Library: Just a day in the shire

It was just a day amongst the others. Nothing of interest going on in the shire. Like most of the time, there doesn't seem to anything going on in the shire apart of hobbits' daily chores of eating, drinking, smoking pipe-weed and of course tale-telling. And a lot of laughter too. That is what hobbits mostly do that is. But this was not what Frodo had had in his mind lately. Most definately not. Bilbo had left him with bag-end and the ring, the one ring. Though he did not yet know the danger that ring would bring to him. Gandalf also said little to him, which made him even more curious and afraid of course. Frodo was hoping that Gandalf would return soon and relief him of his miseries. He could say little to his best friends Samvais, Merry and Pippin, who all seemed mostly troubled by Frodo's lately quietness. A cheerful hobbit he had been most of his days, untill now that is. Samvais was the most troubled one of the hobbit threesome as he was the tender of the garden of bag-end. And of course a very good friend of Frodo's. So he decided to give Frodo a small chat and relieve some of his miseries by trying to share them. But, alas. Frodo was even more sorrowed in his heart, thinking only if Bilbo and Gandalf was here to assure him all was going to be fine. Frodo had began to wander that the absence of Gandalf was not the action of Gandalf himself but some power stronger than his. This did not comfort him at all, even though Sam tried to convince him otherwise. "Gandalf is powerful wizard, and he has unbelievable powers", he said, and continued "Yet he has been away for a long time, longer than usually". "I know" replied Frodo, looking even more miserably. "But let us not worry about that now, its almost the time for second supper, shall we invite Merry and Pippin too?", said Sam with his spirit cheered by the tought of eating and possibly smoking some pipe-weed afterwards. "Let us do that Sam", answered Frodo, trying to look more cheerful. After all having his best friends around him usually gave him good laughs. Especially the most unbelievable and overexaggerated stories of Merry. So they set up the table for four and Sam went to get Merry and Pippin. "I best hurry the clouds are getting darker", said Sam. And of he went. Frodo reluctantly closed the door behind Sam and went to the kitchen to prepare the meal. Frodo sank in to his thoughts about the ring, Bilbo and Gandalf. And especially the words Gandalf spoke to him "keep it secret, keep it safe" he wondered what it meant and could not decide if he wanted to know the answer or not. He had not even realised that Sam had come back and they were all standing at the hall of bag-end, looking very wet. "Blasted weather", shouted Merry. "Yeah, but the smell is worth it", shouted Pippin to Frodo in the kitchen. "Hope your pipe-weed didn't get wet, Pippin, for I have none left", Frodo shout back at him. Pippin then carefully searched his pockets for the small bag of pipe-weed. "Aww, they are a bit moist, what d'ya reckon?", he said. "we best put them on some paper and near fire so they dry faster", Sam suggested. "And that is what we be doing, Sam", Frodo said, running back to Bilbo's study to get some paper. He took a blank page, or did it just appear blank to his eyes, and gave it to Pippin, who then went and laid all his pipe-weed on it and put it near the fireplace. "Alright that is done. Where be the food then?", he said looking happy. Frodo laughed and said "Sit by the table and i'll bring it there". So they ate and drunk some, untill they were all full. It takes quite a lot of food for A small hobbit to fill himself, much more than it would take an average man compared to his size. After the meal they gathered to the fireplace and began to fill their pipes and to smoke a decent after-meal pipeful of weed. Merry lifted the paper Frodo had gave Pippin and wondered "What are all these markings on the map, Frodo?". Frodo said "What? Markings on the paper, let me see". Frodo examined the paper and they made no sense to him. "It looks a bit like elvish", he then said as he knew a bit of elvish, "Bilbo had taught me a bit of it and I think this is some sort elvish text". "But my knowledge of the elvish tongue does not quite match the requirements to make sense of this text", he continued. "I wish only Gandalf was here". "Gandalf, Gandalf, Gandalf, It's always about Gandalf with you", shouted Merry. "Why can not you just realise that he is gone and might never come back". "Now, now Merry, we came here to cheer Frodo up not to upset him more", said Sam. "You are right we should not trouble him any more. Let us smoke some pipe-weed and sing merry songs", said Pippin grasping the pipe. "Let us do that then", said Frodo with a small smile on his worried face. So then four tiny pipes were lit and put on little hobbit mouths and small puffs or smoke filled the air and soon the room was filled with tale-telling and laughter and singing. Very much like the hobbit way of life, like it was in the shire in the old days long before Gandalf first came to the shire. The evening passed on and Sam's idea of cheering Frodo up had worked like a charm. Frodo no longer had dampened spirits, but his spirits were bright and clear of any fog. He sang and told stories of Bilbo had told him and the other three listened to him very eagerly. Long after the storm had gone and sun had set they ended their merry meeting and departed on their ways to their own hobbitholes. But Frodo was left yet again all alone in the bag-end, with the ring, the one ring. And even though the evening had made him laugh and happy, he knew that it was not going to last for long. -A bard's tale by Diego

Login to BatWeb

Forgot your password?

Library: Just a day in the shire