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Eleventy-one Years: Too Short a Time   by Dreamflower

Chapter 28: Cousins and Calamaties

Summer, S.R. 1315

The wedding was over; Adalgrim and Periwinkle were gone, returning to the farm at Whitwell to begin their new life together, and now the guests began to consider their return to their own homes.

Bilbo and Siggy had begged for Siggy to return with the Bagginses to Hobbiton for a visit, and Hildibrand and Myrtle did not object overmuch to the idea, for they knew how fond of one another the lads were. They also appreciated that their son usually returned from a visit with his cousin newly motivated for his lessons. Belladonna and Bungo were also pleased to have Sigismond visit--there were now few lads of Bilbo's age in Hobbiton, and most of those were already busy with apprenticeships or even already working at jobs.

But there was another surprise for the lads: young Rory Brandybuck was also coming along to Bag End! As Master of Buckland, Gorbadoc could not long absent himself from Buckland, but his wife Mirabella wished to stay for a longer visit with her father and her sibs. So it was arranged that thirteen-year-old Rory would also go along for his first visit to Bag End, his first visit, truly, anywhere without his parents. He was thrilled at the idea, for he adored his older cousins.

Bilbo was equally excited, for he was very fond of the little Brandybuck; Siggy was canny enough to keep his own reservations to himself; he was fond of Rory himself, but he also knew the child had a penchant for falling into trouble. Still, little Rory would only be staying two weeks, while Siggy would get to be there for a month at the least, so he could afford to be generous. At any rate, both lads were added to the carriage for the journey back to Hobbiton.

The lads ended up enjoying themselves immensely after all was said and done. Bungo's sessions of lessons were livened by the presence of the younger child, and he often would set one of the older two to tutoring the younger--usually Bilbo would help Rory with his reading and writing; but when it came to sums, Siggy was far more clever in helping the little one to understand.

Siggy taught Rory to climb trees, though he could seldom coax the child higher than the lowest branches of the rooftree; and Rory taught his older cousins a trick or two when the three went fishing on the Water. Belladonna was amused at how much better the catch was now, and fish and chips became a regular item on the Baggins' supper menu.

Rory also attempted to teach his older cousins how to swim. After several abortive tries, Siggy learned to propel himself in the water awkwardly, and Bilbo at least had learned how to hold his breath and keep from sinking. But mostly they preferred to sit upon the bank and watch little Rory frolicking about like a young otter, shaking their heads in amusement at his antics, and yelling when he would splash them--though not really in anger, for the Sun was hot, and the water was cool.

Sometimes little Drogo, who was seven now, would come with his sister Dora up to Bag End. Dora was learning to knit and crochet from Belladonna, as well as being tutored by Bungo. Since Rory was there, Bilbo and Siggy would include Drogo in their plans if they were not going anywhere too far abroad, since they had Rory to help mind him.

One day, near the end of Rory's stay, Uncle Bingo came to call from Overhill, bringing with him his son Falco, who was twelve. They arrived just after elevenses, and Dora and Drogo had just arrived for Dora's lessons. Belladonna took one look at all the overexcited lads, and decided they needed to get out of the hole.

"Mrs. Twofoot tells me that the brambleberries are ripe along the Bywater road, lads. If I give you a picnic to take with you, will you return with enough berries for me to make enough pies for supper? With guests, I'll need enough for at least four pies."

Bilbo carried the hamper, filled with enough food and drink to suit five growing lads, while the others carried the berry-baskets. It was a pleasant enough walk. They had to go slowly enough to accommodate little Drogo's legs; Rory and Falco kept finding interesting things to look at in the ditches along the way; and Bilbo and Siggy traded off carrying the picnic basket. Pretty soon they saw the bramble bushes which grew with abandon on the other side of the road from the ditch. The lads decided to eat their picnic first: Belladonna had included a large stone bottle of cold tea, mushroom pasties, sandwiches of sharp cheese and pickles, carrots, and pears. They settled on the verge on the North side of the Road beneath a large oak tree, and soon had devoured everything except the napkins the food had been wrapped in and the stone bottle. Since they were near the Water, Siggy took the bottle, rinsed it, and filled it with clear water. Bilbo wet a couple of the napkins and used them to wipe off the hands and faces of the younger cousins.

"Now for the business at hand!" he declared. Each took their basket and headed over to fill them up. Young hobbits are uncommonly fond of brambleberries, and for the chance of their treat did not much mind the inevitable scratches from the thorns. They were mindful of Belladonna's request for enough berries to make pies with, and so they only consumed about half of what they were picking. (Bilbo and Siggy being slightly more mindful than the younger ones.) When they grew hot and thirsty they drank of the water in the stone bottle. Little Drogo began to grow tired however, before the older ones were ready to quit. Bilbo coaxed the little one to lie down in the shade of a copse of trees by a bend in the road, where he soon was softly snoring; then Bilbo returned to berry-picking.

Not long after, even Rory and Falco had full baskets as they had grown sated with the blackberries. Bilbo looked at the Sun. "If we are to get back by teatime, we should quit now and head back to Bag End."

Siggy wiped his forehead with a rather dirty checked handkerchief and looked at Rory and Falco labouring under the weight of their baskets, at their reddened and berry-stained faces, and their dirty and sweaty clothes. "We should probably let the younger ones rest a few minutes," and to this Bilbo agreed. They wandered back to the shady copse where little Drogo was still napping and flung themselves down on the cool grass. It was very restful and Bilbo and Siggy soon found their eyelids drooping.

"Can we hit it?"

"I don't see why not."

"But what if they are angry?"

The whispered voices penetrated Bilbo's foggy mind. Who was that, whispering away, disturbing his sleep?

"Oh, we can outrun them, I'm sure." Was that Rory?

"Honeycomb would be mighty fine..." Honeycomb?

Bilbo sat up abruptly, glancing around wildly--there were the two younger cousins hefting stones in their hands. "NO!" he shouted.

But it was too late. Two stones flew threw the air with hobbit accuracy, and the beehive came dropping from the tree limb. A loud buzzing and a cloud of bees came zooming out, swirled through the air and then like a cloud of doom headed straight for all the young hobbits. Siggy had wakened at Bilbo's shout, and taking in the situation, screamed "RUN!"

Bilbo grabbed little Drogo who had wakened in confusion and took to his heels, following in the wake of his cousins. The first sting was to the back of his neck and the next one was to his arm, and after that he rather lost track. He bent over as he ran to try and shield Drogo, but the child suddenly let out with a cry as he, too, was stung. The lads raced across the road shrieking, and plunged into the Water.

And now Falco was flailing. "I'm going to drown! I'm going to drown!" Rory swam to his side and took hold of him.

"Calm down, I've got you. I've got you. It's not even that deep here, put your feet down."

Drogo was sobbing against Bilbo's chest. Above them the angry swarm swirled around once more, and then flew off into the distance. The lads emerged dripping wet. At least most of the berry stains were washed off their faces, enough to show the beginnings of the swollen bee stings. They all looked dreadfully bedraggled and woebegone.

"Well," said Siggy, "that was an adventure." He shook his head, and then looked across the Road to the copse where their baskets were. "Whose brilliant notion was it to knock down that bee's nest?"

Rory and Falco exchanged crestfallen glances. "I guess it was mine," Rory said, hanging his head. "It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Bilbo and Siggy looked at one another, and then burst out laughing. "Where have we heard that before?" said Bilbo.

"Well, you can't blame this one on a Took!" Siggy said smugly. He ruffled Rory's hair. "Let's collect the baskets, and we might as well take the honeycomb as well, since you went to all that trouble."

None of them were looking forward to the long trudge back now. They were wet and sore and miserable. Falco and Rory had the worst of the stings, but none of them were unscathed. Little Drogo, protected by Bilbo, had the fewest, only three that they could find, but he was too exhausted from their fright to walk, and so Bilbo continued to carry him. This left Siggy with three baskets, one of them the picnic hamper. Rory and Falco carried the others, which were now heavier with their burden of berries.

"We'll never make it home by teatime," Bilbo said.

Siggy shrugged, and on they trudged. But they had not gone far when they heard the sound of pony hooves and cart wheels behind them. They moved to the side of the road.

The cart was driven by a farmer from Bywater, whom Bilbo knew, and it pulled up and stopped. "You look like you've had a time of it, Master Bilbo," he said sympathetically.

"Good afternoon, Farmer Cotman*. My cousins and I were berrying, and got stung by bees."

"So I see, lads. Well, climb in. I've a need to go into Hobbiton to pick up a plowshare from the blacksmith; I'll give 'e a ride up to Bag End."

With sighs of relief the children got into the waggon; they all put the baskets in, and Siggy climbed in and took Drogo from Bilbo, and then the rest clambered in. They were so tired (and Bilbo so worried about what his parents would say) that they were quiet all the way back. When they went to get down, Farmer Cotman took Drogo, and went up to the front door with them.

Belladonna clucked over them, inspecting them and scolding them by turns; Uncle Bingo went to fetch the healer, Mistress Rose. And Bungo went to draw baths for the lads. Farmer Cotman was invited to stay for tea, and was sent home with one basket of the berries as a thank you for his help.

Mistress Rose arrived, clucking over the mishap. She had a minty smelling poultice for the beestings, and prescribed willowbark and chamomile tea. "They may run a low fever; all of them are somewhat sunburned as well as stung. Make sure they drink a lot of water and keep them indoors and quiet tomorrow."

Drogo fell asleep quickly, and Bungo bundled him up and he and Bingo went down the Hill to deliver the child to his parents.

Bilbo, Siggy and Rory were all sound asleep in Bilbo's bed, little Rory in the middle.

Mirabella and Gorbadoc (who had come back to collect his family) arrived the following afternoon, and were suitably impressed by Rory's account of their "adventure".

Much to Bungo and Belladonna's relief, Mirabella and Gorbadoc were more amused than alarmed by the event.

All Gorbadoc did was fix his son with a gimlet eye and say: "Did you learn your lesson about chucking stones at beehives?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good! When we get home to Buckland, I'll teach you the proper way to harvest a honeycomb!"

Rory was somewhat tearful over the impending separation from his cousins, but his sorrow was amended when Belladonna promised that Bilbo could come to Brandy Hall for a visit in the fall after his birthday!

"Oh joy!"

Bilbo was both surprised and pleased at this; apparently his parents had decided he was old enough to make such visits on his own, now.

It was the first of many such excursions over the Brandywine for Bilbo Baggins, and he learned to love Brandy Hall quite well. 

*******

*Yes, this is the Cotman from the Longfather Tree of Master Samwise in Appendix C, and he is Rose Cotton's great-grandfather. He and Mistress Rose, the healer, will eventually make a match of it.

 





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