25th Rethe (March) 1430

Elanor Gamgee danced into the kitchen, too excited to be still. It was the morning of her ninth birthday, and later there would be a party for her family and friends. Uncles Merry and Pippin had been staying at Bag End to help celebrate Merry-lad's third birthday and her own special day. She knew that it was also the day when that dreadful Ring went into the fires of Mount Doom and Uncle Fro and Sam-dad saved the whole world, but in the Shire this was rarely mentioned, least of all by the two Ring-bearers.

       "Lelelelelel!!!" Baby Pip banged on his high chair with his spoon, demanding his sister's attention.

       "Hello, Pipkin!" She kissed the baby on his sticky fat cheek and he chuckled.

       "Happy Bifday, Ellie!" Merry-lad ran into the kitchen and hugged her round the legs.

       "Thank you, Mer." She crouched and cuddled the little faunt, who wrapped his arms round her neck.

       Rose smiled fondly and held out her arms to her daughter. "Don't I get a birthday kiss too?"

       Elanor ran to her mother for a kiss and cuddle. "I don't know what to do first! Can I go and see Vi?"

       "She'll be coming to the party, lovie. Wait and see what presents might arrive before you go running off. Besides, there's breakfast to eat."

       "Did someone mention breakfast?" Pippin strode in, hair still tumbled from sleep. Merry followed, rubbing his hands in anticipation.

       "Where's Fro and Sam?"

       "Up at the stables. Nibs just called with the milk, breakfast is ready and the guests will be here later."

       "And how is the byrding today?" Merry whisked Ellie up above his head and swung her around.

       "Happy birthday, Ellie-girl." Pip rescued her from his cousin and danced round the kitchen with her.

       The child giggled. "Silly Uncle Pip." She glanced out of the window. "Here's Da and Uncle Fro."

       The two hobbits strolled in, calling out greetings in recognition and embracing Ellie. Frodo-lad and Rosie-lass had been out with them, and they joined in the congratulations.

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       Pip handed over the parcel with a bow. "From the King and Queen," he said.

       "How does the King know about my birthday?"

       "He knows everything - and he'd remember your birthday, Ellie, for you were born on the first day of the New Year as it is celebrated in Gondor."

       The box was tied with pale green ribbon. Slowly, lingering over it to draw out the moment, Ellie opened the box. Peeling back layers of tissue paper, she saw a dress of the finest watered silk. It was a pale primrose yellow with a creamy white bodice and centre panel, upon which were the most delicate embroidered gold flowers. They seemed to almost float above the silk to wave in a faint breeze.

       "It's my nameflower! Did Queen Arwen do that? Did she, Uncle Fro?" She hopped from foot to foot, her eyes shining. Everyone leaned closer to admire the exquisite work.

       "Oh yes, that is her work. The finest embroiderer in Middle-earth."

       "Can I wear it for the party? Can I, Mum?"

       Rose smiled. "Yes, so long as you're careful not to spill anything on it."

       "Is this my little tomboy who wears Cousin Hobson's trousers and climbs trees?" asked Sam with a laugh.

       "Trousers are best for every day but a dress like this is for a special day."

       "Your birthday." Frodo twinkled.

       "Not just my birthday. It's the day you and Sam-dad saved the world. If you hadn't done that I wouldn't have been born."

       Frodo buried his face in her curls. "Oh my treasured Elanorelle!"

       Sam fetched a lot of other parcels from the chest in the bedroom. "Here's some more gifts for you, lass."

       A tiny package revealed some pretty yellow ribbon from Violet and her family. Elanor was very touched; she had not known them for very long and she knew they had little money.

       "They shouldn't have spent money on me. They're poor."

       "You were kind to little Vi and gave her some of your dolls. I don't think they'll ever forget that."

       "The ribbon will match your new dress perfectly." Frodo held it against her shining curls.

       "Open that one next!" said Frodo-lad imaptiently, pointing to an interesting looking box, from Rose-mum and Sam-dad.

       The box revealed a set of hobbit-child sized hair and foot brushes, which Sam had commissioned in Gondor from a craftsman in the Fifth Circle. They were made of dark polished wood and inlaid with pictures in a creamy white materiel Elanor had never seen before. Her initials were inlaid on the handles in silver.

       "What's this?" she asked, touching the white inlay.

       "Ivory - from one of the mumakil killed on the Pelennor Fields. Aragorn will not allow any new ivory to be imported because it would mean the animals had been killed. Anyone caught smuggling it is put in prison. Certain craftsmen have a licence to use some of the tusks from the dead oliphaunts and when that runs out there will be no more."

       "This is a grown-up present," Ellie whispered. She hugged and kissed her parents.

       Uncle Frodo's gift was a beautiful book from Gondor, showing many rare and unusual animals from far-off lands. There was a picture of an oliphaunt, tigers from the jungles of Rhun, lions from Harad, wolves, bears, giraffes and any number of weird and wonderful creatures. The children shrieked and whooped at every picture as Ellie turned the pages.

       Merry and Pip handed over their gifts - two nightgowns and some very stiff petticoats to go with the new dress. The other children had also been rummaging in their cupboards for pennies and visiting the market, and there were several different kinds of sweetmeats and some pretty hand-carved toys.

       A noise caused them all to look down. Rufus placed a frog on the floor at Ellie's feet and gazed up with an enquiring expression on his face. The frog croaked and tried to leap away, but the cat rested a paw on its back and it began emitting a strange bird-like scream.

       "See? Even Rufus wants to give you a present!" said Sam.

       "Leave the poor thing alone, you silly cat," young Fro admonished, rescuing the indignant frog and taking it into the garden.

       "This is going to be the best birthday ever!" Ellie declared. "Although I don't think the poor frog thinks so!"

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       After an early lunch Ellie went to wash and change. Sam, Frodo, Merry and Pip waited eagerly to see her in the new dress and they were not disappointed. She looked lovelier than ever, her hair gleaming where Rose had brushed it, her foot fur almost sparkling as she skipped into the room. The dress was a perfect fit and looked sublime, rustling softly and standing out over the froth of petticoats.

       "You really look like a princess now," said Pip.

       "Ellie's a princess!" shouted the children.

       Soon the guests began arriving. It was a soft Spring day and the doors stood open. Daffodils and crocuses danced in the wind and the blackthorn trees in the garden were already in bloom. May hurried up the Hill with her youngest two, and with her came a nervous Ivy Sandyman, accompanied by Lily, Will and Violet. Ivy did not think it proper that she should be inside Bag End but Rose pooh-poohed such notions and hustled her into the parlour.

       Violet's eyes opened to their fullest at the sight of Elanor's dress. She did not dare to even stroke it, although she wanted to. Ivy examined it in awe and with professional interest.

       "I've never seen such work. Those flowers look alive!"

       "Queen Arwen did this especially for Ellie. The elanor grows in Lothlorien, where her grandparents lived. She spent much time there, so she knows exactly what the flowers look like," Rose explained, pouring tea and offering round some biscuits and little cakes.

       "Your Ellie is a beautiful little lass, Mistress Rose."

       "Thank you - your Vi is so sweet, and that dress of Ellie's suits her." Rose had sorted out some things for the Sandyman lass, who was smaller than Ellie.

       "She's like a dog with two tails with that dress - and she's brought her dolls too. She's been so much happier since we came here."

       "I'm glad to hear it. Ellie! Are you going to give out your gifts, lass?"

       Everyone clustered into the parlour and the birthday girl nervously presented her choices, which she had been considering for weeks. Her mother and sister were delighted with the handkerchiefs, embroidered with roses, from Widow Goodweaver's stall in Hobbiton market. Elanor had stitched an initial R one each, in deep pink for her mother and pale pink for her sister. Frodo-lad exclaimed over a wooden sword, a replacement for the one broken at Yule. Merry-lad squealed with glee at the hobby-horse and Pip-lad was overjoyed with a set of wooden ducks which rattled.

       For Aunt May there was a handkerchief with an M and for Teasel a length of blue ribbon. Hobson received a sword similar to Fro's with a shout. He hoped the Captains would show him how to use it properly. Little Violet could not believe her eyes when she was given a package - she had had few parcels to unwrap in her short life. Inside was another handkerchief, with her nameflower in one corner and a slightly wobbly letter V in purple silk in the opposite one, which Ellie had insisted on stitching herself.

       "You're the best friend I ever had!" she exclaimed, kissing Ellie and crying happy tears.

       "Don't cry. You'll make your new hankie all wet."

       Lily and Will also received something - a small carved horse for Will and a piece of pretty lace for Lily, which would look very grand on the bodice of a dress. They both hugged the byrding, bringing more laughter to the joyful gathering. Then they watched Ivy as Ellie handed her a parcel. Incredulously, Ivy unwrapped it, to find a thimble and a set of sewing needles.

       "Oh but........for me? Oh how lovely! Thank you so much!" Ivy held out her arms and Ellie gave her a huge hug.

       For Sam there was a small canvas square, with strings like an apron. He held it up and noticed that it had pockets all the way round.

       "It's for when you're working in the garden. There's pockets for twine, scissors, trimmers and all sorts of useful things, and you know Mum says you shouldn't carry scissors in your trouser pockets because it's dangerous, so I thought this would be better and............" She ran out of breath and fixed him with hopeful sea-green eyes, her cheeks pink and her toes curling with excitement.

       "I think it's wonderful! Now I can keep all my things in one place when I'm working. Thank you, my lovely!"

       Merry and Pip were very pleased with their handkerchiefs -Merry's was green and had a horse's head embroidered in the corner, while Pip's was black with a white tree. Widow Goodweaver was highly skilled and had done the work from drawings in one of Frodo's books.

       The last gift to be handed out was for Frodo. Ellie had been on her way to the bookseller's in Bywater with Sam when she spotted the jewellery and metalwork stall in Hobbiton, and there was the perfect present for her uncle - a silver stick pin of a leaping cat. Sam had just found a particularly fine rich blue silk cravat to give Frodo for his own birthday gift, and Ellie thought the pin would be ideal to go with it.

       "That is the nicest pin I've seen, Ellie-lass. I shall treasure this." He hugged her and kissed her brow.

       "I have one more present - for Rufus!" She unwrapped a paper bag and took out a knitted mouse with a long piece of wool for the tail. Rufus darted up and began to tap his new toy, then carried it into the kitchen and placed it on his cushion, where he sat guarding it, lest others decide to play with it.

       With all the gifts dispersed, everyone went to the dining-room and sat down, and Frodo and Sam served roast chicken with lots of vegetables and fried mushrooms, followed by a jam roly-poly and cream. Then they sat around filling up the corners while Frodo pointed out the portraits to Ivy Sandyman, who thought the King very handsome and the Queen the most beautiful creature in Middle-earth.

       Later Rose, Ivy and May sat in the kitchen while the children played in the garden in the fading light, and the men smoked their pipes.

       "Fro?" said Pip as they watched the children (Ellie having changed into an old dress) run and tumble in the garden. "Do you realise, you've not mentioned the other reason to celebrate today."

       Frodo shrugged. "Ellie's birthday is the most important."

       Merry turned to look at his cousin. "You heard her - if you and Sam hadn't got rid of that blasted Ring, she would never have been born."

       "In Gondor they have huge celebrations to mark this day, and we hobbits don't even mention it. I know that is a very hobbity thing to do, but really!" Pip muttered.

       "I know - I'm glad it went into the fire, of course I am. But this is why we did it - so that children could play and grow, free of the Shadow. A New Age, a new order, a new generation, free from fear and dominance."

       Merry pretended to swat his cousin round the head. "Stubborn Baggins! None of this would be possible if it were not for you and Sam. And don't shrug in that irritating way. It's true."

       "Merry?"

       "Yes, my dear Frodo."

       "Shut up and eat your birthday cake."