Bodkin
· 12 March 2006
· Chapter 98: Five Years Old
What a sweet little excitable Pippin. Even without sugar. I love his sisters entertaining him with cartwheel training. And his excitement over giving presents - especially his not knowing what he was giving to his mother. So typical of children - modestly accepting compliments over something of which they know nothing.
I'm not surprised he wore himself out.
Author's reply
Well, on birthdays and Yule, sugar isn't really required to get a little on all ramped up, LOL!
In "All You Have to Do is Ask" Merry mentions that Pippin's sisters taught him to tumble, so I decided to show how that came about.
Even though Pippin's only five, he's observed his parents' and sisters' birthdays, and undoubtedly recieved his share of gifts from other byrdings, so he rather knows the procedure. But of course, at this young age, he's not picked out the gifts himself--it will be another year or so before he begins to do that.
And no, I'm not either. Like a puppy or kitten, he goes full tilt until he's exhausted, and then he falls asleep wherever he may be.
Baggins Babe
· 10 March 2006
· Chapter 98: Five Years Old
I just want to scoop Pippin up and squidge him! I loved everything about this story - Pip's squirming impatience, the girl turning cartwheeels and showing their drawers in the process! Eglantine is such a caring Mum, preparing all those presents, and I thought it was sweet that Pip was worried no-one would like them. Awwwww! I'm all warm and fuzzy now!
Author's reply
Warm and fuzzy is good! Squidging little Pippin is good, too, as long as you don't squidge *too* hard--else you'll have Merry to deal with! LOL!
I just started with his morning, and his mother getting him ready for the day, and went where it took me. The bunny kind of meandered around, and so we got to see the presents, and the food, and watch his sisters teach him cartwheels.
The very first story I ever wrote, I had this strong image of almost-grown post-Quest Pip, embarrassed and worrying about whether folks would like his presents, and I decided this was something he'd done ever since he was little...
Marigold
· 10 March 2006
· Chapter 98: Five Years Old
This was lovely! I liked every bit of it, but I think that my favourite parts were Pippin knowing that the coach was coming before the lasses had a clue, and of course the way he greeted his Merry, and I also really liked Eglantine watching Merry and Frodo try to spruce Pippin up!
I love your stories! More please!
Author's reply
Yes, I think you are the only one who caught that! My cousins always know where one another are! And he was pretty enthusiastic to see them, wasn't he?
That was kind of a little tribute to Baylor. I figure if those two are still doing that to Pippin when on the Quest, it must have been a habit of very long standing indeed. And it just seems very hobbity to me, the older two taking care of the younger one...
You *know* there are more! As long as they keep coming, I will write them as quickly as I have time!
PIppinfan1988
· 10 March 2006
· Chapter 98: Five Years Old
This was absolutely *perfect*! Something marvelous and sweet to start off my day! :-)
From Eglantine brushing her laddie's foot and head hair...to him and the lasses tumbling in the lane (hilarious!)...to greeting his favourite cousins...everything was perfect. I liked the puzzle gift!
As usual, your tale is peppered with traditions of old that I think most folks today forget ever existed. I so enjoyed this!
Pippinfan
Author's reply
Well, since I have often started my day with one of your fics, I am glad to return the favor.
Hairbrushing is just one of those traumatic childhood experiences almost everyone shares, *grin*--especially for curly hair! And I had mentioned in a previous fic that Pippin's sisters had taught him to tumble...I'm very glad you liked it! Thanks for the kind words!
Larner
· 10 March 2006
· Chapter 98: Five Years Old
Ahhhhhh--such a sweet birthday for our favorite little Took. A very sweet birthday indeed.
Author's reply
Well, he's such a sweet little lad, he needs to have such a treat.
Oh how funny that both were keeping the same secret. This was a truly sweet story that was very sad. It gave a look into Frodo's life and that of Merry and Pippin. I love the way you write, so please continue to do so! Namarie, mellon nin!
God Bless,
Frodo Baggins
Author's reply
Yes, in my story "A Conspiracy of Hobbits", Pippin discovers the truth, and that Merry is planning to keep it from him in order to keep him safe. He waits until just a day or two before they leave Bag End to let Merry know he's already in on the secret. (In other words, he does the same thing to Merry that Merry and he do to Frodo.)
Bodkin
· 9 March 2006
· Chapter 97: "Dear Frodo..."
Lovely letters. I hope Frodo broke and took them with him. Such love shines through them. And he can reassure himself, perhaps, that Merry grew to understand why he left the first time and is even better equipped to understand why he is leaving this time. Poor Frodo. And, come to that, poor SamMerryPippin.
Author's reply
Well, we shall see about the letters. These came about because of a new WIP. But I was only supposed to do one or two of the letters, and I kept going and going and going...
I think post-Quest Merry will be more understanding than seven-year-old Merry. But it's not going to hurt any less, for him or for any of the others...
Inkling
· 8 March 2006
· Chapter 97: "Dear Frodo..."
A lovely, sensitive portrayal of the special bond between the two cousins. I especially liked the vignette at the end, when they are reunited. And the last line is heartbreaking. Life really is a series of partings...
Author's reply
Thank you very much!
The little vignette of their reunion for the summer holiday was necessary, believe me. Frodo had saved all Merry's letters, and I could have kept going indefinitely. It was the only way I could think of to end the story.
"Life really is a series of partings..." such an apt observation, very true for all our beloved characters, not to mention RL.
PIppinfan1988
· 7 March 2006
· Chapter 97: "Dear Frodo..."
On the comical side...Little Merry's spelling was hilarious...especially "beautiful". His initial feelings for Bilbo...poor Merry was understandably miserable.
On the more serious side...
I actually got teary-eyed at the end. Doesn't happen often, trust me. I really do love the relationship between Merry and Frodo. Thank you for a tender story.
Pippinfan
Author's reply
Yes, I thought that Merry might have a bit of trouble with his spelling--he wouldn't want his Mum to be helping him with something as special as a letter to Frodo, he'd want to do it all himself. And my Merry learned to read and write younger than usual, because of Frodo.
He didn't *really* hate Bilbo, as he was quick to realize, but he was very angry at having someone come along and take "his" Frodo away.
The relationship between those two is very special to me. Of course that goes for all their relationships--but that with Merry just has so much *depth* to it, given their history as being basically foster-brothers for the first seven years of Merry's life.
I loved Merry's letters. So sweet and so sad. Lovely story.
Author's reply
Thank you, GW.
Larner
· 7 March 2006
· Chapter 97: "Dear Frodo..."
Yes, it does seem that Frodo is ever leaving his Merry behind him.
Author's reply
It does keep happening. Poor Merry, who couldn't possibly have loved Frodo any more, any harder, if he tried.
Illyria
· 7 March 2006
· Chapter 97: "Dear Frodo..."
Awww... I love Merry's letter, every one of them, but the first one most especially. I love Merry counting the days to meet Frodo, I love him saying hello to Sam. I love his misspellings! :) And I love the meeting, the nickname, and while the bittersweet ending hurts, it's lovely. Thanks for this.
Author's reply
I'm so glad! The strongbox and the letters feature as a small part of a longer new WIP, but when I got to thinking about it, the bunny just kept growing and growing, until the little snippet turned into its own story.
Counting the days seemed to me the kind of thing a child like Merry would do; and he met and played with Sam in the spring, when he spent his first visit at Bag End. As to the misspellings, well, he's only little after all!
Every time I think of Frodo's cousins (and Sam) being left behind, it hurts.
You are most welcome! Thank you for stopping by to read and review!
Mum's the Word
· 6 March 2006
· Chapter 97: "Dear Frodo..."
Lovely, lovely, lovely!
Sweet and sad and very loving!
Thank you for this mathom, dear Dreamflower!
Blessings,
Mum
Author's reply
*blushes*
*Thank you* for the kind words, and for reading and reviewing.
Aw, that is so sad, Dreamflower! But sweet, too. Poor Frodo, having to leave his dear cousin. I know how that feels! Especially a second time when everyone thought you would be back for good. I digress, I apologize. Keep writing. Namarie, mellon nin!
God Bless,
Frodo Baggins
Author's reply
I am glad you thought it sad and sweet, as that is just the mood I was hoping for.
Especially a second time when everyone thought you would be back for good.
Not really a digression. I think when Frodo returned to the Shire, he honestly thought he was finished with leaving his loved ones--how hard it must have been to realize he was not.
This was a funny, tender and bittersweet look at Frodo's departure - what are you and Larner trying to do to me?
Like many of your reviewers, this line made me chuckle. "He is butifal bueteful beuatifl very nice looking." How typical of a child struggling with spellings. I love Merry's disarming honesty, precocity, sweetness and sheer cheek! No wonder Frodo loved him so much. Poor Merry is going to be heart-broken all over again.
Author's reply
Oh dear! Are we overwhelming you with angst? I'm sorry. Maybe it's time for some more "Reunion-verse" *wink*wink*hint*hint*
Merry's a bit young to be writing letters, even, but Frodo was teaching him to read and write almost as soon as he was out of his faunthood, so it's no wonder spelling is hard for him. Honest, precocious, sweet and cheeky--a perfect description of our young Brandybuck.
Yes, another heart-break in store for him, the last one as far as Frodo is concerned. I was listening the other day to one of my favorite songs, an old Celtic folk-song "The Water is Wide" ("O Waly, Waly") that has always made me think of the Grey Havens. And it occurred to me that Merry was separated by water from Frodo *three* times, not two: by the Brandywine,as a child; by the Anduin, when Frodo went to Mordor, and then by the Sundering Sea.
It's really something that I'd not thought of before.
harrowcat
· 6 March 2006
· Chapter 97: "Dear Frodo..."
Oh that is much better Dreamflower. It made some sense when I first read it but not much. This is great and what a poignant ending.
Author's reply
You must have tried to read it when the formatting was messed up! I'm glad that I figured it out--I don't usually check the story after I've posted it, but I did this time, thank goodness!
Pearl Took
· 6 March 2006
· Chapter 97: "Dear Frodo..."
That's so sad :(
It hurts to leave the ones we love. Hurts them and us both.
Well done :) :)
Aw, that was adorable! I loved all the misspelled words in Merry's letters. This one was my favorite: "He is butifal bueteful beuatifl very nice looking." And the last few sentences were so heart-wrenching.:( Nicely done! :)
Author's reply
I'm glad you liked the misspellings. The formatting of them gave me fits, so I am very happy they were worth all the effort! LOL!
Frodo's parting from his younger cousin, who was really his foster brother, had to have been extremely heart wrenching.
Thank you so much for stopping by to review!
Lily
· 6 March 2006
· Chapter 97: "Dear Frodo..."
Did I recently told you how much I adore your Frodo/Merry stories? They are lovely. Merry's letters are just too adoreable!
He is butifal bueteful beuatifl very nice looking.
Aww... dear Merry! I know his pains :)
“Forgive me, Merry, but I cannot stay,”
Those are exactly the words Frodo uses in my German story when leaving Buckland. Oh, it must have been so terrible for both of them to be parted... again...
Author's reply
Yes, you've mentioned it. I really do love writing about them when Merry was little.
Ah, the misspellings! I hesitated, for I knew that technically speaking, he'd have been writing in Westron, not English, but I thought that it would give the idea, anyway.
I think their parting must have been a wrench. The other day, I was listening to one of my favorite old folk songs, "The Water is Wide (I Cannot Cross O'er)" and thinking of how much it applied to Frodo and the Grey Havens, and I got to thinking about Merry: water separated him from Frodo not *twice* but *three* times in his life--when Frodo moved across the Brandywine to Bag End; when Frodo went across the Anduin to Mordor; and finally when he went over the Sundering Sea to the Blessed Realm.
shirebound
· 6 March 2006
· Chapter 97: "Dear Frodo..."
Ohhhh, this is so bittersweet and loving and gentle and *sigh* These are just perfectly written from a little lad's POV.
Author's reply
Thank you so much--that is just the mood I was looking for.
I really wanted them to sound like Merry would have at that age. He's a bit precocious--Frodo taught him his letters rather early, but he's still only little after all.
Kitty
· 6 March 2006
· Chapter 97: "Dear Frodo..."
Oh Dreamflower, these old letters are so cute! Little Merry has missed 'his' Frodo terribly, that is obvious, and it's so sweet he wrote so many letters. Merry was quite small back then, after all! And every one expressed his love for Frodo and that he can't wait to see him again.
Um ... to be honest, concerning packing too early I'm not much better. When I got my dream holiday in Iceland some years ago, I had to hold myself back or I'd packed two weeks before the departure. In the end most of my belongings were packed some days before *blushes*
Author's reply
I am glad that you liked them. I was trying to convey Merry's loneliness for Frodo.
*grin* Well, it just shows how much you have in common with Merry, who is notorious for planning ahead.
Andrea
· 4 March 2006
· Chapter 96: Comfort Between Friends
As Legolas sang, he could feel his own tears running down his cheeks--it was the longing for the Sea, yet this time, it felt sorrowful, but not distressing, giving him instead a melancholy solace. It was painful, but yet, one day he would be able to assuage his longing. And right now, he had his mortal friends who yet needed him…
Beautiful! I've just recognized, that there is still a book by Tolkien, which I have not read so far. I'm going to change that as soon as possible.
The song reminded me of a beautiful performance of the song of Earendil I heard yesterday.
There was such piercing joy and such beautiful pain in the song
This is true for both songs, I think.
PIppinfan1988
· 3 March 2006
· Chapter 40: The Pact
That last bit was a sobering thought... Even without the Pact I don't see Merry ever enjoying the taste of beer again, bless his heart.
I really enjoyed Pippin's birthday--thanks for inviting the reader to watch! I do hope the Gaffer's remedy came in handy. :-) I laughed at the part of Merry forgetting the puchline of his joke...too cute.
I do love your library; browsing for whatever suits my fancy at the moment, be it drama, comedy, or h/c. Thanks for yet another wonderful "storybook".
Pippinfan
Author's reply
I'm sure if he lost Pippin, he would have lost his taste for it as well. Both of them have rather somber thought on this subject--there is another story from Pippin's POV somewhere in the anthology.
I had fun with Pippin's birthday--Merry, I think tends to ramble on and on when he gets tipsy, and forgets where he is going with his stories.
I like you calling it a library. Do you realize that this month will be my two-year anniversary of posting fic? I noticed that the other day, and could scarcely believe it.
PIppinfan1988
· 3 March 2006
· Chapter 36: A Thorny Problem
This was cute! Yet another way for the Shirefolk to prove their worthiness (thought we already knew their "worthiness"!) Loved the many ways the young hobbits used bramble bushes to shield themselves from thier own mischief. :-) LOL, and Frodo wielding his attempts at the Maggots' mushrooms like a trophy was just comical. Loved it!
Pippinfan
Author's reply
*grin* This is another of those stories that started with a throwaway line from another story. I had barely mentioned Pippin getting Boromir out of the bramble bush in "A New Reckoning", and it just cried out for a story of it own.
My idea is that in a world full of peril for small hobbits--hawks, foxes, dogs, and unpleasant relations, they would instinctively learn to hide in the safest of places, rather like Br'er Rabbit. They would know that they could put up with a few prickles at the cost of saving themselves.
Yes, that rather tickled me, his boasting of his mushroom raids...You will notice, however, that his younger cousins kindly did not burst his bubble, nor rub it in that they had never been caught.
Bodkin
· 3 March 2006
· Chapter 96: Comfort Between Friends
Ahh.
I like to think of Legolas getting on so well with Sam - and recognising his extra wisdom with the kind of plants that are closer to hobbits than elves. And I can just see Sam avidly absorbing Legolas's wisdom about trees - and employing it later in replanting the Shire.
Author's reply
I think that fond as he was of all the hobbits together, Legolas also managed to form a special bond of friendship with each of them individually. Frodo, of course, was *already* and Elf-friend, and his knowledge of the language, and his sensiblities, not to mention the courage he showed in taking up the ring once more. In Merry, he would respect his determined loyalty and his clear intelligence. Pippin was a kindred spirit, with his love for music and for mischief. And--as you have noted--with Sam, there was that very special bond caused by a mutual love for all that grew. I've always imagined that as they journeyed, Sam would turn to Legolas for information about unfamiliar plants, and that the two of them would have many a discussion on the subject.