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Eleventy-one Years: Too Short a Time   by Dreamflower 3 Review(s)
AntsneReviewed Chapter: 30 on 8/24/2013
It's then me a long time bit I am finally here ad I read the next chapter too. I am glad to see Bilbo excelling as a teacher, though concerned about his father's health. Liked the song in the next chapter too.

Namarie, God bless, Antane :)

Author Reply: Thank you! The song has appeared in some of my other stories as well! I wrote it first for "Trotter".

I took the canon mentions of Bilbo teaching Sam and Frodo a step further, to deduce that most hobbits were taught by family members, or if they were working hobbits, by their employers.

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 30 on 7/30/2013
Oh, I can see him now as the family tutor! And it's wonderful that Tolo found his help to be such a good preparation for Bungo's final examination! Poor Bungo--definitely beginning to fail, but not gone yet, thank Eru.

Author Reply: Yes, this is how it began! Bilbo definitely had his father's scholarly nature, and a good example of teaching before him.

I thought that even though the two were close in age, he'd still want help in preparing for that last test. And I can remember late nights in the college dorm, as classmates crammed for finals together. There was always an element of comraderie in the situation.

Poor Bungo! The Fell Winter was hard on both Bilbo's parents, but harder on Bungo than on Belladonna. And Bilbo still needs his father's guidance yet a while.

shireboundReviewed Chapter: 30 on 7/29/2013
What a marvelous introduction to Bilbo-as-teacher. How the young ones must have loved him. But oh, how heartbreaking to see Bungo's health fail.. and his beloved son able to do nothing about it.

Author Reply: Sadly, Bungo's health (and to a lesser extent) Belladonna's as well, has never been the same since the Fell Winter.

I've long felt that perhaps having to take on responsibility so young due to his parents' health might explain why Bilbo had become such a homebody before his adventure.

And I'm glad you like this first glimpse of Bilbo teaching. For hobbits, this is truly an avocation, not something done for pay. A hobbit of scholarly habits will share his knowledge with the younger generations of his family--and I know that this is something Bilbo is proud to share with his father.

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