I Give You a Rainbow
Beta by Pearl Took :)
The sun was standing high in the sky giving her warming laugher to the world.
Playful sheep-clouds kept her company in the wideness of the blue sky and amused her with small magical tricks. Sometimes they changed themselves into birds, then they would join together into a cow. Next they turned into a dragon or maybe it was a long bearded dwarf, only to drift apart and be sheep-clouds again.
The sun was not the only audience the clouds had this day. Down a far ways, between two sweet smelling meadows, under the shadow of a spreading tree, sat a young Hobbit lad staring dreamily up into the heights.
“I´d like to be a cloud,” The lad thought. “Far above everything I would fly, on the roof of the world, and I could see all that there is. The whole Shire, and the big ocean and many, far away countries. Maybe even dragons…and eagles….”
“Pippin!” a deep voice suddenly interrupted the youngster’s thoughts. “Here you are! I thought you wanted to accompany me to Tuckborough?”
Pippin jumped to his feet. “Oh, I have totally forgotten the time, Father! I will be ready in a moment! Wait for me!” Nimbly the child ran away and vanished into the near by farm house.
Pippin stormed through the corridors and into his room. There he looked around with searching eyes. The floor was scattered with toys and clothes. Pippin pushed away some objects with his foot, then he knelt down and looked under his bed.
“Where is it?” he murmured.
“Where is what?”
Pippin looked towards the door. His mother was standing there, looking at the chaos and shaking her head.
“Didn´t you say you wanted to tidy up?”
Pippin blushed. “I did . . . well a wee bit at least. But Mama, Father and I want to drive to Tuckborough now! Have you seen my piggy bank? I can’t find it!”
Eglantine pointed at a pink porcelain piggy nose that was visible under a shirt in the corner.
“Over there,” She said and Pippin´s face brightened. Quickly he ran over, picked it up, and shook it to hear the money rattle around inside. Then he took the wooden plug out of the hole in the piggy’s ceramic tummy.
“Do not spend all your money on sweets!” Eglantine warned him, for she knew her lad well.
Pippin gave her his most charming smile, while he slipped some silver pennies out of the piggy bank and into his pockets.
“I won´t Mama. I will see you later!” he called as he ran past her.
******************
The small grey pony pulled the wagon in which Paladin and Pippin were sitting at a leisurely pace over the dusty road towards Tuckborough.
Pippin hopped excitedly up and down on the seat. “. . . and then I will buy mint bonbons and apple-rings and sugar biscuits and . . .”
“Are you planning on buying everything in the sweets shop, Pippin?” Paladin chuckled as he interrupted his son. “Should we have brought the big wagon for this trip so we can fit it all inside?” he asked with a wink.
Pippin thought about this for a moment. “No, I think we can somehow manage it with the small one,” he answered in a serious tone.
Paladin laughed loudly. “I am very relieved!” he said. “Look over there Pippin,” He continued and pointed at a colourful bird that flew through the air before them. “That is a spotted woodpecker.”
Pippin looked at the animal with wide eyes. “It is beautiful Papa.”
Paladin started to hum a melody and then filled it in with the words of an old children’s song.
“Who is knocking all the day long
in the woods, tack, tack, tack?
That is the Master Hammerling
In his pretty tails!
Tack, tack, tack, tack!
That is the Master Hammerling
In his pretty tails!
Sometimes he picks for his luncheon
A worm out of the bark, bum bum!
Sometimes he looks for a home
At the beech tree trunk.
Bum, bum, bum, bum!
Sometimes he looks for a home
At the beech tree trunk.
Who is knocking all the day long
In the woods, tack, tack, tack?……” *
Enthusiastically Pippin joined in the song and his high child’s voice mixed with the deep baritone of his father and sounded through field and meadow.
********************
Paladin stopped the wagon near a water pump at the edge of the market place of Tuckborough. After a bucket was filled with water for Jumper the pony and the animal had extinguished his thirst, Paladin led the pony to a hitching rail, tied him securely, then the Hobbits went on their way to the shops.
First, they went to the sweets shop and Pippin was allowed to by himself some dainties. Content with a bonbon in his mouth and a bag full of more sweets, he finally trotted along behind his father, who had shopping of his own to do.
“Papa,” Pippin suddenly called out. “Look! Tim, Ruby, Tolman and Porto are over there. May I go play with them?”
Paladin nodded. “Yes, but stay in sight of the market place. I will come and fetch you when I am done with my shopping.”
“Yes, Papa!” Pippin called over his shoulder, as he was running towards his friends.
********************
The children played and laughed and Pippin generously shared his sweets.
“Got you!” Pippin shouted and tigged Ruby. “Your turn!”
Ruby turned around fast as lightening and chased after the quick lad. Suddenly however, Pippin stopped and Ruby nearly crashed into him.
“Pip! Why did you stop?” Ruby asked, panting for air.
Pippin pointed at a lass, who was sitting some distance away on a bank in front of a small smial.
“Who is that?” he asked. “I have never seen her here before.”
“That’s Evergreen. She moved here two weeks ago with her mother,” Ruby replied.
“Oh! Why don’t we ask her if she wants to play too?” Pippin said, already running towards the lass. “Come on!” he called to Ruby.
“Wait! Pip no! Don’t go to her! My mama says she is odd! Pip!”
Pippin didn’t listen to Ruby’s words, he just went on his way.
“Odd?” He thought as he drew near to the new lass. “What’s that supposed to mean? She looks perfectly normal to me.”
******************
“Hullo.” Pippin said, when he had reached the new lass.
She lifted her head and Pippin took a shocked step backwards.
“Hullo.” She answered. “Who are you?”
“Uhm . . . I . . . my name is Peregrin, but everybody calls me Pippin.”
“Hullo Pippin. I am Evergreen.”
Pippin could not take his eyes from the lass. She had long, brown curls and lots of freckles on her nose. Actually, she truly was beautiful . . . if it had not been for her eyes.
Big eyes, under long black eyelashes. But they had no colour. They were white and dead.
“How old are you?” Evergreen broke the silence that had come over them.
“Thirteen,” Pippin said, then he paused. “But I’ll be fourteen soon.”
Evergreen smiled. “ I am thirteen too.”
Again there was a silence.
“Uhm . . .” Evergreen said. “Would you . . . would you like to sit down?”
“I don’t know . . .” Pippin hesitated. “My friends and I are playing tig and . . .”
“Oh!” Evergreen murmured, sounding sad. “Yes, then you should not keep them waiting.”
“Well, I do have a bit of time yet,“ Pippin said and sat down next to her.
“Eh . . . Evergreen?” he hesitantly asked. “What . . . eh . . . what is the matter with your eyes?”
“I am blind.” The lass said. “I was born that way.”
“Oh,” Pippin whispered and fell silent. He didn´t know what else to say. He had never before met someone who was not able to see.
“If you don’t want to be my friend I understand,” she said sadly. “It is surely very boring to sit here with me, when you could be playing with your friends instead.”
“Don’t you ever play?” Pippin asked with an astonished expression on his face.
“Well..sometimes I play with my doll . . . but something like tig . . .” Evergreen’s voice trailed off as she sadly lowered her head.
Pippin laid a hand on the lass’ arm. “I would like very much to be your friend and I am sure we can think of something fun that we can play together.”
“Are you . . . are you serious?”
“Yes,” he replied. She could hear his smile in his voice. “Let me think.”
Evergreen waited patiently.
“I know!” Pippin suddenly said. “I hear something that you don’t hear and it is; high pitched, and somewhat off beat.”
Evergreen started to giggle. “I’d say that is my mother. She likes to sing when she is doing the laundry. Now my turn?”
Pippin nodded. “Yes,” he quickly added when he remembered that Evergreen could not see him nodding.
“I hear something that you don’t hear and it is; a thudding and a regular beat.”
Pippin strained his ears.
“The hammer of the blacksmith?”
“No.” Evergreen said, giggling again. “ A lot more thudier. His thuds ring.”
Again Pippin listened sharply, then his face brightened. “That’s Miss Viola, who is beating her carpets!”
“I don’t know Miss Viola, but yes, someone beating carpets is correct! Very good!”
“Pippin!” Paladin’s voice suddenly rang out.
“That is my father calling,” Pippin looked in the direction of the market place and saw his father waving at him. “I have to go now Evergreen. It was very nice to get to know you.”
“I am happy we got to know each other too. It’s a pity you have to leave already. Uhm . . . would you . . . maybe one day . . . come again and visit me?”
“I will!” Pippin said.
He hurriedly said good bye to his other friends who had continued playing tig on the other side of the meadow, and let them know that Evergreen was very nice. He also told them she wasn’t odd, it was only that she wasn’t able to see.
The other children looked skeptically towards the lass.
“Maybe you can go visit her too. I am sure she would be delighted!” Pippin suggested, before he ran to his waiting father.
******************
The pony cart once again bounced over the dusty road while Pippin sat lost in thought next to his father.
“Didn’t you have fun?” Paladin asked, as such a silent Pippin seemed very strange to him.
“I did, Papa, it’s just . . . Why is it that some people cannot see?”
Astonished, Paladin looked his son in the eyes. “What made you think about that?”
“My new friend Evergreen is not able to see.”
“The poor lass,” Paladin said. “Did she have an accident?”
“No, she told me that she was born that way. Why does someone get born that way Papa?”
Paladin thought about this question. “I don´t know why,” He finally responded.
“Can I visit her again sometime soon?” Pippin wanted to know and Paladin nodded.
“Because she just moved here with her mother and she has no other friends yet.”
“Well, what do you think Pippin; how about we invite her and her mother out to the farm for tea?”
“Really?” Pippin beamed. “That would be wonderful!”
******************
“Mama, they’re coming. They’re coming!” Pippin shouted excitedly, and Eglantine stepped curiously out of the kitchen door.
Next to Paladin, on the nearing cart, sat a young Hobbit woman with long brown hair and a small lass, with equally long hair.
When the cart stopped Paladin jumped off and helped their guests down from it. Pippin ran happily to Evergreen.
“Hullo Eve!” he greeted the lass.
“Hullo Pip! We are finally here!” Evergreen rejoiced. “It was quite a long way to get out here!”
Eglantine also neared the two and greeted them.
“Good day,” she said. “How nice that you could come. My name is Eglantine. I am Pippin’s mother.”
The Hobbit women smiled shyly at Eglantine. “Hello. I am Bluebell and this is my daughter Evergreen. I am very grateful that you invited us. It is not so easy…” Bluebell fell silent. “Thank you for the invitation!” she said again, and Eglantine saw tears shimmering in her eyes.
She laid her hand on Bluebell’s shoulder.
“You both are very welcome here. I hope you brought a good appetite with you?”
“We have!” Evergreen called out laughing and Eglanntine gently touched the child’s hair. “Very good,” She said, her smile audible in her voice.
Pippin took Evergreen by the hand and led her into the garden. The adults followed.
“Pearl, Nell, Vinca! Our guests have arrived!” Eglantine called inside the kitchen and the girls, who had been quickly cleaning up the kitchen after all the baking that had been done, rushed out of the kitchen door, wiping their wet hands off on their aprons. Pippin had wanted to have all sorts of goodies for his special friend so it had been a busy morning. His sisters came into the garden and greeted Bluebell and Evergreen warmly.
After all the dainty sandwiches and a large amount of cake had vanished, the adults and the children talked happily. After a time, Pippin asked to be allowed to show Evergreen the new kittens that had been born only a few days ago.
He grabbed Eve’s hand and started to lead her off to the barn, but she pulled him back and took hold of his arm instead. He gave the hand atop his arm a squeeze, then they went on their way, chattering happily as they walked to the barn.
“Snowdrop has four babies,” he said. “They are still very tiny and all of them have soft, cuddly fur.” He walked Evergreen over to a place where the straw was deep on the floor of the barn. “Wait here and kneel down. I’ll fetch you one of the little ones.”
Soon he was back and, cautiously, Pippin put a small, white kitten into Evergreen’s lap.
“This is Snowflake. He is as white as his mama, that’s why I have called him that name. The other kittens names are May, Lilly and Buttercup. Snowflake is the only male cat and he has the same number of sisters that I have.”
Evergreen gently stroked the soft fur of the small kitten. “He feels beautifully. I wish I could see him. What is . . . white?” she asked and Pippin looked astonished at her.
He had never thought about it, about what white is. White was . . . just white, and blue was blue. Green was green. But how could Evergreen know the colours when she never had seen them? There had to be some way for her to “see” the colours of the world.
“Well . . .” he hesitantly began. ”White is like . . . like the smell of freshly washed laundry. Very clean, and it is soft and gentle, like Snowflake’s fur, or like how it would feel if one would cautiously stroke over the top of a dandelion that has gone to seed.”
“That sounds wonderful! Do you have a favourite colour Pippin?”
“Hmm . . . I think I like all colours. But, having said that, I believe I like green the very best.”
“Can you tell me what green is like, and all the other colours too?”
Pippin chuckled, “I can try. Come, let us walk for a bit. I want to show you a favourite place of mine and, in the meantime, I will think about what some of the other colours are like.”
Pippin offered his arm to Evergreen and they walked off over a big meadow towards a tall tree that was standing on the edge of a seemingly endless field of flowers.
“Green,” Pippin suddenly said, “is like the feeling you have, when you go outside on an early summer morning and breath the fresh air in deeply. Green is fresh and smooth…and somehow also gentle.”
Pippin picked a leaf off a nearby flower and gave it to Evergreen. “Feel this; that is how green feels.”
Evergreen smiled. “I think green might also be my favourite colour. What about blue? What is that like?”
Pippin looked up into the sky. “Blue is more cool, as if you would put your hand into a small stream, and the water would dance around your fingers.”
“That also sounds very nice. What about red?”
“Red is . . . eh, well . . . lively! Red is like holding your hand near a fire, it is hot. Red is also very strong, like an extremely tasty strawberry, one that is so sweet that you pucker your mouth and make a funny face when you feel the sweetness on your tongue.”
“I like red.” Evergreen said as she laughed. “And what is yellow like?”
“Yellow . . .” Pippin pondered. “Yellow is like . . .” Suddenly he smiled. “Lift up your head Eve, what do you feel?”
“I feel how the sun shines on my face and warms it. And I feel a small wind brushing over my skin.”
“That is yellow,“ Pippin laughed. “Yellow is warm, but not as hot as red. It is more soft. Yellow is like sunbeams upon your face.”
Evergreen again lifted up her face towards the sun. “Yellow also is beautiful. I think I may like all the colours the same. They are all wonderful!”
“You like things to be colourful!” Pippin said.
“Colourful?”
“Yes, colourful. All colours together. The warm ones and the cold ones, like in a rainbow.”
“A rainbow has to be the most beautiful thing that exists in the world then. I wish I could see one.”
Evergreen voice took on a sad tone and Pippin started to think feverishly about how he could cheer up his friend. He would love to show her a rainbow, but that was impossible.
“Wait here Eve,” he suddenly called.
“Where are you going?”
“I will be right back! I have a surprise for you!”
Pippin ran all over the meadow and picked some of the many different flowers that bloomed there till he was holding a big, colourful bouquet in his hands. Then he ran back to Evergreen.
“Put out your hands,” he said, and Evergreen did as she was told.
Pippin gently lay the flowers in her arms. “Now, breath in deeply through your nose.”
Pippin waited excitedly and saw a huge smile brighten up Eve’s face.
“That is your colourful rainbow. A rainbow of smells.” He said.
Evergreen laughed happily and Pippin found that is was the most beautiful melody that he had ever heard. He then had her smell each flower, telling her what colour she was smelling for each one.
When she was finished, the lass bent forward and gently touched Pippin’s cheek. Then, now that she knew where his cheek was, she gave him a small kiss. “Thank you Pippin. Thank you so much for my colourful rainbow!”
-The End-
AN: * children’s song by Christa Maria Fiedler
** 13 Hobbit years are approximately 7.5 to 8 man years