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A Conspiracy of Hobbits by Dreamflower	6 Review(s)
PSW	Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 9/6/2016
Your Folco makes me laugh... :-P

Queen Galadriel	Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 2/9/2006
No, I'm not done with this yet, but I must tell you the cousins' childish amusement made me hysterical! Just the thought of three hobbits their age doing that...LOL! Oh my! But at least it cheered Frodo, and it's cheering to me as well after the last chapter. Merry's sweet, simple way of comforting Frodo brought tears to my eyes. I guess I just thought of that little interlude in "A Place for Gandalf," and that did it. I love this so far! God bless, Galadriel Author Reply: Every since I thought up the idea that Gandalf had his own guest room, I just knew that Pippin would be fascinated by the thought of jumping on that Big Bed. And Merry and Frodo have enough Took in them that they thought, if you can't beat him, join him, LOL! That's just been Merry's way with Frodo, ever since he first learned to speak. And it wasn't until the Ring woke up on the Quest that Merry's simple comfort failed to work.

Gryffinjack	Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 11/7/2005
You mean you might write it? Thanks! Arrrooooo! I'll gladly let it wait in line behind the other bunnies. In the meantime, I'll go join Pippin in whooping and jumping on Gandalf's bed. Yes, I expect that you are correct that Frodo would have left everything to Merry and Pippin at this point, although I doubt either of them would have wanted the money. It would be clear to him that Bilbo is not coming back and even if he did, he's too old to make it practical. Although Frodo and Sam had a close employment relationship and were friends besides, they didn't have that really close bond until after spending all of that time together on the Quest. And as the books say, Frodo's closest friends were Merry and Pippin. Why do the books refer to the relationship between the three of them as being "friends" rather than "cousins"? I never understood that, although in this instance of whom were his closest friends it makes sense. I'd imagine that Pippin was pretty upset as well as angry to find the letter with Frodo's estate plans. First of all, Pippin doesn't want to even think of the possibility that Frodo will not come back or most likely die on this mission, even though Peregrin does have an idea of how probable that is. Secondly, it would frustrate him all the more in making realise how important it is that he go on the Quest so he can be there for Frodo and Merry. Thirdly, Pippin just plain would not want or care about the money - he wants his cousin! Really, he's the heir to the Thain and the Took. Money is one thing that Peregrin Took is never going to have to worry about in his life. Besides, I don't think money is all that important to him. What matters to Pippin is his family and friends and their health and happiness. I see Pippin taking that letter as a sign that Frodo expects to never return or else to die on the Quest. No wonder Pippin treated it like a venemous snake! How I wish that Folco would think before he acted. Honestly, to sing that song about a miller with Ted Sandyman there? sigh "Merry was making lists of the items that were to stay; Sam was outside, “putting the gardens to sleep”, something he’d not normally be doing for a few weeks yet; ... Frodo was jumpy, seemingly unable to settle to any one task, and starting at the least little sound." I can easily imagine it being just so. Merry and Sam would try to keep themselves from thinking by turning to the practical things they knew needed to get done. Poor Frodo must be frightened out of his wits at this point, between all of the unrest in his life, the knowledge that someone is likely after him, and Gandalf never having arrived. "“What is the matter with you, Frodo?” asked Pippin, finally in frustration. “You act like someone put a bug down your back.” He spoke from experience, having personally performed this experiment on his cousin several years ago." Cute. Very cute line. And very Pippinish. "Merry looked up sharply. “Gandalf’s coming back?” ... Now Merry was worried." You're kidding, right? As if Merry weren't worried before! lol! No, it's perfectly reasonable that both Merry and Pippin would be worried that if Gandalf were there, he would not allow either of them to accompany Frodo and Sam on the Quest. "Pippin was watching Merry’s face. He could tell what Merry was thinking. He wondered himself about it. He’d never known his wistful expression to cut any ice with Gandalf. The wizard had known several generations of Tookish green eyes." LOL! Pippin knows all the angles, doesn't he? Gandalf must be a powerful wizard indeed not to fall for those Tookish green eyes, especially the way Pippin uses them. It reminds me of how we say that our dogs must spend all of their time at home practising their cute looks so we can't deny them. "Fatty might be half Took himself, but he'd never seen any signs of it in his own temperament." You know, I never realised that Freddy was half Took himself. I'll have to go home and check how he is related on the family trees in the book. Excellent chapter, as always! Author Reply: Well, it's an intriguing little bunny, but it will have to grow a bit. And I warn you--it might end up anecdotal material in a longer story, rather than stand-alone. But I'm feeding it and seeing what grows. Hmm. Story-external, I think he probably wanted to emphasize the friendship, and de-emphasize the age gap. Otherwise, readers might be sidetracked with wondering why his best friends are 14 and 22 years younger than he, as might occur if he talked too much of their blood relationship and in what way they were cousins. Story-internal, could go something like this: JRRT was supposedly translating the Red Book from Westron. Perhaps there was no word that quite conveyed the meaning "very-close-friend-second-cousin-twice-removed-but-raised-together", for example. Having to content himself with a simpler word, he chose "friend" rather than "cousin" as showing the meaning better. (And I would bet in their own land, hobbits probably did have precise words that conveyed those exact meanings--a society as obsessed with genealogy as they were, it's a given.) As to Frodo's estate, that was exactly it. He could not have left Bag End away from the Baggins family, I would bet. (which would be another reason he had to take Lotho's standing offer) But he could leave his money anywhere he wished. Sam was going with him, and of course, they are not so close yet as they will be--as you point out. Merry and Pippin are the two who are dearest to him. And of course, both of them would far rather have Frodo than his money. With a few exceptions, family is far more important to hobbits. And Pippin tends to be a bit in denial about terrible things happening to his loved ones (remember his reaction to the idea of being Thain?). It distressed him very badly. It really was that song that more or less sealed Folco's eventual fate, for it made him an enemy of Sandyman. I thought it might be something Pippin would say. And only he would come right out and ask, LOL! Actually, Gandalf is probably not so hobbit-resistant as Pippin thinks, LOL! But he puts on a good front. Freddy's mother was born Rosamunda Took. Her father was Bilbo's best friend in his youth, Hildibrand's son Sigismond. Ferdinand is her brother. Thanks. These reviews are bringing it all back to me! grin Author Reply: Actually that should have been "first-cousin-once-removed" sigh not paying enough attention...

GamgeeFest	Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 3/31/2004
Another great couple of chapters. It's good to get some comic relief after all this angst. I always did love bouncing on the bed when I was still young enough to do it. Keep up the good work! Author Reply: Thanks. I imagine that Big bed would have been as good as a trampoline to the hobbits. Don't you know how long Pippin must have been tempted!

Pervinca	Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 3/31/2004
Hahaha! Great chapter here - though Fatty should watch his mouth. His mother was a Took, after all, which makes him half-Took, at least! I really love you keep working in the grudges that Lotho and now Sandyman have for our favourite hobbits. Just setting it up for the Occupation, aren't you :P Author Reply: That's true. To be honest, I had forgotten that--I knew his relationship was on the Took side, but forgot to what degree. Still, I think that Fatty considers himself all Bolger ( though his love for Elvish tales is possibly where his Tookishness goes ) while Pippin is the quintessential Took, even though he is half Banks. As far as Lotho and Sandyman go, well, you have to have "bad guys" after all. And those two certainly fit the bill. Besides, Sandyman always seemed to be in The Green Dragon.

Grey Wonderer	Reviewed Chapter: 14 on 3/31/2004
I never thought about Frodo's leaving Bag End and his fortune to anyone but Sam. I suppose this would have made perfect sense to Frodo as he thought Merry and Pippin were staying behind. He probably thought that Sam might never return also. I love how this story is making me think! I need that! Ask anyone that knows me. LOL Laughed a lot at the jumping on the bed bit. Very hobbit like and very Pippin! Author Reply: Yes, that was my reasoning--Sam was going with him, and he thought Merry and Pip were not. Of course, Bag End at this point is not his to leave to anyone. ( One reason I had it upset Pip so much--poor lad is still not sure if he will go. Imagine how he'd feel to inherit under those circumstances.) Also, though Sam and Frodo are close friends, they have yet to develope the bond that they do during the quest. By the end they are closer than brothers, but that hasn't happened yet. As soon as I decided that Gandalf had his own room with a Big bed, I knew that it would be a temptation to Pippin. It's not the last you'll hear of it either.

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