Chapter Twenty Four

When Merry woke up, he was lying on his stomach. He lay for a while in that position until the fog lifted from his brain. The morning was sunny and fair--he could tell by the way the little specks of dust floated in the bright rays between the drapes. He watched the little specks float for a while then felt his stomach growl and decided see about breakfast. He heard a knock on his door and raised himself to his elbows. “Come in,” he said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

The door creaked open. A small figure with honey brown curls peeked around the edge, “Are you awake, Merry?”

“Yes,” Merry stretched his cramped muscles as he answered. “What time is it? And what’s for breakfast?”

“It’s almost ten o’clock,” said Pippin. “You missed breakfast and Dahlia’s just now preparing for elevenses.” He sat down on the edge of Merry’s bed. “I know she will give me something for you to eat. She’s looked in on you twice already.”

“That was nice of her,” Merry remarked. His stomach growled again--this time even Pippin heard it and they both laughed. “I’m hungry!”

Pippin smiled, “Surely that’s a good sign! Do you still have your headache?”

Merry nodded, “Only a little though. Much like it was before I left Bag End.”

Pippin nodded and stood up, “I’ll be back before long with a tray.”

After Pippin left the room, Merry got up and tiptoed over to the window and threw open the drapes. He immediately regretted it. The bright sunlight coming through the sheers instantly stabbed his eyes and he quickly covered them with his hands. Ow!, he thought, that was real clever!

He next went over to his wardrobe, pulled out a clean pair of trousers and pulled them on but stayed in his nightshirt. He decided to wash his face and brush his teeth before getting fully dressed.

Just as he was finishing up, Pippin came back in and looked about the room, “You’d better get back in bed before Mrs. Longbottom sees you.”

Merry spit out the rinse. “The healer? Why should I have to get back in bed? You’re the one with a broken wrist.”

“And you’re the one with a broken head,” Pippin answered.

Pervinca walked in behind her brother carrying the tray laden with food, “She’s here to look at the both of you. Papa just returned from getting her in Tuckborough.” She carefully set the tray on a small table then chewed on her fingernail as she surveyed only two chairs. “Pippin, go and get a chair from your room,” she instructed, then proceeded to set about adjusting the table in front of the window.

“What are you doing?” Merry curiously watched as his cousin pushed and pulled the table.

“We’re going to have a picnic indoors!”

“But I thought you and Pippin already had breakfast.”

“We did,” answered Pervinca.

Just then Pippin returned dragging his own chair, “but we didn’t want you to be lonely eating all by yourself, so we decided to join you.”

Merry laughed, “You mean you both thought this would be your chance to get in an extra breakfast!”

Pervinca and Pippin both looked at Merry in make believe shock. Pervinca turned to her brother, “Pippin, did you think of any such thing?”

“Why, no!” Pippin played along, “My sweet sister and I only thought to accompany our dear, beloved cousin in partaking of refreshment.”

It cheered Merry enormously to know that his two cousins cared enough to sit with him through breakfast--even if it was an extra breakfast for them. Remembering his manners he smiled as he bowed--looking quite comical still wearing his nightshirt and trousers. He then stepped up behind Pervinca like a young gentle-hobbit and held her chair.

In turn, Pervinca curtsied to her “suitor” wearing her green dress and apron, then sat down as Merry slid the chair underneath her.

Pippin watched the scene before him then acted surprised as Merry withdrew to his own seat. He jested, “What about me?”

“What about you?” Merry said as he grinned. He was already sitting in his seat and put his attention to eating his eggs.

“I see how you are, Merry!” Pippin laughed, “Next time maybe I’ll bat my eyes and wear a huge green bow in my hair--No, wait! Someone’s already done that to me!” Pippin gave a look to his sister who nearly choked as she swallowed her food.

“Pim made me do it! She said that if I didn’t, she’d do something horrible to me!”

Pippin grinned, “That’s all right; I already did something horrible to her!”

Merry burst out laughing when he remembered the mustache Pippin drew on Pim’s lip. “You should’ve seen her, Pip! She was furious at you!”

Pippin was pouring more water into his mug, “I know! That’s why I bolted!”

On and on the nonsensical chatter went. Three hobbit children, enjoying breakfast by the window in the autumn sunshine...and each other‘s company.