“Leaving Home’

Frodo at age nine

The Wizard peered though the trees at the small hobbit that was standing in the clearing with a large piece of parchment in his hands. Hobbits were very entertaining and today seemed to be a fine day for adventure among the little folk. The Wizard had already seen several hobbits engaged in one activity or another. He was on his way to visit his dear friend, Bilbo Baggins but he supposed that he could make time to satisfy his curiosity. Bilbo wasn’t expecting him really. There was no danger of his being late. He watched as the child peered at the parchment intently. The lad didn’t look old enough to read really but sometimes even after all of these years he still had trouble telling the ages of Hobbits.

They were a merry folk and even the elder ones looked young of face when they smiled. This was a child but the Wizard wasn’t certain what age the child might be. He was tall but he was slight. The hair was very dark and he was well dressed for a youngster at play. This lad must be gentry or perhaps a child on his way to a special event.

Careful not to startle the child, the Wizard walked slowly over and knelt down so as not to look too imposing. Most hobbit children were more curious than they were frightened by him. It was rare for him to find a child that actually ran away in fright. Some hid behind trees or parents and peered at him but eventually they all came over to see the grey giant. Hobbit children were very trusting for the most part and because they had lived for so long in peace they didn’t really consider that one of the big folk might mean them harm unless they had been schooled by their parents to think this way.

This lad was so engrossed in his parchment that he didn’t even look up when the Wizard addressed him. “What have you got there, my lad?”

“My map,” the child said still puzzling over it.

“Are you going somewhere?” the Wizard asked with a slight chuckle in his voice. Hobbits didn’t really go anyway most of the time unless they were uncommonly adventurous.

“I’m going to Dale,” the child announced and he looked over at the Wizard then his bright blue eyes dancing with excitement. “I’ve made a map and I plan to go to Dale and visit with the Dwarves and bring back all sorts of things.” The child’s voice and manner made him seem older than the Wizard had suspected.

“How old are you?” the Wizard asked looking at those blue eyes and wondering if perhaps this child had some elvish blood within him. The eyes were not at all hobbit eyes. There was a light to this one that spoke of the fair folk.

“I’m nine,” the lad proclaimed. “I’ll be ten in a while.”

“I see. Isn’t that a trifle young to be going off to Dale on your own?” the Wizard asked lifting his bushy eyebrows with the question. It was also a trifle young to be reading and writing so well. Hobbit children often did not become well schooled in reading and writing until they were twelve or so and some Hobbits chose not to learn at all.

“I have this map that I made,” the lad said ignoring the question in favor of different information. “I copied it from my older cousin Bilbo’s maps.”

Ah, now it made sense. This was one of Bilbo’s relations. That explained the adventurous nature as well as the interest in maps. Most hobbits were not keen on maps unless they were detailed maps of the Shire proper. “So you made this map yourself?”

“I did,” the child grinned proudly and he proceeded to stretch it out on the ground at their feet for the Wizard’s inspection. “See, there’d the border of the Shire and that’s the road to Bree and that, way over there is the Misty Mountains. My cousin, Bilbo saw those when he traveled with the Dwarves.”

“This is very good indeed,” the Wizard said and it was a very passable map. It was quite detailed. “That must be the stone trolls there,” the Wizard said pointing to the place on the map.

“It is!” the child said delighted that his new friend had recognized one of his favorite portions of the map. “Do you know the story of the stone trolls?”

“I do,” the Wizard replied.

The lad studied him and then suddenly he said, “Frodo Baggins at your service and at your family’s service.”

“And I am at your family’s service also. I am Gandalf,” the Wizard said.

The lad’s eyes shone and he said, “You’re Bilbo’s friend! You are the Wizard that went on Bilbo’s adventure. I’ve seen you before.”

“You have?” This surprised Gandalf, as he was certain he would have recalled this bright-eyed child is he had ever met him before.

“I saw you talking to Bilbo once in his kitchen when I was very small,” Frodo smiled. “I was hiding under the table.”

“You must be excellent at hiding because I don’t recall seeing you,” Gandalf said.

“You didn’t but I saw you. You weren’t wearing your hat,” the child observed. “But you looked much the same as you do now so I am certain that it was you.”

“It must have been,” Gandalf said with a chuckle. There was more to this hobbit than others might know or expect. This lad was quite uncommon. Gandalf turned his attention to the map again and he said, “When do you leave for Dale?”

“Well, I was going to go today but I think there are a few things missing on this map,” Frodo frowned. “I think I’ve left some of the roads out and I have forgot to mark the way to Beorn’s home. I’ll need to stop there if I am to make it to Dale.”

“Yes, you would be most welcome in Beorn’s home,” Gandalf smiled. “He was very fond of Bilbo and as soon as he knew that you were one of Bilbo’s relations then I am quite certain that he would welcome your visit.”

“But I must get there before dark and I mustn’t bring a great many Dwarves with me all at once. If I do have Dwarves with me and I might meet a few along the way, then I must bring then in a few at a time,” Frodo said.

Gandalf chuckled. The child knew Bilbo’s tale very well indeed. This youngster was a scholar in the making it seemed. This child was ready for adventure so there must be more than a bit of Took blood in this child. Gandalf decided to ask about that indirectly. “Who are your parents, lad?”

“My father is Drogo Baggins and my mother is Primula Brandybuck Baggins,” Frodo said proudly.

“I see,” Gandalf nodded thoughtfully. This was that uncommon mixture of Brandybuck logic, Baggins stubbornness, and Tookish adventure. The Took blood was from Bilbo’s side of things as well as from Primula’s mother. There would be plenty of adventure in this one with enough logic to keep him well grounded and enough Baggins stubbornness to keep him determined to see things through to the end. This was indeed a very uncommon hobbit child. “I know your family well.”

“Since you were there, can you help me with my map?” Frodo asked. “Bilbo is in Hobbiton and I’m here in Buckland and so I can’t get a look at his maps just now. The trip to Hobbiton isn’t on my way to Dale or I would stop in and fix the map and have tea with Bilbo.”

The Wizard nodded. Tea with Bilbo would be interesting. When he saw Bilbo he would have to tell him about this encounter with young Frodo Baggins and his map. “I might be of some use to you with your map,” Gandalf said. “Have you prepared for your trip in other ways?”

Frodo’s face shone now. “I have my pack ready. I’ve two clean changes of clothing, mum says clean clothing is very important.”

“Quite right.”

“I have bread and cheese and apples and mushrooms. I have a knife. I have flint and a couple of candles. I have my bedroll and my coat. I don’t need my coat now but by the end of the journey I shall be glad to have it.”

“Yes, I suspect that is so.”

“I have a real spy glass like the ones used on ships that Bilbo gave me for my ninth birthday and my money and this map of course.” Frodo waited for the Wizard’s approval of his packing.

“Very well thought out,” Gandalf said and watched the smile widen on the child’s face. “No biscuits?”

Frodo frowned. “I did have but I’ve eaten them on the way here from my home,” he said looking slightly distressed by this. “Biscuits don’t last very long do they?”

“Not in the company of hobbits,” Gandalf smiled. “I suppose that you might manage without them since you haven’t any at present.”

“I could stop and buy some along the way or perhaps Beorn’s animals will make me some,” Frodo said with a hopeful smile.

“They might,” Gandalf nodded. This one was always thinking. One could tell. Clever children are very difficult to watch over as they are always thinking which often leads to trouble. “Let us turn our attention to your map, Master Baggins. Do you have anything with you to make the corrections that I am about to suggest?”

Frodo pulled two fresh sticks of charcoal from his trouser pocket and held them up as if they were jewels.

“Those will do quite nicely,” Gandalf said and for some time the two of them busied themselves with the corrections to the map. It was a very odd scene that would have met any passers by had anyone come along to this place. The parchment was spread upon the ground and the young hobbit lad lay on his stomach carefully drawing in the roads and details that the Wizard, who was seated tailor fashion suggested. The two of them worked for several hours and finally Gandalf looked up at the sky and frowned. “Oh, dear.”

“What’s the matter, Gandalf?” Frodo asked looking up also.

“We’ve let it get late,” Gandalf sighed. “I’m afraid I have kept you from your adventure with all of my corrections. Now, I fear that it is too late for you to begin your journey.”

“Bilbo says that it is quite pleasant to walk at night under the stars,” Frodo said with a shrug. “I like walking after dark.”

The Wizard resolved to tell Bilbo that perhaps some of his words of wisdom were causing a bit of trouble for his younger relations and that a bit of caution might not go amiss. “All the same I fear we have seriously depleted your stores. Between us we’ve eaten most of your apples and all of your cheese,” Gandalf pointed out.

“You did enjoy the cheese,” Frodo said in a slightly accusing tone with a frown.

Gandalf shrugged. “I am uncommonly fond of good cheese.”

“I suppose it wouldn’t be wise to begin with so little to eat in my pack,” Frodo sighed.

“No, I suspect that the wisest course would be to go home and begin again at a later date,” Gandalf said. “Do you live far from here?”

“Not too far,” Frodo said. He stood and brushed the dust from his trousers. “I shall have to wait to leave for at least a week now.”

“Oh?”

“My mum will want to wash these trousers when I get home and she only does the wash once a week. These are my very best trousers. In fact if she knew I was wearing them today, well, when she sees that I have them on she will not be pleased,” Frodo sighed.

“Do you always travel in such finery?” Gandalf asked amused.

“I want to look my best on the road to Dale,” Frodo said. “It is always wise to make a good first impression if you want to remain on the right side of folks.”

“Sound thinking indeed,” Gandalf said. “I will walk you home as it is on my way.”

“Are you going to see Bilbo or the Elves?” Frodo asked curiously.

“Bilbo this time,” Gandalf smiled. “But one never knows who one might encounter. I may perhaps see an Elf or two along the way.”

“They come into the Shire sometimes,” Frodo nodded. “Bilbo says that’s so.”

Gandalf made a show of straightening his hat and said, “I shall try to look my best for them.”

Frodo frowned. “Are you teasing me?”

“Perhaps,” Gandalf smiled.

Frodo smiled. “I didn’t know that Wizards did that sort of thing.”

“My dear lad, Wizards do indeed,” Gandalf said returning the smile and including a wink.

Later at the evening meal Frodo told his parents all about his visit with the Wizard and all about his aborted plan to travel to Dale. When he had gone to bed that evening after having talked himself out completely, Drogo said, “Out lad has an imagination equal to his love of biscuits. It seems Bilbo’s stories have the child thinking outlandish thoughts of Wizards and travel.”

Primula smiled. “I think he did meet the Wizard.”

“He might have at that. Frodo isn’t one to lie even if it makes a better tale,” Drogo said. “But traveling out of the Shire! Not our Frodo.”

For some reason this gave Primula a chill and it was some time before she felt warm again.

The End

GW 06/24/2007