Part 3

Frodo had been very amused by the sign on his barn and even more amused when Pippin refused to allow him to enter.  Pippin had said he wanted the project to be a surprise and that he and Sam had a great deal to do before it would be ready for folks to see.  Pippin had said all of this in a very nervous chatter with a smile plastered on his face, which looked less than convincing.  Sam’s face had been unreadable for once.   Frodo almost always knew what Sam thought of something but as they walked across the garden to Bag End, Pippin chattering away, Frodo had not been able to figure out what was on Sam’s mind.

On the other hand, Frodo had very little trouble figuring out what was on Merry’s mind.  When the three of them entered the kitchen, all Frodo needed was one look at Merry’s scowl to know that second breakfast was not going to be a cheerful meal.  Merry was still angry over Pippin’s sign, Pippin was nervous, and Sam was, well, Sam was unreadable.

“It’s about time the three of you made it here,” Merry said, his voice reflecting his irritation.  “I had thought that I might have to start without you if I wanted to be finished in time for elevenses.”

“We’ve been ever so busy in the barn,” Pippin rattled as he sat in his usual seat next to Merry.  “There’ s a great deal to do and some of it takes quite a bit of time.  Carpentry is very hard work.”  Pippin stole a glance at Sam and then quickly looked at Merry.  “What will you be doing today?”

“Well, it won’t be carpentry and that is for certain,” Merry said.  “I had to do quite enough of that when I was your age.”

Pippin frowned.  He hated reminders that everyone else had already been through their lessons.  It was a sore trial to be the only one still required to take instruction.  Frodo sighed.  Merry always knew exactly what would annoy Pippin.  Pippin shifted a bit in his seat, sat up as straight as he could, but said nothing.

“I didn’t really enjoy it all that much at the time,” Merry said and took a bite of his toast.  “But everyone does have to learn how to use a hammer in case the need should arise.  It was simple enough and rather dull.  I’ve no desire to repeat the experience.”

“I kind of like building things,” Pippin said and he looked quickly at Sam again.  Frodo wondered what it was that Pippin thought Sam might say.  The lad was worried about something and it seemed to involve Sam.

“So how is the project coming along?” Frodo asked hoping that his interest might take Pippin’s mind off of whatever was making him nervous.

“Oh!  Just splendid, isn’t it, Sam?” Pippin said quickly and he looked at Sam eagerly.

“Things are movin’ right along,” Sam said easily. 

Merry snorted and said, “Have your hands full, do you Sam?”

Pippin blanched a bit but Sam said, “Master Pippin is doing right well and I always did enjoy workin’ with my hands a bit.”

“Well, don’t do it all for him or Mister Tunnely will notice for sure,” Merry advised with a slight smile.

“Master Pippin is doin’ all the work, Mister Merry,” Sam said calmly as Pippin looked down at his plate.  “I’m just givin’ him a pointer or two.  He’s a fast learner.”  Pippin’s head came up and he looked very grateful.

“Well, you’ve always had more patience than the rest of us, Sam,” Merry smiled.

“And more manners than some of us,” Frodo said, glaring at Merry who ignored him completely.  “More jam, Pippin?” Frodo asked, turning to look at his younger cousin.

“No thank you, Frodo,” Pippin murmured.  “I don’t think I really wanted any second breakfast.  I’m just going back out to the barn for a bit.”  He got up from the table and started for the door.  Frodo could see Sam tense as Pippin started out.

“I’ll be along directly, Master Pippin,” Sam assured him.  Frodo got the feeling that Sam wanted to say something more but held back.

Pippin looked at Sam as if he also expected there to be more but his thoughts were interrupted.

“Better eat something, Pip,” Merry said, although his own plate had hardly been touched.  “You’re in for a very long day.  Not as long as Sam’s, but long enough.”  Merry winked at Sam as if the two shared a jest of some sort and Sam’s frown deepened.

“Piss off, Merry!” Pippin shouted and slammed the door behind him so hard that the china rattled in the cabinet and Frodo’s own plate clattered a bit on the wooden table.

“Well, I wonder what’s got into him now?” Merry sighed, looking the picture of innocence.

Frodo and Sam both glared at Merry now.

“What?” Merry demanded returning their stares.

“Did you have to do that?” Frodo asked.

“Do what?” Merry asked.

“Tease him,” Frodo said.  “I have a feeling that he isn’t very sure of himself just now and it might have been important to him for you to show a bit of interest in his project rather than making nasty comments.”

“If he wanted me to show an interest in it, he could have let me see it earlier,” Merry said.  “Besides, he has Sam here to help him build whatever it is.  He doesn’t need any more support.”

“He always needs your support,” Frodo said with an angry edge to his voice.  “Sometimes I don’t understand why, but Pippin always values your opinion.”

“I offered to build it for him and he wasn’t interested in that,” Merry said becoming defensive and looking slightly guilty. “I’ve done all I can.  I’ll not hold his hand.  He’s not a faunt, you know.”

Sam stood and looked at Frodo.  His face was tight with the control that he was struggling to maintain.  “Mister Frodo, if it’d be all right, I’d like to fix up a basket ‘o food and take it out to the barn.  Master Pippin and I might just decide to work on through elevenses.”

“Of course, Sam,” Frodo agreed.  He stood and began to lay some toast on a clean serviette.  “The basket is on the bench in front of the window.  If you’ll get it then I will be happy to help you gather up some things for a small feast.”

“I guess that would be best, Sam.  Then you and Pippin wouldn’t have to bother with the rest of us,” Merry snapped as he stood quickly and left.  He went into the parlor muttering about how Sam was babying Pippin. 

“That one could do with a good, swift kick if you’ll pardon my sayin’ so, Mister Frodo,” Sam said as he retrieved the basket and placed it on the table.

Frodo smiled at his friend.  “I’ve thought as much myself, Sam,” Frodo agreed.  “He’s just a bit out of sorts.  He isn’t used to Pippin refusing to show him anything.  I believe he’s a bit jealous just now.”

“Well, all the same, he could use a good swift kick,” Sam said again. 

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Frodo said as he helped Sam pack up the basket.  “It may just come to that before the day is over.”  Frodo looked at Sam and asked, “How is Pippin doing, Sam?”

“He’s doin’ just fine,” Sam said evenly.  He wasn’t one to lie and especially to Mister Frodo, but he felt that he should keep Master Pippin’s troubles to himself for the time being.  After all, the lad had asked him not to tell that one incident with the nails and Sam certainly didn’t want to let Mister Merry over hear that there was any sort of trouble.

Frodo could tell that Sam was holding something back, but he let it go.  Sam was, very generously, helping Pippin with his project, and Frodo had no desire to interfere.  “Try to get Pippin to eat a bit more if you can,” Frodo said as he handed Sam the basket.  “I’ve put several boiled eggs in there and Pippin really enjoys those.”

 Sam took the basket and nodded.  “I’ll see to it,” he said.

_______________________________________

“You are acting like a spoiled child, Meriadoc,” Frodo said sternly as he entered the parlor.  He had cleaned up the breakfast mess so that he might calm down a bit before facing Merry.  He didn’t want to say anything in anger, well, at least not that much anger.  It had been a very long time since he’d been this upset with Merry for anything.  Merry was usually so supportive of Pippin.  In fact, sometimes Merry was the only one who could see past some of Pippin’s disasters to the true effort that had gone into them.  Pippin’s intentions were nearly always good but the results of his labors weren’t always pleasant.

“Oh you think so, do you?” Merry asked as he paced the length of Bag End’s front parlor.  “You think I’m acting like a spoiled child, do you?”

“That is exactly what I think and it is what I am likely to think until you quit pouting over this business with Pippin’s carpentry project,” Frodo said wishing Merry would stop pacing.  It was difficult to make your point with eye contact if the eyes weren’t ever in the same place.

“Think what you like, Cousin,” Merry said as he passed.  “I’m not the one barricading the barn shut and hiding things in it like a guilty five-year-old.”  Merry paused and looked at Frodo.  “Has it occurred to you that Pippin has mucked up something in the barn and is trying to fix it before you see it?”

It hadn’t occurred to Frodo until Merry brought it up, but now it began to gnaw at the back of his mind.  After all, there was something that Sam wasn’t saying about all of this.  Frodo had put that up to manners.  Sam hadn’t wanted to tell Merry what he thought of his behavior at second breakfast or maybe Pippin had sworn Sam to secrecy about something.  Now Merry’s idea was taking hold and pushing the others out of the way.  “I am sure that if anything were amiss with my barn, Sam would let me know about it,” Frodo said.

“Why are you putting up with this?” Merry asked.

“With what?” Frodo asked.

“Well, why are you letting Pippin take these lessons here?” Merry asked.  “Shouldn’t Uncle Paladin deal with the damages?”

“I am allowing Pippin to take lessons here for three reasons,” Frodo said.  “First I didn’t want him to have to spend his entire summer at home on the farm.  I wanted him to be able to enjoy himself a bit.  I knew if he were at home he would have only his sisters for company and when he wasn’t taking lessons, he would most likely be doing chores.”

“That might not hurt him,” Merry snorted.

“Second,” Frodo said, ignoring Merry’s interruption.  “Mister Tunnely lives here in Hobbiton and this is more convenient for him.  He isn’t as young as he used to be and I suspect that Paladin wouldn’t have been able to lure him out to Whitwell for the summer.  This was easier for Mister Tunnely.”

“Uncle Paladin must have thought so too,” Merry said.  “His barns are safe.”

Frodo clenched his fists and continued.  “And third, I thought that both you and Pippin would enjoy each other’s company when Pippin wasn’t busy with his lessons.  I thought it would please both of you.”

Merry frowned and turned quickly away from Frodo.  This had struck a nerve.

“I actually thought that you might be good for Pippin’s self-confidence,” Frodo said.  “The lad seems a bit shaky this summer.  I suspect it’s the lessons since I am also tutoring him in writing, which isn’t coming along as well as his father might have wanted.  He probably feels as if all of us are criticizing him about everything these days even though all we are doing is helping him with his education.  I thought you might be able to ease the sting of it all by providing some encouragement or, at the very least, some companionship during the time that Pippin isn’t studying.”

“Why does everyone always expect me to hold his hand?” Merry demanded but Frodo could see that Merry felt a bit guilty about his behavior.  No one else would have noticed it, but Frodo knew Merry quite well and he knew the signs.  “I am not his keeper.”

“No, you are his older cousin and he adores you for some odd reason,” Frodo said.  “You are also responsible for this misconception on the part of others, Merry.”

“How?” Merry asked.

“You’ve led everyone to believe that you are very fond of Pippin,” Frodo said softly.

Merry sighed.  “He grows on you,” Merry said leaving all pretence behind.  “I don’t know why exactly, but he just does.”

“Younger cousins have a way of doing that even if you don’t intend it,” Frodo said smiling at Merry and remembering a certain tiny Brandybuck who had charmed a certain young Baggins many years ago.  Even now, Frodo found it difficult to be as angry at Merry as he should be.  After all, this was Merry, his adored younger cousin.

_________________________________________

Sam sat the basket down on a barrel in the barn.  “I fixed us a picnic for the rest ‘o the mornin’,” Sam said. 

Pippin was lining up some nails on the worktable as if this were something that needed doing.  He didn’t look up.  he just continued to make a long, neat, row of them.  “Thank you for not telling them,” he said.

“Not telling them what?” Sam asked.

“How terrible I am at all of this,” Pippin said as he placed the next nail in the growing line.

“You asked me not to tell Mister Merry that you’d nailed your shirt to the table and so I didn’t,” Sam said.  “And I wouldn’t say you were doin’ terrible at this, Master Pippin.”

“That’s only because you’re too nice to say that sort of thing,” Pippin said.  Another nail joined the others in the long row.  “You’re always nice.  How do you manage that?”

Sam chuckled at the question.  “I ain’t always nice but I do try not to make trouble around here.  I do work for Mister Frodo and he’s always been nice to me.  He’s even been a friend to me and I don’t want to do anything to spoil that if you take my meaning.”

“Oh, you could never spoil that,” Pippin said looking at Sam.  “Frodo is always talking about what a great friend you are.  I don’t believe that he thinks of you as someone who works for him at all.  I think he just likes having your friendship.”

Sam blushed and looked at his hands.  “That’s a right nice thing to say, Master Pippin, but all the same, I am Mister Frodo’s gardener.”

“And his friend,” Pippin said stubbornly.  “And you’ve been a good friend to me today too, Sam.”

Sam blushed brighter and said; “Mister Frodo put some boiled eggs in that basket just for you.  You might want to have one or two so’s he don’t worry that you’ve not eat proper.”  He really did need to change the subject before his embarrassment got the better of him.

“I’m too angry to eat just now,” Pippin said returning to his nails.

“What are you angry about?” Sam asked even though he knew the answer.

“I hate Merry,” Pippin said.

“I don’t suspect that you hate him, Master Pippin,” Sam said gently.

“Well, you’d be wrong about that,” Pippin said.  “Merry thinks he’s perfect.  He thinks he knows how to do everything and that he never needs help or makes any mistakes.  He thinks he’s so much smarter than me!”

“He thinks that, or you think that?” Sam asked.

Pippin swallowed.  “Maybe I think it sometimes but only because he’s older,” Pippin said taking his hand and messing up his line of nails on the table.  “He’s just older is all.”

“You can’t measure yourself against others, Master Pippin,” Sam said.  “My Gaffer says that everyone is different and all ‘o us just have to be the best at what we’re able to do and leave the rest to others.”

“Then I had best sit down in a corner and leave everything to everyone else,” Pippin sighed.  “I’m not terribly good at anything.”

Sam sighed.  Teens were so emotional and so sensitive.  Master Pippin’s feelings were hurt.  “You can’t be good at things unless you work at ‘em and you and me are goin’ to work at makin’ you a good carpenter.”

Pippin smiled a bit.  “You still want to help me with this?”

“I do and I expect this to be the finest wheelbarrow in the Shire when it’s done,” Sam said.

“Then maybe I will have an egg or two before we start again," Pippin grinned.