|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Chapter 4: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Honey, or butter? | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Which is sweeter? Which tastes better? | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Bilbo Baggins, holding a jar in each hand, stood facing a tray of bread rolls on the table. He was almost as still as stone, for he was faced with a very tough decision. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Would honey, or butter taste best on these rolls? | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Butter was most definitely the more traditional thing for hobbits to put on their bread. Added to almost every dinner of almost every hobbit, was "bread and butter." So, Bilbo mused, why not just use butter? It was what everyone else always used. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Hmph." Bilbo mumbled. "They don't call me Mad Baggins for nothing." He then proceeded to open the honey jar. Carefully, he got ready to smooth the honey over the bread ever so deftly. Preparing food was a delicate process after all. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| He was interrupted by the sound of Bag End's door bursting open and slamming shut. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Frodo, my lad!" He called out the kitchen door. "What is the big rush?" Bilbo shook his head, amused. That boy could get so excited some times. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| His chuckles were cut short at the view of Frodo leading a very sodden and sorry Samwise into the kitchen." | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Frodo!" Bilbo exclaimed, dropping down the knife he was using to spread the honey. "Sam! What on earth!" | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "I found him behind the bushes on the side of Bag End." Frodo explained breathlessly. "I couldn't convince him to let me take him home, so I thought you wouldn't mind if I brought him here." | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well, of course I don't mind!" Bilbo sighed, turning to Sam's sad and wet face. Had he looked closer, he would have been able to tell that some of the moisture was not rainwater, but tears. "What have you gotten yourself worked up about this time, Sam?" | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sam's lower lip quivered as he replied. "I'm s-s-sorry Mr. B-bilbo!" He broke off with a sneeze. "B-but I couldn't g-go back h-home. I . . ." | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sam was about to say more, but Bilbo cut him, laying a hand on his shoulder and steering him out of the room. "Shh." He hushed Sam gently. "We'll talk about it later, but now lets just get you dried off." | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ******************************************************* | |||||||||||||||||||||
| A few minutes later, Sam sat curled up on a soft chair, snuggled in blankets, with nothing worse than a sniffle. Bilbo brought him some hot tea, and Sam sipped it slowly, all the while telling Bilbo and Frodo that they really didn't need to go to the trouble, and Bilbo and Frodo all the while telling him that they did. Since Sam could obviously not wear his soaking wet clothes, Frodo had lent him some of his old clothes, and he couldn't help but notice how comical little Sam looked in the older lad's larger clothing. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Bilbo, on the other hand, noticed something entirely different. For the first time, he saw the telltale redness around Sam's eyes that spoke of a long time of crying. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Are you comfortable now, Sam?" Frodo asked, sitting down beside his friend. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yes," Sam answered softly. "Thank you Mr Frodo, Mr. Bilbo." | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'm glad." Said Bilbo. "Seeing Frodo dragging you in here soaking wet worried me greatly, and I'm sure Frodo was worried as well." Frodo nodded his agreement. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'm sorry." Sam apologized. "But I couldn't go home." Sam's eyes were wide. "Mr. Bilbo? What does ve-vehemont mean?" He stumbled over the word. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Bilbo mentally kicked himself. He had forgotten that he was speaking with a small child. Sam could be like that sometimes. He almost made you feel like you were talking to another adult. Come to think of it, that was a lot like Frodo when he was younger as well. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well," Bilbo told Sam. "What I mean, is I want to know why you don't want to go back home." | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Sam's eyes began to tear up, and for a moment, Bilbo wondered if he had done right in asking the question. "Mr. Bilbo . . ." Sam whispered. "It's my Momma." | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Back to Lord of the Rings fanfiction | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Chapter Three | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Chapter Five | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Home | |||||||||||||||||||||