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A Different Kind of Quest  by Dreamflower 5 Review(s)
GryffinjackReviewed Chapter: 3 on 12/16/2005
"Sam had been delighted by the idea of the mechanical oliphaunt."

I knew it! Sam and his oliphaunts!

That was very touching for Merry to want Frodo to hold the spyglass first. I can imagine the feeling Frodo had as he finally understood why Balin, Ori and Oin had not answered his letters. But notice that Merry did not allow Pippin to hold the spyglass; I suppose he's learnt his lesson from what happened the first time Pippin held his father's spyglass! lol!

"“Look, Frodo!” exclaimed Pippin. “There’s a flute almost like the one you gave to Folco for your birthday!”

Merry laughed. “Looks like Fatty and I are going to owe Folco an apology! We never believed that it really was made from an oliphaunt’s tooth!”"

Alas, Folco! And the four travellers had no way of knowing what ill had befallen him! You always work in such clever tie-ins to your stories; it's like a small gift to spot one.

How like Frodo to refuse the stipend, and Sam to follow Frodo's lead. It was very clever of Legolas to think of how to get Frodo to come around so that he and Sam would get at least a small stipend.

“To my father and friend. M.B.”

This is such a beautiful inscription! There is no greater honour that a child can give to his or her father. Saradoc will be extremely touched by it.

Purchasing all of those toys and then donating them to the war orphans was such a thoughtful thing for Merry and Pippin to do, both for the orphans and for the old woman and her family. And the "Tookish lamb" - how cute!

The enthusiasm and warmth that you give to your hobbits is quite palpable and charming. It's impossible not to want to give them hugs, as the members of the fellowship have found out.

Well done!







Author Reply: Yes, I think Sam's probably been fascinated with the idea of oliphaunts since his own faunthood, LOL.

(There is an adorable Marigold's Challenge story--I wish I could remember the author--where Pippin finds an orphaned baby oliphaunt on the Pelennor one day. You can imagine Frodo's and Merry's reaction to the inevitable "Can I keep it?" And then imagine Sam's. *chuckle*)

Merry remembered how hard Frodo had tried to find one for him, so of course he'd offer his older cousin a look. And I would bet, remembering the first incident, that Pippin would have turned down a chance to look, for fear of that very thing.

I am quite sure that from time to time the hobbits would speak of their friends at home, especially now that the Quest is over. I am glad that you found the reference touching--I just felt like putting a tiny bit of irony in there. And I do like to have references pop up from time to time, though I try not to make them too obscure for a first time reader to puzzle over.

Frodo's still working his way through the guilt he feels about his so-called failure at the Sammath Naur. It's not yet eating him up the way it will when he gets home, but it's there, under his skin already. And the idea of "reward" or "gratitude" disturbs him.

Saradoc will indeed, be touched by the inscription. He and Merry have always had a warm relationship, relatively unshaken by the sorts of tweenaged difficulties Paladin and Pippin had.

I'm so glad you liked the "Tookish lamb". I just thought a lamb would be a perfect stuffed toy for a baby hobbit.

And don't forget Legolas! *giggle* I didn't realize until they were there in the widow's little home what they were going to do--but then when I saw the pile of toys there, it suddenly struck me as just the sort of impulse those three would give in to. And then, meaning at first only to benefit the widow by buying all her toys, realize what good they could do with them!

Hobbits just *are* charming--I love them, and would probably just hug them myself if any ever came my way...

SaoirseReviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/1/2005
Aww... the very ending was just perfect! And I loved this:

'Merry fought down the urge to say “What’s good about it?” and muttered a brief “Hullo.”

“What’s good about it?” said Pippin sullenly.' LOL Very like those to to be thinking and having the same thoughts... and then Pippin being the one without enough sense to hold it in, lol (reminds me almost exactly of my sister and I ... I'm the one with no sense, lol) ;)

And I also loved the part when Gimli was saying something about he was sure that the spyglass looked like the one his 'great-grandfather' and then Merry corrected him with 'great great' lol!

And there was one more part...argh I am so forgetful...what *was* it? O, well...I can't remember but I also loved the gifts that Merry and Pippin had picked out for their families, very thougthful (and they also sounded v. beautiful). O, and lol! Trust Merry and Pippin to be able to cajole (and confuse) Sam into anything! Those little devils... they'd be able to convince a farmer the sky was green and the grass blue! -- O and another thing the idea of giving all those toys tot he orphaned children! How thoughtful of them :)

And lastly, the whole idea for this story was nice, I enjoyed the interaction of the hobbits with Legolas and Gimli, and the people of the White City. Great job! :)


Author Reply: It's so nice to get a review for a story that's been out for a while!

I had a good deal of fun with this one, myself. I had put a couple of anecdotes in one of my other stories about these gifts, when Merry gave his to his parents. And I had already described them. That was in my two very first stories. So when Marigold gave me my story started for the challenge, I knew what it would be.

I love having the hobbits interact with the others of the Fellowship. They have truly become a family to one another.

GamgeeFestReviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/8/2004
Sam is forever in the position of getting Frodo to take what's due to him, lol! I'm surprised Merry and Pippin didn't think of it themselves, but sometimes it takes an outside observer. That little trick of Legolas's will work perfectly. Frodo won't be able to stand the thought of Sam going without.

Author Reply: That's part of what Sam is for--to get Frodo to pay attention, and realize that sometimes it's not about him. I'm sure Merry and Pippin would have thought of it eventually, but Legolas, as you said, is an observer.

pipinheartReviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/8/2004
Great!
I love the describtion of the jelery it sounds beautiful.... I like it that they convinced sam to kind of trick him into taking the money...
Home, soon they are overjoyed...

Author Reply: I'm glad you liked the jewelry. Legolas is a talented designer, isn't he?

Well, it was for Sam and Frodo's own good after all.

Yes, soon they can go home, now that the White Tree is back!

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/8/2004
'The three companions made their way carefully down the staircase, Legolas with a rather large bag slung over his back, Merry and Pippin cumbered with somewhat smaller ones'

Santa's little helpers!



Author Reply: LOL! I hadn't thought of that, really! *grin*

I could just see the three of them, suddenly realizing what it would mean to her if they bought *all* the toys--idea occurring to them more or less simultaneously, and acted on more or less immediately, without thinking of *what* they were going to do once they bought them...

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