A/N: Written as a holiday ficlet for _insilence.

Whistling Lesson

Pippin wriggled with delight. He could hardly keep the grin off his face. For the first time ever, he was going to teach Merry something.

"I learned this from my da," he said proudly. "None of my sisters can do it, but I know you will, Merry. You can do everything."

Merry laughed. “Well, show me, then.”

Pippin cupped his hands tightly together so that his thumbs were lined up side by side. "First, put your hands like this, Merry."

Merry did as Pippin instructed, and then leaned over and peered closely at his cousin's hands for a long moment before studying his own. "All right," he said at last, after he had made some changes. "Now what?"

“That’s it!” Pippin said. He raised his clasped hands to his lips and blew; a deep, low whistle sounded. “It’s easy,” he added with a grin. “Now you try it, Merry.”

Merry mimicked what Pippin had done, but no whistle was heard, just the sound of air blowing against his hand. "It doesn't work," Merry said, frowning. "What did I do wrong?”

Pippin frowned as well, he could not imagine Merry doing anything wrong. It seemed that everything Merry did was always right.

"I don't know," Pippin said at last. He blew into his hands again, and an even clearer whistle sounded through the air. "Are you keeping your hands folded together?"

"Yes," Merry replied, but he checked his hands again just to be sure before trying once more. After several attempts he still could not manage a whistle. "Nothing," he said, leaning against the tree trunk with a disappointed sigh.

Sadly, Pippin stared down at his hands, still clasped together. He had failed, and it hardly seemed fair that he should continue whistling when Merry could not.

But Merry seemed to read his thoughts, and he nudged Pippin with his toe. "It's all right, Pip," he said, smiling. "I suppose I'm just not a very musical hobbit. But I would like to hear some more of your whistling. Do you know any songs?"

Pippin's eyes lit up. "I know lots of great songs, Merry!" he exclaimed with a grin. "Do you want to hear one of Bilbo's old ones? It goes like this…"