Title: The Way of Things

Theme: Set #1, Theme #18, “Gentle Heart”

Genre (s): Mild angst
Pairing (s): N/A

Rating: G
Notes: Frodo is 31; Sam, 19; Merry, 17; and Pippin is 9. ( 20, 12 ½, 11 and 5 ½ in Man years) Summary: Sam observes the cousins on a spring morning, during one of their annual visits to Bag End.

THE WAY OF THINGS

I’m thinning the spring onions in the vegetable beds, and watching Mr. Frodo and his cousins in the lower garden. He and Mr. Merry are sitting on the bench below the ash tree, talking, and Master Pippin’s playing about near the hedge. Suddenly, the little Took gives a cry, and picks something up from the ground.

I watch as Master Pippin runs up to his cousins, his dirty little face streaked with tears, and his hands cupped about something. Usually when he’s upset, he goes straight for Mr. Merry, but not this time--no, he runs to Mr. Frodo, to show him the little bird, a fledgling fallen from its nest, already dead.

Mr. Merry stands up, and puts his hand on little Master Pippin’s back, rubbing gently, but not sure what to say. He knows that pointing out it’s too late to do anything, and that it’s sometimes the way of things for the weak to die will be of no comfort to his young cousin. But he’s like me, of a practical turn of mind, and won’t find the words of comfort the lad needs, though he offers what he can.

Mr. Frodo, his eyes fill with tears as well. He takes the lad on his lap, and they look over the poor little creature together, and he gathers the child up, and murmurs just the right words of comfort as they weep together.

Mr. Frodo, he’s that gentle-hearted, and it looks like Master Pippin takes after him.