It's Nothing Really... by Dreamflower
Imrahoil · 21 November 2005 · Chapter 5: Part 5
7 times, 3x ch.1, 0x ch.2, 1x ch.3, 1x ch.4, 2x ch.5. Tadaa?
Author's reply
Congratulations! You and Kitty tied--both posting your reviews at 9:42, according to my emails. Just let me know the subject you want, as long as it's hobbits...
Andrea · 20 November 2005 · Chapter 4: Part 4
For his age, little Pippin is a very brave hobbit! He would have walked over to the farmer, even if it had nearly broken his heart to leave his Merry alone. It's a good thing that Frodo turned up and took over the responsibility from Pippin. Last but not least, I just love it when Frodo calls Merry "sprout", even if the tweenager doesn't like it any longer. Apparently, Frodo is trying hard to keep that in mind ;-)
Author's reply
Pippin is showing an early facet of the bravery he shows later on the Quest. He's normally quite happy to let Merry be in charge and run things, and to follow, but if Merry is hurt and can't do it, then he will do what he has to. But he's still very young, and having Frodo show up had to make him feel much better. Yes, Frodo knows that Merry doesn't want him to call him "sprout" any more, but in his heart, Merry will always be his little "sprout".
Baggins Babe · 20 November 2005 · Chapter 4: Part 4
I've been meaning to review this story but RL keeps intruding! I love responsible Pippin, and it is so sweet the way he looks after Merry. I was relieved to see Frodo arrive and I can just imagine the names he is probably thinking up for old Noakes. :-)) Keep up the good work - I love your stories.
Author's reply
Glad to see you here now! Pippin's a sweet lad, and he truly would do anything he could to look after his Merry. But I think he was just as relieved as we are to see Frodo show up. Thank you very much. The feeling is mutual. I'm eagerly awaiting another chappie of your Birthdya story.
GamgeeFest · 20 November 2005 · Chapter 4: Part 4
Aw, what a sweet little story. Pippin is so good at taking care of his Merry, though it is a good thing that Frodo showed up when he did. Noakes idea of moving to Bree seems to be a good one at this point. He'll get lectured not only from Frodo, but Paladin and Saradoc as well. :)
Author's reply
Pippin's tried hard, but he was ever so glad to see Frodo show up. Oh well, I think Noakes should either relocate to Bree, or at least the farthest reaches of the Northfarthing. He made a major boo-boo!
Bodkin · 20 November 2005 · Chapter 4: Part 4
Do we get to hear the choice names? Or perhaps they're better left to the imagination. Pippin is doing a really good job of caring - especially now the stress of responsibility has been removed. That's a very amiable farmer - a useful acquaintance at this point. A cart to transport the injured and plenty of breakfast. Just what is needed for the inner hobbit. Merry needs to get back to a comfortable bed and a healer though - even if he has choked down a bit of willow bark.
Author's reply
Well, I don't think they are on my list, LOL! So it's probably best if Frodo just *thinks* them. He's done his best, and will continue to do so, but it eases his mind immensely to know that now Frodo is responsible. Farmer Longhole is amiable indeed, rather like Farmer Maggot. But yes, Merry needs to get put and see a healer soon.
harrowcat · 20 November 2005 · Chapter 4: Part 4
Well...maybe they will get back safely as they are in someone else's cart but I wouldn't put much past you Dreamflower. However, Merry is in dire need of some comfort!
Kitty · 20 November 2005 · Chapter 4: Part 4
Pippin is truly a sweet lad - to be so anxious to have to leave Merry and seek help! It is good Frodo found them and could spare him this dilemma. The Longhole's are a nice couple and so helpful! Not everyone woul not take money for the food and set the own work aside to drive the three home. Noakes could learn something from them! And Frodo rode along thinking of some very choice names to call the carter, Noakes. Oh yes. I could give him some German names, too, to enlarge the list!! Anyway, I'm glad they are on the way home and Merry hasn't to walk any more on his injured ankle!
Lindelea · 20 November 2005 · Chapter 4: Part 4
What a contrast between carter and farmer! ...choice names, that he probably wouldn't say before his younger cousins, perhaps? Merry sounds a bit worrisome here, as if he's displaying classic signs of shock (if I remember my First Aid training correctly, that is) But it sounds as if things might be looking up? (Poor Merry, will they have to pull on his foot to set the bone? Ai!)
Author's reply
I had not deliberately set out to make a contrast between them, but somehow it came out that way--one being thoughtless and inconsiderate, and the other quite the opposite. I think that they are names which are not on my list...;-) He's probably a bit in shock. Normally, the ankle would have been seen to at once, and he would have had something to relieve the pain. Also the period of hunger did not help. And yes--they are looking up indeed!
Periantari · 19 November 2005 · Chapter 4: Part 4
ooo Merry h/c--precioussss indeed~ :) I can't wait for more especially since it is feared that Merry not only sprained his ankle but broke it as well~ i love Frodo and Pippin in their care for Merry~ :) I can't wait for more--it seems like Merry is suffering from the broken/sprained ankle.... =) poor Merry~
Author's reply
Yes, it's possible that his ankle is more than sprained--we'll find out when he sees the healer!
pipinheart · 19 November 2005 · Chapter 4: Part 4
Lovely story..Poor Merry, he sounds like he has a broken foot, instead of a sprain... Please continue...
Author's reply
We'll find out about his foot when he finally gets to a healer! I will continue indeed!
Pearl Took · 19 November 2005 · Chapter 4: Part 4
I beg a thousand pardons. I read the first two chapters of this and somehow didn't leave a response, I am very sorry. This is a wonderful story!! I love responsible Pippin stories :) Well written and charming as always! Very Well Done :) :)
Author's reply
Thank you for commenting! And no need to apologize! Not everyone can comment on every chapter they read all the time! I love a responsible Pippin as well. Thank you very much!!!
harrowcat · 19 November 2005 · Chapter 3: Part 3
'It seemed like a good idea at the time!' Famous last words for teen/tween-agers of all ages and especially for our two famous characters called Merry and Pippin! But we love then all the more for it! But we will all sleep just a little more soundly knowing they now have Frodo with them against the world!
Author's reply
'It seemed like a good idea at the time!' Famous last words... LOL! Kind of like "It couldn't possibly get any worse" and "Wait for me, I'll only be a minute..." These three against the world--what a picture!
Kitty · 19 November 2005 · Chapter 3: Part 3
Oh, I am so glad Frodo has found them! It will be so much easier for Merry and Pippin to be not alone during the night, they would probably sleep very little but lying awake and worrying what to do! And he has the much needed food with him - he knows them too well!
Author's reply
Ah, they will all be the happier for a night spent together. And the food is no small matter!!
Kitty · 19 November 2005 · Chapter 2: Part 2
Pippin did a good job as a nurse, more so because he was obviously never truly taught how to treat injuries like Merry’s, but only watched it once, long ago. And it is sweet how he cares for his beloved cousin. I am so very glad poor Merry is not alone – that would’ve been so much worser.
Author's reply
Pippin, I think, is a child with a mind like a sponge. He just soaks up observations. Then he retains them until he needs them once more. It would be horrid for Merry to be alone! He's much better off with Pippin to watch over him, even though I'm sure he worries about Pip.
Lindelea · 19 November 2005 · Chapter 3: Part 3
“Good night, sprout,” he whispered, using the special baby-name for his cousin that he never dared say aloud any longer to this nearly grown tween. (Awww. Touched the heart, that did.) So glad to see Frodo arrive! And glad to see the TBC at the bottom of the chapter as well, for you might very well have wrapped up the story with Frodo finding them... but of course it would leave the reader asking all sorts of questions.
Author's reply
Yes, Merry will always be Frodo's little sprout, even when he ends up overtopping him by a head after the Ent-draught. No, I would not have just left off with Frodo's arrival. He has to get his cousins safely home to Bag End now.
Lindelea · 19 November 2005 · Chapter 2: Part 2
I've always liked to think of Pippin as "full of potential"--but Pippin as healer is quite an intruiging picture! (Ah, yes, the reference to sunburn, a nice reminder of the story being posted to the yahoogroup) Poor Merry! (And poor hungry tweens, both of them...) Good thing, starting a fire before going for water. Even if it starts getting dark, Pippin ought to be able to find his way back with the fire as a guide.
Author's reply
I don't know about a healer, but I have a feeling that when it comes to retaining useful information in his head he is indeed full of potential. *grin* Thought some people would get that. It just shows that they still *are* tweens, in that they didn't plan well enough on the food, and then ate all they had at lunch. Well, it would have been hard to carry their waterskins and firewood both. And a fire will not only give light and warmth but reassurance as well.
Bodkin · 19 November 2005 · Chapter 3: Part 3
Protected adventure - in the care of One Who Knows - is one thing, but Pippin and Merry are on their own. I suppose it could be looked on as good training, but I suspect the arrival of Frodo was a huge relief to both. Merry, because he was in no position to protect Pippin - and Pippin, because he is too young and inexperienced to feel able to look after Merry properly. I suppose Mr Noakes can be forgiven - because he did at least go and tell Frodo that he had lost the two cousins. If he had just decided to continue on his hung-over way, Frodo wouldn't have known to go and look for them - and they would have been without food until Pippin managed to find help on his own. And there's no doubt that they will sleep more soundly for having Frodo in charge.
Author's reply
Yes, this is not a ramble to Buckland or walking trip with Frodo along. Although if there had been no mishap, the trek from Frogmorton to Hobbiton should not have taken them terribly long. Perhaps a night in the open, as Pippin can't travel as quickly as Merry might on his own, but nothing too dreadful. They should, perhaps, not have eaten up all their food at lunch, but what the hey, they're tweens. However, Merry's accident changed everything, and you are 100% correct about their reactions. Frodo's arrival is a huge relief to Frodo, as well, since I am sure he had begun to imagine all sorts of dire things. I am quite sure Noakes knew what would happen if he *didn't* report that he'd lost Merry and Pippin. His name is mud already, as far as Frodo, Saradoc and Paladin go. But if he'd just ignored the issue--well, I am quite sure the Shire at large would have held him to blame. They will definitely sleep more soundly with Frodo there; so will Frodo.
Bodkin · 19 November 2005 · Chapter 2: Part 2
Good for Pippin. An observant hobbit, who is a sharp as a barrel-load of monkeys. He's doing a good job of caring for his cousin - and his references to Mistress Poppy show that there's nothing wrong with his memory! His fire-making skills, too. Anyone would think he was preparing for some adventure or other. However, his belly might suffer if they're not found soon. Nothing but a couple of apples! They won't last long. I hope the Frodo rescue party arrives, complete with emergency rations.
Author's reply
Yes, Pippin's sharp and observant, and even though he tends to be on the receiving end of the care the majority of the time, he knows how to dish it out as well. Frodo and Merry take care of him a good deal, but for him that only means that he is motivated to return the favor when the tables are turned. And I woulld think this young Took absorbs information rather like a sponge. Being hungry, however, is something altogether different, though. Nothing a growing hobbit lad should ever be used to. Frodo will be there soon...
Andrea · 18 November 2005 · Chapter 2: Part 2
Great story so far, Dreamflower! I love stories where little Pippin is taking care of Merry. I think Merry is as fascinated as I am about all the things his younger cousin knows. And it was typical of Merry to suppress his pain until Pippin was gone. He's a brave hobbit! But Frodo is on his way and, of course, he's sick with worry. Fortunately he knows the way and with a little bit of luck he will find his cousins. He should watch his steps though, and avoid dangerous rabbit holes ;-)
Author's reply
Merry does indeed find Pippin fascinating--no one knows better than he that his cousin is very bright, but flighty, so it always amazes him when he realizes Pippin's paid close attention to something enough to take it in. And yes, Merry would not want Pip to be frightened by his pain. Frodo's worried--he knows *something* is wrong!
harrowcat · 18 November 2005 · Chapter 2: Part 2
Now look what you have done Dreamflower, gone and got your reviewers all worried for all three of them! Love your caring Pippin. Bother Mr Noakes anyway.
Author's reply
Yes. Bother Noakes. He should have realized what a privilege he had in taking Merry and Pippin to Bag End.
Larner · 17 November 2005 · Chapter 2: Part 2
How well he knows his cousins! Am glad they stayed to a known route and that Frodo is on his way, AND that Pippin has been observant. Lovely images.
Author's reply
He does indeed know them very well. Of course, Merry would have followed the same route that Frodo had taken him over before. Pippin's a lot more observant than most give him credit for. But Merry *knows* how observant Pippin is, and still marvels at it.
Larner · 17 November 2005 · Chapter 1: Part 1
Poor Merry--brings to mind the old saying "The hurrieder you go the behinder you get." Now a sprained or broken ankle? Poor love.
Author's reply
Yes, Merry's crossness at the carter made him less careful than usual--and the results were just as you said.
Kitty · 17 November 2005 · Chapter 1: Part 1
Uh oh. This Noakes proved quite unresponsible, and he is right - maybe he should move to Bree. Paladin and Saradoc will *not* be pleased, not at all! He probably should stay far away from Brandy Hall and Great Smials for a long time. And Hobbiton, too. Even if Merry and Pippin could've waited a bit longer, I suppose they didn't want to travel with an carter who was probably not very sober. That doesn't sound good. Poor Merry, hopefully his ankle isn't too bad!
Author's reply
No, Noakes is not exactly your ideal worker. He was irresponsible, and really derelict in his duty--which was to look after the two tweens he was escorting. I think he may need to go into another line of work. Poor Merry. Of course, that *was* a pre-requisite for what Anso requested, so he pretty much had to get injured. We'll see how bad it is...
Bodkin · 17 November 2005 · Chapter 1: Part 1
Naughty Mr. Noakes. I'm not surprised Frodo is cross. Although Merry and Pippin's reaction could have been a bit foolhardy - since they now seem to have tumbled headlong into disaster. I hope Pippin can cope - until rescue can reach them.
Author's reply
For some reason, I just love it when Frodo reams some adult or other for not treating his cousins properly. There's just something about how he gets all implacable and protective that appeals to me. We shall see how well Pippin copes.
Lindelea · 17 November 2005 · Chapter 1: Part 1
Ah, yes. Am so glad Anso requested this story. I too enjoy a spot of Merry h/c with my morning tea. Or afternoon tea. Or whatever. "It's nothing, really." Are you going to have a bit of fun with the reader and see how many times you can work the phrase into the story? When we all *know* it is *not* nothing... really!
Author's reply
*grin* Glad you are enjoying it! *snicker* Ahem...*clears throat and prepares to insert foot in mouth* Perhaps, when this story is all posted, I'll offer the prize of a small ficlet to the first person who tells me *exactly* how many times I used it. *rolls into a ball, and hides*