Chapter 3: TERROR

Smacking his froggy lips, Pippin opened his eyes and yawned. Flexing his long, prehensile toes, he wriggled his body around and out a few inches from his soft bed to take full advantage of the afternoon sun. He had the oddest feeling that he was being watched. Pippin glanced around. ‘There! Less than a foot away! A snake? Is that a snake?’ Just as Pip-frog opened his mouth to emit whatever scream he could, the snake coiled and struck!

* * *

"Gandalf, what is a ward?" cried four strident Hobbit voices in various tones of amazement.

Leaning on his staff and frowning fondly at them, Gandalf muttered into his beard, "Well, I never thought…" Aloud, he said, "A ward is a safety spell that was included with the frogdom spell. Do you actually think that I would intentionally place one of you in real danger? No, no matter how annoying any one of you becomes, I would never consider permitting real harm come near to you."

"Oh!" and "My stars!" and "Oi!" and a loud snuffle followed Gandalf’s incredible statement.

Silence reigned for a few moments. Puzzling over the announcement, Frodo inquired, "Um, Gandalf, you mean nothing or no one can actually injure our wayward cousin?"

Smiling into anxious blue eyes, Gandalf said, "It is an absolute certainty." Thoughtfully, Frodo nodded.

Sighing shakily, Merry rubbed his coat sleeve across his eyes, "I don’t suppose you could turn Pip back into a Hobbit sooner than tomorrow morning? Please, Gandalf?"

Raising an eyebrow, Gandalf looked at Merry down his long, pointed nose.

"I thought not."

* * *

Faint with terror, Pip-frog wildly pictured himself in the belly of the snake. He saw the snake coil and strike at him! Snapping his eyes shut, he awaited the end…and waited…and waited…and his skin crawled. In that indeterminable moment, he found himself very sorry for taunting Merry. And giving cheek to Sam. And making Frodo worry over him. And…oh, there were so many things he was sorry for!

The snake had fully intended to make the kill. However, the moment his swift-moving snout got almost within biting range…he found himself stunned, falling and landing in an embarrassing heap at the foot of the tree!

When no sharp, crushing fangs descended on him, Pip-frog wonderingly peeked through one eye. ‘Where is the snake?’ Both eyes popped open. No snake. No snake? ‘I couldn’t have been dreaming, could I?’ Mustering his courage, the little green-eyed froggy slowly advanced and peered over the edge of the branch. Far below him, at the base of the tree, something moved. ‘There he is! I wonder what happened?’ The snake hissed, causing Pippin to cower against the branch. As if spellbound, he watched it.

Dipping its head, the reptile rubbed its sore snout into the soft earth. Then it sniffed along its own length, seeming as puzzled as Pippin about how it came to be there. Balefully glaring up at the little frog he decided not to try for that tasty morsel again. He would look elsewhere to fill his hungry gullet. The snake gracefully slithered away as if nothing troublesome had occurred.

Watching the reptile disappear into the grass, Pip decided that he really didn’t care how the snake got down there, He dearly wished himself safely back in his Merry’s pocket. ‘I will apologize for frightening Merry, and will make it up to him…somehow. I’ll give Merry my afters for a week…maybe two weeks!’ Trembling, he backed into his mossy bed as far as the tree would allow. The sun was setting. He was determined to stay awake for the long, dark night…

Trying to settle comfortably, Pip-frog felt his stomach twist and then heard it emit a long, low grumble. ‘Oi! I’m getting hungry again!’

TBC