Four Calling Birds #4

Title:  "Bird Song"
Fandom:  Lord of The Rings
Characters:  Frodo and Pippin with mention of Sam
Rating:  very G
Brief Summary:  Sam has taught Pippin something new, but it doesn't seem to be going very well.

“Pippin, don’t cry,” Frodo said, sitting down beside of his little cousin.  Pippin instantly fell into his arms and began to cry even harder.  Frodo sighed and rubbed the child’s back in an effort to calm him down.

“I tried my hardest, Frodo,” Pippin said, between sobs.  “I did it just like Sam showed me.”

“You did what just like Sam showed you, Pippin?” Frodo asked the six-year-old.  “Pippin, what did you do?”

“I did all of them just like Sam does and it didn’t work,” Pippin sniffled and continued to cry on Frodo’s shoulder.

“Pippin what did Sam show you how to do?” Frodo asked.

The child pulled away from Frodo and sniffled again.  “He taught me how to call birds.”

“He did?” Frodo smiled.  “Sam knows quite a few bird calls.  What did he teach you?”

“Well, he taught me to do a sparrow,” Pippin mumbled, wiping his nose with his sleeve.

“Can you do it for me now?” Frodo asked, gently, handing his little cousin his handkerchief in the hopes of saving the shirtsleeve.

Pippin shook his head and looked at his toes while wiping his nose on the handkerchief.

“Well, did he teach you any others?” Frodo asked.

Pippin nodded but didn’t answer.

“Can you do one of them for me?” Frodo asked.  Pippin wasn’t usually this shy about showing off the things that he’d learned.  Something was wrong.

Pippin shook his head again and sniffled a bit more.  “I’m not any good at them.”

 “They do take practice, Pippin,” Frodo said, gently.  “Sam has been doing them for quite a while now and so naturally he is very good.  If he just taught them to you, then it may just take you a while to perfect them.  How many do you know?”

“Four,” Pippin managed. 

“Really?” Frodo asked.

“I know sparrows, robins, bobwhites, and a funny duck call,” Pippin said, sadly.

“Well, that’s very good for a little lad of only six,” Frodo praised him in the hopes of gaining a small smile.

“I do them all wrong,” Pippin sighed, and looked at Frodo through tear-filled eyes.  “I’ve been calling them all morning and none of them have come.  I really wanted to call some ducks.  I’ve fed them before and so I know they like me.”

“I’m afraid that there aren’t too many ducks around Bag End just now, Pippin,” Frodo said, gently.

“I can’t even get the sparrows to come and visit me and I know you have those,” Pippin said.  “Sam says those are all over the whole Shire.  He showed me some, but they won’t come to me.”  Pippin sniffled again.

Frodo held out his arms and let the little child lean into him.  This would take some explaining.  He picked Pippin up and started for the smial.  Maybe some biscuits and a cup of milk might help the situation.  It had often been said that this small child could charm the birds from the trees, but calling them seemed to be another matter.

The End

G.W.     12/29/2004