Chapter One:
Farmer Maggot, the broadest, thickest dweller of the Shire's East Farthing got out of bed bright and early one morning to get ready for the biannual farmer's market in Hobbiton. Farmer Maggot knew a lot of things, like how much sun his vegetables needed, and how much water was necessary to make them ripe and delicious. However what he didn't know was that two devious, curious, unusual, crafty, joking, scheming, tricky, left-handed, sly, foolhardy, pranking clowns had gotten to his vegetables first.
"Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took! You fools! Those were going to be my prize-winning vegetables! Oh wait until your fathers hear about this, they were betting on me to win this year!" After hours of this ranting, Maggot's furious dogs chased Merry and Pippin around his farm, until the dogs finally pinned them down in the middle of the cornfield. Maggot smiled mischievously. "Now get! Your fathers will deal with you two."
Merry and Pippin knew how ugly their fathers had gotten the last time they had lost a bet. They quickly looked at each other, got up and bolted towards town.
"Now look what you've done Pip."
"Me? It was your idea."
"You knew the farmer's market was today."
"I did, but so did you!"
"That's beside the point Pippin, you could have said no." They both ran up and down the hills, Merry ahead of Pippin.
Hobbits: a peaceful race in Middle Earth more closely related to humans than Elves or Dwarves. They are known for their hairy feet and short stature, averaged at three feet tall. They tended to be plump and cheerful, hospitable and good-natured; always ready for a meal, a drink, a smoke, and eating six times a day. Most hobbits never leave the Shire, as they are fearful and suspicious of larger folk. Hobbits were considered shy and rare to the outside world.
Pippin quickly getting annoyed with Merry ran ahead of him accidentally tripping over his big feet and causing both of them to start tumbling down the hill. Closing in toward town they had no way to stop.
"Pipp-in. You. Are. A. Fool!" Merry screamed as they rolled on.
Before they knew it they had rolled right off Frodo Baggins' roof and right into his rose bushes.
"That wasn't a bad landing, let's do it again!" Pippin said from the top of the hobbit pile.
"Get off me you two!"
"What did we land on Pippin?" Merry noticing the rose bush picked one up and put it in his hair.
"It's not what Merry, it's who!" They both got up and only to find Frodo's gardener had been beneath them.
"SAM!" Pippin started laughing. Samwise Gamgee, like his father, was a gardener. All the flowers in the Shire were kept beautiful by son and father. "I see the tomatoes didn't have such a good landing!" Pippin grabbed the tomatoes off Sam's head and threw them to the ground.
Merry finishing his rose moment came back into the real world. He looked at Sam and started laughing.
"Your head's too thick Sam!"
Getting frustrated with Merry and Pippin he looked away, trying to control himself from strangling them.
"The roses! It took me a month to get them just right!" Sam looked over at Merry and pulled the roses out of his hair.
"Hey!" Pippin laughed, but it quickly stopped as he saw his father walking towards them. He elbowed Merry in the side.
"Ouch, what was that for?" Pippin pointed down the street. Merry straightened up.
"Meriadoc Brandybuck!"
"Yes sir?"
"Your father awaits you." Paladin crossed his arms at the sight of Merry and Pippin.
"Um, where may I ask?"
Paladin laughed at Merry's words. "You can find him I'm sure, just look around." Merry looked from Sam to Paladin to Pippin and started to walk down the road. Paladin who watched Merry fall out of sight tuned to Pippin. "You fool." Pippin balled his fists. Someone had called him a fool again.
"I'm not a fool!" He looked up at his father angrily. Sam feeling uncomfortable walked over to the roses.
"Yes you are. You just had to go into Maggot's crops again, didn't you! You knew the farmer's market was today. Why did you go?"
"I'm sorry father but, Merry was hungry."
Paladin stomped on Pippin's foot.
"Aiiiiii!" Pippin fell to the floor and started rubbing his foot.
"Pippin, I had bet one hundred and fifty dollars on Maggot's tomatoes!" Paladin again stomped on Pippin's foot but this time the other one.
"I'm sorry father, I'll make it up to you and Farmer Maggot," Pippin said, this time keeping his balance.
"Oh I know you will! Sam!" Sam, who had been organizing the rose bush while Paladin had been lecturing his son, fell face first into the ocean of red. He quickly got up and punched the ground.
"Yes, sir,"
"I heard your father is ill."
"He is."
"Then you're going to need some help with all the homes you have this spring, no?"
"Yes," Sam replied hesitantly.
"Great! I know the perfect person that would love to help you." Paladin looked at Pippin.
"But-but-no!" both Pippin and Sam yelled.
"Oh but yes. I'll talk to your father today." Turning on his heel Paladin walked down the hill.
"You'd better hope my father says no to your help Pippin or I will personally break your little... break you like a twig."
"Hey I don't want to work for you either believe me, and what's with you always using plants in your sentences? I think you've spent too much time in the garden my friend." Just as Sam headed for Pippin's throat they halted their fighting as they saw Frodo walk up the hill with a pretty girl.
"Oh, hi Sam. I see you're hard at work as usual." She smiled sweetly.
"Hi Roselyn." Sam straightened up. "Frodo."
"Is everything alright here? What's going on?"
"Oh, um, nothing's wrong. Sam was just, uh, showing me how to plant a seed thing." Pippin smiled as he took a shovel out of Sam's hand. Frodo noticing a bit of tension asked Sam to come inside.
Roselyn giggled at Pippin's reaction. "I'm sorry, and you are?"
"Peregrin Took." Pippin quickly put the shovel on the ground and wiped his hand on his shirt.
Roselyn took his outstretched hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you Peregrin Took. Are you Sam's helper or something?"
Pippin frowned. "I try not to think of it that way thank you."
Roselyn laughed again. "Sorry. So do you work with gardens then?" She giggled as Pippin's expression did not change.
"I do." Underneath his breath Pippin snorted: "sadly."
"Great! Then you can come by my place and work out the buds." She smiled.
"I'll be there bright and early," Sam said. Roselyn and Pippin turned as he and Frodo came out with some tea.
"Oh, thank you Sam, but I was asking Pippin." Pippin grinned at Sam.
"He can't. Pippin only just started today and he doesn't know anything yet." Sam grinned back at Pippin as Pippin gave him the evil eye.
"Want some tea Roselyn?" Frodo asked to sooth the tension.
Roselyn frowned at Sam and looked down. "No thanks I should be heading home, bye Pippin, Frodo." She glared at Sam. "Good-bye Samwise."
As she walked away Sam turned to Frodo and took some tea. "She's mad."
Pippin tapped Sam on the shoulder. "Why can't I go work in her garden tomorrow?" Sam and Frodo sat down and both sipped their tea.
"Because Pippin you have Frodo's garden to fix."
Frodo choked on his tea. "WHAT!"
"Yup Pippin will your gardener for this week." Sam handed Frodo a napkin.
"But-"
"Don't worry Mr. Frodo I'll teach him." Sam gave Frodo a reassuring look.