Am!

“Wot choo doin’, Fwodo?”

Frodo looked sideways down to wee Merry who sprawled on the rug next to the table where Frodo was learning to write. A smile broke in Frodo’s face, his eyes twinkling in amusement. Little Merry always wanted to know what his cousin was doing, but he certainly could not write. He was barely two summers old.

Frodo’s brow crinkled now thinking of something Merry could do. Aha. He stooped and swept the hobbitling and set him on his lap. Then Frodo stretched his arm.

“What is it, Merry?” He pointed at his arm.

The wee lad looked at it quizzically then he shouted merrily, “Am!”

And then he thumped the table over and over with his small arms. “Am, am, am!” Merry turned to Frodo and grasped the older hobbit’s arm, yelling, “Am!” And then Frodo’s other arm, shouting, “Am!”

“Ssh, ssh. How about this, Merry.” Frodo drew a cow and pointed at it. “What is this?”

Merry’s small mouth puckered. “Moo!” he shouted.

Frodo drew something else. “And this?”

“Oink, oink!” A shout immediately followed.

“And this?”

“Meow!”

“This?”

This time Merry was hushed. He frowned, thinking hard. He looked at the picture Frodo was showing him, up to his older cousin, and back to the picture. He felt sure he knew the animal but…

what would a rabbit say?

*

AN again: Forgive Merry. He still can't mention the animals' names yet. :D