The following tale was composed by Faramir Took I, only son of Thain Peregrin I, being aided by his wife, Goldilocks Gamgee, daughter of Master Samwise. It was not included in the Red Book. Instead, it was a part of a collection of tales, mostly composed by the children of Samwise, Peregrin and Meriadoc. The title of this collection was: "The Ring-bearer and His Companions in their Earlier Years".

It is believed that, for the most part, Faramir wished to describe the antics of his father during his childhood, especially around the time of the Farewell/Birthday Party of Bilbo Baggins. This desire came from the fact that very little was told of Peregrin, Meriadoc, Samwise and Frodo before their Quest; and being the only son of Peregrin, Faramir felt it his duty to tell his father’s tale.

However, the tale turned out to be more than just a story about Peregrin. Faramir wished his story to be as accurate as possible, so he (along with Goldilocks) interviewed Peregrin, Meriadoc, Samwise, Rose (wife of Samwise), and many other guests of the Party, including Peregrin’s sisters, Pearl, Pimpernel and Pervinca.

When he began writing his story, Faramir never expected to find that there had been a previous ‘link’ between the families of Took and Gamgee. Thus, Faramir Took’s story about his father’s childhood became the only one to tell the Tale of Samwise Gamgee and Pervinca Took (it is, perhaps, because of this link that Samwise was at first against the marriage of Goldilocks and Faramir [see "Watch the Clouds Go Sailing By"]). It was never written in full, simply becoming a part of "The Ring-bearer and His Companions in their Earlier Years: Peregrin Took and the Farewell Party of Bilbo Baggins". Eventually, to make it known that their story was also told within this tale, Pervinca and Samwise asked for the title to be altered to "The Ring-bearer and His Companions in their Earlier Years: Peregrin Took and the Farewell Party of Bilbo Baggins (including the Tale of Samwise and Pervinca). For convenience, and interest, sakes, I have once again altered the title, but no alteration has occurred in the translation of the tale.

Life is What Happens

Or "The Ring-bearer and His Companions in their Earlier Years: Peregrin Took and the Farewell Party of Bilbo Baggins (including the Tale of Samwise and Pervinca)

"Life is what happens to you, while you’re busy making other plans…"

-John Lennon, "Beautiful Boy"

Prologue: A Bit of Tookish History

Paladin Took the Second was quite typical of his family – meaning that, as a younger hobbit, he was a known nuisance, and was more often than not in trouble of some sort. He was the only son of Adalgrim Took, with three elder sisters and one younger; thus, he spent much of his free time with his second cousin Adelard, and occasionally, Ferumbras, who was heir to the Thainship of the Shire. For this, Paladin envied Ferumbras, even though the title of Thain had diminished to little more than a nominal dignity.

But hope grew in Paladin, for Ferumbras was nearly twenty years his senior, and he had not yet married. If Ferumbras was without an heir when he died, the Thainship would pass to the first grandson of Hildegrim Took (forth son of the Old Took). And that was Paladin.

Paladin, however, soon stopped thinking about his possible Thainship, for other thoughts had entered his mind. He, himself, had found a suitable wife in a hobbitess whom he adored. So, in the Spring of 1373, Paladin Took wedded Eglantine Banks. The two had known each other since they were tweenagers, and their friendship had grown to affection. Hobbits from all over the Shire agreed that the union was a perfect one, as far as wealthiness went, if nothing else. For the Bankses, though nowhere near the Tooks in fame or wealth, were one of the Shire’s richer families.

Nearly two years later, the first child of Paladin and Eglantine was born – a daughter whom they named Pearl. She was a pretty baby, and grew to be a fair hobbit-maiden.

When Pearl was four years old, Eglantine gave birth to a second daughter, Pimpernel. So alike to her sister she was that, had they been closer in age, one might easily mistake them for twins.

Even though his cousin had married, and now had two daughters, Ferumbras still showed no sign of settling down himself. And in the next year, Fortinbras II, the current Thain and father of Ferumbras, died. Ferumbras III was now the Thain of the Shire.

That same year (1380), Paladin’s youngest sister, Esmeralda, moved to Buckland, and married Saradoc Brandybuck. Paladin grieved for the ‘loss’ of his most beloved sister, but was equally happy for her, as Saradoc was a worthy and noble hobbit.

Ferumbras openly stated that that he had no desire to be married, and named Paladin his heir, and next in line for the Thainship.

Two years later, something happened that brought worry to Paladin’s mind. Esmeralda bore for Saradoc a son, Meriadoc, though he was forever called Merry. If Paladin remained, as Ferumbras, without an heir, Meriadoc would become the Thain after him. Though he dearly loved his nephew, Paladin did not wish for the Thainship to leave the Took line and return to the Brandybucks (the office of the Thain had passed to the Tooks from the Oldbucks, who renamed themselves Brandybuck).

Paladin’s worry was not subdued when Eglantine gave birth to a third daughter. Pervinca, they called her, six years younger than her closest sister, and no less fair than either of them.

Over the next few years, Paladin’s anxiety grew and grew. The only comfort he found was while visiting his cousin Bilbo Baggins, at his home in Hobbiton. Bilbo had an uncanny resistance to age, and Paladin loved to visit him, for he felt that Bilbo was more than half-Took. He had gone on an ‘adventure’, something rare for any hobbit, and even rarer for a Baggins. Paladin would listen to Bilbo’s tales for hours, and Bilbo was happy to have an appreciative audience.

Paladin was present for Bilbo’s announcement that he was to adopt Frodo Baggins as his heir. Frodo came from Buckland, where his mother was born, a young cousin of Saradoc Brandybuck. Paladin’s anxiety trebled, as he saw another son-less hobbit adopt a distant heir.

In his fit of worry, Paladin was unaware that his wife was yet again pregnant. He did not realise until just ere the child was born. And with the birth, all of Paladin’s fear was at last quelled. For it was a son. Peregrin, they named him.

When he was only one year old, Peregrin earned himself a nick-name, one that was less obvious in origin than that if his cousin Meriadoc. One morning, neither if his parents could find him. They searched all of the Great Smials, and finally found him in the kitchen, asleep in a basket of pippin apples. From that they forth, the young Took was referred to as Pippin, more than he was, Peregrin. And as he grew, the name became more fitting, for he developed rosy red cheeks, like apples.

Like most of his kinsmen before him, Pippin started as a typical Took. But none – not his father, not his mother, not even wise old Bilbo – would guess what a nuisance he would be as a child, nor what a legend he would become some time later…

* * * * * *

Translator’s Note: So…how many of you knew that "pippin" was a type of apple? In the next chapter, we will jump to around the time of Bilbo’s infamous Party, when Pippin is 11 years old.