“The hobbit-devouring bog,” Pippin whispered, entranced.
Otherwise known as quicksand! Eek! Scary thought.
The hobbits are going to need to grow another hedge to keep everyone out of that bog!
Author's reply
Considering most hobbits would never even consider going into Bindbole Wood, it's probably not a huge issue. Still, you can count on Frodo to alert the proper folk as to its exact location. The way news spreads in the Shire, it won't be long before everyone knows. :)
EstellaB
· 10 April 2006
· Chapter 7: Chapter 7
But Sam and Merry *do* have something in common! Sam doesn't have Rose and Merry doesn't have Estella!
Sorry.
Just had to point that out.
I'll go now.
Author's reply
So for not responding to this sooner! *blushes*
It's true that neither lad is courting (yet) the lass of their choice, but as they aren't exactly on speaking terms this isn't something that will bridge the gap between them as they wouldn't be talking about it to each other in the first place. They will eventually find something that *will* give them the perfect reason to reforge their friendship.
Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy the rest!
EstellaB
· 10 April 2006
· Chapter 5: Chapter 5
I love this chapter. And it is so reminscent of spending time with my own family friends, most of whom are between eight and ten years older than I am and so have *copious* embarrasing stories of me and my little brother.
You are very talented at making scenes from Middle-earth seem real and feasible. I always notice this when I am reading your stories-all the little subplots and such that you have in you stories make them seem very possible :)
Author's reply
It's the older siblings/cousins duty to embarrass their younger family members. I think it's a law, lol. Around a campfire with nothing to remind you of home, these stories can be a comfort, even if they do make you want to hide your face!
I'm so glad that my Middle Earth feels real to you. I try to forget that these are hobbits in an imaginary land (or so some would have us believe its imaginary) and simply try to tell the story as though it really happened. A big part of that is remembering how random life can be sometimes, even despite the best of our intentions. John Lennon said it best: life is what happens while you're busy making other plans.
Thanks for reading!
Periantari
· 28 December 2005
· Chapter 11: Chapter 11
They did have something in common, and that was their love for Frodo, and their desire to see that he was always safe and content.
oh i just so loved this line.
And this chapter was awesome~ It sounds so plausible and real that Merry would be jealous of Sam... and reading the prank with the fire would make me dislike Merry too if i were Sam--but Sam is understanding and doesn't hold grudges if he doesn't have to.
I love your Frodo and Pippin moment in the beginning--your Pippin is loveable as well. :)
::catching up on this fic:: ;)
Author's reply
It's hard to think that Merry *wouldn't* be jealous of Sam, getting to spend all that time with *his* Frodo. Add to that his competitiveness and you get one reckless Merry. That one hasty choice cost Merry years of friendship with Sam, but he'll be making that up now. Sam would have forgiven Merry much sooner, but Merry needed to swallow his pride first. Thanks to Frodo, he was able to do just that. Pippin is just... Pippin, lol. Even when he's fighting with Merry or being haunted by ghosts, he's still Pippin, and therefore adorable and loveable.
You're catching up fast! *hugs*
Hai Took
· 2 March 2005
· Chapter 9999: Epilogue
Well Sam certainly had a way with Pippin didn't he? That made me laugh and it makes since that Sam would do, in a way, as Sam seems to be able to find anyone's weakness or what naught. Well done! I am sorry it is over however. thank you for the fun!
I have started a Tale That Grew in the Telling but I'm going to have to limit myself to weekend readings as I can barely keep up with new stuff during the wekk! I am having a lot of fun with it though!
Author's reply
Sam does seem to have that Took figured out. He has an uncanny ability to control Pippin when even Frodo and Merry can't. We've seen it before, and I'm sure we'll see it again. Sam's incredibly attentive and detail-oriented. That would help him find what everyone's weak spots and strengths are.
Thanks for the reviews and I hope you continue to enjoy "A Tale..." :)
Bodkin
· 2 March 2005
· Chapter 9999: Epilogue
Cunning plan, Sam. What better way to control a food obsessive than through the controlled application of forbidden food! (And even more cunning plan - do it with parental approval!)
'He thinks he’s getting away with something, see, and you know how Mr. Pippin loves that.' Simply brilliant hobbit-management skills, there.
(I hope that Diamond picks up on this in the future. Pippin is a hobbit that benefits from tactful managing.)
Good story.
Author's reply
Sam is a clever hobbit, isn't he? Of course, he would have to get parental approval. He's not quite so improper as to do something like this behind their backs, but he is improper enough to let Pippin thinks he's getting away with something. :)
LOL, maybe Sam can give Diamond the crash-course in Pippin Management Skills.
Thanks so much for reading and for your many wonderful reviews!
Elf Friend
· 1 March 2005
· Chapter 9999: Epilogue
Yay! The food story has finally been explained! And you were right, it is quite obvious now that I know what it is. :) This was one of my favorite stories! I'm looking forward to reading more of your writings. ^^
Author's reply
Yes, the Great Food Mystery is solved! Pippin is forever trying to get his hands around sweets, and forever being denied. Sam put two and two together and came up with a practicle solution that benefited everyone.
Thanks for reading!
That ending was so cute. I love the hobbits. *squeaks* And what is Sam doing, I wonder?
Author's reply
Thank you! I don't think I could go a day without my hobbits.
Dreamflower
· 1 March 2005
· Chapter 9999: Epilogue
Plain old bribery! ROTFL! I had a hunch at one point, and then dismissed it thinking it was too simple--and like Merry, thought Sam would be too proper. I should have known!
This was a lovely and satisfactory story from start to finish! Thanks for sharing it with us!
Author's reply
My Sam is just a little bit devious sometimes. And of course, the simplest solution is often the best one. Sam learned a thing or two from watching Gaffer try to control Halfred's appetite and lent his expertise with Pippin. :)
Thanks so much for reading! Glad you enjoyed it!
Elenar
· 1 March 2005
· Chapter 9999: Epilogue
Lovely story!
I loved Sam bribing Pippin with sweets and Pippin randomly naming the stars!
Thanks for sharing!
Author's reply
Pippin isn't the systematic type, especially when it comes to something as vast and numerous as stars in the night sky. Sam knows the way to that Took's heart. ;)
Thanks for reading!
Grey Wonderer
· 28 February 2005
· Chapter 9999: Epilogue
I loved this! That Sam is just far too clever for the rest of them. I love the deal he struck with Pippin and the fact that Pip's parents know even though Pippin doesn't think that they do. Too funny! This was a great story and I am sorry to see it end. Now, what am I going to read? Hope you have a new one soon. I would love to read more about Merry and Sam's newly repaired friendship.
Author's reply
Well, of course Pippin's parents would have to know. Can you see Sam doing something like that behind their backs? Never! But Pippin doesn't need to know that, lol. ;) I have a few one- to two-chapter fics under way, but I won't be starting anything big for quite awhile, not with classes starting in a month. I won't even have time to sleep, much less write, lol.
Thanks for reading!
Dreamflower
· 26 February 2005
· Chapter 13: Chapter 13
"The sun was beginning to wan when they reached Overhill and the hour was approaching dinnertime by the rumblings of their stomachs. The temperature dropped suddenly when they reached the foot of the hills and a sudden gust of wind swept through the valley, cooling the weary travelers and bringing refreshment with its welcoming chill."
I loved that bit of detailed description, it's the kind of lovely detail you would sometimes find from JRRT himself. So vivid, you can see and feel the place.
I like the way you showed how Sam was kept at the barn, and the rest of the party sent to the house. It goes to show just how hard it is going to be for Merry to pursue the friendship in the face of all expectations. Sam, of course, probably expected nothing else. He knew how it would go.
I love the account of the trouble Merry and Pippin got into the last time they were there, though it was not their fault. Taking the blame to keep Ivy out of trouble is just the kind of thing they would have done, and with their reputations as trouble-makers, Folco's parents never thought to look elsewhere.
The ride home was lovely. The part with Pippin naming the stars, seemingly at random, was so very "Pippish". I loved it.
I liked Merry's semi-superstitious fear that had him tap on the door to check on Frodo. I loved the difficulty in waking Pippin to get him into the bath, and the automatic assumption that Pippin+bath=need for a mop, LOL!
And Sam, making his to-do list, very nice.
But this was my favorite part:
"Merry was the next to succumb to sleep, and Frodo watched them both as they dozed, until his head started to droop as well. He, however, was not going to sleep on a chair when his bed was just across the hall. He found blankets and covered his cousins tightly, then kissed them on the tops of their curly heads. He blew out all but one of the candles and soundlessly made his way to his room. He climbed into his pleasantly soft bed and had just enough energy to snuff out the last candle before falling into deep slumber."
That picture of Frodo, sitting in the darkened smial, watching over his cousins till they slept, and then tucking them in so sweetly with a kiss before he went to his own bed...just...awww...*sigh* so lovely! You really know how to get to me!
Author's reply
That's precisely why I put those little paragraphs in, to try to get it as close to Tolkien as I can. Glad you liked it.
Merry does have a better understanding now of just how careful he's going to have to be with Sam. It's one thing to be out in the woods with no one around and say that propriety doesn't matter. It's another to say it when you're inside eating on find plates and Sam's out in the barn. Merry got the message loud and clear. It just lends more weight to what Sam had said earlier, about things just being the way they are.
And Sam learned a little something about Merry from that story of Hal's, and it's that Merry looks out for more than just Frodo and Pippin. That will go a long way to helping Sam relax a little more around Merry.
I just couldn't end this story without Pippin saying something about the stars. He still doesn't know if there are different types of stars, but he decided to name them anyway. Merry's been checking on Frodo for years, and that certainly hasn't changed as they've gotten older, even so far apart from each other. He's also seen the results of Pippin's bath more times than he can count, lol. If Frodo had more than one mop about the smial, Merry would have hunted those down as well!
Ah yes, Sam's to-do list. He has a lot to do in just half a day. ;)
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed Frodo tucking in his cousins. Frodo can't help but feel parental towards them every now and then.
Thanks for reading!
Larner
· 26 February 2005
· Chapter 13: Chapter 13
Glad my information was appreciated. Excellently written, as always. Love the teasing.
Author's reply
Thanks again for the information. It was inspirational. It's always fun to have Sam teasing with the gentry, even if they don't happen to know it at the time. :)
Thanks for reading!
EllyBaggins
· 26 February 2005
· Chapter 13: Chapter 13
i've really enjoyed this story, can't believe it's almost finished! will pippin ever tell the others about the whistling he heard? and i love the way this story explores the difference between sam and the cousins.
Author's reply
Hello EllyBaggins! How wonderful to hear from you. :)
Pippin's going to keep the whistling to himself. He knows if he tells, he'll just be teased, by Merry at least, for believing in ghosts and for letting his imagination get the better of him and being afraid of the outdoors.
Bindbale Wood turned out to be a fitting metaphor for the relationship strains between Merry and Sam, and the amount of work it will take to reforge that friendship.
Thanks so much for reading, and I'm glad you've enjoyed the story. :)
Poor Sam with all of that work to do after their long trip while the others are resting up. I loved that Merry was taken by surprise by Sam's joke about the wasp stings and Pippin's names for the stars were just great. I love cookie dough. That must be a lovely star. LOL
Author's reply
Sam never gets to rest, especially since his father and sister were also gone. He's going to have a lot to do in the morning. ;)
Sam has a rather dry sense of humor and that can easily be confused for seriousness by those not familiar with it. Merry has a *lot* to learn about Sam and this won't be the last time the gardener will be surprising him. :D
Elvish names for stars are a bit too grand for Pippin. He prefers more earthy, familiar names. Cookie Dough is indeed a wonderful constellation. It's actually the remnants of a super nova, lol.
Thanks for reading. Glad you've enjoyed the story.
Hai Took
· 26 February 2005
· Chapter 13: Chapter 13
Well too bad that Hal thought Frodo, Merry and Pippin should be sent back up to the big smial. I hope Sam doesn't get into trouble or feel confused as to what is "proper" where the others are concerned.
I loved Pippin naming the stars as they rode back up the hill. And this line tickled me "Pippin continued with his list undaunted, naming the stars so randomly that Frodo was certain he named a few of them two or three times over." So very hobbity.
The little bit about Merry have that habit about tapping on the door when he passed. It fit well, especially considering the way Frodo's parents died and all.
What kind of list is Sam making? I hope he doesn't end up in trouble or doesn't feel too many things have been neglected since he left.
Looking forward to more, though I didn' notice you said "to be concluded" does that mean there is only one chapter left?
Author's reply
No worries about Sam getting into trouble. Remember, they were never there. ;) And Sam would never be confused about what's proper. He knew the others wouldn't mind eating in the barn, but he had temporarily forgotten that Hal might take offense to it. He won't be making that mistake again.
So very hobbity and so very Pippin-y. Pippin would never stop to keep track of what stars already had names and which ones didn't. It didn't much matter to him, it was just a fun way to pass the time and entertain his friends.
Merry spent much of his youth worrying about Frodo, or being around grown up who were worrying about Frodo. He was often sent to check on Frodo when his parents knew it would annoy him to have anyone else check on him. Merry's had a lot of practice taking care of his Frodo. It was another reason that it hurt so much for Frodo to leave and be taken care of by someone else.
You'll find out next chapter what Sam is up to. ;) And yes, that is going to be the last chapter. The walking trip has ended, and so too must this fic.
Thanks for reading!
Bodkin
· 26 February 2005
· Chapter 13: Chapter 13
The old 'Sam eats in the barn with the workers; the cousins eat in the house of the best plates' business should really reinforce to Merry how careful he has to be in his friendship with Sam. He has to give Sam the space and time to make some of the moves - or else it's just another kind of employment.
I wonder how Sam's brothers coped when little Sammy suddenly became the Master of Bag End and the heir to the Baggins millions. Did he become gentry to them - or was he still their little brother? I disregard foreign titles and honours and the love of kings and princes. Sam would never have told them about that.
He's got some cunning plan in mind, though. I can't wait to find out what he is up to.
Author's reply
Merry got the message. He did keep Pippin from running out to the barn after all. He's ready for the long haul and knows he's going to have to take it slow and give Sam the time he needs.
That's an interesting thought. I never stopped to wonder how Sam's family took that news. I've thought about what his Gaffer might say about it, but I think Gaffer would have seen it coming as soon as Sam moved into Bag End. It would be interesting to see how his brothers and sisters would react to the news.
You'll find out soon enough what Sam has up his sleeves. ;)
Thanks so much for reading!
Hmm...I wonder what the hedge is for? And Pippin's mysterious food story? ^^ I giggled at the hobbit-devouring bog part. This was a great chapter, I can't wait to read more! :)
Author's reply
The hedge is a mystery. Our hobbits will never find out why it was there, but they'll have fun guessing I'm sure. Ah, Merry's got Pippin right where he wants him in regards to the food story. It's only a matter of time now. ;)
Thanks for reading!
trishette
· 23 February 2005
· Chapter 12: Chapter 12
I am definitely looking forward to updates. This story is wonderfully written, and I am quite glad Sam and Merry are finally getting reconciled. Merry, jealous of Sam... why didnt I see that possibility before, considering that Frodo /did/ leave Merry?
Author's reply
My Merry is quite the competitor, and it's only natural for that to turn into jealousy in regards to Sam, especially as they're so close in age. I'm sure there are other stories out there dealing with this topic, but I've never seen any of them and so wanted to address it here.
Thanks for reading! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story. :)
trishette
· 23 February 2005
· Chapter 6: Chapter 6
Oh... I do pity Sam so... I know exactly how he's feeling about the social class thing, considering that I'm not exactly a rich girl myself. Darn the Gaffer for making Sam so self-conscious around the gentlehobbits...
Author's reply
I was always the kid with no money growing up, or with the least amount of toys or Christmas presents. My friends always had to get things for me whenever we went anywhere. So I know how Sam feels, being among gentlehobbits who never have to worry about money. It's not just the Gaffer, but the strict hobbit social class, that Frodo and them just can't fully understand from Sam's position. But Sam will obviously learn to loosen up in time. How else would he agree to spy on Frodo for the Conspiracy? ;)
Thanks for the review!
Hai Took
· 23 February 2005
· Chapter 12: Chapter 12
Wonderful! It was certainly a good thing that they didn't start out again that night! And for Pippin to notice, very nice. I liked Frodo trying to make plans for another hiking trip and all of them making some kind of excuse! I hope they can all make it. Merry trying to trick Pippin into telling his secret, how very interesting, too bad it didn't work ;)
After reading this story I've decided I want to read your "Tale That Grew in the Telling" but don't have time! Hopefully this weekend or some such. Thank you for the fun, looking forward to more!
Author's reply
Pippin's more observant than people give him credit for. Mostly because he often doesn't show it, but every once in awhile, he lets his intelligence shine through. :)
A strange twist of events that Frodo would wind up enjoying himself and the others wound up having less fun than they expected. Camping is more work that Merry and Pippin bargained for, and Sam's going to need a good long strecth before he can be talked into going again. And don't be so sure Merry's plan didn't work. You know Pippin, curiosity is always his downfall. ;)
Thanks for the review and I truly hope you enjoy "A Tale."
Bodkin
· 23 February 2005
· Chapter 12: Chapter 12
Well, who would have thought that Merry would end up being grateful for being stung to bits. That bog sounds seriously unpleasant. And it's a good job that Sam has his wits about him or they might well have taken that short cut.
I hope we find out about the hedge.
And what has Eglantine Took got against cinnamon rolls? Pippin seems to have got his own way in many things - so why not cinnamon rolls?
Author's reply
Or that everyone would be grateful about being chased by wasps? We often forget or overlook how one event can affect another. Frodo wouldn't have taken the shortcut, his instincts are better than that, but Sam's observations kept the younger hobbits from doing something foolish.
Feel free to make up your own theory about the hedge. I posted another theory in my response to Dreamflower, but I really wasn't planning anything further with the hedge. It's just one of those mysteries.
I'm sure Eglantine doesn't have anything against cinnamon rolls. Just her son and cinnamon rolls. She's very strict about keeping her son away from sweets as much as possible. He's hyper enough as it is without loads of sugar in him. It's completely a fluke thing that he never had opportunity to sneak one.
Thanks for reading!
Dreamflower
· 23 February 2005
· Chapter 12: Chapter 12
This was such a nice little reflective chapter. I love the description of their walk through the woods, especially some of your details about the scenery, the birds, etc. Very much like JRRT would have done. I also loved this little bit:
"Pippin kicked absently at the many leaves and twigs that littered the ground, and every now and then he attempted to jump up and bat at a low-hanging branch." Such a typical, youthful, thing. I've often seen boys of various stages of growing up doing this--trying to catch a branch, or the top of a wall or something else that seems just barely out of reach.
The little interlude at luncheon was also cute. I like the fact that Pippin is on to what Merry is up to, but he is curious enough that he might fall for it anyway, sooner or later.
I enjoyed the speculation about the hedge as well. I'm wondering now if that may have something to do with the mysterious whistler.
The bit with the bog is downright chilling. That's the kind of feeling you get when you turn on the news and hear that there's been an accident on the road that you just barely avoided. Brrr...
And so they are nearly home.
And Frodo has learned that his cousins will make good travelling companions. Which was, I think the whole point of this exercise.
That, and not letting him out of their sight. Although I don't think he has quite yet tumbled to *that* part of it.
Author's reply
Youthful? I still try to do that sometimes! There's just something so appealing about something just barely out of your reach.
Curiosity killed the cat, or in this case, Took. Merry knows exactly what will get Pippin to talk, but he may be surprised at just how long Pippin holds out.
The hedge is a bit of mystery. I have no idea why it's there either. Pippin seems convinced the whistling is the ghost of Nodi Hatcher, and that seems the best theory there is so far. Hm, maybe folk saw his ghost wandering around that part of the woods and built the hedge to try to trap it in? Or maybe Sam's right, and they built it to block the wind. Or mayb it's there for a completely different reason. It's up to the reader. ;)
The rumors about the bog turned out to be true. And Pippin is absolutely correct. It's just far enough a distance from their previous camp that they would have decided to rest there if they had hiked that far.
More like Frodo has forgotten that his cousins were there to their eye on him. He did suspect that they were only coming along to look after him at the beginning of the fic - that was one of the reasons he didn't want them along. ;) He has realized that they make good traveling companions and that they can be quite resourceful at need.
Thanks for the review!
Elenar
· 23 February 2005
· Chapter 12: Chapter 12
Lovely chapter!
I'm looking forward to the next part!
Author's reply
Thank you! Glad you're enjoying the story!
Larner
· 23 February 2005
· Chapter 12: Chapter 12