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Four of a Kind  by Grey Wonderer 12 Review(s)
Hai TookReviewed Chapter: 4 on 7/16/2007
Frodo at least taught Merry to take a map but unfortunately he forgot to specify that you might want a map to were you're going ;) Eglantine handled Merry very well, for all her being use to lases! I really enjoed this and would have like to read Merry's letter as well! "Eglantine felt sorry for the poor post hobbit that would have to carry a box of rocks out to Brandy Hall but she said.." Rocks indeed! Well it is nice to see that Merry's special relationship with Frodo carries over so nicely to Pippin! Very nice way to tie in their childhoods to their later lives!

Author Reply: Yes, Merry has a bit to learn about maps at this point. LOL I was never good with them but I as we know, Merry figures them out at some point. Thank you so much for reading. It's great to see reviews from an old friend!

GamgeeFestReviewed Chapter: 4 on 7/4/2007
Ah, Merry, so determined to bring Frodo back home where he belongs. This was just darling, GW, and I particularly liked Merry's viewpoint on childbirth as well! LOL! And that Eglantine assumed she'd be having another daughter because she's already had three.

Author Reply: Glad you enjoyed this one. I do think that Merry would have tried at least once to bring Frodo home. After all, no one can be more determined than Merry and at eight I am certain that he didn't listen to reason very well.
I have a friend with six daughters and after about the third she never expected anything other than a girl. That is where I got the idea for Eglantine's mind-set in this story. LOL

Baggins BabeReviewed Chapter: 4 on 6/28/2007
Eglantine felt sorry for the poor post hobbit that would have to carry a box of rocks out to Brandy Hall

So do I! An interesting and considerate present for Merry but no good for the post hobbit's lumbago I fear!

A lovely and very interesting look at Eglantine here - I like the fact that she is prepared to fib for Merry, and I think she'll manage just fine when she has her own adventurous lad.

Author Reply: Yes that post hobbit was in big trouble. I liked the idea that Frodo would actually mail rocks though and so I decided to risk the post hobbits anger by letting him. : )

I see Eglantine as someone who doesn't often let her guard down and who is a 'by the rules' kind of person. I liked letting her relax with Merry here. I figure Merry for a natural schemer and planner and so I had no trouble imagining that almost anyone would follow his lead! His such a charmer! LOL

AndreaReviewed Chapter: 4 on 6/28/2007
“I hope this baby has a special cousin too,” Eglantine said.

“If it’s a lass then it won’t need a special cousin cause it will have all those sisters,” Merry sighed.


LOL!!!

That was great, G.W.! Very Merry, indeed!
Like Frodo I was surprised that Eglantine actually lied for Merry. But concerning the circumstances it makes perfect sense to me.

BTW, would you be so kind to tell me the meaning of "MEWD"? I tried a Google search some time ago, but it produced only rubbish ;-)




Author Reply: I thought I'd let Eglantine conspire with Merry just this once. I wanted them to bond a bit before that baby arrived. LOL

As to the meaning of MEWD, I am sorry to say I don't know it. LOL My friend Pearl Took uses it in reviews and I have always meant to ask her but never remembered to do so. I hope it's something good. LOL If I find out I'll let you know.

Thank you for reading!

Author Reply: Andrea, MEWD, I am told, means "Most
Excellently Well Done ". I asked and it is a longer version of WD which is "Well Done!" I never would have guessed but now we both know.
GW

elanor winterflowersReviewed Chapter: 4 on 6/28/2007
I love this! Two of my favorite characters in a perfectly constructed discussion of very important matters. Merry has just the right amount of smarts and exasperation and mulish determination, and Eglantine is a quick study of little lads, good training before the arrival of Pippin! I so enjoyed reading this, but then I knew I would. You never disappoint!

Author Reply: Pippin is my favortie hobbit and always has been but Merry is a very close second and it has always been easier for me to write Merry for some reason. I find that I write from his POV more than any of the others. Thank you for reviewing and I am very glad you enjoyed this.

PIppinfan1988Reviewed Chapter: 4 on 6/27/2007
Ah...a little bit of AC, a nice thunderstorm...I'm back! Actually, I couldn't stay away for long, lol! These wee stories are excellent!

I do love a good story that has Merry and his beloved auntie interacting. I really enjoyed the part of Merry wanting to go rescue Frodo from Bilbo, saying he'd had Frodo long enough! That was sweet. I do love your "little lad" tales -- I think you have them nailed, lol. I wonder why???? ;-)

Now I'm *really* looking forward to little Pippin's story...

PF

Author Reply: It was funny because I dont' use Eglantine very often and so she surprised me by turning up in this story. I usually write Merry's parents and Bilbo when I need adults but this has been a strange group of little stories. You'll see what I mean when you read Pippin's. I actually used Paladin and you know I never do that. LOL
Glad the AC is working and I'm totally jealous of your thunderstorm. We need rain so badly here and aren't getting it. Stay cool!

GoldenReviewed Chapter: 4 on 6/27/2007
Just love that scene! Especially when Merry says: You don’t have to worry and you don’t have to tell anyone or try to stop me or anything.”
Of course no one would get suspicious that he is doing something forbidden with that comment. ;)

Oh and I as well would love to read the letter that Merry send to Frodo. Maybe you should write it out! :D




Author Reply: Yes, Merry gave himself away with that line didn't he? LOL
I might just have to write that letter at some point in time. I don't know if I can do it justice but I might give it a try! Thank you for the lovely review!

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 4 on 6/27/2007
Oh, I cracked up so much on this one. So this is where my version of Pippin got into the habit of stealing a pony and riding to Buckland or Hobbiton at odd times from! Oh, and love the idea of Merry instructing Frodo on childbirth!

Dear, dear Merry!

And I love Lanti lying for Merry. An aunt in a million!

Author Reply: I hadn't thought of that but it would fit. Pippin would naturally hear this story and then follow Merry's example and steal a pony if he needed one. LOL This connects very well. I have this whole thing being blamed on Frodo in the beginning by Eglantine's friend, Lavender who says something about Merry following in Frodo's footsteps so I guess Pippin came by it honestly.

Merry is the determined sort and I just know that he didn't take Frodo leaving without some sort of a fight and as to his new knowledge on childbirth, any lad would want to share that with the cousin who had taught him everything else he knew, wouldn't he? : )

Thanks for reading and I'm glad you got a laugh out of this one.

harrowcatReviewed Chapter: 4 on 6/27/2007
I am quite surprised that Frodo, or at least Bilbo, whould know that the most unlikely portion of the tale is the most likely to be true! *G*

And I loved the advice on how to deal with Frodo and look after him. That stands Merry in very good stead years later.

Author Reply: Yes, Frodo and Bilbo did miss out a bit on this one didn't they? LOL I guess Eglantine had them both fooled and that would be very rare indeed.

I do think that Merry got the best end of the deal with the advice and someone to help him put the pony back in the barn. Thanks for reading!

DreamflowerReviewed Chapter: 4 on 6/26/2007
Oh, I'm grinning all over my face, GW! This is my favorite one yet!

I love the interaction between Eglantine and Merry--she's going to do much better with her lad than she thinks she will. (And isn't she going to be surprised when it's *not* a lass, LOL!)

This story was just full of little gems:

“I’m going to go and get Frodo,” Merry said with determination. “Bilbo has had him long enough and I’m getting him back. No one else will go and get him and so I have to do it.”

Yes, indeed. If Merry thinks it needs doing, then he's the one who'll do it--even if he is only eight!

Merry grinned. “He sends me lots of things. He mailed me a box of rocks this week. He said so in his last letter. I should be getting it soon.”

“Rocks?”

“I collect them and Frodo knows the kind I like so he says that he’s found me a whole bunch of them and that he mailed them,” Merry said brightly.

Eglantine felt sorry for the poor post hobbit that would have to carry a box of rocks out to Brandy Hall but she said, “That’s a very nice thing for him to do.”


*snerk* Poor post-hobbit, yessirree!

“But it is still a long way and you will be gone for a while. I’m certain that you will have to talk Bilbo into letting you bring Frodo home with you and that might take several days,” Eglantine said. “Bilbo is quite the talker. He’s part Took you know.”

Merry nodded. “I am too but you can’t tell it.”

Eglantine smiled and wondered how many Brandybucks would be adventurous enough to get on a pony at eight and ride to Hobbiton. Merry was more Took than he let on she suspected.


And if any non-Took could recognize Tookishness, it would have to be Eglantine!

Later that week Frodo get a very long, very entertaining letter from Merry all about stealing a plow pony from the barn and about how much trouble it is to have a baby. Frodo wasn’t certain why Merry was so interested in babies and he didn't believe that Merry had jumped several fences and ridden across the Brandywine Bridge on the pony but the letter was very entertaining all the same. He was also skeptical when Merry wrote about Eglantine Took having lied for him in his efforts to cover up the adventure. This didn't sound at all like the very prim Eglantine Banks Took that Frodo knew and he was certain that Merry was making that protion of his tale up. He and Bilbo particularly enjoyed the part of the letter that contained Merry's views on childbirth.

I certainly would love to read *that* letter! LOL!

I loved this so much!





Author Reply: I just love to write Merry for some reason. Even though Pip will always be my favorite hobbit I tend to have fun with Merry. LOL I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I had this vision of Merry at eight up on a pony that was too big for him and I just couldn't get it out of my head. I suspect that by following Frodo around Merry did lots of things too quickly but I am guessing that he also did them well.

I don't write Eglantine often but I did think she might be in need of experience in dealing with a lad before hers came along and I also needed someone to try and reason with Merry rather than pulling him off the pony and taking him home. LOL

Gotta have a dialogue you know.

I suspect that Frodo and Bilbo enjoyed the letter repeatedly.

Thank you for the lovely review. It is always nice to know what parts of the story someone enjoyed! Tomorrow it will be Pippin's turn to leave home.

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