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If I had a Hammer  by Grey Wonderer 246 Review(s)
henryReviewed Chapter: 20 on 11/1/2005
Wow.. wonderful ending. Everybody gets together for a celebration at Bag End. Pippin and Sam both get awarded and the Gaffer gets a new wheelbarrow.

I especially loved the way master Tunnelly was almost ignored in the competition, he deserved that.. and Pippins remark afterwards:

"Still, in a way you’re responsible for it all," Pippin said brightly. "If you hadn’t quit then I never would have got Sam for my tutor." Pippin grinned up at Mister Tunnely completely unaware that his remark was in any way offensive. "You should come to dinner too."
Merry snickered. "I love it when he says things like that."

Great story. One of your best I think.

Henry



Author Reply: Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. I was hoping that this ending would please everyone. I like things to end on a happy note even if they don't start out that way. Thank you for your kind reviews!

BodkinReviewed Chapter: 20 on 11/1/2005
This is a great conclusion. I am glad Tobias Tunnely very wisely decided in the end to be gracious about his loss. Although I suspect he is extemely relieved that Sam has no plan to set up as a carpentry teacher!

Berilac behaved quite well in the end - and the big celebration party with all the winners is great. I like Holly - and the coat-stool boy. (Incidentally c-s boy, if you put the stool on a base, so that it spreads the weight - and that the hobbit can stand on it as he hangs up his coat and sits down - then it won't be so top-heavy. Get Pippin to put his inventive mind to it.) It's great that Pippin is the one to buy it - and that Merry says, But it will fit in perfectly with Pippin's things. In fact, I can't think of any room in the Shire that it would look good in *except* Pippin's.

The Gaffer is just the right recipient for the wheelbarrow. And it looks as if Pippin might just be setting up a small production business.

"That one has a very forgiving nature," Mister Tunnely said.

"That is just one of the reasons why we are all so protective of him and so very proud of him," Frodo said with a smile.


A great exchange. Conciliatory and warning at the same time.

I really enjoyed this story - great stuff.



Author Reply: I think Tobias's mean streak was killed with kindness. Everyone, except maybe Merry, was willing to give him a way out and he was smart enough to take it. He is very lucky that Sam is going back to gardening because he would certainly lose a lot of students to Sam!
I had so much fun writing the Gaffer that I thought he deserved something in all of this, then again, he did wind up with the bed as well. LOL
So glad you enjoyed this and thank you for reading it!

AuntiemeeshReviewed Chapter: 20 on 11/1/2005
A great ending to the story! Pippin was so excited to have something entered into the contest, I don't think he would have cared if he hadn't won at all, but the fact that he did get a prize made it even more special for him.

I was pleasantly surprised by how gracious a loser Tobias Tunnelly was. I think he'll be a better instructor for the little lesson he learned this summer. :)

Author Reply: I started not to let Pippin win. Then I had him getting honorable mention or only the prize for his inovative extra wheels. In the end I decided that the honorable mention should go to one of Tunnely's students and that would get Tunnely a chance to put his foot in his mouth one more time before he reformed. LOL
I decided that Tobias might realize how childish he was being when faced with the good sportmanship of Sam, Pippin, and even Frodo. I am a sucker for a happy ending whenever possible so I couldn't help myself! LOL

AndreaReviewed Chapter: 20 on 11/1/2005
"Nell gave Pearl a look, Pearl nodded, and Nell whistled again." LOL! A whistling Nell, that's very tookish!

A lovely ending! Everyone is happy now, even the coat-stool lad. I think, it will look splendid in Pippin's room ;-)

Though I still don't know, how Frodo came to know about Berilac, I highly appreciated the lad's apologies. He's a good guy after all!

Thank you, G.W. for this wonderful story! I'm looking forward to reading more.

Author Reply: I have written Nell as a bit of a tomboy in the past. I just figured that she would be able to whistle and I do think it's Tookish.
That coat-stool, like the toffee apples, because a larger part of the story than I meant for it to, but I did think it would be the very sort of thing that Pippin would enjoy putting in his room.
I started to wrap up exactly how Frodo found out about Berilac's prank but then I decided to leave it unanswered. This way it isn't completely clear to anyone that he really knew. It certainly seems as if he did, but there is still a bit of doubt. I might just answer that question in a later story. I do believe that Berilac just got carried away with his prank and didn't think about how it might hurt Frodo.
Thank you for all of your reviews and I am glad you enjoyed the ending!

Pearl TookReviewed Chapter: 20 on 11/1/2005
Bravo!! Bravo!! Bravisimo!!!

" "Good luck, Pip!" Merry shouted.

Pippin grinned at Merry and shouted back, "I just want Sam to win!"

Sam’s eyes widened and the Gaffer chuckled. "Little Took could ‘a gone all day without sayin’ that."

"You don’t know our little brother very well, do you?" Nell grinned. "If it’s the wrong thing to say, then Pippin will probably say it at least once and maybe twice."

Sam was listening as Pippin explained about the prize that was given for outstanding work by a tutor and everyone watched as the color drained from Sam’s face."


"Everyone cheered and clapped and Merry snickered as Pippin bowed slightly. Sam was still in shock over the news of a prize for the instructors. Nell placed her fingers in her mouth and let go with a whistle that would have made any lad proud and Pippin grinned at her. Pearl elbowed her younger sister and hissed, "That is not proper behavior for a lass." Nell just smiled and repeated her performance as Pearl rolled her eyes."


""Dang it all!" someone in the back shouted. "Givin’ a prize for somethin’ as queer as a boat! What is this contest comin’ too?"

Pippin and his group clapped harder and Saradoc glared back into the crowd and said loudly, "If you’re ever in water up to your ears you’ll wish you had a boat!"

There was laughter as someone else shouted, "You tell ‘em Saradoc!" "


""Thank you, Samwise that is most generous of you," Mister Tunnely said. "I do think that this celebration should be for you and your student. You did the job that I should have done and did it admirably." He shook hands with a very surprised Sam.

"Still, in a way you’re responsible for it all," Pippin said brightly. "If you hadn’t quit then I never would have got Sam for my tutor." Pippin grinned up at Mister Tunnely completely unaware that his remark was in any way offensive. "You should come to dinner too."

Merry snickered. "I love it when he says things like that."

Frodo groaned, rapped Merry on the head and walked over to Mister Tunnely. "You are welcome to join us, Tobias and so is your student who built that fine-looking headboard. Come to dinner and let us bury the hatchet or in this case, the hammer." "


" "That one has a very forgiving nature," Mister Tunnely said.

"That is just one of the reasons why we are all so protective of him and so very proud of him," Frodo said with a smile. "


" "If it’s all right with everyone, I should like to give my wheelbarrow to the hobbit that I have wanted to give it to since I started working on it," Pippin said. "Well, since I started working on it with Sam, anyway."

"Go ahead, Pippin," Frodo said.

Pippin pushed the wheelbarrow over and parked it next to a rather surprised Hamfast Gamgee. "Here Mister Gamgee, I want you to have this," he said.

"Me?" the Gaffer asked. "Well, what did I do to deserve this fine gift?"

"Well, I think you may be one of the reasons that Sam let me build it," Pippin grinned. "When I was explaining about the two extra wheels to Sam, he told me that he thought it would be good for someone with a bad back like yours. He said that you could use one like this and so now you have one."

Hamfast looked over at Pippin and grinned. "It’s the finest present that these old bones of mine have got in some time, lad. I don’t know how to thank you."

"You already have," Pippin smiled. "

*******WONDERFUL!! WONDERFUL!! WONDERFUL!!**********

I'm sorry to see it end in many ways. This has been such a joy to read. Thank you for such a wonderful (have I mentioned that it's wonderful?) story!!

Author Reply: You have mentioned wonderful, but I don't mind hearing it again. LOL I love the way you put your favorite lines in the review. You got some of mine in there too. I had fun writing this one and I thank you so much for reviewing it. I wanted to go out on a happy note and I think I've managed that! Thanks, again!

Mum's the WordReviewed Chapter: 20 on 11/1/2005
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!

I've loved every minute -- er, sentence -- of this lovely story. And you've wrapped it up very nicely, with forgiveness, wisdom, friendship, gifts, and of course lots of hobbity food.

Excellent job, GW! I hate to see it end, but you've given it a perfect ending.

Hugs and blessings,
Mum

Author Reply: Thank you! Glad you enjoyed my happy ending. I don't like to leave things on a sad note. I enjoy my happy hobbits too much so most of the time I try to write everyone out of trouble. Thank you for reviewing! You are alwasy so sweet!

SlightlyTookishReviewed Chapter: 20 on 11/1/2005
A great conclusion to a wonderful story! I'm sad to see this one end but this final chapter was very nice. It's so good to see Pippin recognized for his improvement, and Sam awarded for being such a good instructor.

Author Reply: Thank you for reading and reviewing. In some ways I was sad to see it end too, but it certainly had become much longer than I ever expected! LOL I did think that Sam deserved his own award for his efforts. He worked nearly as hard as Pippin did!

JulieReviewed Chapter: 20 on 11/1/2005
I knew it!!!! I knew Pippin was going to give his wheelbarrow to the Gaffer!! I figured it would be either the Gaffer, Sam, or in some weird twist, Tobias Tunnely. I was really hoping for the Gaffer & you even added an extra reason that I didn't think of as to why he should have it--his bad back. I also enjoyed how it was Sam's reward to not have to worry about his father laboring anymore.

This chapter was perfect--the way you set the tone, the characters, the peanut gallery comments during the contest, everything. I liked the interaction of Pearl & Pimpernel with their brother; Merry, Estella, Fredegar; the Gaffer & Mr. Grubb; and all the rest of the hobbits. Absolutely LOVED your Gaffer. I also really enjoyed how Berilac finally got his commuppence & how he did apologize to poor Frodo.

I just want to say how much I've enjoyed this beautifully written tale from start to finish. I cannot wait to read whatever you come up with next. I don't know if you have anything planned, but I wouldn't mind something with the Gaffer in it again, or Berilac, or Frodo. Hmm, you could always expand & further the story between Saradoc & Frodo's carpentry lessons(hint, hint great material there in the orphaned lad & the foster Saradoc who's never had to teach. hint, hint).

Author Reply: You guessed right about the wheelbarrow but I kind of like your idea of Tunnely getting it. Now that would have been interesting to write! There were so many hobbits that Pippin could have given it to but I never thought of Tunnely. It would have fit as something Pippin might do though.
I wanted this to be a happy chapter and I'm glad that you enjoyed it. I had a great time writing the Gaffer and I would like to write more with him in it. I will have to see what comes up, but I am sure he will return. Thank you for all of the plot bunnies at the end of this review and for reading and reviewing! I will give the bunnies some thought and see what happens.

pipspebbleReviewed Chapter: 20 on 11/1/2005
A wonderful ending to a perfectly wonderful story! I just adore how Pippin has such a forgiving and generous nature, and even the old sourpusses ended up being good in the end. Thank you for such an entertaining tale. This was one of your best. And that's saying a lot! :-)


Author Reply: Thank you! I am very glad that you liked it. I went for a complete happy ending because I just adore happy hobbits. Pippin is such a forgiving hobbit that I did hate to leave him with hard feelings toward anyone. Thank you for revieiwing throughout and for saying such lovely things about this story! It is much appreciated!

shireboundReviewed Chapter: 20 on 11/1/2005
Yes, sir," Sam said. "I’m a gardener and I suspect that’s all I'll ever wanted to be. I like watchin’ things grow and helpin’ them on their way."

"I think you’ve spent the summer doing exactly that, my friend," Frodo said coming over and putting an arm around Sam’s shoulders. "Pippin looks a bit taller than when the summer started and he certainly is on his way."


Yay, what a perfect ending to a delight of a story! Thanks, GW!

Author Reply: And thank you for reading! I'm glad you liked the ending. I wanted everything to end on a happy note for one and all (even Mister Tunnely in a way.) but most of all I wanted Sam to come out on top. Thank you so much for reviewing!

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