what am I going to use when the pipe weed grows?" He moaned. Pippin smiled.
"This is an emergency, right? We can ask Eomer!" Pippin said quickly, pleased with himself for coming up with an answer. However, fortunately for both Eomer and the Hobbits, there was a sudden knock on the door.
"Pippin! Merry! Are you home?" Asked a desperate sounding voice. The Hobbits turned to each other, amazed.
"Legolas?!" Down they ran to the door. When they opened it, they were stunned to see the blonde prince panting.
"May I come in?" He asked, breathing heavily. The Hobbits nodded eagerly, glad for more company.
"Of course!"
"Make yourself at home!"
"Have a seat?"
"Hungry?'
"Thirsty?"
"Tired?"
"Do you have pipe by any chance?" The Hobbits asked, each asking a question in turn, with Pippin getting the last question. Legolas laughed, taking a seat and turning the chair away from the window.
"Thanks. No, no, no, and yes, actually." Legolas said in response. His eyes gleamed at the last question. "Actually, would you do me a favor?" Pippin nodded. "Great! Would you accept this, as a gift?" Legolas asked, holding out a beautifully carved pipe. Pippin's eyes shone and he snatched it up.
"It's perfect, Merry!" He whispered in excitement. Suddenly, they could hear heavy hooves beating the ground.
"Legolas Greenleaf, you stupid elf! Where are you?" They all heard. Legolas froze.
"I must go. Farewell!" Legolas whispered, running out the door and jumping into the saddle of his horse. The Hobbits watched in astonishment as the Prince raced off and the King of Mirkwood gave chase.
"You better run, you good for nothing prince of evil! When I get my hands on you, I'll teach you to steal my pipe and draw mustaches with black marker on my face!" Thranduil screamed. Indeed, if you looked close enough (which few choose to do) you could see a black mustache, a goatee and horns. Pippin hastily shut the door.
"Let's....go to bed, shall we?" Pippin shoved the pipe into Merry's hand and went past him.
"Yes, let's." Merry growled, stomping after Pippin.