(A/N: The last portion of this chapter contains material quoted from my story "Learning Curve".)

Chapter 5: Lessons

Astron, S.R. 1298

"...eleventy-five, eleventy-six, eleventy-seven, eleventy-eight, eleventy-nine, twelfty!"

Belladonna laughed.  "Well, some people still say 'twelfty' but most people say 'one hundred twenty'."  Only the most elderly of her relatives used that term, and a few rustics.

"Why?" asked Bilbo.

"I think," said his mother casting about rapidly in her mind for a possible answer, "perhaps it is because 'twelfty' is harder to say than 'eleventy'."

"Oh." He thought for a moment and then nodded. "I think so, too, Mama. 'Twelfty-one is not so hard, but 'twelfty-two' is.  And 'twelfty-three' just sounds silly!" Bilbo giggled.

Belladonna laughed and hugged him. "I am glad you agree with me!"

"May we read now, Mama?"

"Fetch the book."

Bilbo brought her the book; it was large but rather flat, for it had not many pages.  The words were large and clear, and the pages were decorated with charming watercolor illustrations.

He clambered into her lap, and opened it to the place where a small blue ribbon marked the page.

"Go ahead," said his mother.

"Ten little ducks were swimming in a pond.
One flew away and then he was gone..." Bilbo stopped and looked up.  "Mama, why doesn't it say 'goned'?"

"Because 'goned' is not a word, Bilbo."

"But it sounds better with 'pond'!"

"Read some more, Bilbo," his mother said, trying very hard not to laugh.

"Nine little ducks were wahdling...no...waddling down the lane..." he looked up at his mother to see if he had it right.  She nodded.

"...waddling down the lane.
One wand-er-ed, wandered, off when someone called his name."  Bilbo stopped and frowned again. "Mama, 'lane' and 'name' are not the same sound at the end!"

"No, they are not. But they are very close."

Bilbo sighed, and frowned, as if 'very close' was not at all good enough. "Eight little ducks, flying in the sky. One turned around and said 'good-bye'.  Seven little ducks..."

Belladonna relaxed as Bilbo continued reading without, apparently, finding anything else to question or find fault with in the story.  It was time to have a word with her husband.

Later that night after Bilbo was abed, and Belladonna and Bungo were sitting by the hearth in the front room, Bella put aside her knitting.  "Bungo, I think it is time that you take over Bilbo's lessons."

"Really, dear?  He is not yet eight.  Isn't he rather young for more advanced lessons?"

"Perhaps. But he is counting well, and he is reading very well, and he is full of questions!  His curiosity is endless, and it takes quite a while to finish a reading lesson when he has a question about every other word!"

Bungo laughed.  "Well, that shows his Tookish side, my dear!  I am sure you were just as questionsome as a lass!"

"What a word, Bungo! 'Questionsome'! Where did you come up with it?"

"There, see, you prove my point.  You are still 'questionsome'!"

"And you have yet to say if you will take on Bilbo's lessons," she said, refusing to be distracted.

"Dear, I do not normally take a child on until he or she is at least in the teens." Bungo was family tutor for the Bagginses and some of their connexions.  "But they are cousins.  Bilbo is my own son, so I think I may be forgiven if I break precedent with him.  One thing concerns me, though.  How is his penmanship?  My own is less than stellar, and that is one skill I do not teach well."

"His writing is quite shaky still; he has scarcely mastered using chalk on a slate, and using a pen is yet a trial for him.  But if you like, I can continue with those lessons, if you will take over his sums and his reading."

"We have a bargain, my dear!  Shall we seal it with a kiss?" He grinned at her.

She chuckled. "A kiss and more, if you are quite ready to retire."  Now that she had her way she was more than willing to be distracted.

The next morning after second breakfast, Belladonna and Bungo informed Bilbo of the new order of things.

"You will still come with me, Bilbo, to practice your writing before elevenses every other morning. But after elevenses on Trewsdays and Mersdays, you will go to Papa to work on your sums and to read."  Bilbo's parents had agreed that he was still too young for more intense lessons, and Bungo still had his responsibilities to his other pupils.  Right now they consisted of his cousin Petunia who came to him after elevenses on Monday, Hensday and Highday, and his cousin Porro who had his lessons between elevenses and luncheon on Trewsday and Mersday, and cousin Bosco, who at twenty-seven was too old for regular lessons, but still came by from time to time, when Bungo would look over his essays or quiz him on his general knowledge.  

Bilbo looked up at Bungo, his eyes wide.  "But, Papa! Can I still read on other days, too?"

Bungo laughed.  "Of course you can, Bilbo-lad!  You may read on your own anytime you wish!"

"Unless," added his mother quickly, "you have other things you need to do!" She did not want him using "But Papa said!" as an excuse when he had his little chores to do, or when she sent him outside to get some sunshine and play.

"This is going to be splendid!" Bilbo exclaimed.

Bungo grinned.  "I certainly hope so, son!"


Forelithe, S.R. 1300

"You can do it, Bilbo!"  Bilbo looked at Chop dubiously. His cousin was a good ten years older, but sometimes he did not seem very sensible.

"Siggy's up there." Chop reminded him.

"Siggy fell out of the rooftree at Bag End." Bilbo was very fond of Siggy and Chop as well, but they did some odd things.  He had been very frightened when his visiting cousin had fallen out of the huge oak that grew atop the Hill a few days ago.  In spite of the bump on his head, Siggy had not seemed much bothered by his mishap. Now they were back at Great Smials and soon the Lithedays would be upon them.

"That wasn't my fault, the branch was broken." Siggy called down from the huge chestnut tree.  "Come on, you can do it!  Chop will help you."

"Bilbo, it's the only way we will be able to see anything!  Don't you want to know what Gandalf is up to?"

The Took children were forbidden by the Old Took to pester the wizard when he was preparing his fireworks.  This of course, made them all the more eager to watch his mysterious preparations.  Bilbo nodded.

Adalgrim (known to his cousins as "Chop") gave Bilbo a boost to the lowest limb, and then scrambled up after him.

Bilbo gave a shudder as he looked down at the ground. "Don't look down," said Adalgrim.  "Now, stand up carefully, take hold of the next branch, and pull yourself up to it. All right! You are doing just fine, little cousin!  Two more branches and we will be right up there with Siggy."

Once he stopped moving, and was ensconced on the branch with a cousin on either side, Bilbo's stomach stopped doing little flip-flops.  The three of them gazed out on the assembly field, where Gandalf stood in the middle, with his cart and his immense horse Bran.  He thrust his staff into the ground, and proceeded to measure its shadow and then to pace off from it in different directions.  The three of them watched him for quite a while, when he suddenly turned and looked directly at them.  Bilbo gave a yip and nearly slid from the branch, but his cousins caught him tightly by the braces.  He looked ruefully at the leg of his breeches, torn and slightly bloody at the knee where it had caught upon the tree's rough bark..  He hoped his mum would not scold him too much. After Gandalf caught them, they climbed down quickly and made their way back to the Smials.

The three went to confess to Bilbo's mother-- for of course, they could not allow him to suffer the consequences alone.  She just smiled, and looked at the damage, and before any of them could say anything, she said, "So you've been climbing trees, have you?"  She cleaned Bilbo's knee and made him change his breeches, and then offered the lads some of the sugar biscuits she had just made.

Siggy blinked.  "Your mother didn't scold you!" he said in amazement.

"Of course she didn't," said Adalgrim. "She is a real Took!"  He sighed.  His own mother, while much beloved, was seldom as understanding of the scrapes he got into, nor was Siggy's mother.  But then his mother was a Baggins, and Siggy's mother was a Bunce.  Sometimes they just did not understand what it meant to be a Took.

"Why thank you, Chop!" Belladonna said, as she came in with the biscuits and a pitcher of ginger beer on a tray.  "And thank you for teaching Bilbo to climb!  It is certainly a very important skill.  Did I ever tell you of the story of when Gandalf had me climb a tree?"


Solmath, S.R. 1306

Bilbo looked up from his essay on Bandobras "Bullroarer" Took.  "Papa, did Bagginses ever do anything important?"

"What do you mean, son?"

"Well, Bandobras Took killed the Chief Goblin, and saved the Shire from the Goblin Invasion.  In the  Long Winter, it was Tooks who brought Gandalf and help to the Shire.  And the Tooks are the Thains.  The Brandybucks were Thains, too, back when they were still Oldbucks.  And they settled Buckland. It was their ancestor Bucca who helped the old King and became the first Thain.  So were Bagginses ever important?"

"As well to ask were Bolgers and Boffins and Proudfoots ever important, Bilbo. Not everything a hobbit does gets into the history books."

"I suppose not."  Bilbo sighed.  "But it would be nice if Bagginses had done something!"

Bungo looked thoughtful.  "Bilbo, see that shelf to the right of the hearth, the second one up from the bottom?"

"The ones with the brown covers?  Aren't those the Family Books?"

"Yes, they are.  I want you to look at some of them, and see if you can find any 'important' Bagginses.  I'll give you until next week to make me a list."

Bilbo sighed.  He loved to read, but Family Books tended to be just Family Trees, with occasional tidbits of information.  It was likely to be very boring.

It turned out to be anything but boring.  He handed his list to Bungo, and stood back to await his Papa's verdict.

S.R.16: Lily Bingen wed to Blanco of the Fallohides. They had two sons, Tuck and  Bodo. He grinned at his father. "Tooks are really Bagginses!"

Bungo laughed.  "Perhaps we should tell that to your Uncle Longo, do you suppose?"

S.R. 37: On the Sixth day of Blooting, Inigo Bagens Passed from Life.  He was a great Healer and it was his Tireless Work that Helped the Hobbits of the Shire Survive the Great Plague.  His Loss was followed some four days later by his Daughter Cora, who had been his Apprentice. They were the Last Hobbits to die of the Terrible Disease in the Shire.  "That's really sad, Papa!"

Bungo nodded. "It is very sad; being a Healer is a very important thing for a hobbit, don't you think?"

Bilbo nodded.

S.R. 375: Togo Baggens accompanied the Troop of Archers to the Summons of the King.  He has Not Returned, nor any Others, and it is to be Presumed that they are Slain.

S.R. 376: Gerda Baggens wed to Bucca of the Marish  Bilbo grinned.  "The Brandybucks are Bagginses, too!"

S.R. 740: Porro Baggens elected the First Mayor of the Shire at the Great Fair and Convocation.  "Papa, isn't that the same year that the Tooks became Thains and the Brandybucks settled Buckland?"  

"Yes, it is. There is an interesting story behind that as well, and we will study that part of history very soon."

S.R. 1088: Vigo Baggins marries Diamanda Took, daughter of Thain Isengrim II

S.R. 1227: Balbo Baggins elected Mayor of the Shire. "That was Great-Grandfather!" Bilbo exclaimed.

"He served three terms," said Bungo.

Bilbo nodded at his father.  "There were important Bagginses, Papa!"

"Yes, there were.  And perhaps one day, you will also be a very important Baggins!"

Halimath, S.R. 1308

“Very good, Bilbo.” Bungo cast his eye over the essay in his hand with approval. “Excellent work, and very neatly done as well. You may be finished for the day, son.”

“May I wait for Siggy?” He glanced with longing at his cousin Sigismond, still struggling with quill and ink.

“I think not. I am afraid Sigismond will be a while yet. Perhaps you might go out in the garden, or see if your mother needs any help in the kitchen.”

“Yes, sir,” Bilbo said dejectedly. He tried and failed to catch Siggy’s eye, as he left the room.

He had looked forward so much to this visit from his cousin. They were fast friends, and almost the same age. When Uncle Hildibrand had suggested that Sigismond could benefit from some extra tutoring from his Baggins uncle, and had arranged for Sigismond to spend the fall at Bag End, both lads had been ecstatic. A whole season in one another’s company! Siggy was to stay from the beginning of Halimath to the end of Blotmath!

However, their joy soon turned to dejection, for Bungo soon began to realize why Hildibrand had wanted the extra tutoring. Bilbo was an excellent student, and often basked in his father’s praise. Siggy, however, was an indifferent pupil, and was woefully behind in his studies. The result was that as the two lads worked under Bungo’s watchful eye, Bilbo would quickly finish his assigned work. But Sigismond would still be struggling on. And now, after a few weeks of this, it was beginning to strain the lads’ friendship.

Bilbo’s face flamed, as he recalled the day before. In an effort to mend matters with his cousin, he had deliberately made a mess of his work, spelling words wrong, blotting the ink, and putting down answers that were blatantly incorrect. He hoped that he would then have to work longer alongside his cousin.

But the plan had not worked at all the way he expected. When he handed the flawed work to his father, Bungo had simply stared at him, a knowing expression in his eyes. “I would not have thought this of you, son,” he had said, his tone of sad disappointment more cutting than any angry shouting might have been. He had simply thrown the offending work away, and said, “We’ll have no more of this.”

What was worse was that Siggy had been angry at him, and accused Bilbo of mocking him.
“You needn’t rub my face in it, that you are so much more clever than I am!”

“But I wasn’t! And I’m not! Really!”

But Siggy had turned away, and refused to talk to him the rest of the evening. And though he was speaking to him today, it was in a cold and polite tone, not like they were best friends at all. In fact, Bilbo thought Siggy might be in a fair way to hating him.

And it wasn’t fair at all. It’s not like Siggy wasn’t much better than Bilbo at a lot of things: he could run faster, climb higher, was ever so much better at games, and in thinking up jests, and it never made Bilbo angry at him. In fact he admired his cousin immensely, and was proud to be his friend.

He sat dejectedly upon the front doorstep, and before he knew it, a great tear was trickling down his face. Angrily he rubbed it away, and gave a mighty sniff. It was going to be a mighty long fall, sharing a smial with someone who loathed him.

And he’d thought it was going to be such fun.

His birthday was in only a few days, and he’d eagerly planned the gifts he was going to give. But now, it all seem flat and uninteresting, and he didn’t care if he had a birthday or not.
The door opened behind him.

“Bilbo.” It was his father. “Let’s walk.”

“Yes, sir,” he said, unenthusiastically. He supposed his father was going to berate him. He certainly deserved it, the way he’d been acting. Slowly he stood up, and they walked down the path.

“I’ve had a word with Sigismond,” said Bungo. “I think he understands now that you were simply trying to help yesterday, and not making fun of him. It was not a very wise way to try to help, however.”

“Yes, well, I know that now don’t I, sir?”

“I think, however, that you can be of help to your cousin. Part of the reason he does not do as well as you in his lessons is that his cousin Isembard has so many students. Sigismond shares his time with at least four other cousins. You however, are my only student, or were my only student. And I hate to say this, but I do not believe that Isembard is very patient or demanding of excellence. He has tolerated sloppy work, and now Sigismond suffers from that.”

Bilbo nodded. “I told Siggy he’s just as clever as I am--maybe more--but I don’t think he believes me.”

Bungo smiled. “I daresay he is intelligent enough. I am thinking that I have been going about things wrong. I am not used to having two students at one time. So I am going to have you help me with him. I will give him an assignment tomorrow--your assignment will be to help him with his. Do not do it for him, but help him with any corrections he needs to make, and show him some of the ways you have of keeping your work organized and neat.” He looked at his son sternly. “It’s not to be a playtime--you will work, understand?”

Bilbo nodded solemnly. Anything to help Siggy, and to heal this breach between them.

For the next few days, the lessons were alternated. One day of regular lessons, with both the lads taking instruction from Bungo, and the next day they would collaborate. Siggy’s work was improving greatly in appearance, and there was some gradual improvement in content as well.

Now that Sigismond was seeing improvement himself, he was more tolerant of Bilbo’s being better at lessons. And now that he had his cousin’s help, the two lads had time for the things they had hoped to do during the visit: climbing trees, going for rambles, wading in the Water, fishing and other such pursuits.

The day before his birthday, Bungo let Bilbo off from his lessons, and spent the day working with Siggy on his own. Belladonna and Bilbo were spending the day going through the mathom rooms to find birthday gifts.

“Mama,” he said, “when I am grown, I think I will buy people new presents on my birthday!” He said this as he cast a jaundiced eye on a scarf of a rather sad shade of yellow and brown.

Belladonna laughed. “Well, when you are grown you may do so if it pleases you, although you may find the practice a bit wearing on your purse.”

Bilbo picked up a bronze paperweight in the shape of a mushroom. “Do you think Uncle Rudigar will like that?”

Belladonna suppressed a smile. “I am quite sure he will; you know how fond he is of mushrooms.” And, she thought, it should be to his taste, as it was a wedding gift from him. The idea of giving it back to him tickled her fancy. “What about something for your cousin, little Otho?”

Bilbo made a face. “Do I have to?”

His mother laughed. “I know he’s can be unpleasant, Bilbo, but he is your cousin.”

Bilbo picked up the rejected scarf. “Here, then.” He looked about. “I want to find that draughts set for Siggy--” He began to rummage in a corner, and then stopped. “Or maybe he would like this better now,” he said.

Belladonna raised an eyebrow. “Do you really think he would like that?”

“Well,” said Bilbo seriously, “he mightn’t a few days ago, but I think he would now.”

The next evening, Bilbo passed out the gifts as the party guests arrived, mostly Baggins relations. Tookland and Buckland were a bit far to travel for a mere child’s birthday. But Siggy, of course, was there. He hung back until the other gifts had been given.

“Here, Siggy.” Bilbo was a bit anxious. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, but now it came to it, would Siggy really like it? It was really more of a grown-up present.

Siggy opened the package curiously, and then his face took on a look of pleased astonishment. “Oh Bilbo! This is splendid!”

Bilbo was surprised to see tears standing in his cousin’s eyes. “Do you really like it then?”

Siggy looked at the nicely carved deskset, with its porcelain inkwell, a penholder, and little cubbyholes for holding letters. “You really do think I’m clever and can do well in lessons!”

“Of course I do!” said Bilbo stoutly.

“I’ll use it right away!” said Siggy. He grinned. “And the first thing I’ll use it for is to write a thank you note to you!”

(A/N: In my Shire the educational system is family based.  Families which are literate rely on the parents, or on older siblings, to teach the young children to read and write.  Among most families, that is as far as the education goes.  However, among the gentry, more education is considered necessary.  Among those families an uncle or cousin who has a scholarly bent may become the Family Tutor.  Once the children have reached a certain amount of proficiency in the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic, they are passed on to that person to begin learning things like Shire history and so forth.  Children who have an aptitude for music or art will also learn those skills from someone in the family.

Among working class hobbits, there are many who are not literate.  Some never learn their letters, and tend to view such skills with suspicion (like the Gaffer Gamgee, Sam's father). However, it is not unheard of for an employer to teach an employee to read, or for a Master to teach an apprentice if he or she is illiterate.

I do think that the literacy rate in the Shire was somewhat higher than some authors portray it, as we are told how very busy the Shire Post was kept with letters.

The "Bingen" used as the first form of the Baggins name is a nod to the "Labingi" name which JRRT says was the Westron form of Baggins.

"Blooting" is the Bree-land form of "Blotmath"-- November-- and I think might still have been in use so early in the Shire's founding years.)