Rosie’s Perfect Peach

By: Neilia

Rosie Cotton, being a wee lass, found that hot summer days were perfect for picking berries and dreaming dreams. The sun bore down on the little Hobbit as she picked the biggest, juiciest and plumpest berries she could find. Wearing her little straw hat over bright sun-kissed curls, she paid no heed to the sweltering rays. She was going to bring lots of berries to her Mum for lovely tarts. She busily picked, sampled and picked some more.

Humming a little tune, she inspected her basket and decided it was full enough. Turning back towards her family’s farmhouse, she kicked up little clouds of dust on the pathway

She noticed an especially lovely dragonfly glistening blue, then green, as it dashed hither and thither. Rosie watched the pretty thing for a while. A soft rumbling in her tummy reminded the wee lass that she was getting awfully hungry, so she had best get the berries home!

Taking a shortcut over a small grassy hill and through the peach orchard, Rosie discovered her Da up on a ladder picking the last of the harvest from the last tree. Looking up, she said, "Hullo, Da. Are you about done? It is time for luncheon. My tummy says so."

Chuckling at his wee lass’ statement, her father answered, "Just one more peach, my poppet. Do you see it high in the tree?"

Rosie raised her line of vision…and what did she see? Only the most beautiful peach in the whole of the Shire! "Oh, Oh, Da! May I please have that peach to eat? I am so very hungry!" Her mouth watered in anticipation.

Seeing the effect that peach was having on his little lass, and the absolutely endearing look in her eyes, Tolman Cotton stepped to the top rung of the ladder and picked that peach for his Rosie. Stepping down the ladder carefully, Rosie’s Da offered the fruit to her.

Remembering her manners, the lass said, "Really, Da? I may have this peach for my very own?"

"Yes, you may, my poppet."

Rosie could hardly believe that she was going to be allowed to eat the most beautiful peach she had ever seen. It was large and perfectly round. It had orange, yellow and red hues all over its lovely warm skin. Inhaling the wonderful scent, she could wait no longer. She carefully rubbed most of the fuzz off with her hanky. Then she bit into it…ooooo! It tasted as perfect as it looked!

Watching Rosie eat that peach with an ecstatic face and dreamy eyes was a treat for Tolman, to be sure. He chuckled, "When you are through eating that peach, do you want to plant the pit?"

Her eyes sparking, Rosie exclaimed, "Yes, Da! I would love to have a peach tree of my very own! The tree that grows from this pit will always grow wonderful peaches. I just know it!"

Smiling, her Da led the way to a special spot in the orchard. "This is the best place to plant a new peach tree. Do you agree, Rosie my lass?"

"Oh, yes, Da. Just perfect!"

Rosie held her pit carefully as her Da dug a hole at the proper depth for the pit to sprout and flourish. "Now, Rosie, do you want to put it in?"

"Yes, please!"

Tolman watched lovingly as Rosie gently tucked her peach pit into the ground and patted a little mound of earth over it. Tolman untied and tipped his water skin. Rosie watched him as he poured water around the new little dirt mound. Picking up her basket, she excitedly said, "Let’s go tell Mummy about my very own peach tree! She will be so surprised!"

His stomach growled loudly. "And we can have our dinner, too!"

Grabbing her Da‘s hand with her sticky little one and pulling him towards the farmhouse, she exclaimed "And blackberry tarts. Come on, Da, we must hurry or Mum won’t have time to fix the tarts!"

Laughing uproariously, Tom said, "We can’t have that happen, can we poppet?"

Rosie loved to hear her Da laugh. They hurried in for their dinner hand-in-hand, both thinking they would never forget this summer afternoon...one that was perfect for picking fruit and dreaming dreams.

Finis