Frodo will be 34 on his birthday, Merry is 20, Pippin is 12 (21, 13 and 7 ½ in Man-years). Pippin’s sisters: Pearl is 27, Pimpernel is 21, and Pervinca is 17 (17, 13 ½, and 11 in Man-years).

Thanks to Dreamflower for beta-reading this story.

DISCLAIMER: All of the characters belong to the amazing world of Middle-earth created by the genius of J.R.R. Tolkien. I just borrowed them for a little while.

THE PATH AHEAD

It was a relief for all of the Whitwell Tooks to be back at the farm after all of the commotion at the Great Smials following the death of Lalia the Great and the accession of her son, Ferumbras, as the head of the Took clan. Pippin was glad that now life could get back to normal.

But then, when they had only been back in Whitwell a few days, Mother and Pippin’s three sisters decided to take advantage of an unseasonably warm spell and left the smial bright and early one day for Tookbank to visit Grandmother and Grandfather Banks for a week.

Even though Mother had said it was naught but a visit because it had been a while since she had seen her parents and brothers, Pippin knew better. It’s not that he had meant to eavesdrop, but he had been outside the smial underneath the window digging a fine moat around his mud castle when Mother and Father had discussed the visit. Mother and Father had agreed that not only would visiting Mother’s kin be a good chance for Pearl to recover from the trauma of being falsely accused of killing Cousin Lalia, but it would also allow Mother a chance to explain all the recent happenings at the Great Smials to Grandmother and Grandfather.

At least Father and Pippin didn’t have to go. It was out of the question for Father to go to Tookbank just now. After having spent so much time at the Great Smials, the farm needed his presence. And while Pippin loved Grandmother and Grandfather Banks dearly and wished to see them again, he was still glad he wasn’t being made to go this time. After all, they had just got back from visiting at the Great Smials where at least there were other lads with whom he could play. But at Tookbank, all of his Banks cousins were lasses, which meant they were no fun at all.

Pippin was very excited about getting to spend the entire day alone with his father. Usually, Pearl, Pimpernel, or Pervinca was in the way, or else Father had too much work to do about the farm to spend time alone with Pippin. But today was different. Since their maidservant, Aster Goodchild, had the day off and had gone into town to visit a friend and mail a letter to her sister, Violet, who was the head of staff at Brandy Hall, Father and Pippin were on their own for the entire day.

And to make matters even better, Father had promised that as soon as he had met with Cousin Hildibold regarding the sheep, he would spend the rest of the day with Pippin. It was all Pippin could do to wait patiently at the smial until after Father’s meeting with Cousin Hildibold.

While Father and Cousin Hildibold were looking over the sheep, accompanied by Pippin’s puppy, Dickon, Pippin busied himself by playing a spirited game of marbles against himself on the dirt worn smooth right outside the smial. Pimpernel had given him the set of marbles while they were still at the Great Smials two days before his last birthday on the first of Astron. Of course, the marbles were not a present for his birthday, but rather for her birthday the day before on the thirtieth of Rethe.

It was an impressive set of marbles that Pimpernel had found in one of the mathom rooms in the Great Smials – the marbles were not made of clay as they usually were, but of polished quartz stones. Of all the marbles, Pippin liked the aggie best, for although it appeared naught but a solid black colour when on the ground, when Pippin held it up to the light of the sun, the aggie took on a fiery reddish hue as if the fire of the sun itself was alive and inside the aggie. The marbles had quickly become one of Pippin’s prized possessions.

Pippin practised his aim until he was sure he was almost as good as Merry and then placed the marbles back in their leather pouch which he then stuffed inside one of the pockets.

Then it was time to climb the oak tree that stood down the path from the smial. Father had said it was all right for Pippin to climb it even when nobody was around so long as he was careful and remembered the old Took adage, “Watch your hands and watch your feet, or you will land upon your seat.” Since Pippin never had any trouble remembering such a silly sounding but important saying, he climbed the tree.

The old oak tree was a great climbing tree with lots of branches thick enough to support the weight of a lad much older than himself. In fact, it was this very tree that Frodo had taught Pippin how to climb when he was little more than a faunt.

It didn’t take long before Pippin had climbed about seven feet above the ground. The tree looked ever so much nicer when it had all of its leaves, Pippin thought. But, Frodo had explained to him that just as hobbits change their clothes every day, so a tree must shake off its old leaves every autumn so it could show off its brand new shiny leaves each spring, as it was doing now.

Frodo. Pippin sighed as he thought of his older cousin. It would be a lot more fun in this tree if Frodo were here with him. Then they could pretend to be Bilbo climbing higher and higher to escape the wolves on his adventure with the dwarves or swing from the branches or mayhap even play a game of tree-tag, that is, if Merry weren’t around. Even though Merry never joined in the game or even climbed the tree, it gave Merry too much of a fright whenever he watched Frodo and Pippin playing tree-tag and it spoilt all the fun.

Pippin could see Father and Cousin Hildibold off in the distance when he looked out over the pastures from his vantage point. Not only could he see them, but he could also see Dickon standing alertly by Father’s side. Pippin knew that even though he was just an eight-month old puppy, being a Border collie, all of Dickon’s attention was on the sheep. Every once in a while, Dickon would quickly dart around the perimeter of the sheep to herd them all together.

Cousin Bilbo always gave the best presents and had really outdone himself this last year. That’s when Bilbo surprised Pippin by giving him the puppy for his and Frodo’s birthday, saying that not only could he help herd the sheep, but he would provide the lad with a playmate during those times that Frodo and Merry weren’t there. Pippin decided immediately that the new puppy’s name would be “Dickon.”

Pippin sighed again. Ah, well. Dickon was with Father at the pastures and there were no cousins or even Pervinca about to climb the tree with him today. Instead, Pippin lowered himself on one of the branches until he was sitting with his back firmly against the tree trunk, his legs swinging freely below him. He closed his eyes in thought for a moment before opening them again. His eyes trained on Father and Cousin Hildibold as he waited, he began to sing.

Pippin smiled as he finished the song: while Cousin Hildibold stayed in the pastures to tend the flock, Father and Dickon were on their way back from the sheep pasture, and that meant Father was ready to spend the rest of the day with Pippin. Quick as a wink, Pippin was down the tree and running toward them. Dickon was already dancing all around Pippin, barking happily as if to tell him all about how well he had herded the sheep. When Pippin had caught Father up, Father ruffled Pippin’s chestnut curls fondly and wrapped one arm about Pippin’s shoulders.

“How are the sheep, Father?” Pippin asked once Dickon had quieted. Pippin liked the sheep and was always interested in hearing about them.

“Just fine, lad.” Father’s voice was light and happy. “We should have a few new lambs within the fortnight.”

“Ooh… will you call me when one of them is ready so I may help?” Pippin asked excitedly. Sometimes, if he was lucky, a lamb was born during the day and Father would let him be there. Of course, the ewes did most of the work, but Pippin would fetch whatever they needed, blankets, warm water, anything that might help. One of the most amazing things about living on the farm was holding a warm, newborn lamb within his arms. And if Pippin were really lucky, Father would let him name the newborn.

“Aye, Pippin. As long as it is born while it is light and you have been a good lad, you may be there to help.” Father’s green eyes were twinkling brightly.

Pippin grinned. It sure was good to be back at the farm.

By the time Father and Dickon had finished telling him all about the sheep, they were inside the smial setting the table for elevenses.

Aster always took excellent care of her hobbits. Even though she was not going to be there all day, Aster had insisted that she would not leave Mr. Paladin and Master Pippin to fend for themselves. Why, they’d most likely starve! With as warm as it was outside, she had left them a cold meal of Michel Delving cheddar cheese, headcheese, five-herb bread, pears, and spiced applesauce tarts for elevenses. It was a deliciously light meal.

“Now then, lad, what would you like to do today?” Father asked Pippin as they finished wiping clean their few dishes. “We have the whole day ahead of us.”

Pippin looked brightly up at Father, practically bursting with ideas. “Could we take a walk in the woods, Father? It is not so very hot and I am not feeling at all tired and I promise I won’t wheeze. Mayhap we could sing some walking songs and pretend we’re on one of Cousin Bilbo’s grand adventures? I could bring my wooden sword that Cousin Bilbo gave me last Yule. And then when we get back mayhap you could give me another archery lesson, I’m getting really good at it, but I’ve got to get better if I am going to be ready to defend Tookland with the other Tooks if it’s ever in danger. Pervinca said you are an even better aim than the Bullroarer himself was! Is that true? Oh, and Father! We could climb the oak tree! Mayhap I could teach you how to play tree tag? Frodo taught it to me and it’s great fun, though Merry doesn’t agree. Do you remember how to play marbles? I could show you my aggie. And then there’s running races! Wouldn’t it be grand to run outside in the warm sunshine? Dickon would like that. That reminds me, we could give Dickon that bath I promised him! I expect the cold water will feel really nice on a day like today would it not?”

Pippin was so excited that he was bouncing on the balls of his feet. He could not recall the last time he had spent the entire day just with Father.

“Goodness, lad!” laughed Father with a twinkle in his eye. “I can see you have given this some thought!” He continued to chuckle merrily. “A walk, is it that you are wanting? Hmm….” Father cupped his chin in his hand and put his index finger up to his mouth in thought. “We could pack our lunch and waterskins to take with us on our walking trip … that will help make it seem like one of Bilbo’s adventures …then after our walk, we could have an archery lesson and then see about climbing that tree. How does that sound for a start?”

“It sounds splendid, Father!” exclaimed Pippin. His bright green eyes were filled with joy. “And then after we climb the tree, we can have afternoon tea! I am always hungry after climbing trees.” He paused with a sudden thought. “Aster did leave something for us for afternoon tea, did she not?”

“I told her not to, that we would fend for ourselves,” Father replied. “We have plenty of scones left from breakfast, plus some of Aster’s custard that she put in the cold cellar, and one of those nice white cheeses you are so fond of. Hmmm… I am thinking… do you know what I fancy, Pippin-lad?”

Pippin shook his head, but he was getting excited trying to think of what Father might like to eat.

“Last Afterlithe when I stayed at Bag End before travelling on to Buckland, Bilbo made a splendid salad made of cucumbers and onions. I enjoyed it so much that he showed me how to make it.”

Pippin screwed his face up and grimaced all at the same time. “Nothing but cucumbers and onions, Father?”

Father chuckled at Pippin and ruffled his curls again. “You shall see, my lad. It tastes much better than it sounds. But if we are to have it with our afternoon tea, then we had best prepare it now before our walk so it has time for the flavours to come together.”

“May I help?” Pippin asked hopefully. Father hardly ever cooked and it would be a treat to help him in the kitchen.

“It is not really cooking, Pippin. Just mixing a few ingredients together. But just the same, perhaps it would be best not to let Aster know or she may well think we are trespassing on her territory.” Father brushed a hand against Pippin’s right cheek fondly. “Now then, if you are to help, first I will need you to fetch six cucumbers from the vegetable garden. Get the largest ones you can find. I will get a couple of onions from the cold cellar in the meantime.”

“Aye, Father!” Pippin raced for the door, Dickon not far behind him.
Pippin was in such a rush that Dickon barely had enough time to scoot out the round door before Pippin quickly closed it behind him. The dirt felt warm underneath Pippin’s bare feet as he ran past the tomato plants climbing up toward the sky and continued down the path to the cucumbers. As he ran, a black and white blur knocked Pippin over. Four paws flew past him, barely touching the ground.

“Dickon!” Pippin giggled. That puppy was such a bundle of energy! Pippin got up and brushed the brown dirt off his shirt and breeches. The Border collie came back to Pippin, cowering his head in an apology. Pippin grinned at Dickon and scratched him behind the ear. He could never stay mad at his Dickon. Feeling secure that Pippin wasn’t vexed at him, Dickon began to laugh. That never took much for Dickon’s good spirits to return. “’Tis all right, you silly dog! Just watch where you are going next time! Now let’s get those cucumbers before Father wonders where we have got off to!”

By the time Pippin had got the six largest cucumbers and returned to the smial, Father was already peeling the two onions.

“The cucumbers must be peeled and then sliced thin, but not too thin,” Father instructed. Was Father actually going to let him use the knife? Pippin held the six cucumbers out before him and looked up at Father hopefully.

Father grinned at him. “Aye, lad. You may use the knife so long as you are careful. Aster would not appreciate it if you got blood all over her kitchen now, would she?” Pippin agreed happily and reached for the knife.

While Pippin and Father sliced the onions and the cucumbers, Dickon ran off in search of Pimpernel’s sleek grey cat, Buttons. It was time for their daily antics. Every day, Dickon would search for Buttons, pouncing on the old cat once he had found her. Buttons would then dart away from Dickon, leaving the puppy wondering where the cat had gone. Dickon would then chase after Buttons, but the cat was always too smart for him. It was always the same entertainment every day. They left the room with the puppy chasing the cat, but returned with the cat chasing the puppy. Normally, while Pimpernel was fussing about what Dickon was doing to her poor Buttons, Pippin would be laughing at their antics. But today he had to keep all of his attention focused on the knife as he carefully sliced the cucumbers.

The kitchen was awfully quiet with Mother and all of the lasses gone. Even though Pippin knew why they had gone to visit Grandmother and Grandfather Banks, he still did not understand everything that occurred. It puzzled him, especially when he considered some of the unusual things that were said and done when they had left the Great Smials this time.

“Father?” he began carefully. He was not at all certain that he should be asking about this, but he really wanted to know.

“Aye, lad?” Father replied casually without looking up from where he was slicing the onions.

“Wh…why did Mother leave her best dresses at the Great Smials? When I told her she had, she thanked me and said that it was nothing for me to worry about, but I am curious, Father. We have never left any of our clothes there before, none of us. Does Mother have to go back for some reason?” Pippin got it all out in one large breath before he lost his nerve. He knew it was not his place to question anything Mother or Father said, but still, once Mother came back from Tookbank, he did not want her leaving him again any time soon.

Father stopped slicing the onions and paused. He looked out the kitchen window with a strangely troubled look on his face. His hand still loosely gripped the knife. Pippin looked at the knife in his own hand and sliced some more of the cucumber as he waited for Father to reply.

“I had meant to talk to you about this later on today, perhaps during our walk.” Father swallowed a few times and shook his head slightly. “I just cannot think of the right words to say.” His voice trailed away until it was lost.

Pippin stopped slicing the cucumber again for a moment to look at his father and was not pleased with what he saw. Father’s lips were pressed firmly together and looked thinner than the slices of cucumber on the cutting board before him. The only time he’d ever seen a similar look on his father’s face was when Aunt Hydrangea had come to warn them at the Great Smials about the rumours of Pearl’s involvement in Cousin Lalia’s death. Those rumours had been proven false, of course, but Pippin still remembered the reaction of his parents. His father’s face looked similar to the way it did now, although … no … it was not the same. Now that Pippin thought about it, his father looked sad and frightened all at the same time now, not angry. It scared Pippin.

“Father?”

Father moistened his lips. “We will all be going back to the Great Smials soon, son.” He paused again. “It is time for us to leave the farm and move into the Great Smials.” Another pause. “Permanently.”

Pippin stared at his father and noted that Father refused to meet his eyes. Much to Pippin’s surprise, Father then dropped the knife with more force than was necessary. He quickly glanced down to make certain he had not accidentally cut anything, then calmly washed his hands before reaching for the measuring cup. Pippin was stunned. He worked his mouth to try to say something, but nothing came out. Pippin swallowed hard and then tried again.

“Da?” It was his old name for his father from when he was a faunt. It was rare for Pippin to call him that anymore, something he only did when he was nervous or upset. Once again, Father was staring out the window, his hand held aloft with a cup of water in it. Father’s jaw seemed to be clenched firmly shut, the strain of it etched upon his face. Pippin put his own knife down, walked the few steps over to his father, and put his hand lightly on his father’s sleeve with concern.

“Da?” he managed in a voice barely above a whisper, all of his attention riveted on his father. He was really getting nervous now and felt his stomach churning up near his throat. It was a moment before he could even think again. He certainly had not expected anything like this!

When Father looked down at Pippin, his sad green eyes were moist with unshed tears. Now Pippin was really scared!

“It will be all right, Father!” Pippin cried as he wrapped his arms around him. “It’s not so bad at the Great Smials.”

Father smiled faintly at Pippin and immediately bent down to return his hug, his arms wrapped so tightly around Pippin that they hurt, but Pippin didn’t mind. Then Father straightened up and brushed the back of his hand across his eyes, sniffing a few times. He held Pippin away from him by the shoulders and smiled down at him.

“I’m sorry, Pippin-lad,” he began. “Yes, everything will be all right.”

“Why do we have to move to the Great Smials, Father?” Pippin asked cautiously.

Father released Pippin and swallowed hard before reaching again for the measuring cup. He measured three cups of water and emptied each of them into the large bowl in which he had already placed the onions.

“Put the cucumbers in here, Pippin.” Father got the bottle of vinegar and measured a cup of it, then emptied it into the bowl, too, and cleared his throat. “You know that Cousin Ferumbras is the Thain and that Cousin Lalia was The Took. Hand me the sugar, please.”

Pippin found the tall cone of sugar wrapped in the thick blue paper and handed it to Father, not daring to say anything.

“As you have already been taught, “ continued Father, “even though the Thain is in charge of the Shire until the king comes back, the Thain does not really have that much responsibility anymore. Mainly, the Thain officiates at weddings and funerals and such. Occasionally, he may have to settle a dispute, but that is about it. The real responsibility rests with the head of each family, and in particular, the head of the Took clan.”

“And the Brandybuck clan?” Pippin ventured.

Father nodded at him with a faint hint of a smile. “Aye. The head of the Brandybucks, Uncle Rorimac, is the Master of Buckland and is not only the head of the Brandybucks, but is in charge of all of Buckland. But the head of the Tooks has even greater responsibility, for the Tooks are given so much respect and have so much influence over the Shire still that the head of the Tooks is basically in charge of all of the Shire.”

Pippin nodded mutely as he tried to piece together what this had to do with them having to move to the Great Smials or why it upset Father so.

When Father had finished measuring three cups of sugar and emptying them into the bowl, he handed the sugar back to Pippin to put away while he reached for the spices.

“Cousin Lalia was The Took.” Father repeated. “When she died, Cousin Ferumbras became not only the Thain, but The Took as well. So now, the responsibility and burden he bears is much greater.”

Father added the spices to the bowl and then placed the bowl and a large spoon with holes in it in front of Pippin. “Stir.” Pippin did as he was instructed.

“When Cousin Ferumbras dies, the title of Thain and the responsibility of being The Took will pass to his sons.”

Pippin looked up from where he was stirring the cucumbers and onions. “But Father, Cousin Ferumbras doesn’t have any children! He isn’t even married!”

Father smiled wanly at Pippin. “Just so. And that is the reason we have to move to the Great Smials.”

Pippin’s eyes wrinkled in confusion as he looked up at his father.

“You see, my lad,” Father knelt in front of Pippin and looked him straight in the eyes, both of his hands now resting on Pippin’s slight shoulders. “If Cousin Ferumbras dies without having a son, which seems likely at his advanced age, then the Thainship and head of the Tooks will pass to the next in line. My grandfather, Hildigrim, was the next eldest brother of Cousin Ferumbras’ grandfather, Thain Isumbras IV. So that means that my grandfather’s male descendants are next in the line of succession to become the Thain and The Took.” Although Father’s voice was sad as he said this, he spoke clearly and with purpose.

It seemed to Pippin that he vaguely recalled learning something about this in his lessons. He closed his eyes, trying to search his memory. It was something Frodo had taught him a few years ago back when he was eight or nine … what was it? Ah, yes. Frodo had the Took family tree out before him and was explaining about The Took and the Thain, starting at the top of the tree with when the Oldbucks turned the Thainship over to the Tooks and working his way down all the way from there. By the time Frodo had got around to the cousins and uncles who were still living, Pippin had become quite bored and his attention had drifted to something else. If only Pippin had listened more carefully that day. But now, if Father was saying that Great-Grandfather Hildigrim’s male descendants were next in line … Pippin’s eyes popped open.

“But Father…” Pippin hesitated, his eyes becoming large and round as he began to comprehend what his father was saying and hoping it was not true. His heart began to pound in his chest. “Since Grandfather Adalgrim is gone, then the oldest male descendant of Great-Grandfather is … you.”

Father nodded slowly. “Aye, lad.” Pippin gulped down a breath, his heart now beating loudly in his ears. His lower lip began to tremble.

“And … after you…” It was softer than a whisper.

Father’s grasp on Pippin’s shoulders grew even firmer and his voice stronger as he said pointedly. “Yes, my son. After I am gone, you will become the Thain. And one day, after your mother is also gone, you will also become The Took, Peregrin.”

Pippin’s face felt prickly as hot tears sprung into his eyes and poured down his cheeks. “But, Father! I do not want to be the Thain or The Took!” he sobbed.

“Oh, here now, Pippin-lad! My dear lad!” exclaimed Father, grabbing Pippin firmly within his arms and hugging him tightly. Pippin’s tears soaked his father’s shirt as he cried. He did not know if he were crying because they were leaving the farm or for Father or for himself and he did not really care. It was all so overwhelming, so many new and adult ideas and responsibilities to try to understand. And they all were crashing down upon his family. Upon Father and then upon him. He did not even want to think about when Father and Mother were gone, but now … now, Father was forcing him to think about it. Forcing him to think about it now, because it mattered today.

“Why can’t someone else be the Thain and The Took? There are so many Tooks who already live at the Great Smials. Surely, one of them would like to do it!” Pippin gasped between his tears, his head still buried in his father’s arms.

“It is not that simple, Peregrin.” Father took out a red handkerchief from one of his pockets and wiped Pippin’s eyes. “There are rules. And according to the rules we Tooks have, the Thainship follows a male line of succession, as does the head of the Tooks, except that a widow may be The Took after her husband’s death if he were The Took. But after that, the head of the Tooks continues to follow a male line of succession to their eldest son.

“Unless Cousin Ferumbras has a son, you and I both have a very serious responsibility to the rest of our clan. We owe it to the rest of the Tooks, and to the Shire, to lead them as best we can.” Pippin sniffed. He was trying to stop his tears but having limited success. He wanted to be strong for Father, he really did, but the thought of one day being the Thain and The Took…

“That’s why we have to move to the Great Smials now, so that I can assist Cousin Ferumbras and also learn what it is I need to know in order to become a good leader after he is gone, as will you when it is your turn someday.” Father said gently as he wiped a stray tear that had escaped and was tracking down Pippin’s face.

“I promise you, Pippin. I promise that I will teach you all that you need to know before you become the Thain and The Took.” Father’s voice was firmer now, more confident. Pippin felt the tears welling back up inside of him, but forced them down.

“I will even teach you your very first lesson right now,” Father continued. He cupped Pippin’s chin in his right hand firmly and gently brushed the side of his index finger along Pippin’s cheek. “There is an old Took saying: ‘You must give respect before you can expect to receive it.’ Our responsibility to the Tooks and to the Shire begins right now. We cannot expect the rest of the Shire to respect and follow us unless we show them that we care about them. That is why we have to move to the Great Smials now, Peregrin. They must see that you and I respect the importance of the responsibility that may someday be handed to us enough to move to the Great Smials and live there, not only to assist Cousin Ferumbras, but to learn all that will be needed from us if and when our time comes. We are no longer simple farmers, my Pippin. We have a duty and a responsibility to all of the Tooks and to the Shire.”

Pippin stood straighter and nodded his head gravely. He knew Father was right.

“One more thing I wish you to know, Peregrin,” said Father. “I am proud of you and know you will be the best Thain and leader of the Tooks that ever was when your time comes.”

Pippin rushed into Father’s arms again, but this time, there were no tears, just the warm feeling of respect and love for his father. He resolved himself to become all that Father hoped.

“Now then, if we are finished with this very serious conversation, perhaps it is time we turn ourselves to more important matters, like packing that lunch so we can go on our walk!” Father said cheerily. “That is, if you still want to?”

“Oh, Father!” Pippin laughed as he grabbed a few apples and tossed them in their pack.

While Pippin continued to pack their lunch, Father carried the cucumber and onion salad to the cold cellar so it would be chilled for their afternoon tea. Father checked the provisions Pippin had packed for them, adding a few carrots, before hoisting the pack onto his back and handing Pippin his waterskin.

“Come along, Dickon!” called Father. The puppy happily ran to the wide-open door and bolted outside, first as usual. Then came Pippin, with Father closing the round front door tightly before adjusting the pack on his back.

They had only gone a little way into the woods when Pippin thought of something.

“Father?”

“Hmmm?”

“I wonder if Merry feels the same way … about becoming Master of Buckland one day,” said Pippin.

“I do not know, son. But somehow, I expect he does.”

“Then I want to talk to Merry,” Pippin said seriously.

Father turned to look at him. He smiled warmly and placed a hand on Pippin’s shoulder. “I am certain Meriadoc would be pleased to speak with you about this.”

Father and son continued walking forward on the path ahead of them.

Paladin’s (and Bilbo’s) Cucumber and Onion Salad

6 large cucumbers
2 medium red onions
3 cups of water
1 cup of white vinegar
3 cups of white sugar
2 Tbsp. of vegetable oil
salt
pepper
garlic
oregano

Slice the cucumbers and onions thin and place in a large mixing bowl. Add water, vinegar, sugar, and oil. Season to taste with the salt, pepper, garlic, and oregano. You can adjust the amount of onions, water, vinegar, and sugar depending upon your individual taste. I have as large a sweet tooth as Pippin, so I prefer the salad a little sweet as it is here. Drain excess liquid after the salad is made. It’s easier to measure this way.