Of Endings, Happy and Sad

"…And they all lived happily ever after. The End." Frodo closed the book gently and set it on the bedside table before glancing over at his cousin.

Instead of finding Pippin asleep as he had hoped (and had rather expected after a long day of tramping through the fields, shouting and leaping around Bag End, and otherwise expelling enough energy and exuberance to have sent Frodo to bed hours before) he found his cousin wide awake and frowning in thought.

Frodo studied Pippin warily. Any attempt to engage Pippin in a conversation now would only serve to delay his bedtime even longer. Then again, if Pippin's questions were not answered, there would be no sleep for anyone tonight. "Is everything all right, Pippin?" he asked hesitantly.

"Well," Pippin replied, his eyes downcast. "I was just thinking that they didn't all live happily ever after. The dragon didn't."

Frodo hid a smile. His cousin was soft-hearted and always grew sad when something terrible happened in a story, even if it happened to a large and intimidating dragon. "That is true, Pippin. But the battle ended and there was peace throughout the land, and the prince married the princess. That is why the people were happy," he explained gently.

"I know," Pippin said, nodding sadly. "I just feel sorry for that poor dragon. It wasn't his fault he could breathe fire, and he wasn't mean like Smaug. He even helped save the princess from the goblin king." He looked up at his cousin. "It's just very sad, isn't it Frodo?"

"It is sad," Frodo replied. "Sometimes stories don't end happily for everyone involved, Pippin. But I think that the dragon would have been happy for the prince and princess, and would have wished them well."

"I think so too," Pippin said. "He did seem very nice." He snuggled close to his cousin and yawned. "Maybe you can tell me another story about that dragon before I go to sleep."

With a smile Frodo hugged Pippin tight. "All right," he agreed, tugging the blanket up to his cousin's chin. "Once upon a time…"