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If I had a Hammer  by Grey Wonderer

Part 9

From his vantage point high in the old apple tree, Pippin watched Merry approach the barn door. He suspected that Merry was probably looking for him but he didn’t care. He sat very still on the high branch hidden among the thick crown of leaves that covered the tree. Merry wouldn’t think to look for him here. This had been his hiding place when he was little and now that he was older he very rarely hid up here. He listened as Merry knocked on the barn doors and called, "Pippin? Pip, Frodo would like to see you in the kitchen for a minute." Merry paused and then knocked louder. "Pippin? Are you in there, Pippin?"

Pippin waited to see if Merry would ignore his sign that was still hanging on the barn door and go on in. He frowned. Pippin hadn’t remembered to cover up his work this time when he’d left. He’d been too excited about getting some shellac and finishing the painting as a surprise for Sam and so he was sure that he hadn’t remembered to cover up the work area. If Merry did decide to go in then he would probably see what Pippin was working on. A few hours ago this would have caused Pippin to scramble down from his hiding place so that he could keep Merry from entering the barn but now it really didn’t seem to matter much. Pippin had already decided that he wasn’t going to finish the wheelbarrow anyway so there would be no harm in Merry seeing what there was to see.

"Peregrin Took, are you in that barn?" Merry’s voice rang out. "Either answer me or I am coming in and get you myself! Frodo wants you in the kitchen right now." Merry kicked the door with his foot and waited.

Pippin reached into his trouser pocket and removed the tiny, perfect wheel. He had put the little wooden wheel in there before leaving for town. He thought that he might be asked about the sort of wood that he was wanting the shellac for and so he had brought the little wheel that he and Sam had made with the wheelwright’s traveler as an example of the wood. Well, that wasn’t strictly true. He had brought the little wheel because he liked it and because he’d been proud of the way that it had turned out. He had also been pleased that Sam had agreed to his plan to put two extra wheels on the wheelbarrow. This tiny wheel was one of the extra ones and Pippin had imagined himself in the shop in town asking for the shellac.

"I’d like to purchase some shellac please."

"Well, what are you planning on finishing with it," the shopkeeper would have said. "It can make a difference. I’d need to know what kind of wood you’re using and what you’re building if I’m to get you the proper sort of shellac for the job."

That would have been Pippin’s opportunity right there. He would have reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out this little wheel that he now held in his hand and laid it down on the counter in front of the shopkeeper. He would have let the shopkeeper admire it for a minute and then he would have said, "I’m building a wheelbarrow and it is made from the same wood as this wheel. I need something that will protect the wheelbarrow from the weather as I plan to use it a great deal and I want it to last a very long time."

The shop keeper would have held the wheel up and said something like, "This is a fine wheel. If the rest of your wheelbarrow is a finely crafted as this little wheel then this must be an amazing wheelbarrow."

Pippin had envisioned himself grinning proudly and thanking the shopkeeper for his praise. "It is actually the first thing that I’ve ever built but it is going quite well. In fact, I do believe that I have a natural talent for carpentry. I’m taking instruction from Mister Tunnely. Maybe you know him. He’s taught all of the best carpenters in this area."

But now, Pippin wasn’t being instructed by the famous Mister Tunnely anymore. Now, Mister Tunnely thought that he was a hopeless cause. Mister Tunnely didn’t think that Pippin was bright enough to build a wheelbarrow or anything else. What was it Mister Tunnely had told him? Ah, yes, he remembered now. "You couldn’t build a box without killing yourself!" That was it. Natural talent for carpentry indeed! Pippin didn’t have any natural talent at all unless it was a natural talent for disaster. He had that all right.

Far below the tree Pippin could see Merry heading back toward Bag End. Merry hadn’t gone into the barn or even opened the door a tiny crack. Merry probably wasn’t all that interested in what Pippin was building to begin with. Whatever Pippin managed to build, he knew that Merry could build one twice as good in half the time. Merry wouldn’t have needed any help at all. Merry was good at everything. That was what it came down to. Merry was just good at everything.

Pippin ran a finger over the edge of the tiny wheel and sighed. There wasn’t anything that Merry couldn’t do. Pippin could remember everyone bragging on Merry’s writing. Merry didn’t have to have extra practice with Frodo or anyone else. Merry was even asked to help with lettering on things that needed to look especially nice. Merry never had to spend hours and hours of his summer trying to keep from getting ink blots on his parchment!

Pippin frowned down at Merry who was walking underneath the tree and tried to think of something that Merry couldn’t do well. Nothing would come to him and Pippin guessed that this was because Merry was really good at everything. The only hobbit in the Shire more talented at more things than Merry was Frodo!

Pippin let a tiny sigh escape as Merry moved out of view. Why didn’t he have any clumsy, unintelligent, older cousins? Why was everyone in his family talented except for him? Even his older sisters were talented. In fact, Nell had always been faster at running and able to throw better than Pippin. She was a lass! Pervinca was considered to be one of the finest seamstresses for a hobbit of her age. Folks came by Whitwell to ask if Pearl would embroider things for them and they actually paid her to do it! No one ever came by the farm and asked Pippin to do anything for them except, "Lad, would you see if your father is home?" or "Get out of the way, Pippin. We’re busy here." or "Help me carry this out to the cart, Pippin." Maybe that was his lot in life. Maybe he would just be the sort of hobbit that carried things for more talented hobbits. Someday when he was grown he’d probably be lucky if Merry or Frodo kept him around to load their wagons for them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"He wasn’t in the barn, Frodo," Merry said as he entered the parlor. "I threatened to come in and look around and so I know if he’d been in there, he would have answered me in order to keep me out." Merry sighed and shook his head. "I can’t get used to Pippin not wanting me around but I suppose it comes in handy when I am trying to locate him. He would have been quick to answer just keep me from seeing his secret project."

Frodo was sitting in his favorite reading chair by the fire. He looked up at Merry and wordlessly handed him a piece of parchment. Merry took it and unfolded it. He read it.

Frodo,

I’m hungry and you aren’t here and so I am going to the bake shop in Hobbiton and get something to eat. I won’t be gone long. Keep Merry out of the barn while I’m gone. Oh, and I don’t think this will count as wandering off, which you told me not to do, because I’m not wandering at all. I know where I am going and so I won’t be wandering around any. Also this note tells you where I am so you won’t worry.

Besides, I’m old enough to go to town on my own now.

Pippin

Merry groaned. "You don’t think anyone said anything do you?"

Frodo looked up at his younger cousin and said, "Merry, what do folks in Hobbiton enjoy doing almost as much as they enjoy eating?"

"Spreading the news," Merry said glumly. "They all enjoy telling what they know and where and how they heard it."

"I suspect that Pippin has heard everything that went on in The Ivy Bush from several folks by now," Frodo said. "I would also venture to guess that Pippin has heard things that didn’t go on in The Ivy Busy. You know how folks love to put in little touches to make the story more entertaining. By now, there is probably a version of what happened that has me beating the daylights out of Mister Tunnely while you held off several concerned town’s folk and the Gaffer sent for the Shirriffs."

"That was the version that I was hoping for," Merry said.

Frodo frowned. "That would not have solved anything at all, Merry."

"I think I would feel better," Merry said. "It might have solved that problem."

"Well, there are more pressing matters just now," Frodo said. "I have to figure out what I am going to say to Pippin and exactly how to say it."

"You’ll have to find him first," Merry said.

"Maybe I should give him a little time to come back on his own," Frodo said considering things. "Pippin might need some time to himself."

"Well, there are only a couple of places that he might be anyway so it won’t be too hard to locate him when you decide that it’s time," Merry said looking down at the note in his hands. "He’s fairly easy to find because he always hides in the same places."

"Well, we’ll just give him some time on his own," Frodo repeated. "Maybe he will think things through and come in on his own."

"Maybe," Merry said. "But don’t count on that one."

Frodo looked up at Merry again. "Sit down, Merry. I think that you and I had better have a talk before Pippin comes back."

Merry sat down on the sofa. "What do you want to talk about, Cousin? If you are wanting to tell me to be supportive when we talk to Pippin then you need not bother. I know that already. I will be very supportive."

"That isn’t exactly it, Merry," Frodo said.

"What then?" Merry asked puzzled.

"I want to ask you to do me a favor," Frodo said.

"What’s that?" Merry asked still not sure what was coming.

"I think that it might be best if I talked to Pippin alone this time," Frodo said.

"Why would you think that?" Merry frowned.

"Because Pippin is most likely going to be embarrassed and hurt by what has happened and it might be better if you weren’t around," Frodo said gently.

Merry scowled. "I’ve been looking out for Pippin for ages! I wouldn’t say anything to upset him. How can you think that? I think that what Mister Tunnely did was terribly! I wouldn’t say anything to hurt Pip."

"I don’t think you would say anything to hurt him," Frodo said trying to defuse Merry’s growing anger. "But I think that Pippin would prefer that you not be present for this discussion."

Merry’s mouth fell open and he gaped at Frodo. "Pippin may be a bit put out with me just now but when someone hurts his feelings or upsets him, he always comes looking for me. How will it seem to him if I just go off?"

"Merry, Pippin is going through a rather difficult time right now and sadly, you are part of the problem," Frodo said quietly.

"I’m part of the problem?" Merry objected. "How do you reason that one out?"

"Pippin looks up to you, Merry," Frodo said. "He wants to be like you and he is trying very hard to grow up this summer. You are older and you are very good at all of the things that Pippin is struggling with. I think Pippin is feeling a bit resentful."

"How can he resent me for being good at something?" Merry demanded. "Would he like me better just now if I were a complete failure?"

"Just now, I think that he would," Frodo said with a small smile. "I think he would like it just fine if you were a bit less perfect about now."

Merry stood up. "What am I suppose to do about that?" he asked.

Frodo tried hard not to smirk as Merry stood there looking as if there was no way to find a single flaw with himself. "You are supposed to let me handle this so that Pippin won’t have the additional embarrassment of having his, nearly perfect older cousin around while we discuss this recent set back with Mister Tunnely."

"So, I am just to act as if I don’t care that Mister Tunnely treated Pippin badly?" Merry asked.

"Of course not," Frodo said. "But it would be good if you were to make yourself a bit scarce while I talk to Pippin."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Maybe I’ll get my pack and go off adventuring like Bilbo did, Pippin thought. Maybe I’ll just find a good walking stick, load my pack and trudge off in search of new places. Pippin sighed deeply. That would work out really well until I got hopelessly lost and someone, probably Merry, had to come and find me.

Pippin held the tiny wheel up and let the sunlight filter through the spokes. He remembered that Merry had built a perfect cart one summer when they had both been little. They had been at Brandy Hall and Merry had just simply decided to build a cart. He’d just made up his mind to build it and then he had built it! No one showed him how. No one helped him. Merry had just built it. Pippin remembered how the older lads had been afraid to ride in it thinking that it wouldn’t make it down the hill. Pippin had been proud of Merry’s cart and he had not been afraid at all. He had known that the cart would work because EVERYTHING that Merry built worked.

Merry had taken the cart up on a hill above Brandy Hall and had offered the other lads a chance to ride down with him. When they had all turned cowardly, Pippin had quickly jumped into the back of the cart as it rolled down the hill. Merry and the others had thought that he was too little to ride, but he hadn’t listened to them and he had ridden down the hill in the cart with Merry. It had been glorious! Pippin looked at the little wheel that had been so difficult to make even with Sam’s help and sighed. Merry had made four perfect wheels and put them on that cart all by himself!

Pippin could hear a door slam and then he heard someone moving through the grass. He sat very still and waited. Someone was coming. Suddenly Merry came into view again. Frodo must have sent him back to the barn to try again. Pippin watched as Merry walked over and sat down at the base of the tree. Pippin gripped the little wheel tightly so that it wouldn’t slip from his fingers and fall on Merry. Below him he could hear Merry talking to himself.

"I think you should make yourself scarce, Merry. I think that it would be best if I talked to him alone, Merry. Get lost, Merry." Merry leaned his back against the tree and pulled up a handful of grass. "Just who was it that decreed that Frodo Baggins was King of the Shire? Who put him in charge? Why is it that he calls all of the shots and makes all of the decisions?"

Pippin found this one-sided discussion very interesting. So interesting that he was forgetting to feel sorry for himself for the moment. He leaned forward on the branch a bit and settled himself so that he might hear better.

"You can come with me to see Mister Tunnely, Merry but you are not to say anything. Let me, the great and powerful Frodo Baggins, do all of the talking! Don’t say anything at all, Merry because whatever you say, it is most likely that it will not be as important or as wise as the words that spring from the mind of Frodo the Great!" Merry said tossing an apple core away from the tree in the direction of Bag End.

Pippin wondered what Merry was so angry about. It sounded as if it had something to do with Mister Tunnely but it mostly seemed as if Merry was angry at Frodo for some reason. Pippin wondered what Frodo might have done. Merry certainly was upset.

Merry picked up a second apple core that was lying near his feet and said in a mocking tone, "I will handle everything because I am older, wiser, and far more intelligent. Who knows? I might have to speak a bit of Elvish to get the job done and we both know that you can’t speak Elvish, Merry. I can though. I can speak several different dialects of Elvish. I can also write in Elvish, Merry and so naturally, Mister Tunnely will respect me more than he will respect you."

Pippin wrinkled his nose a bit. Why would Frodo want to speak Elvish to Mister Tunnely? Did Mister Tunnely speak Elvish? Did Frodo have long conversations in Elvish with Mister Tunnely and was that why Mister Tunnely had agreed to try and teach Pippin carpentry? What was a dialect?

"Merry, you just get out of the way for as long as possible and I’ll speak to Pippin too. Maybe Pippin would like to hear me recite some poetry while I am explaining to him what happened to his carpentry lessons! Yes, that might ease the blow of losing his instructor! I’ll read him a poem that I wrote myself and that will make everything right. You go on outside and lurk about there, Merry so that you won’t be in the way or say the wrong thing." Merry hurled the second apple core off toward Bag End again and reached over and picked up a third one.

Pippin didn’t think that he would feel any better about Mister Tunnely quitting or about Mister Tunnely thinking that he was an idiot just because Frodo read him a poem. Was Frodo thinking of doing that? What poem did you read to someone who had recently been branded the village idiot because of an incident involving a hammer? Was there a poem for that? Was it in Elvish? Do Elves have hammers?

Merry tossed the apple core away and said in a humble voice, "I’ll get out of your way, oh great and powerful Mister Frodo Baggins! I wouldn’t want to mess anything up for you. I know I’m not as intelligent as you are and that I only speak one language and that I don’t even speak that language as well as you do. I’m not fit to grovel at your feet."

Pippin bit his lip to keep from snickering. Merry was very amusing when he ranted and especially if he didn’t know that anyone was listening.

Merry stood and kicked an apple core away from the bottom of the tree and said, in an exaggerated impersonation of Frodo, "Don’t worry Merry. Not everyone can be as clever as I am. It isn’t your fault that you aren’t me. Not everyone can be me. You just go outside and I will take care of everything just like I always do! Pippin will listen to me and he will understand everything. He will actually be grateful that I ran you off before I talked to him about this matter. I have a much better understanding of what younger hobbits need to hear than you do."

Pippin’s eyes were twinkling and he was having trouble trying not to laugh. He also hoped that Merry was not going to go away. This was rather entertaining. It was almost like spending time with Merry the way he used to before things had got all muddled up. It was like it used to be but wasn’t anymore.

Merry bent over, picked up an apple that only had one bite gone from it and tossed it into the air and caught it. In a spot on impression of Pippin, Merry said, "I’m so glad that you ran Merry off, Frodo! I have never liked talking to him. He’s not as intelligent as you are and he’s a bit of a snot just lately. He never knows how to solve my problems or says anything helpful. If it weren’t for you, Frodo, I would have no one to count on. I might have to spend all of my childhood sitting up in your apple tree eating all of your apples and listening to Merry whine."

Pippin gulped and nearly fell from the branch. Below him, Merry looked up and their eyes met. "You didn’t finish this one," Merry said holding up the apple. "Is there a worm in it or something?"

~~~~~~~~

 The story that Pippin remembers about the time that Merry built a cart is from a chapter in "Trust a Brandybuck and A Took" called "The Cart" (original title isn't it?).  Here's the link to that one if you're interested.  _GW      09/24/2005

http://www.storiesofarda.com/chapterview.asp?sid=2364&cid=9533





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