Chapter Two

Pippin and Merry took the chosen pig and walked it to market at Whitwell a couple miles away. There they found the butcher and then took the road back towards Paladin’s fields. As the two cousins walked the three miles towards the fields, they stopped at the half-way point for a rest.

“Let’s go more into the trees, Pip,” suggested Merry. Pippin noticed a gleam in his cousin’s eye; he smiled and followed him.

As they became more concealed among the trees, Merry looked about to make sure no one else was around and surreptitiously took out of his vest pocket...a pipe!

Pippin gasped, “Where’d you get that?”

Merry held it aloft so Pippin could see it better, “My father gave it to me.”

“Your father wouldn’t give you a pipe! He doesn’t let you smoke yet!”

“Shhh!” Merry cautioned his cousin, “He doesn’t know he gave it to me, yet!” Then he added in a lower, sarcastic tone, “He doesn’t let me do a lot of things, but that doesn’t stop me. Now be quiet or you’ll give us away.”

Pippin sat next to Merry on an old log and watched him stuff the pipe bowl with some leaf he had stored in a pouch. He watched intently as Merry put the pipe between his teeth and struck a flint to light it. Pippin sat in awe of how Merry expertly puffed out huge plumes of smoke from the pipe. “You can smoke,” exclaimed Pippin. “Let me try!”

Merry laughed, “Not on your short little life!” They both suddenly froze as they heard a twig snap close behind them. They turned around in unison.

Merry let out a huge sigh of relief, “Frodo! You nearly made me jump out of my skin!”

Frodo laughed at the thought. “I was with cousin Reginard at the Market and saw you two there and wanted to speak with you, Merry. So I followed you back to here.” He looked sidelong at Merry, “So, what are you two vagrants up to?” Then Frodo saw the smoking pipe in Merry‘s hand and chuckled, “No good, as I see it!”

Pippin observed the exchange and knew this hobbit to be friend and cousin of Merry’s, though he’d never been formally introduced to him before. Pippin thought he looked a little older than Merry, but didn’t seem old enough to be of age yet. Merry apparently got out of Brandy Hall more than he let on!

Merry noticed his younger cousin’s curiosity. “Pip, this is another cousin of mine; Frodo Baggins is his name. He used to live at Brandy Hall--but he was fortunate in that he was able to escape!” Merry half-jested on the last part as he exhaled a trail of smoke.

“Hullo,” Frodo nodded to Pippin, who returned the nod. “Actually, I’m your cousin as well, and I’ve met you before, though you were but a babe at the time.”

Pippin knew the name, though not to much the face. He nodded again, thought for a second, and said, “Yes...you’re my second cousin once removed on my father’s side and your mother’s.” He then cocked an eye, “You’re the cousin having a Birthday party the day after tomorrow, are you not?”

Frodo took Merry’s pipe and inhaled the pipe smoke with the same expertise Merry did. Frodo looked amazed at Merry, “How did he know? I haven’t sent out invitations yet!”

“Sisters,” Merry offered. “Older sisters!”

“Ah...that’s right--Pearl, Pimpernel, and Pervinca,” said Frodo. “News travels fast in the Shire with the lasses, eh?”

Pippin snickered, “Faster than one of old Gandalf’s rockets!”

“How do you know of Gandalf?” Frodo asked.

Pippin shrugged, “Who doesn’t?”

Frodo laughed, and then asked Merry, “How old did you say he was?” Merry smiled at his little cousin’s quick wit.

For his part, Pippin was now growing quite annoyed that everyone was enjoying a smoke of the pipe except him. “Frodo, may I try? I believe I can do just as well!”

Frodo looked at Merry. Merry looked back and just shrugged. Frodo grinned, then offered the pipe to the youngster, “Are you sure you can handle it, laddie?”

Laddie indeed! Pippin walked over to Frodo with his indignant eyes locked on his and nearly snatched the pipe out of Frodo’s hand. Pippin sat back down at his spot on the tree log--trying to act like his father. He cupped his hands around the bowl and drew in a long wisp of smoke.

Frodo muttered to Merry, “Is he always like this?” He wanted to laugh but knew it would infuriate the boy.

“‘Oh, yes! He is a handful at times,” answered Merry, “but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Pippin didn’t hear the last part Merry said. As soon as he inhaled the large amount of smoke, his lungs immediately went into coughing spasms and he swallowed most of the smoke. He thought for sure he would choke and suffocate right there in the woods! He dropped the pipe and bowled over coughing until he thought he had no air left in his lungs. Then he rested with his back against the log gasping for air. Fresh air never smelt so good!

Merry got up, picked up the pipe and handed it to Frodo. He then helped his younger cousin to his feet and onto the log. “I tried to tell you, but as usual, you’re as stubborn as a mule!”

Green with nausea, Pippin crawled on all fours to a nearby tree trunk a few yards away and heaved up everything in his stomach. When he was finished, he crawled back and leaned up against a broken tree stump. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and watched all the trees moving in the breeze. He closed his eyes.

“Looks like you’ll have to wait a bit before the two of you can head out again,” said Frodo to Merry, looking at Pippin. “For a bright chap, that wasn’t the cleverest thing to do.”

Pippin was angry that he had humiliated himself. “You don’t know anything about anything!” Though his speech was muttered, it was loud enough for Frodo to hear.

“You hear that, Merry?” Frodo chuckled, “I don’t know anything about anything!”