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*** Throwing in the last of the chopped carrots into the stew, Primula wiped her hands as she walked to answer the knock at the back door. She opened the door to find that Sam stood on the stoop, running the back of his hand across his sweat-damp brow, his back turned to her. ‘May I help you, Samwise?’ Sam jumped, and turned to face her, ‘Er, yes’m - my Da wanted me to ask Mr. Bilbo what we should do with the taters we dugged up.’ ‘Well Bilbo is in his study at the moment,’ Primula answered. Sam nodded, ‘I see, ma’am, I can again later-‘ ‘Nonsense!’ Primula said, ‘Come inside and ask Bilbo what you need to ask him.’ She motioned for him to come in and Sam reluctantly stepped inside. Primula return to her cooking as Sam seemed lost as he stood by the door. Turning around to see him still there, Primula was startled as she had expected him to be gone down the tunnel. ‘Do you know the way to Bilbo’s study?’ ‘Beggin’ your pardon, but no ma’am I don’t.’ Taking one last glance at her stew, Primula motioned for Sam to follow her down one of the tunnels. Sam had certainly been inside before but he had never had any reason to go much further beyond the foyer or backdoor of Bag End. His eyes widened as they took in the many beautiful and fanciful thing, mathoms Bilbo had collected or been given during his lifetime. Turning down the west tunnel, Primula led Sam a door that was slightly ajar, and Sam only paused a moment when he heard ‘O sticklebacks!’ exclaimed loudly from the other side. After glancing back at Primula, who hadn’t heard the voice and so was still walking on down the tunnel, Sam tapped softly on the door, saying as he gently cracked it, “Mr. Frodo, is that you?” Frodo was standing by the window where Sam had received his first glance of Frodo, he brow furled in concentration as he stared at the paper in his hand. He held a pencil in the hand that cradle his chin as if it might aid him in finding the words he was struggling to find. He looked up when Sam entered, ‘Sam, what are you doing in here?’ ‘Well you see, Mr. Frodo, my Da sent me inside to ask Mr. Bilbo what should be done with the taters we dugged, and I didn’t know which way Mr. Bilbo’s study was, so I were a’following yer mama, er Mrs. Baggins and I heard you speak aloud-‘ ‘If it were any other time you had strayed into my room, I’d be delighted,’ said Frodo, ‘But I am being punished for going into Uncle Bilbo’s study without his permission and for taking, destroying a book that did not belong to me.’ ‘But it twere an accident, Mr. Frodo, that ruined the book,’ said Sam, ‘Don’t tell me Mr. Bilbo’s that out of sorts about-‘ ‘Samwise!’ Sam turned ten different shades of red before he spun around to see Frodo’s mother standing there with her hands on her hips, ‘Yes’m?’ he said meekly. “I thought you were following me,” Primula replied and she stepped forward to pull Sam out into the tunnel by the arm, giving Frodo a stern glance, ‘I suggest you get back to work on the assignment from your father.’ ‘Yes, Mother,’ Frodo responded as she closed the door. Once the door was closed, Primula looked at Sam again, ‘I’m sorry, Samwise, but Frodo is not allowed to have visitors right now, not until he’s done as he’s been told by his father. Now, walk in front of me and I’ll take you to Bilbo.’ ‘Yes’m, Mrs. Baggins.” *** Frodo sighed on frustration a few moments after Primula pulled Sam from his room, closing the door in her wake. Before she had left, she’d given him a stern warning to get back to what he’d been told to do, and he sighed as he balled up the paper in his hands, throwing it away as he again had failed in his assignment. Frodo winced as he sat down at his desk, his backside still a tad sore from the belting he’d received from his father. His father wasn’t one who believed in applying the belt a lot in disciplining his son, but when he did Frodo had some slight discomfort whenever he sat down for the next few days. Wiggling in his chair he sat straight in the chair, and after he pulled a clean sheet of paper in front of him again, he began to scratch out the beginnings of a letter. Dear Lord Elrond… ‘Oh that won’t do!’ he muttered. Scratch!
My Lord… Yes, he liked the sound of that better! My Lord, My name is Frodo Baggins, I am the cousin of your friend… Wait, was Uncle Bilbo an actual friend to the Elf Lord? Scratch again! My Lord, My name is Frodo Baggins, I am the cousin of your We were caught up in the beauty of the day, as Sam and I went to a special place I have a great love for Elvish verses, as does Sam, and neither of us noticed the approaching of a storm. But the time I had looked up to see the angry cloud, thunder had begun to sound, and rain started to pelt us. We had had a picnic lunch along with us and after rushing to gather everything I picked up your book, stumbled on a rough spot in the ground, and fell. When I fell, sir, the book flew from my hands, and landed in a nearby brook. I deeply regret my dishonest taking of the book from my uncle’s study led to its being destroyed but my Lord, I wish to take full responsibility for it in hopes that you will not stop sending Uncle Bilbo books from Rivendell’s vast library. Please, my Lord, accept my humble apology and please know if I can make up for the loss of your book in some way, I will. You need only let me know. Again, my apologies. Yours humbly, Frodo Baggins After he had read over it again twice, Frodo took yet another clean sheet of paper, and in his best script he copied down his letter of apology to Elrond in ink. He was blowing on the ink to dry it when Bilbo knocked on his door, and poked his head in, ‘Frodo?’ ‘Come in, uncle,’ said Frodo rising from his chair. “I came to see if you need some help, lad, with that letter to Lord Elrond,” Bilbo stated as he closed the door behind him. ’I’m finished with it,’ Frodo responded, showing it to the older hobbit, ‘It’s not written in Elvish but I hope Lord Elrond will still understand what I was trying to say by it.’ Frodo allowed the older hobbit to read what he had written and Bilbo smiled, ‘This is a very well-written letter, Frodo, very well-written indeed.’ Bilbo laid it on the desk, ‘And fear not, lad, Lord Elrond reads and write in many languages, including Westron and in some Dwarvish I believe. He will have no difficulties in understanding what you were trying to convey to him in this letter.’ Frodo breathed out a sigh of relief, ‘I’m so glad that part of my punishment is over with.’ Bilbo carefully folded the letter, ‘This will be in the next batch of letters I send to Lord Elrond.’ He opened the door, ‘I’ll tell your father that you’ve finished the task you were told to do.’
Frodo nodded, ‘Thank you, uncle.’ He watched Bilbo leave before turning to his window, and opening it he watched Sam for a little while, who was busy tending some flowers. A few minutes later, Drogo knocked on the door, and entered. He sat down on Frodo’s bed and gestured for his son to sit beside him. It was a moment before he could speak as he seemed short of breath.
‘Papa?’ Frodo said concerned. Drogo laid a hand on Frodo’s arm, ‘I’m fine, son. Let me catch my breath here.’ He huffed a little bit before he finally started to breathe normally. Smiling at his worried son, Drogo began, ‘Your uncle Bilbo told me that you finished the letter he asked you to write explaining what happened to the book.’ ‘Yes, Papa, I did.’ ‘Good,” said Drogo, ‘Frodo, you understand why you were punished?’ Frodo nodded, ‘Yes, I do.’ ‘I want you to, in your own words, explain it to me why then,’ Drogo replied. ‘I was punished because I, um,’ Frodo paused, ‘because I took a book that did not belong to me, and I took it without Uncle Bilbo’s permission. I also destroyed something, although it was an accident, that didn’t belong to me. I was punished because what I did was wrong.’ ‘Yes, it was,’ said Drogo, getting up he crossed the room to the window and spotted Sam at work, ‘But I think you’ve learned your lesson.’ ‘Yes, Papa, I have. I promise you I have.’ ‘Then your confinement to your room is over with,’ his father said, and he looked at Frodo, ‘Why don’t you go outside for awhile and enjoy the day’s last few hours of sunshine before the Sun takes to her bed.’ Frodo grinned, standing up, and after he hugged his father he rushed to the door, ‘Thank you, Papa!’ he exclaimed before leaving Bag End. |
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