"Psst, Merry!" a voice hissed behind him.
The young hobbit turned around to see Pippin sticking his head out of their bedroom, motioning at him with his hand.
"Come here," Pippin whispered.
Merry walked back to the room, Pippin closing the door after the both of them.
"What is it, Pip?" Merry asked, sounding as if Pippin was interrupting something very important.
But, of course, Merry had been doing nothing at all, regardless of importance. He and Pippin were masters at avoiding any kind of constructive activity whatsoever.
"What do you think of playing another prank?" Pippin inquired eagerly.
Merry's face brightened a shade. "On Gimli? Oh, I would love to."
"Well…" Pippin hesitated, looking down at his hands. "Not necessarily on Gimli…"
"On who then?" Merry asked, eyeing his friend cautiously.
"I have this great idea for a prank to play on Gandalf," Pippin answered. "If…"
"The wizard?" Merry interrupted. "No way! He would kill us, Pippin."
"But only if we got caught," Pippin replied, grinning.
Merry was starting to catch the spirit. He told himself he was asking this question only to satisfy his curiosity. He wasn't seriously considering doing something like this…
"What is your idea?"
Pippin smiled and began to share his plan with Merry. Minutes later, he had finished, a wide grin plastered on his young face. A similar grin was beginning to grow on Merry's lips.
"All right. You convinced me," Merry consented.
Pippin laughed. "I knew I could get you!"
"We should ask Frodo and Sam to join us on our little quest tonight," Merry suggested mischievously.
"Good idea!" Pippin agreed. "Let's go find them."
The two hobbits eagerly jumped up from the bed and dashed out of the room in search of their older friends. The grass was still damp from the earlier rain, and as Merry jumped off the last step in the staircase, he slipped and fell smack dab on his bottom.
"Owww…" Merry whined, lying on the ground.
"Nice going," Pippin teased, laughing at him. "You're even clumsier than I am!"
"I am not!" Merry protested.
"Says who?" Pippin argued.
"I do. Now get over here and help me up," Merry said crossly.
Pippin stepped over to his fellow Hobbit's side and offered him his hand. Merry took it, but instead of letting Pippin help him get up, he helped Pippin get down on the ground.
"Let me go!" Pippin cried as the two Halflings tumbled across the wet grass.
Pippin managed to break free for a moment, and quickly rose to his feet. He tried to run, but found that there was an unusual weight attached to his leg. A weight named Merry, to be exact. He fruitlessly attempted to shake him off, but Merry's hold remained firm on Pippin's leg. Just then Frodo and Sam came walking around the corner.
"What in the name of the Valar are you two doing?" Frodo asked, staring at the awkward sight.
Pippin was desperately trying to escape, dragging a sprawled out Merry on the ground behind him. The scene was humorous to say the least.
"Trying to find you!" Pippin replied, as if that explained everything.
"It sure looks like it," Sam remarked smugly.
"We were, honest," Merry chimed in, releasing his grip on Pippin's leg and standing to his feet. "Pip and I wanted to know if you would play a prank with us."
"If it means getting revenge on that blasted dwarf, I would love to accompany you," Sam said with a frown.
"That's not who he wants to play a prank on though," Merry blurted out. "He wants to do something to Gandalf."
"Gandalf?" Frodo asked in surprise. "Didn't you guys hear what happened to Gimli after he pranked Gandalf with that Permanent Kiss?"
"Gimli isn't as smart or cunning as we are though," Pippin argued.
"Nor as good looking," Merry added.
Frodo threw a glance to Sam, who raised his eyebrows and rolled his eyes in reply. After a few minutes of ensuing conversation, Frodo and Sam had agreed to aid Merry and Pippin on their prank. Victorious in their scheme, Merry and Pippin went off alone in eager anticipation of the night's coming events.
----
The foursome quietly entered the room, cautiously eyeing the large form of the sleeping wizard, a wizard that was snoring quite loudly. Pippin couldn't help but giggle, wishing that he could capture the moment to later prove to Gandalf that he did indeed snore.
Merry was chosen to keep an eye on Gandalf, in case he stirred. He remained quiet until they were nearly finished, but then began to roll over on his side. The sudden movement startled Merry, who took a step backwards, and landed square on Pippin's foot.
"Oww!" the young hobbit yelped.
Pippin stared at Merry angrily and whacked the hobbit's head.
"What was that?" he asked all too loudly.
The sudden noise caused Gandalf to shift in his sleep, being dangerously close to awakening and catching the four hobbits red-handed in their mischievous act. Frodo quickly placed his hand over Pippin's mouth from behind.
"Shut your mouth or we're all going to be in more trouble than all the trouble you have ever been in combined," Frodo hissed.
Merry shot Pippin a look that clearly stated, "And that's quite a lot of trouble."
"And you two think you're more cunning than Gimli is…" Sam mumbled.
The hobbits finished their prank-playing; then ran off, eager to put distance between them and Gandalf after their close call.
----
Unable to contain themselves, the hobbits returned to the scene of the crime early the next morning to see what Gandalf's reaction would be to their late night doings. They had not been waiting for long when the wizard stirred and got out of bed. After all, he was one that enjoyed the mornings before the busy day had to begin. Walking across the room, he reached for the one of the things he was rarely seen without – his hat.
"What in the…?" Gandalf exclaimed at the sight.
Hearing the surprise in his voice, the hobbits instantly popped out of their hiding place, doubled over in a fit of laughter.
"You evil little demon hobbits!" Gandalf cried.
Their only response was more laughter.
"Your fate shall be worse than that of Gimli the fool of a dwarf!" he boomed threateningly.
The hobbits quickly stopped giggling.
"It was his idea!" three of them cried, all at once, pointing at Pippin.
That said, they sprinted off as fast as their short hobbit legs would carry them, leaving Pippin to face the wizard all by himself.
"Thanks a lot, guys!" Pippin yelled sarcastically.
A second later, Merry's face reappeared.
"No problem," he shouted back. "Anything for you, Pip!"
And he vanished again just as quickly as he had come back.
"You fool of a Took!" Gandalf cried. "Yes, I know your last name, and I am going to use it! How am I to be Gandalf the Grey when my hat has been turned to pink?"
"Gosh, I'm stumped," Pippin replied after a moment of thoughtful silence. "How would you do that?"
"Argh!" Gandalf yelled. "Get out of my sight, you evil little Halfling, before I turn you pink!"
Before Gandalf had even finished the sentence, Pippin was darting out the door and running as fast as he could back to his own quarters.