Lindelea
· 25 October 2005
· Chapter 74: A Summer's Day Ramble
The child had his foot in his mouth so often that she wondered he could walk.
(What a wonderful turn of phrase!)
Cook is just the *perfect* sort of cook to have, one that likes children and finds ways that they can help in the kitchen, a delight to young hearts.
I love the description of the picnic lunch, sounds yummy!
And Folco and his flute! My joy is complete.
“Fots?” she asked fearfully.
(O she is so very adorable!)
He tried to imagine what his mother would say if they came home with a baby and Folco decided to give her to Estella for a gift.
(LOL, our eldest dd when she was two would grab any smaller child by the hand and drag it over to us and ask, "Can't we keep this one?")
I know just how Blossom's parents felt. Whew. BTDT. You turn your back for a scant moment...
And the ending was just right.
Ah, your Folco, what a gem. And Freddy. And their friendship. How lovely to see them now, happy together in person and not just in memory.
Thank you so much. I just love my prize (this was my prize, wasn't it?)!
Author's reply
Yes, this was your prize! I was surprised you did not see it first on LJ!
Perfect description of Folco, wouldn't you say?
Yes, I thought that Cook would be like that--we know how young hobbits are when they learn to cook, and that duty would not be neglected in the Bolger household, even if Rosamunda chose to delegate it. But I think she would have done anyway, she seems fond of her young master and miss.
Well, of course I had to include his flute--I'm so glad that made you happy!
The part with little Blossom was a scenario that flitted through my mind when I was doing my Freddy-remembers-Folco chapter for Road to Edoras, but I regretfully left it out, as it didn't quite fit. As soon as you requested a Folco story, I knew that was the right place for that little bunny.
I'm so glad you liked the ending. I often fear that my endings are lame--it's sometimes hard to know just how to do it.
I am so very happy you love your prize!! 8-D
Pearl Took
· 25 October 2005
· Chapter 72: Surprises
aw! That was charming :) Did you know that ginger female cats are not very common? So Dumpling is a special girl :)
Author's reply
I know that they are a bit unusual, but I didn't realize they are rare. But Dumpling would be a special girl anyway, as she belongs to Merry and Pip.
Kitty
· 25 October 2005
· Chapter 73: The Heart of the Conspiracy
Sweet ficlet! Of course Frodo would be a bit hurt because Sam spied on him, but Sam was right - I think no one of them would have remained without the other three. And after what happened in the Old Forest Frodo needed this reassurance it was right to take Sam and his cousins with him and they were probably not more safe in the Shire than with him on the road to Imladris.
Author's reply
Yes, once he had the chance to think it over, it was bound to sting a bit. Yet Sam was wise enough to know that on this occasion, Frodo's privacy was less important than his safety or his cousins' peace of mind.
And you are also right: this first and unexpectedly dangerous encounter had to have stirred a good many doubts.
Kitty
· 25 October 2005
· Chapter 72: Surprises
I hadn't even time to review this chapter, and the next is already up! You're spoiling us!
So, our dear Pippin got to share his first kiss with Diamond? And Merry set the date? A great way to celebrate Yule! *grin* And it was a good idea to show the lasses their house (or at least Diamond), so they know what to expect in the future.
The letters are sweet. It is so typical of Frodo to write them, and it is so thoughtful Rosie did the same to ease their worries about Frodo!
Pippin has a creative way to name cats! Haldir, indeed! *lol* I only hope he named the new kittens not for the same reason after Elrond's sons as he did with Haldir!
Author's reply
I have a few more mathoms to post in the next day or so.
Yes, you will recall that Yule party in "It Takes a Took". And Merry and Pippin are not at all averse to showing off their house. It means a lot to them.
Frodo of course, did not forget his cousins, just because he didn't feel up to a Buckland Yule. He had to let them know he was still thinking of them. And Rose (and Sam) would want to reassure them as to Frodo's state, and how they are taking care of him.
Well, before the Quest, he always named animals after food. Now, apparently it's after food *or* Elves, LOL! No, I think that the last two kittens must have been identical, which would put the idea in his head.
Lindelea
· 25 October 2005
· Chapter 73: The Heart of the Conspiracy
O this is perfect, absolutely perfect, and I cannot even clip my favourite line for I'd have to clip it all.
Merry, mortal afraid... I guess that stands out just a fraction of a hair. But the whole thing is excellent and completely believable.
Thanks.
Author's reply
Oh, I'm so glad you liked this; it's such a little snippet, and I originally wanted a drabble, but it wouldn't cooperate with a word-count.
Yes, Merry was mortally afraid of Frodo's leaving--long before Frodo realized that's what he'd do himself. He just knew his cousin all too well.
harrowcat
· 25 October 2005
· Chapter 73: The Heart of the Conspiracy
Of course it was for the best but the loyalty and love of family and friends is hard to when it seems to lead into danger. Sam's loyalty is wearing a wry face in this conspiracy.
Author's reply
It was hard for Frodo to come to terms with having led his friends into danger, but they know, if he does not, just how important he is to them.
harrowcat
· 25 October 2005
· Chapter 72: Surprises
Oh what a lovely little story over the breakfast coffee. Hope the bedquilt isn't ruined! *g*
Author's reply
I'm glad you liked it. And I'm quite sure the quilt will wash out, LOL!
Baggins Babe
· 25 October 2005
· Chapter 72: Surprises
This was such a sweet story - how lovely to think of Pippin singing to himself, overjoyed because he has kissed Diamond. Awwwwww! And Merry and Estella setting the date.
Clever Rose, using some emotional blackmail on Frodo! I always think she's been under-estimated.
Love the mother cat bopping her suitor on the nose! Haldir? *snert* How typical of her to have her kittens on Merry's bed - they always choose somewhere nice and comfortable.
Author's reply
Yes, this is the morning after the Yule party in "It Takes a Took". I think both the lads are sort of floating on thin air at that point in time.
Our Rose is clever, isn't she? And emotional blackmail will stand her in good stead. She's just getting in practice for being a mother.
I've had the idea in my head for a while of a pregnant Dumpling giving Haldir a swat.
Cats do have a tendency to do that, don't they?
Bodkin
· 25 October 2005
· Chapter 72: Surprises
Elladan and Elrohir? I hope Legolas comes to visit and takes the information back to the sons of Elrond. I can just picture him gleefully imparting the information. And the haughty response!
So sweet - what a place for the cat to choose to give birth! And so many delightful touches - Rose managing Frodo and letting Merry and Pippin know he was being looked after. Merry and Estella setting the date - Pippin and Diamond - Pip's leg. It all fits together so beautifully.
A lovely tale!
Author's reply
Actually, I would bet the twins might be tickled to think Pippin named cats after them. Or not. But you are right--Legolas would take great glee in telling them.
Well, I had to get all the words in. I suppose I cheated a bit on "rose" and "candle", LOL!
I'm glad you like the way it fits. That can be a problem once in a while.
Lindelea
· 24 October 2005
· Chapter 72: Surprises
I love the image of Pippin sitting and softly singing to himself, and his joy over his love for Diamond. I love Merry's comparing Pippin's wait to Aragorn's!
What a nice turn of phrase, the cat sandpapering Pippin's hand.
I forget, why was Pippin walking slowly and using a walking stick? O that's a reference to his broken leg, I think. I love the way your stories retain continuity between them. You're right, it can be quite a lot of work!
Author's reply
I'm glad you liked that; I could just imagine him that way, all up on cloud nine so to speak. I like to draw parallels between Pippin and his liege, and I think that is one in which his King's example would be a good one.
That's always what a cat's tongue feels like to me--gentle sandpaper.
Yes, this follows immediately after Ch. 32 of "It Takes a Took", and before the epilogue. Pip's still recovering just a bit from the broken leg in that story.
It *is* a lot of work, and the more stories you have, the more work it becomes, LOL! But then you know about that just as well as I do. *grin*
Gryffinjack
· 20 October 2005
· Chapter 19: What I Did This Summer...
Awww, how cute! Pippin really is *not* a very good letter writer at all. lol!
If I figured this correctly, I think you have a problem with ages in the following stories:
Bilbo’s 111th birthday party - Frodo is 33, Merry is 19, and Pippin is 11
Frodo’s 40th birthday - Merry is 26 and Pippin 18 and played his lap harp
The Dare - Merry was 28 and Pippin was 20
What I Did This Summer - Pippin is 20 and is just now beginning to learn the lap harp and the Tookland pipes, so therefore he couldn't have played them when he was eighteen.
You might need to make some slight time adjustments in one or more of these stories.
Now for the rest of the review - Pippin's little letters are adorable! Although they are not long, they actually do say a lot.
"She won’t teach me “Ho, Ho, Ho, to the Bottle I Go”, as she said that kind of thing got me in enough trouble."
Aunt Peridot is a fantastic character. Not just for saying this, but for her ability to get Pippin to speak earnestly later on after the Quest.
"Frodo, don’t be too mad at Merry for that trick he played on you. I’m sure the molasses will come out of your shirt, and it’s not like you don’t have plenty of shirts anyway. I wish I’d seen your face though."
Will we get to see the full prank? Pippin's right - it's no fair for Merry to have this much fun without sharing it with him - or us.
"Don’t show this one to Frodo. Do you know what he’s got me for his birthday? Don’t tell me you haven’t snooped. I know you have."
lol! You know, I used to be just as bad as Pippin when it came to that. My family used to try and hide my presents from me - never worked.
"Just think, if I had not got in trouble, I never would have learned to play the lap harp or the pipes! So I suppose it has turned out well after all, though I still am sorry for what I did."
That's our Pippin - always the optimist who finds the silver lining in everything. That eternal bright outlook on life and hope is a quality that will serve him and those around him well not only on the Quest, but throughout life.
How touching for Pippin to play Bilbo's favourite walking song for Frodo. Being so similar to Frodo, Pippin knew just how much it would mean to his older cousin and he was right. It's quite a tribute.
Lovely ending.
Author's reply
You are quite right about the timeline; I think the easiest change for me to make is to have him playing the fiddle as well. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
I love Pippin's older Aunties; they are favorite OCs of mine, and I have a lovely and somewhat angsty backstory for them, but I've never quite been able to get it to gel into a story yet. So far it exists only in the occasional anecdote.
The prank? I don't know--I haven't given that one a lot of thought yet, but you never know.
That's our Pippin - always the optimist who finds the silver lining in everything. That eternal bright outlook on life and hope is a quality that will serve him and those around him well not only on the Quest, but throughout life.
You really do see him as I do. That makes me quite happy.
Yes, Pippin knew just what would really please his Frodo.
Gryffinjack
· 19 October 2005
· Chapter 12: Circle of Joy
So much music, dancing, and joy to celebrate Frodo's birthday! How glorious!
I so enjoy it when you include music and dance in your stories. It must be lovely to have so much musical talent amongst one's family and friends. I'm glad Esmerelda is so fond of the fiddle Bilbo gave her for his eleventy-first birthday. It's a good thing that Pimmie is taking up the tambour so that Merry doesn't have to. I also really like how Folco Boffin plays the flute; it's very sweet.
And it's always good to see Pippin either playing an instrument or singing. I imagine him very much like Billy Boyd when he sings or plays an instrument, a huge smile on his face if it is a pub song and whole-heartedly pouring his soul into all of his music to make either his voice or instrument sing.
You describe the musical and dancing scenes so well that I feel practically like I was at Frodo's birthday celebration.
Hopefully I will get to read your next story (which is one of my top two or three favourites of your stories), "The Dare" tomorrow. If I don't, it will be because we are busy preparing for Hurricane Wilma, now a strong category four hurricane. Hope to review more tomorrow!
Author's reply
Oh no! I didn't follow the weather tonight, I was out this evening at a meeting. Are you in the path of the hurricane? Where are you? If so, I do hope you are not planning to ride it out! *crosses fingers for you* I surely hope you will be OK!
Author Reply: Hit the button before I could respond about the story review, LOL!
I truly love the idea of music and dancing at hobbity celebrations. I love to listen to Celtic music, and much of it, I can just see in my head hobbits dancing to it. It was so with the peice "Circle of Joy". Every time I heard it, I could just imagine hobbits dancing to it, so I finally had to write it.
Billy Boyd's portrayal of Pippin has definitely colored the way I write him. I don't know if Billy plays any instruments, or just sings, but I can always see his Pippin singing or playing away.
Gryffinjack
· 19 October 2005
· Chapter 49: Moving Day
How sad for them to be leaving their old life behind! Nothing will ever be the same for any of them ever again.
Although Merry and Pippin both will enjoy being able to spend so much time together during an unusual period in the year, I'm sure that Pippin will be missing his parents a great deal and wondering what it will be like when he goes back "home."
"Pearl was very pale. Only she, of the children, had any understanding of how difficult this move was for her parents. “Father,” she whispered."
Is this understanding due to the incident in the story you are currently posting at the Pippin Healers group? I'm sure it is, in which case - poor Pearl! The thoughts she must be having!
It should be a joyous time for them, Paladin becoming the Took and the Thain, but it's so sad for the family to be all split up and leaving their old life behind for one of so much unwanted public attention.
I would like to see the story of Paladin's investiture - it would be very interesting to read from his point of view. And while you are at it, you can also write the story of Pippin's much later investiture. I should like to see that one as well! lol! There now, that's not too much to ask, is it?
Author's reply
No, nothing will be the same, will it?
I have some very definite bunnies for this particular year in mind, but I've yet to write any of them. So far they are just percolating in my brain, and I don't yet know if I want to do them as a series of vignettes, ficlets and drabbles, or if I want to do a multi-chapter story.
It does, to a certain degree. Pearl's the eldest, and she has seen the gossip mill of the Great Smials at work.
Paladin doesn't particularly want to be Thain. Hobbits by nature are not generally power-seekers (S.-B.'s excepted) and a job that entails so much responsiblity would not be one that most hobbits would relish. And the rather cloying atmosphere of the Great Smials, cultivated by Lalia and Ferumbras would take a lot of dissipating before Paladin and Eglantine would want their children there.
Now, I've not thought of doing either investiture. I'll have to put that on the back burner and let it simmer, and see if it produces anything.
Gryffinjack
· 18 October 2005
· Chapter 67: The Birthday, S.R. 1402
"Ah, Frodo, my lad, he thought through his tears. I always knew you were the best hobbit in the Shire."
Especially after reading this story, I quite agree with Bilbo. How thoughtful of Frodo to give Bilbo for their birthday what he really missed most - a rememberance from Frodo and a taste of the Shire. Even though Bilbo was happy amongst the elves, I'm sure he got quite lonely for the Shire and some of his family, especially Frodo, at times.
I also liked Frodo's birthday party, with just his closes family and friends in attendance. It's would be much more like Frodo than a large party. He's much quieter in everything in his life, choosing to share it with only a few.
This was a beautiful story about Frodo and Bilbo's special relationship.
Author's reply
I think that Frodo realized they'd be missing one another on this special date, and wanted to be ready for it. He probably knew that Bilbo would be feeling alone with no other hobbits around. And he wanted to be sure Bilbo would be thinking of him.
I am quite sure that Frodo's parties were like that--small and intimate, rather than the grand and showy bashes Bilbo had gone in for.
I'm so glad you liked it.
Pearl Took
· 17 October 2005
· Chapter 66: The Smallest Hands
This is so wonderful!! I'm sorry i didn't read it when the auto-email about it first came through. At least I read it now. It made me teary. Yes, stature is not a good gauge of courage nor of heart.
Wonderful!!!!!
Author's reply
Thank you! I just wanted to do our lads justice.
Gryffinjack
· 15 October 2005
· Chapter 7: Sam's Mistake
Poor Sam! He shouldn't have been using a knife to dig with, but ouch, that hurts!
It's always good to see the relationship between Sam and Merry. Typical of Merry to think it was his fault because he had given Sam the knife. Does Merry think *everything* is his fault?
It must be very difficult for Sam and the Gaffer to allow the gentlehobbits to take care of Sam, much less to accept that Bilbo is going to pay for the healer. It just does not seem *proper* to them. I don't think they really understand how fondly Bilbo and the cousins think of them.
The Gaffer is a good father - he knows when it is time to reprimand and when no lecture is necessary.
Author's reply
Yes, poor dear. He called himself lazy, but really, he was just too impatient to get on with the job. He's still pretty young in this, and still learning. And yes, I am quite sure it hurt. *ow*
Pretty much, if it involves something happening to people he thinks he should take care of. And apparently Sam falls into that category as well, though I'm sure Sam might be surprised to realize that. But Merry does not give friendship or loyalty easily, so once he does, he's pretty committed to it.
Well, really, in this case Bilbo was very much in the right. Nowadays worker's comp would take care of someone injured on the job, but in a society like the Shire, a good employer would still pay for the healer. And even though the Gaffer really does know this, he's still rather proud when it comes to things like this, and does not like to admit that. And of course, he does know that Mr. Bilbo is fond of him and his family, but he still sees it only in an employer/employee sort of relationship.
Yes, I think he was a good father. He was a little tough on Sam, with the edge of his tongue a lot of times, but he also knew that in this case, his lad had learned his lesson all too well.
Gryffinjack
· 15 October 2005
· Chapter 54: Morning at Bucklebury Ferry
What a sweet Norman Rockwell scene that was!
Little Pippin, okay, any Pippin, certainly is handful! Boundless energy and constant chatter, that one. But quick! Those quick reflexes of his do come in handy at times. And I really enjoy the way you keep him in character by having him enjoy music and singing so much. He's such a sweet little lad!
Merry is a wonderful older cousin, the way he watches out for Pippin and entertains him as Frodo did for him when he was little. It really was good for Merry when Pippin was born so he would have a little lad-cousin of his own.
Author's reply
What a nice comparison--I love Norman Rockwell!
Yes, Pippin was indeed a handful. He behaved better for his cousins than he did for his sisters and parents, but he still was a whirlwind, LOL! I like to show him as loving music and songs from his earliest years, and one of the ways that Merry uses to distract him from his fidgets--even after he's grown--is by asking him to sing, or to play. He *is* sweet--he just loves everyone!
I think Pippin helped to fill a bit the gap that Frodo left when he moved away--it didn't completely work, Merry still missed his Frodo, but it helped that he had someone to look after to distract *him* from pining.
Gryffinjack
· 15 October 2005
· Chapter 65: Buckland Spring
I forgot one comment - how do you think rowing on a boat down the river after they left Lothlorien affected Frodo? I think it would have made him even more melancholy and withdrawn than he already was. Rather chilling to think about, actually.
Author's reply
That's a good question. Did the Ring tap into those melancholy feelings in an effort to wear him down more? Or did the sweet but sad memories of his parents' lost love have a muffling effect on Its efforts? Or was he so weighed down with the burden of the Ring and the choice he saw looming over him when they got off the River make him forget what he would otherwise remember? That's a fascinating question!
Gryffinjack
· 15 October 2005
· Chapter 58: Waiting for Bilbo
Little children are so manipulative, aren't they? Little Merry knew exactly what would work on Frodo to get what he wanted. Really, all three of the cousins knew how to use their eyes, whether blue, grey, or green, to their best advantage.
What wonderful riddles! And how bright of Merry to correctly answer these riddles he had "never" heard before. lol!
"Merry hung his arms around the bottom fence rail and leaned back, grinning up at Frodo. 'That’s easy! A chimney! And' he gave Frodo a sly look 'you got stuck in one once.'"
I want to read about Frodo getting stuck in a chimney! Have you written that story? Where is it at?
I don't think I've mentioned it before, but the voice you give to Bilbo is so spot on, as are all of your characterisations and voices. He really is a breath of fresh air when he makes an appearance in a story.
Author's reply
Yes they did! They most certainly did! *grin*
Most of those riddles are actual old nursery rhymes that I found or remembered. And little children of that age *love* repitition. It's what makes them want the same bedtime story over and over, makes them watch the exact same video over and over, or makes them sing songs like "The Song that Never Ends" or "Little Bunny Foo-Foo".
So far, that's just a little anecdote told around the dinner table in one chapter of "A New Reckoning". I've yet to turn it into its own story, but I would not be surprised if it did one of these days. That's where a good many of my stories come from. "Merry's Milestone" for example was just such an anecdote in "A Conspiracy of Hobbits."
I try to make the "voice" of each character consistent with the books, with perhaps a slight overlay of the movie. I adore Bilbo, and am so glad that you think I get him right.
Gryffinjack
· 15 October 2005
· Chapter 65: Buckland Spring
*sniff!* I love little Merry! Even as a baby, he still was the only one who could reach out to Frodo and make him feel better.
This story captures Merry's intense personality so well. His ability to get through to Frodo with his namesake merry disposition, his worry and anger when he is not able to get to Frodo to make him feel better, and, of course, his boundless love for his dearest cousin. It is quite a statement that his first word was not "mum" or "da," but "Fwo."
This was a heart-wrenching story to read. Poor Frodo wanting to go find a way to join his parents - how painful that must have been to Saradoc and Esmerelda to see! They must have felt so powerless to do anything to help their almost-son. Thankfully, they had that room by theirs so they could watch him and protect him. But still... how awful for them!
And Frodo! For a melancholy lad to show that much emotion just stabs at the heart. He was so young and to be orphaned in a place teaming with mums and das, but not his own, no matter he was so distraught. In a place with a couple of hundred members of his family, he felt all alone. Thank goodness he had his little sprout.
I should like to see Frodo in those moments of mischief that he sometimes got at other times of the year. I wish there were more of them.
This story was as beautifully poignant the second time around as it was the first. Thank you once again for updating your chronological list so that I did not miss this wonderful story.
Author's reply
Yes, Merry had a destiny in life, and that was to his cousin. He was on the job just about from the day he was born.
Baby Merry loves all his family very much, but he instinctively knows that Frodo *needs* him, and he really wanted to be with him--you will notice that his first word was out of frustration because his Frodo was upset and he could not get to him.
Yes, you've captured his feelings and the dynamic I wished to portray perfectly. Hobbits are an extremely clannish, family oriented race, and the ties of blood are very tight. I think the forcible wrenching of those ties when Frodo was so young and vulnerable left him prey to melancholy (or as we would call it, depression) The idea that it would be worse at the times of his parents' deaths fits into JRRT's world, where the anniversary of something traumatic continues to resonate--such as Frodo's spring and fall anniversaries post-Quest.
I may get around to showing some of them. I've still got loads of gaps to fill.
I am glad you gave me the impetus to do so. I'd been meaning to for a long time. Thank you.
Gryffinjack
· 15 October 2005
· Chapter 70: Bachelor Party
A hobbit bachellor party for Drogo! Did he stand on any tables and sing like his son did at the Prancing Pony later on?
Hamfast should have given Bilbo some of his recipe to take to Drogo as a wedding present. lol!
Author's reply
No, Drogo's the quiet sort; he probably just sat there and let his cousin pour him drink after drink, listening to Bilbo and Rory reminisce until he was pie-eyed, LOL!
Well, I'm sure he thought the gentry could handle such matters themselves, LOL!
Gryffinjack
· 15 October 2005
· Chapter 60: Home at Last
First of all, thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to add the rest of your stories to your chronological list! As you can see, I am making immediate use of your efforts. However, you have inadvertanly listed one story twice on the Pre-Hobbit list.
I think this is perhaps my favourite of your earlier generation stories.
Poor Bilbo's homecoming was not all that he had hoped. First almost losing his smial to the hated S.-B.'s, then being declared dead, then having his pupils taken away from him, and lastly, the cold reaction of so many hobbits, including family. At least we know from Tolkien that he was able to restore a good relationship with most of the hobbits, although I wonder how long that took. This was a very good reminder of just how difficult a transition it is not only for Bilbo, but for the other hobbits as well.
It also makes me ponder if this is what the Four Travellers would have had in store for them had they not come home to the Scouring of the Shire and handled the situation so admirably. Even so, I am sure that they still sufferred some of the same hardships upon their return that Bilbo did, quite apart from the horrible effects of the war and the ring.
I don't know how you do it - your Drogo sounds so much like Frodo, yet not quite. It is easy to imagine him as being Frodo's father. Drogo had the interest in the world outside the Shire and some desire to go, but he lacked the Tookish sense of adventure to actually leave. In at least this way, Primula would complete him so that Frodo to do well on his own adventure (albeit that he had no choice but to leave the Shire).
This is a fine story.
Author's reply
Thank you so much! It has meant a lot to me to get reviews for my "earlier generation" stories, especially ones about Bilbo, because they do not get nearly the attention the stories of the four Travellers do. Poor Bilbo, I am afraid, gets sorely neglected in fic.
I felt that Bilbo would indeed have felt much the sort of sting of alienation that his younger kin did later. It is canon that he was no longer considered "respectable" after his adventures, and I think that it probably took him a long time to re-establish himself in the good graces of the Shire. My Bilbo begins to spend every Yule in Buckland from the year of his return, and I think he would have probably renewed his ties to his Took and Brandybuck relations in the face of rejection from the more staid Bagginses. Being wealthy and the Master of Bag End, he would soon gain a different sort of respect from the working class hobbits of the Hill, but as we know, his past was still haunting him some 60 years later.
I think you are right in that regard. Really, although I understood the reasons for it, PJ really missed a lot of the point when he left the Scouring out. Filmatically it didn't work, yet for the dynamic of the growth and of the re-integration into Shire society of the four who went away, it really was necessary.
I'm glad you see Drogo that way. I want him to be like-yet-unlike his future son, and it's nice to know you think I succeeded. I think that, as adventurousness was the Tookish contribution to Frodo, and dogged determination the Brandybuck contribution, I think the Baggins contribution was imaginativeness and a thirst for knowledge. The three strains combined in Frodo to create a throwback to their original common Fallohide ancestors.
I'm so glad you liked it. Thank you again for the lovely long review!
Kitty
· 14 October 2005
· Chapter 71: A Small Incident on the Great River...
That reminds me of the accident Sean Astin had during the filming of the trilogy when he had to run in the Anduin after Frodo's boat at the end of FotR. Was it inspired by this?
Anyway, I loved it. It's nice to have Sam being the one to be comforted and looked after for a change. Usually it is Sam who looks after the others - it was surely not so easy for him to accept the reversed situation. But it is good he knows the others care for him, too.
Author's reply
Yes, it was inspired by that. I had originally planned to make the injury more serious (as was Sean's--he had to get stitches, if I recall) but decided not to complicate the Quest too much.
Yes, a bit of Sam comfort is always a good thing. I'm glad Rabidsamfan asked for this. It was fun to write.
Gryffinjack
· 14 October 2005
· Chapter 27: All You Have to do is Ask
I am *so* enjoying your stories of the four lads growing up!
I am sorry though that Sam has to now start calling the others by their honourific titles. However, at least this now makes Pippin to join in on the springtime fun without being accompanied by his parents. What type of tonic does Pippin have to take? Is it like taking vitamins or something more serious?
Bilbo really is a wonderful "uncle" to all of the young hobbits, isn't he? Yes, he spoils them, but he also keeps them in line and wouldn't let anything happen to them. So much for an old bachellor not being able to take care of children! Eglantine had nothing to worry about.
A very hobbitty twist on the old "One Hundred Bottles of Beer on the Wall." That song is always very tiresome to adults, but frolicking fun to youngsters. It's not just in size that Pippin appears so much younger than Nibs, but also in the way he acts in comparison. I suppose this comes from being the youngest child with three older sisters in a family of gentlehobbits, plus Pippin's own cheery disposition.
I wonder who was more afraid that Pippin might fall - Farmer Harfoot or Merry? The difference, of course, is in why each one was afraid, Harfoot only about himself being in trouble while Merry will never stop worrying about his Pippin-lad. Thank goodness Sam and Fatty Bolger were there to take charge of the situation since Merry was too paralyzed with fear for Pippin.
Pippin is a beautifully open, trusting child. It never would have occurred to him that this farmer could be mean toward children or that he himself would not be able to climb so high in the tree without Frodo. He has so much faith in himself and in others. And with those beautiful green eyes and little mouth, well, I don't think anyone could refuse him anything he wanted. Although he may not realise it has an effect on others, he knows that he can use those green eyes and look in his face to his advantage when it comes to his family, including (or especially) Merry, Frodo, and Bilbo.
You write these stories of the children so well, especially the way you are able to write them to reflect the various ages of childhood.
Author's reply
What a lovely long review! And this is one of my own favorites, so the nice words are just making me grin like crazy!
Sam is beginning to get old enough now to take on more responsibility as his father's helper, and that comes with having to be more formal. Something he probably expected sooner or later, and just had to get used to. But to Merry, it's putting a distance there, which has to make him feel a bit down. He understands why, but it doesn't really make sense to him either. Sam just accepts it. This tonic, I guess you could say, is sort of like vitamins--sort of a preventative measure, as Pippin is subject to colds which often take a turn for the worse with him. (I'm rather influenced by the "fanon" notion that Pip was a preemie, and so had weak lungs as a child. But for my Pip the Ent draught solves that problem when he's older.) You might want to check out the PippinHealer group story "Of Tea and Tonic". It's archived at SoA, and also on ff.net.
Bilbo does tend to spoil them a bit, but he also takes good care of them as well. He certainly did not live up to fears from certain female relatives, at any rate.
Yes, that's my hobbity version. Actually, hobbits probably would also like "One Hundred Bottles of Beer on the Wall" as well, LOL! But I wanted something of the same sort that would not jolt the readers into the modern world.
You are right about the differences between Pippin and Nibs. True, Pippin does live on a farm as well, but as Farmer Cotton so wisely realizes, Paladin Took is not at all the same sort of farmer. Nibs has older brothers--their influence would definitely be more rough and tumble than Pippin's influence from his sisters, though Merry does his best to fill the lack of brothers. Also there is the matter that Pippin is also a bit spoiled because he was so frail as a baby.
If you have read "A First Time for Everything" (which I don't recall if it's in my chronology or not, but it's in Twenty Rings) then you will know that takes place this same spring, shortly after this incident. Poor Merry! It's awful for a lad with a fear of heights to be afflicted with cousins who love to climb trees, LOL!
You have perfectly nailed the Pippin I wanted to present at this age. He's still innocent of the effect he has on others, with his charm and his big green eyes. In a few years, though, he will begin to realize that he can use that charm to get his own way. But he never quite loses that faith in people, and the desire to see the good in them.
I am so glad that you like the way I present them. I do try very hard to keep the different maturity they each have,in mind.
Bodkin
· 14 October 2005
· Chapter 71: A Small Incident on the Great River...
Oooh. Poor Sam. A log stuck in his foot sounds seriously painful. And he would be embarrassed by having attention drawn to him! And being carried by an elf - and not just any elf, but a prince! Just because he was trying to be helpful. It's enough to put him off the river permanently.
Author's reply
The River and boating just weren't in the cards for poor Sam. He was a typical hobbit in that respect, with no Took or Brandybuck in him to leaven it. And he's not terribly used to being the center of attention either, poor fellow.