"The Cart"

Pippin was running after Merry again. “Merry, where are you going?” Pippin called as he pursued his older cousin. “Can I come? I’ll be good.”

“Go back to the smial and play with the little lads, Pippin,” Merry said. Merry sounded a bit funny because he was bent over and pushing some sort of cart. He had a fair head start on Pippin but the lad was still determined to catch up.

“Please, Merry?” Pippin begged, a bit breathless from his efforts.

Merry stopped then and turned to face his little cousin. “I said, go back to the smial, Pip Squeak. This is something for older lads and you’ll just be in the way.”

Pippin bit his lower lip and looked up at Merry trying to determine if Merry might still be won over. It did not look encouraging, but Pippin still had to try. “I won’t be in the way, Merry. I just want to watch. You won’t even know I’m there,” he assured his older cousin.

“I am not arguing this with you. You go back now,” Merry said, pointing toward the small area of grass where several little hobbits were playing. “You are not allowed to be this far away from the smail. If you don’t go back, I’ll take you back myself and give you to mum. She’ll keep you inside the rest of the afternoon.” Merry’s voice was firm and his eyes were narrowed in that way that meant that he was serious.

Pippin hung his head. “I wanted to see you ride the cart.” He dug a toe into the dirt and looked up at Merry through his bangs. “Please?’ he said, softly.

Merry reached for him and said, “Fine, I’m taking you to mum.”

Pippin backed up and sat down hard on his backside. “I’ll go my own self, Merry. Don’t tell.”

Merry looked down at him as if considering this and then said, “Fine, but you go back now and stay there.”

Pippin nodded and got to his feet. He started slowly for the smail with his head down. Merry watched to make sure that Pippin wouldn’t follow him and then turned and resumed pushing the cart toward the hill. Behind him, Pippin turned and watched Merry go out of sight, pushing the small, wooden cart.

Pippin had watched Merry build it for two whole weeks now. He had handed Merry stuff like nails and hammers and had held tight to boards while Merry hammered them together. It wasn’t fair that he didn’t get to watch. He had even helped paint it. True, he had spilt the paint and had gotten some of it on his shirt and trousers and a bit in his hair, but he had helped paint it. That should count for something, shouldn’t it?

Pippin didn’t want to play with the other children. He wanted to go with Merry. Merry and the older lads did such interesting things and had such fun. The children never left the front of the smail and they didn’t do much of anything. Right now they were playing at building a fort and it was a dumb old fort. They were doing it all wrong. It didn’t look like the forts that Merry had showed him how to build. Pippin frowned over his shoulder at the fort and at his cousins and then decided. He didn’t care if he had to spend the entire week in the smial with his aunt. He was going to see Merry ride the cart! He began to work his way up the hill quietly. He'd sneak up on the older lads and watch. Maybe he wouldn’t even get caught.

“You built this?” Fredegar Bolger asked, looking over Merry’s cart.

“I did,” Merry told his older cousin, proudly. “I used the horse cart to go by and I tried to make it look like that. Well, only smaller.” Merry was very pleased with his handiwork. The cart had turned out very well indeed in spite of Pippin’s help. That little lad had been into everything, but there’d been no getting rid of him. Pippin had dropped a hammer on Merry’s foot, spilled out the nails, gotten paint all over himself, and once Merry had smashed one of Pippin’s little thumbs with the hammer. Pippin had moved suddenly and his thumb had wound up in the way. Pippin was always in the way!

“I don’t know, Merry,” Fredegar frowned. “I don’t think it’s safe.”

“Of course it’s safe, “ Merry objected, insulted. “I built it myself.”

“Exactly my problem with it,” Falco grinned. “I don’t think I’ll be risking my life riding in that.”

Merry glared at him. “You’re just a coward is all. You’re afraid.”

“I don’t trust this cart of yours to stay in one piece, so yes, if that makes me a coward, then I am a coward with a capital C,” Falco said and the other lads laughed.

“How do you steer it anyway?” Theo asked, bending down and looking at the wheels on the cart. "I mean, what if it starts heading for a tree or something?”

Merry sighed, “I have that all planned out. It has a tongue like a wagon and you hold onto this and steer it.” Merry showed him the handle that came out of the bottom of the cart and was attached to the axle and the front wheels. “All you do is you hold this and you turn in the direction that you mean to go. Look how it moves the wheels.” Merry demonstrated.

“Well, that looks like it might work,” Theo admitted. “It does seem to be turning the wheels.”

“Of course it works!” Merry said, exasperated. He hated having his skills questioned. He was very good at this sort of thing. He’d watched his father build things and somehow, in a way that he couldn’t quite explain, he just knew how things should be built by thinking them out. This cart was no exception. He could see how it would work in his head and all he’d had to do was build it.

“I don’t think it will work,” Falco said. “I think this sort of thing needs to be built by someone much older than you, Merry.”

“I’m fourteen! I know what I’m doing!” Merry objected. “I’d be willing to bet that this cart will hold two hobbits and ride them all the way down this hill safely.

“I can assure you that it won’t hold me,” Falco laughed. “I will be safely up here watching you crash into a tree or flip upside down.”

Merry glared at the older lad. “Well, I’ll just have to give Theo a ride first, then.” He looked over at his cousin Theo and smiled as if offering the lad a great honor.

Theo was not in the least bit honored. “Not me! I’m not getting in that thing.”

Merry sighed, “Then how about you and me, Freddy?” Merry looked at his last hope. The cart was a bit small to be holding both himself and Freddy, but they could squeeze into it if need be.

“Merry, I think you might be better off to test it from a smaller hill first,” Fredegar suggested. “You know, see if it steers like you think it will?”

“I know it steers like I think it will!” Merry said, indignantly. “I built it!”

“Exactly,” Falco said.

“Are you trying to say something?” Merry demanded.

“I think I’ve said it,” Falco returned. “I don’t think you have any idea what you’re doing.”

“He does too have ideas!” Pippin shouted, coming out of his hiding place behind them. He’d been going to watch from over in the trees, but this was too much! Falco couldn’t insult Merry like that. “He has ideas all the time and this is one of the good ones!” Pippin stormed over and was looking up at Falco with furry in his green eyes.

Merry groaned. This would not help at all.

Falco laughed.

“So Merry has ideas all of the time, does he?” Theo grinned and snickered.

“Merry’s smarter than you,” Pippin said.

“Well, that makes me feel ever so much better, Merry,’ Theo said. "Now, I have the word of this little squirt to reassure me.”

“Pippin, what are you doing here?” Merry demanded.

“I just wanted to watch the cart go down the hill,” Pippin said, realizing that Merry was less than pleased with his defense.

“I’ve an idea,” Theo said. “If it’s so safe then why don’t you let the squirt ride it down the hill?”

“I’m not a squirt!” Pippin chirped. “I’m six now.”

The older lads laughed and Fredegar bent down and looked at Pippin. “Aren’t you supposed to be down where Merry’s mum can watch you?”

“If I’m with Merry sometimes she lets me go places,” Pippin said.

“I’ll bet she doesn’t know where you are,” Theo said. “You little pest, you.”

“Leave him alone, Theo,” Merry warned. “Go on back down the hill, Pip.” He took Pippin by the braces and pulled him back from the older lads. “Go on.”

“I’m not a pest,” Pippin said. “Can’t I watch since I’m already here, Merry?”

“I think you should let him ride,” Theo said, repeating his earlier suggestion.

“That’s not a very good idea, Theo,” Fredegar warned. “Pippin’s too small to ride down this hill.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Theo said. “The little pest would probably be scared anyway. Besides that wagon will never make it down the hill in one piece.” He looked over at Merry challengingly.

“I’m not afeart!” Pippin said and started toward Theo, but Merry hauled him back.

“Leave Pippin out of this, Theo,” Merry said, sternly.

“Well, the cart is finished, is it?” another voice declared. Merry looked over to see his cousin Garret come into view now. “Bet that holds together for all of ten seconds after it leaves this spot.”

Pippin tried to pull free of Merry’s grip. “It’s the bestest cart you’ve ever seen!”

“Bring your shadow along for support?” Garret asked Merry and he reached over and mussed Pippin’s hair roughly. Pippin swung his tiny foot at him and missed.

“Leave Pip alone, Garret. He’s just here to watch,” Merry said.

“So far, there’s been nothing to watch,” Theo said. “I don’t think you’ve got the nerve to ride it.”

Garret looked at the cart and then at Merry. “Well, is he right? Built this and then lost your nerve?”

"No, I’ll show all of you,” Merry said. “I’ll ride it down the hill myself.”

“Can I go?” Pippin asked, hopefully.

Fredegar looked down the long expanse of the hillside and then at the small, red, cart. “Merry, I don’t think this is a very safe idea. Why don’t we all go back down the hill now?”

“No,” Merry said and then proceeded to shove Pippin over to Fredegar. “You watch Pip for me. I’m taking this cart down the hill.”

“Now, this will be interesting,” Garrett smiled. “I just love a good crash.” Theo grinned in agreement while Pippin tried to get away from Fredegar.

“I’m going with Merry,” Pippin said, struggling.

“Not this time, Pippin,” Fredegar said. “You can watch with me.”

“Lad’s crazy to want to ride all the way down this hill in that thing,” Theo said, wonderingly.

Pippin stopped struggling and then said, “Can we stand over by the edge so we can see the bottom?” He looked up at Fredegar. “I want to see Merry and the cart go down the hill all the way to the bottom.”

“I suppose so,” Fredegar said, loosening his grip on the child and turning his attention to Merry. “Are you sure about this?” Freddy was worried. Merry saw this as a matter of pride, but Fredegar was afraid that his younger cousin might be injured badly by this.

Falco saw the seriousness of it also. “Freddy’s right , Merry. Let’s just forget this whole thing, all right?”

“Yes, Merry, chicken out now while there’s still time,” Garrett laughed.

“Stand back or I’ll run you down as I go," Merry said, and he started pushing the cart toward the edge of the hill. Near the path that led down the hillside, Pippin waited for his chance. As Fredegar and Falco watched and worried, Merry began to pick up speed. Garrett and Theo were watching also, both hoping to see Merry’s cart fly apart. As the cart neared the edge of the hill, Merry jumped into it and felt someone land behind him. He grabbed the stick that steered the cart as it started over the edge and felt two small arms go around his neck.

“Pippin!” Fredegar and Falco yelled, behind the cart.

“I’ll kill you if we live through this,” Merry said, knowing that Pippin was behind him in the cart. “Hang on tight and don’t do anything else stupid!”

Pippin tightened his grip and watched in fascination as the trees appeared to zip past them while the cart picked up speed. “It works good, Merry!”

Merry struggled to breath as he steered the cart between the trees and tried to keep it on the path. Pippin was holding on far too tight but Merry didn’t have time to tell him this. He had to keep his mind on the business of steering. Besides he could feel Pippin’s light little body nearly bouncing out of the cart with each bump that they hit. It was best that Pippin hang on as the little hobbit would likely be jarred from the cart if he didn’t. “Hang on, Pip!”

“I am!” Pippin yelled back as they came nearer to the bottom of the hill. The wind was blowing all about his face and he was being bounced about in the cart. The only thing keeping him from flying out, was his hold on Merry’s neck. This was wonderful! “We’re flying!”

In spite of his little’s cousin’s reckless behavior, Merry laughed. “I know!” He steered them dangerously close to a tree and they narrowly missed several logs. The cart reached the bottom of the hill and continued to fly down the path toward the smial with amazing speed.

“Merry, how do we stop?” Pippin asked. He was sure Merry had planned this.

Merry’s eyes widened. He had not planned this at all. It had only occurred to him that he needed to be able to steer this thing, not stop it. He and Pippin were now hurtling toward the smial and he had no idea how they would stop. In front of him several of the little hobbits that he’d suggested that Pippin should play with ran for safety as the cart neared them. “Duck, Pip, we’re going to hit the fort!” The fort would slow them down. He’d run the cart into the collection of chairs and blankets that the little ones were using as a fort and it would slow the cart.

“This is great!” Pippin crowed and peered over Merry’s shoulder rather than ducking. Merry had a split second to wonder how he’d ever thought that this fearless imp could play with the little ones and then they crashed into the fort at full force.

“It’s dark!” Pippin yelled.

The cart had run under a blanket before striking several of the chairs and turning on its side, dumping them onto the grass, hard. Merry rolled into another chair and felt the skin being scraped from both of his elbows as he came to a stop. Dizzy, but alive, Merry looked around the ruins of the fort for Pippin and caught sight of his little cousin climbing out from underneath one of the blankets, giggling. “That was great! Can we do it again, Merry?”

“I don’t know, Pip,” Merry said, admiring the lad’s nerve. “Maybe after I work on it a bit and give it a way to stop properly.”

Pippin scratched his head and frowned. “Won’t running into the fort again work?”

The End