Chapter 25. In which all is definitely well that ends well

'And that's the end of it.'

There was a general sigh all around, and then the old man said, 'All's well that ends well, as they say.'

'And they all got up out of their beds next day, and did the same again, or so all the nursery tales go,' Pippin said with a stretch and a yawn that had him fumbling to catch his pipe as it fell from his mouth. He lifted it again, drew on it, only to find it had gone out some time before.

'Yes, nursery tales,' Pimpernel said, fixing him with a stern look. 'And from the look of you, baby brother, it's about time the tale ended and little hobbits took themselves off to bed!'

During the general laugh that followed, Ferdibrand leapt to his feet and extended a courteous hand to his wife. 'I can take a hint,' he said. 'I'm off to seek my pillow before she turns a gimbled eye my way!'

'Ferdi!' Pimpernel reproached, and her husband was all solicitousness as he helped her to her feet and turned her toward their waiting blankets.

'Off to bed with you now, Farry,' Pippin said to Faramir, who was blinking away sleep, though he'd managed to stay awake through the end of the story. 'I'll be along shortly.'

Bergil's eyes met the King's keen gaze, and he nodded in reply to Elessar's unspoken thought, and stood straighter, for he'd leaned against a sturdy tree to listen. He would make the rounds a last time, make sure the changing of the night watch had gone smoothly, before seeking his own bedroll.

Pimpernel came hurrying back. 'Ferdi's singing a back-to-sleep song,' she said a little breathlessly. 'It seems one of us stumbled over the feet of the littlest on our way to our pillows...'

'And you forgot something?' Pippin said. 'Or simply wanted to make sure Baby Brother didn't linger too long?'

'Hah,' Pimpernel said. Her grim gaze went from Pippin to Merry and back again. 'I had a little piece of unfinished business!'

'Did you, now?' Pippin began, but Pimpernel shook her finger in his face. She had the advantage, standing over him as she was, while he still reclined on the ground, pipe in hand.

'None of your sauce,' she said, much as if he were a tween needing training up.

'Nor you, either,' she added, swinging to stare down at Merry, whose mouth was opened though no words had yet had the chance to emerge.

'I wouldn't think of it,' Pippin said, putting pipe down and hastily raising both hands in his best placating manner.

'Hah!' Pimpernel repeated, clearly not convinced. She put her hands on her hips and stared back and forth between younger brother and cousin. 'Don't you dare think of it!' She rightly read Merry's puzzled look. 'And don't play Innocence with me! If I hear one word of your making sport of my dearest and his special blanket... He was only just out of faunthood at the time!'

'I wouldn't think of it,' Merry echoed Pippin. The eyes of the two met, and they shrugged at the same time, and then looked back to Pimpernel.

'See that you don't!' she ordered, and then picking up her skirts she hurried back before Ferdi should miss her.

'Who needs a special blanket when he has a Nell of his own?' Pippin said, at his most whimsical, and Merry chuckled.

'And so you have it,' he said, turning to Jack. 'And as you see, elder sisters can be quite as fearsome as Orcs, or even more so.'

'Into perpetuity,' the old man said, nodding agreement. 'But I should like to know...'

The King laughed. 'Pippin called you “a proper hobbit” and I can certainly see why! The two of you are cut from one cloth.'

'Only one “but” shall I allow this night,' Pippin said, affecting a wizardly tone and somehow making his eyebrows bristle as he spoke.

'What was Bilbo's surprise?' Jack said. 'All my questions have been answered, but that one. 'Twas said he was well pleased with himself, upon arriving, before news of the young hobbits' drowning shattered the pleasant anticipation... What were the wonders in his large bag, that he intended to produce, much as a conjurer might?'

'Trust a conjurer to wonder such a thing,' Pippin said, but then he began to laugh, and Merry joined in.

'What was it?' young Robin said, now wide awake, though he, like Farry, had been fighting sleep during the last part of the story.

At last, Pippin regained enough breath to tell. 'Though I hadn't heard that story of the wandering young hobbits, Bilbo's magickal bag was spoken of for years after! I certainly heard of that!'

'Ah,' Jack said. He did like to hear of "magickal bags" having plied one of his own for so many years.

'Bilbo had stopped in the market at Waymoot,' Pippin said. 'And you know how he was, about a pretty face. Always giving away handfuls of sweets to little ones with large and wondering eyes, he was, and if he saw a woebegone maiden, why... he would mount his bright charger, in a manner of speaking, take up sword and shield and slay any dragons that presented themselves.'

'I don't quite follow,' Jack said.

'Not many people do,' Merry said, with an elbow for Pippin's ribs. 'If Ferdi were still here, it would be time for him to speak his usual, “None of your nonsense, now, Pip” and I must say, I'm tempted to follow his example!'

'There was a down-cast maiden in the market, you see,' Pippin said. 'Frodo and Bilbo walked past her stand after meeting Paladin at the market, and arranging to ride with him to the farm.'

'A down-cast maiden,' Jack said. 'Sounds as if another story is in the offering.'

'It's an old story,' Pippin said with a chuckle. 'Her table was full, and her old gaffer had told her she couldn't go off with her sweetheart on a picnic until she'd sold all.'

'And so...?'

'And so Bilbo bought it. Bought it all,' Pippin said.

'Bought what all?' Jack wanted to know.

'Well,' Pippin said, examining his pipe. 'Her family were weavers...'

'Not just weavers,' Merry reminded.

'Not just,' Pippin agreed, 'but weavers of fine fabric—ribbons, for one thing.'

'And lacemakers,' Merry put in. 'Fine lace, yards and yards of it...'

'Fripperies, and furbelows,' Pippin said, 'the way I heard it told, Bilbo pulled one thing after another out of his magical bag, until it seemed as if the world would end before the supply of dainties...!'