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Mrs Maggot Gives Directions by Virtuella	8 Review(s)
Le Rouret	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/30/2008
WOW. That was really good. The pacing of the story worked, don't worry. It fit with a farm wife's busy day in a quiet of the early autumn. Every one of her tasks, from milking cows to sweeping floors, is important, and you conveyed her pleasure in the neatness and tidiness of her domain superbly. The reader can tell she is a quiet, steady, proud and generous lady, and that Maggot is a lucky man. The sudden appearance of the Black Rider gave me a serious chill, dropping as he did in the middle of this bucolic scene. Again, you showed us her fear and courage all at once, and the solid Hobbit-sense that makes her such a treasure. My favorite part: "Suddenly a smile appeared on her face. She picked up a small wicker basket, filled it with mushrooms, and covered it with a cloth." That made me smile, too. Thank you for writing this and sharing it with us. It was a marvelous little story! Author Reply: Thanks for this insightful review! I've always like the whole business about the mushrooms, and ultimately that was my inspiration for the story, so they had to make a significant appearance. ;-)

Tink	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/29/2008
Whew! I really enjoyed the pacing in this. I felt like I had stepped into their life, and the description of the food was making me hungry! However, at the point the bluebottle hit the window, the fly made me think of Beelzebub (!) and it was a great lead-in for the Black Rider. That was spooky enough, but then when he came back again.....it scared me nearly as much as Mrs. Maggot. Great story! Author Reply: You noticed the fly! Does a little happy dance

perelleth	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/27/2008
What a nice gapfiller, Virtuella! It was relly an eventful day for Maggot and his family, and it was anice take of what happened back home while Maggot was away. Wonderful, And the style did work. ! Author Reply: Oh, thanks, glad it did.

Larner	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/26/2008
I am so proud of Mrs. Maggot! Quite the queen among farmers' wives!

Antane	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/26/2008
That took guts! You go, Mrs. Maggot! Namarie, God bless, Antane :)

Andrea	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/26/2008
“He had to go back into the fields, because he had left something behind. Something important. He wanted to go back and get it. If you hurry, you will catch him.” Brave Mrs Maggot! I think it was the word "important" that made the Black Rider believe her lie. For that what he had lost in the fields might have been The Ring they all were searching for! I liked it that this story at first was "slow pacing" until the Black Rider arrived and destroyed the peace of the Maggots. It let you feel the drastic change as if you were there. Author Reply: That is exactly what I tried to imply with the word "important". Nice to have clever readers. ;-)

meckinock	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/26/2008
Go Mrs Maggot! I love how you've highlighted the human stakes of the Ring War by bringing the battle home to this very lovely and ordinary family of hobbits, and shown the bravery and honor that's latent in every person. The fleeting intrusion of terror into the happiness and peace of this family seems like not just a foreshadowing of the darker events of LOTR, but a reminder of the cost of failure. Beautiful. Author Reply: Thank you. You've interpreted it just the way I meant it. :-D

Pearl Took	Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 7/26/2008
This is a marvelous tale, Virtuella and a point of view that I think is a new one. You move smoothly from a nice normal day in the Shire to a new darkness the like of which the hobbits have never seen before. "She ran up to her husband and grasped his arm. “Thank goodness you’re back, Maggot!” she cried. “I’ve had the most awful fright....” " A wonderfully powerful ending! Most Excellently Well Done! Author Reply: Thanks, that's kind.

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