Halimath, S.R. 1320

The first time it happened was shortly before Bilbo's thirtieth birthday. He often sat in with his father as he taught his pupils. By now, Bilbo simply pursued his own scholarly interests, reading and writing of the things that interested him, and then later on would share those things in discussion with Bungo. So he'd sit comfortably in a chair with a book while his father's student of the day would be working with Bungo on whatever lesson he'd been set. Often the room was quiet, the only sound the turning of pages and the scratching of a quill, interrupted once in a while by the murmur of a pupil's question and Bungo's soft answer.

That day, Bilbo was absorbed in a history of the building of the Great Smials when he gave a start. Young Tongo Goodbody stood by him looking perplexed. "Cousin Bilbo? I'm finished with my essay. What should I do?" he whispered.

On the verge of asking "Why are you asking me?" he glanced over and saw that Bungo had apparently fallen asleep in the chair at his desk.

Bilbo was loathe to wake his father. He seemed to be resting peacefully, and breathing well--not something he was always able to manage at night when sleeping in his bed. "Here, Tongo, let me take a look at it for you."

He began to read it over: an essay on one of the lad's great-grandfathers, who had served a term as Mayor. For a lad of Tongo's age, it was not too bad. Bilbo quietly pointed out a couple of words that could be changed, and some missing punctuation, and handed it back.

"Thank you," Tongo said. He went to make his corrections, and then showed them to Bilbo.

"That's very good. I'll put it aside for Papa to mark later on when he is feeling better. Did he have any other lessons for you today?"

Tongo shook his head. "I am supposed to work on sums when I come next time, though."

Bilbo nodded, and got up from his chair; he went over to the bookcase where Bungo kept mostly teaching material. There was a large leather folder there containing unbound sheets of paper with various lessons on them--Bilbo opened it and thumbing through, found one containing a set of problems appropriate to Tongo's age. "Take these home to practice on your slate, so you'll be prepared when you come back on Monday."

"Thank you, Cousin Bilbo. Will Cousin Bungo be all right?"

"I'm sure he will," Bilbo answered, "you can go home now, cousin."

The lad nodded and tiptoed out.

Bilbo went over and placed a soft kiss on his father's forehead, capped the ink bottle, put his father's quill in its stand, and then returned to his chair and his book. A short while later, Bungo woke with a start. "Where-where's Tongo?"

"I sent him home. He had finished his essay; I looked it over." Bilbo brought it over to his father's attention, and showed him the errors he'd marked.

Bungo read it and nodded. "You did well, son. But it is so embarrassing to have fallen asleep in front of one of my students! Whatever will he think? And what will he tell his parents?"

To this Bilbo had no answer, though he believed the lad would be discreet.

It happened again about a month later. This time the pupil was young Dora Baggins; but Bilbo had been paying attention, and when his father began to droop, he took over immediately, helping her to finish her assignment, and then sending her out to practice her needlework under his mother's watchful eye. From that time on, Bilbo made it a point to sit in on all the lessons; and Bungo, when he felt himself grow drowsy, would excuse himself, leaving Bilbo to complete the lesson.

Afteryule, S.R. 1321

The second week of Afteryule, Bungo had a serious turn that put him a-bed and in the care of the healer once more. This time it was Mistress Sage, for Rose Greenhand had wed Farmer Cotman two years earlier, and moved to Bywater.

Belladonna had her hands full tending him, for it was a very close thing to him developing the lung fever once again. For the first week of his illness, Bilbo and his mother were in constant attendance on him, and their care made the difference, for he began to rally the following week. Mistress Sage, however, insisted that he needed to rest for at least another week, and then take things easy for another week beyond that.

"Bilbo, I cannot leave my students for so long without a teacher! Do you think that you can handle them by yourself for two weeks?"

He nodded. "All save Cousin Tolo. He is after all the same age I am." Tolo was Tongo's older brother.

"There's no reason he cannot work independently now, as you have been doing."

"But will he?" Tolo was not by nature a scholar as Bilbo was.

"I shall write down a few things I would like him to read about, and let him know that when I am well again, I shall be testing him." Bungo thought for a few minutes, and then smiled. "He's actually learned as much as will be useful to him already. Tell him that if he succeeds in passing the examination I set him, I will consider that he has learned all that he needs to."

Bilbo laughed. "That will motivate him! I've heard him grumble that his lessons are a waste of time--but Uncle Togo won't allow him to stop coming until you have said he's finished."

"There is much more I would wish to teach him, but he lacks interest, and I think if I try to keep him much longer he will grow to resent me."

Bilbo took his father's message down the Hill to Cousin Tolo, along with a small stack of the books he was to read, and as Bilbo had thought Tolo was thrilled with the idea of finishing his schooling. "I shall study hard," he said, "and then I'll be done with it!" He looked worried for a moment. "How long will I have?"

"Mistress Sage says Papa is not to exert himself for at least two weeks. So you have that long, at least."

Uncle Togo, who'd been listening to the conversation said firmly, "I will see that he does study!"

In addition to Cousin Tongo, and Dora, there were Dora's brothers. Drogo was now thirteen and had been coming up to Bag End for his lessons for nearly three years now, while little Dudo was just getting old enough to have lessons from the family tutor rather than from his older sister. Then there were cousins Posco and Prisca, Cousin Polo's children--six pupils for Bilbo altogether.

Tongo came in the morning between elevenses and luncheon on Sterday, Monday and Hensday. Dora came during that same time by herself on Sunday, and with her younger brothers on Trewsday and Mersday. Posco came on those days after luncheon, while Prisca came after luncheon on Monday and Hensday. She only came twice a week, for on Sunday she had music lessons with her uncle on her mother's side. There were, of course, no pupils on Highday, although if one of them had missed a lesson, he or she might come in to make it up on that day.

Bilbo found he enjoyed teaching them very much; it wasn't the first time he'd worked with young Drogo and little Dudo. Dora was an undemanding pupil, carefully and exactly doing her assignments in reading, writing and arithmetic for Bilbo, before going off to learn needlework and such from his mother. Posco was twelve, and could be mischievous--Bilbo had to watch out for his little tricks; he enjoyed reading and writing, but would come up with inventive excuses to get out of doing his sums. Prisca was very talkative, but once she was quieted down she was an otherwise well-behaved student, though it was hard for Bilbo to find lessons that were of interest to her--until he hit on the idea of having her write out songs she knew in order to practice her writing! After that, all he had to do was build her lesson around music to keep her happy.

After tea, he would sit down and speak with his father about the day and how the children had done their work, getting praise and advice in equal measure. Bungo was very proud of him, and did not stint to tell him so, and Belladonna was pleased with how responsible her son had become, though she sometimes missed his mischievous side.

A few days before his father was to see Mistress Sage, to learn if he would be able to resume his routine, Bilbo was surprised when after supper there was a knock on the door. They rarely had callers so late.

It was Tolo. "Bilbo, I have read all of the books your father sent me! But I don't have any idea of how to prepare for his testing. Can you help me?"

"Of course I can!" He thought a moment. "It's too late to start tonight, but if you'll bring the books with you tomorrow, you can join us for tea, and then I will help you to study afterwards."

Tolo breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks ever so much, Bilbo! I'm so nervous about this that I don't know how a single fact will stick in my head."

"Don't worry, we'll get it sorted out!"

And so the next two evenings Tolo had tea with the Bagginses, and then he and Bilbo retreated to Bungo's study, where Bilbo grilled him over the history in the books he had read. On the second night, the two lads took supper in there as well, working right through the meal.

"By goodness," said Bilbo, "I think you've got it now. You are quite solid on the history of the North-tooks, and I am sure you know enough about the last days of the King to get by quite well!"

"I don't know how I'll ever thank you, Bilbo!"

The next day, Mistress Sage visited Bag End and checked Bungo thoroughly. "You are doing very well, Squire, though you must be gentle with yourself. You will never be as hardy as you were before the Fell Winter, but I think you are doing better now."

The following day was a Monday. Prisca was excused from her lessons for the day, and Tolo came up to have his tests after elevenses. Bilbo waited nervously outside the door, wondering how his cousin was doing. It was nearly luncheon when Tolo came out, grinning ear to ear. "I passed!" he said. "Your father was really pleased with how well I did!" He grabbed Bilbo in a hug and the two did an impromptu dance about the hall.

After that, Bilbo often took over the lessons for the young ones, although his father still planned most of them. Bilbo began to feel he'd found his place in the world--he'd be family tutor after his father, and then Master of Bag End. He was quite sure he'd do well at the former.

It remained to be seen if he could do the latter task as well.