Here is the Back to Middle-earth prompt for March 1, 2009

 1
Margaret Atwood once wrote: "We are learning to make a fire." Create your own story, poem or piece of art around this.

Betaread by Dreamflower! :)

Lads

“Did you get it?” asked Sancho, excitedly.

Pippin nodded, grinning. “Of course, I did. Even Bilbo was not as good a burglar as I am!” he bragged.

“Great! All right, I have prepared everything.” Sancho pointed at some dry grass on the sandy ground, lying in the hot sun. “Now we just hold it over the grass and wait and then we will have…”

“a lot of trouble!” came a sharp voice from behind the lads.

“You will return those spectacles at once to their owner and then you will meet me in the parlour!”

“But father, we haven’t done anything!” Sancho exclaimed.

“No, not yet, but think about what you could have done! Making a fire on such a dry and windy day! We´ve very little rain this summer and near all those plants?”

“Oh…” Pippin mumbled and he and Sancho stared at the ground, ashamed.

Prompts for "Mercurial Mondays" will give you a choice of theme:

 2--Mercurial Monday
Think of the most dangerous situation you can face. Have you ever been in such serious danger? What is the greatest danger that you have experienced? Think or write briefly about your experiences (or lack of experiences! ) with danger.
Write a story, poem or create an artwork where the characters face a great danger
or
where characters reflect on their reaction to a great danger.
--- OR
What is the most tedious, routine work that you have to do? Write down a few tedious or routine tasks that you're sometimes required to perform. How does doing routine work make you feel? Would you like to have somebody do it for you?
Now write a story, poem or create an artwork where characters have to deal with tedious jobs.

Betaread by Dreamflower! :)

The Monster

“P..pippn..don´t move!” Pippin stood still and stared at Merry´s white face. His heart began to pound hard in his chest and he felt sweat forming on his forehead.

“What ...what is it Merry?” he  asked staring at his cousin with big frightened eyes. “Is there a…a…MONSTER?”

Merry nodded and Pippin started trembling. “Just don´t move Pippin! FRODO! FRODO!” Merry shouted, until Frodo came running in, looking wildly around.

“What has happened? Is everything all right?”

“Frodo, help us! ” Pippin squeaked.

Frodo looked in confusion at Pippin, who was standing awkwardly in the middle of the room as if he´d grown roots.

“Frodo,” Merry said, pointing at the floor behind Pippin.

Frodo followed Merrys hand and…. started to laugh loudly.

Pippin stared at his cousin open-mouthed, but finally now also dared to turn around.

Still open-mouthed, he then turned to his other cousin, who still stood there white-faced and trembling.

“THAT is your monster?” he asked incredulously.

“Just..just someone bring it out!” Merry whispered, embarrassed.  Pippin rolled his eyes, bent down and let the spider crawl on his hand.

AN: Well no, I am not scared of spiders! But actually I haven´t faced many dangerous situations…and even I can imagine many dangerous situations, they just didn´t fit well with Hobbits.

3

In two or three sentences, write about the happiest moment you've experienced in the past two days.

Create a story, poem, or artwork based on the circumstances, experiences, or feelings associated with that moment.

Betaread by Dreamflower! :)

Pippin walked through the spring meadow. White snowdrops, purple crocuses and yellow winterlings were bathed in the sunlight of the early day.

At Pippin´s side trailed his dog Maxi *. Her black and white fur was sparkling and dancing under the sun´s warmth and the wind´s gentle hands.

She looked at him, her old eyes content.

Pippin smiled, thinking back through all the years that had passed. Nearly fourteen years ago, he had promised Jule to take care of her daughter and that he had done.

Soon he would have to leave her. He would follow Frodo, Merry and Sam out of the Shire, without knowing if he would ever return…or if he should return, without knowing, if his beloved dog would then still be there to greet him.

He swallowed hard, but before he could get too gloomy, Maxi barked and stood before him, her tail wagging, her eyes sparkling with joy.

She turned and ran over the meadow, barking again and looking at Pippin, wanting him to join her and to enjoy this new spring day.

Pippin laughed and followed her invitation happily.

* See Story “A promise”

AN: My happiest moments the last 2 days were the moments I and my dog Maxi walked around in nature.

Like Pippin I soon have to leave her… I have to return to my studies ( she stays with my parents) and as she gets 14 years in April, which is very old for her size/race, I cannot say for certain if I see her again, when I come back in the summer, but every moment with her is a happy moment, that I will never forget.

4
What is a role model for you? Do role models require certain qualities for you? How should people relate to their role models?
Write a story, poem or create an artwork based on characters who are role models for their people.

Thanks to my Beta and to Cathleen for the nice dog name! :)

Role Model Against Her Will

“Eww…spinach!” Pervinca muttered, looking at the green stuff on her plate. “I hate spinach! Looks like the stuff on the duck-pond.”

“Pervinca! I don´t want you speaking like that. And now eat up! Spinach helps you to grow strong and healthy!”

“Yes Mama…” Pervinca answered sullenly, while her baby brother Pippin giggled and stuck his hands into the spinach on his plate.

“Pippin, no!” Eglantine said with a sigh. She wiped his hands clean with a wet cloth and picked up the spoon, that was lying next to her son’s plate.

“Here, darling, use the spoon.”

Pippin took the offered piece of flatware in his small hand and smiled up at his mother. “That’s a good lad!” Eglantine praised. “And now….”

“Mama, Mama….” came a loud call from the corridor and seconds later Pimpernel came running in. “Mama, come fast! Pearl fell of a chair and I think she sprained her ankle!”

“Oh dear! Off a chair? What? Why? …Yes, I am coming.  Pervinca, Pippin, you stay in here and eat up. I will be back in a minute!” she said, before rushing out to the parlour, where Pearl was sitting on the ground, stifling sobs and holding her ankle.

As soon as Eglantine was gone Pervinca got up, taking a look down the corridor and then smiled. “My chance!”

“Biscuit,” she called to the dog sleeping near the oven. “Come lad, come to me.”

In moments Pervinca’s plate was empty and she sat back on her chair proudly.

She looked to her brother, who had looked on with interest. “Psssst!” She made, putting a finger on her lips. “No telling!”

“Psssst!” Pippin copied Pervinca’s gesture and nodded.

Five minutes later Eglantine came back into the kitchen. Seeing the empty plate, she gave her daughter a pat on the head.

“Very good! Now, please clear your plate away then you can be with your sisters. They are in the parlour cooling Pearl’s ankle.”

“All right Mama!” Pervinca said, jumping up from her chair.

“And you eat up your spinach now.” Eglantine said to Pippin, pointing at his still full plate.

Pippin dunked his spoon inside the spinach and then held it over the edge of the table, letting it drop to the floor.

“Bis´cit, Bis´cit!” he called giggling.

Pervinca stopped dead in her tracks and stared at him in shock.

“Pssst” Pippin made the shushing noise and gesture while smiling at his sister. “Pssst! Pssst! Pssst!”

Eglantine turned around to her daughter with raised eyebrows. “Pervinca?”

“Drat!” Pervinca mumbled and glared at her brother, before turning her blushing face to her mother, smiling innocently.

“And where did he learn that, young lass?”  Eglantine asked, knowing full well what the answer was, she just had to hear how the child would try to explain it.

5
Consider something that you regret: something that you did and wish you could undo, something you didn't do and wish that you had. Think or write briefly about what you would do if you had a second chance and how you think your life might be different without that regret.
If your character would have a chance to start anew and with a clean slate, what would he or she do with such a chance? Write a story, poem or create an artwork where this is offered to them or how they execute such a chance.

Thanks to my beta! :)

Cherry Pie

Pippin trailed along behind the rest of the Fellowship; his feet were hurting and he was feeling wearier and hungrier than he had ever felt before. His thoughts wandered to tables full of pastries, cakes, biscuits, scones and pies. It made his mouth water. He thought of the very best cherry pie he had ever eaten.  It was at a picnic he went to shortly before leaving the Shire. Myrtle Burrows had baked it.

Myrtle was three years younger than he and a distant cousin of Frodo’s. She was as sweet as her cherry pie, with lips as full and red as the cherries inside said pie.

Pippin sighted loudly.

He didn´t notice that Merry and Frodo had turned around at his sigh and were now walking more slowly, so that they came to be on each side of him.

Pippin sighted again. “Cherry Pie.” He mumbled dreamily. “ And cherry lips…I wish I had kissed them before leaving.”

“And of whom are you speaking?” Merry asked curiously from his left side.

Pippin jumped high. “What? Uhm..I..well..have..have you nothing better to do?” he asked his cousin annoyed.

Merry put on a thoughtful expression. “No.” he said after a few moments, smiling at Pippin sweetly.

“Nor have I.” Frodo said from Pippins right side in a purposly joyful tone, making his younger cousin jump again.

Pippin glared at Frodo. “Can’t one have one moment of privacy around here?” he grumbled, looking to and fro between his cousins, who just kept on grinning.

Each of them put an arm over Pippins shoulders as they winked at each other.

“So, cousin dear… I’ll ask again, of whom were you speaking?” Merry asked innocently.

Pippin blushed as he stared at the ground. “I didn’t say anything about anyone!” he mumbled grumpily, but he knew from experience that he had lost this battle all ready. And if he regretted not having kissed Myrtle, he regretted even more to have thought of cherry pie with Merry and Frodo nearby.

6

"Music can name the unnamable and communicate the unknowable."
-Leonard Bernstein, American composer

Write a story, poem or create an artwork where this quote is validated.

Thanks to my Beta! :)

The last one left

Sam bent down to the small child smiling. “And here, Master Pippin, this is for you,” he said, handing a small parcel to the beaming infant.

With Sam’s help Pippin tore the paper open. The little lad squealed joyfully when a, maybe not beautiful, but certainly unique rattle appeared.

“I made it myself, “ Sam said shyly.

Pippin laughed happily and started shaking his new rattle at once.

Nearly one century later, the last of the hobbity Travellers that was left on the hither shore, stared out of a window overlooking the green of the Pelennor fields. Before him on the window sill were lying a few old items. A sling shot, that Merry had helped him make; a folded paper, containing his first writing lessons with Frodo and -- he picked up the third item and shook it gently – Sam’s self-made rattle. He listend to the sound, smiling while tears flowed freely down his cheeks.

7

Imagine this! You are walking in the woods and sudden a tree whispers to you ...

What does it say? What is your reaction?

Capture this moment in a story, poem or piece of art.

Thanks to my Beta for this one too!

Just a summer day…

It was a hot and dry summer day. Little Pippin was half carrying half pulling a full watering can through a small woody area next to the farm. He wanted to make mud cakes in a dry, sandy patch that he had discovered the day before.

“Hey, you…” he suddenly heard a voice speaking to him. Astonished, the little lad turned around, but no one was there.

“Where are you?” he asked.

“Here, in front of you.” The tree answered. “May I please have some of your water, I am so thirsty!”

Pippin stared at the tree with big eyes then smiled. “Oh! Of course.” He said, tipping the can to pour out the water. “Here have the whole can. I can get you some more, if you like. I am always terribly thirsty too on days like these!”

8

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Is it? And ugliness? Is it also relative?

Write a story, poem or create an artwork where the contrast beauty/ugliness plays a central role.

Bunny by Pearl Took!  Thanks for betareading!

Something to hold onto

Pippin shoved the fifth cake into his mouth and chewed while thoughtfully looking at Arwen, who was just finishing her first dainty cake.

Smiling as he swallowed Pippin picked up the plate of cakes and held it under the elf maiden’s nose. “Here, take another one!” he said.

“Thank you very much, Master Peregrin!” Arwen answered politly. “But I am quite full and if I eat too much I shall become plump.”

She stopped when she saw the shocked and worried expression on the Hobbit’s face. “Did I say something wrong?” she asked confused.

“My Lady! You certainly should eat another cake or two or three.” Pippin admonished her. “You have to fill out a bit more, you know. My mum always said to my sisters that a hobbit likes a lass he can hold onto.”

 “Pippin!” Merry interrupted in horror and threw an apologetic glance at the elf. “I think you have said quite enough now!”

“But Merry, I just wanted to point out that…”

“Pippin!” now Merrys voice sounded threatening and his eyes were narrowed.

Pippin shallowed. “Merry I ….”

But this time he was interrupted by Arwen suddenly braking into peals of laugher that echoed merrily through the last homely house.

Pippin smiled up at her. “You know, he said. You may not look like a Hobbit lass, but your laughter sounds just as beautiful as does the lasses’ laugher at home!”