It was a Baggins family reunion. In other words, half the Shire was invited. It had been years since any family had bothered to hold an official family reunion -- weddings, birthdays, and funerals kept most of the hobbit families in touch on a regular basis. But it had been a particularly dull summer, so it was decided that, after almost a month without a gathering of any sort, one was in order.
"Let's GO," Merry said impatiently to his mother, who was still putting the second breakfast dishes away. "If we don't hurry, we'll miss elevenses."
"Keep your ponies, dearest," Esmeralda Brandybuck admonished. "There'll be plenty of food for EVERYONE, even my growing boy."
She reached out to ruffle his hair affectionately, but he skillfully dodged out of the way. It was true that he had been going through a growth spurt lately, and his breeches were looking shorter than they ought, but that didn't mean he wanted his mum making him look worse by mussing his hair.
"Bilbo will be there, right?" Merry asked eagerly.
"Yes, dear."
"And Frodo?"
"Of course, dear." His mother's tone was patient, despite the fact that Merry had asked the same questions umpteen times. But Merry couldn't help himself -- he was too excited. After all, living all the way out in Buckland, Merry felt very secluded from all his INTERESTING relatives, especially since family functions had been so few and far between as of late. And it had been AGES since he'd heard a good story from Bilbo.
And it had been just as long since he'd gotten to see Frodo. Merry loved getting the chance to hang out with his cousin. Being older, Frodo had a certain allure, and Merry idolized him. Talking to him made Merry feel special, like someday HE would be as cultured and sophisticated. And now Merry couldn't wait to show off how tall he'd grown, to show him that they were practically equals in maturity.
And if Frodo was still interested in playing games, too, all the better.
"The ponies are all hitched," Saradoc Brandybuck announced, coming into the kitchen. "Are we ready?"
"Finally!" Merry said, starting for the door and absently grabbing an apple from the bowl on the table.
But Esmeralda smacked his hand, making him drop the apple. "Not now, dear. You'll spoil your appetite."
"Not HIS appetite," Saradoc laughed, giving his son a nod.
And Merry picked the apple back up and hurried outside before his mum could protest again.
***
As Merry had predicted, they arrived just as elevenses was being cleared. Luckily, as is the tradition at ALL hobbit festivities, lunch was already being prepared. Merry knew he couldn't wait that long, so he walked over to the buffet table where the apples were sitting in a large basket and ate a few. He didn't know why, but there was something very satisfying about biting into a nice, hard, juicy apple.
He was just reaching for his third when a large round hobbit came and shooed him away. "Be off with you, young Took. Lunch will be ready soon enough."
Merry stomped off, annoyed that she'd taken away the basket of apples and upset that she'd mistaken him for a Took. He didn't look a THING like his adventurous cousins, and he was mighty proud of his Brandybuck heritage. He was considering going back and correcting the lady when he saw Frodo sitting by himself under a tree, watching the festivities.
"Frodo!" Merry said, hurrying over and sitting down on a tree root next to him. "It's good to see you."
"Good to see you too, Merry. I didn't see you anywhere at elevenses."
"No, we were late, and now I'm starving!"
Frodo glanced at Merry's too-short breeches and smiled. "Growth spurt, huh? I remember those days."
Merry nodded, proudly sitting up tall. "Soon I"ll be as tall as you."
Frodo laughed. "VERY soon, I reckon, if you continue at this rate."
Merry grinned, happy to receive such a compliment from Frodo. Then, suddenly remembering, he asked, "Is your uncle Bilbo here?"
Frodo nodded. "He's somewhere. Off telling stories, I suppose."
"Has he told any good ones lately?" Merry asked, a twinge jealous that Frodo could hear Bilbo's stories anytime. "How about the one with Gollum and the riddles -- I always liked that one."
"I suppose," Frodo said, shrugging. "I've heard them all so many times, I tend not to pay much attention anymore."
"I'd pay attention, no matter HOW many times he told it," Merry said enthusiastically.
Frodo smiled at his younger cousin. He then looked out in the centre of the field, where the band was striking up yet another rousing tune. "Do you dance, Merry?"
Merry crinkled his nose in disgust. "You mean with GIRLS?"
"Of COURSE with girls," Frodo said, laughing. "So I take it that's a 'no'?" Merry nodded, and Frodo stood up absently, looking longingly back out at the dancers. "You'll change your mind in a few years, mark my words. Once you're as tall as me."
Merry stood to join his cousin, a rebuttal on his lips. But before he could disagree, a younger hobbit boy appeared out of nowhere, giving Frodo a running hug and almost knocking him over into the tree.
"Frodo!" the boy said excitedly. "You want to come play? We're playing tuck-and-hunt, and I'm the hunter, but everyone's seemed to tuck so well I can't finds them anywheres, but then I finds you instead, which is even better! So you want to come play?" the boy asked, taking Frodo's hand and attempting to lead him off.
Merry was annoyed. He didn't know the boy, but he recognized him as a Took. Merry suddenly realized that calling the Tooks "adventurous" was just the grown-up way of saying "rude". Couldn't the boy see that he and Frodo were having their OWN conversation, and they didn't need little boys interrupting them with offers to play?
But before Merry could say anything, the boy turned to him. "Hullo, I don't know you. I'm Peregrin -- Peregrin Took. Are you a Baggins, too?"
"I'm a Brandybuck," Merry said proudly. "Meriadoc Brandybuck."
"Meraidoc and Peregrin -- Merry and Perry!" the boy said, grinning. "We could be brothers."
Frodo laughed. "But you're not called Perry -- you're Pippin."
Pippin stuck his nose up in the air and thrust his little boy chest out proudly. "I could be Perry if'n I wanted. I could be ANYBODY if'n I wanted."
Despite himself, Merry started to smile. This boy might be annoying, but he was awfully amusing, too. And being older, Merry decided to ACT older, offering his hand to the boy. "It's nice to meet you, Perry."
The boy giggled. "That sounds so funny." He shook Merry's hand, saying, "So I guess you best call me Pippin."
"Hullo, Pippin. I guess this means we're cousins."
"We must be, if'n we're both here. After all, it's a FAMILY reunion, right? So we MUST be family. Hey, let's go play." Pippin still had ahold of Merry's hand and he started to drag him off.
Merry's annoyance returned. He wanted to stay and talk to Frodo some more. After all, Frodo was wise and mature -- everything Merry hoped to be one day -- and Pippin just wanted to PLAY. Merry looked at Frodo pleadingly, hoping Frodo would save him.
But Frodo was staring at the dancers and barely noticed the two younger hobbits. "Have fun, you two," Frodo said absently, walking off to join the dancing and revelry.
"We will, Frodo," Pippin called after him, still dragging Merry.
Merry sighed, reluctantly giving in and following the boy. 'I'll play,' Merry thought, 'but I shan't have any fun.'
As Pippin dragged Merry past a tree, a young girl emerged from inside a large knot at the bottom, her hands on her hips. "Pippin! You were supposed to be the hunter! Where've you been?"
"I'm not playing anymore," Pippin said. "My cousin Merry and I are going to play our OWN game."
"Wait a minute," Merry said, stopping and grabbing his hand free from Pippin's. "It's bad enough that you dragged me away from Frodo to play some stupid kids' game, but now you don't even want to PLAY?"
Pippin pouted -- he obviously didn't like to be scolded. He scuffled the ground with his hairy feet and dug his hands deep into his pockets. Then a small smile started to cross his face. "Would you like an apple?" he asked, pulling one from his pocket and holding it out to Merry.
Merry found he couldn't stay mad at this boy, no matter how much he wanted to. Those puppydog eyes, that hopeful look...that ripe apple!
"Where'd you get that?" Merry asked.
Pippin pulled the apple back and began turning it over and over in his dirty hands, refusing to meet Merry's gaze. "I...uh...found it."
"They hid the basket from me -- do you know where they put it?"
Pippin nodded guiltily. "I didn't mean to steals. I was just hungry." The boy turned pleading eyes up to Merry. "You won't tell on me, will you?"
"'Course not," Merry said, grabbing the apple from Pippin and taking a bite. A nice, juicy bite! Pippin had somehow managed to steal the sweetest apple in the basket. After savouring it for a moment, Merry smiled and took Pippin's hand. Then, leaning over to whisper in his ear, he said, "Let's go get some more."
***
"Do you remember the first time we stole apples together?" Pippin asked as he and Merry crawled underneath the long buffet table.
Despite their years of apple-stealing, Pippin had still never mastered the art of stealth.
"Hush, Pippin!" Merry whispered. "We don't want them to hear us."
"Over the racket of them fiddles? We could SING under hear and I don't think anyone would notice."
"Well, we'd best not test that theory," Merry whispered, fearful that Pippin was about to burst into song.
"I s'pose you're right," Pippin whispered back. "So, do you?"
Merry was confused by Pippin's question. Pippin often didn't make much sense, but Merry realized it had nothing to do with Pippin being younger -- it merely had to do with Pippin being Pippin.
"Do I what?" Merry asked.
"Remember the first time we stole apples together?"
Merry nodded. "The Brandybuck family reunion, wasn't it?"
Pippin nodded eagerly. "I so idolized you back then."
Merry elbowed his compatriot in the ribs. "And you don't idolize me now?"
Pippin laughed. "No, of COURSE not -- you're just Merry."
Merry stopped crawling and stared at Pippin, offended. "What does THAT mean?"
Pippin stopped, too, and turned to his friend. "Back then I didn't really know you, and you were older and taller and mature, so I thought it was such a treat to hang out with you. But now I KNOW you, and I never really think of you as older."
Merry nodded. "I guess you're right. I do think of us more as the same age now."
"Exactly," Pippin said. "We're the same age...only I'm younger."
Merry laughed -- Pippin never ceased to amuse him. "C'mon, Pip," Merry said, starting to crawl again. "We should be almost under the apples by now."
Pippin could be heard counting under his breath. "Didn't we figure they were on the third one from the end?"
Merry shook his head. "No, it was the fourth one."
"I don't think so," Pippin said, "because it went ale, bread, greens, and then apples." Pippin crinkled his forehead in confusion. "I guess it WAS the fourth one."
"Then this should be it," Merry said, stopping as he reached the middle of the fourth table. "Ready?"
"What's our plan?"
Merry stuck his tongue in his cheek as he considered. He hadn't really figured out ahead of time what they'd actually do when they got under the apple table -- Pippin had just pointed out that the tablecloths would prevent them from being seen, and Merry had suggested they try it. Apparently Pippin had assumed that Merry had an actual plan for when they got here.
"Don'tcha HAVE a plan?" Pippin asked.
"I'm thinking."
Pippin grinned. "I THOUGHT I smelled something burning," he teased.
Merry playfully lunged at his cousin, and the two of them started playfully wrestling with each other. It needn't be said that wrestling is a noisy business, so it wasn't long before the two of them were hauled out from under the table, scolded, and sent on their way.
"Well, THAT was a waste of time," Merry said as they headed off towards the orchards.
"Not completely," Pippin said, digging two apples from out of his pocket. "I took 'em as we were being scolded."
"You're a natural-born Took," Merry said, eagerly taking one of the apples and biting into it. Pippin's skill in choosing the sweetest, juiciest apples had never abated, and Merry wished Pippin lived closer so that he could enjoy good apples, and his company, more often.
"So what now?" Pippin asked. Despite the fact that Merry's plans usually led to getting them in trouble, Pippin was always willing to follow his lead.
Merry shrugged. "We could get our OWN apples."
"That didn't work," Pippin pointed out.
"No, I mean CLIMB," Merry said, pointing to the trees above them.
Pippin looked up at the branches far above them. "They're kinda high."
"I could give you a boost," Merry said, and then a smile crossed his face. "I could boost you up into the tree. Then you could climb up and find the best apples and throw them all down to me."
Pippin's forehead crinkled. "Don't I get any of the best apples?"
Merry laughed. "You're the best apple-picker in the Shire -- ALL of the apples will be the best apples, and you'll get half."
"All right," Pippin said. "What do I do?"
Merry clasped his hands together and held them down in front of Pippin. "Put your foot in, and I'll lift you up."
Pippin stuck his foot in Merry's clasped hands. But as Merry tried to raise his hands, Pippin lost his balance and fell backwards.
"This won't work," he pouted disappointedly.
"Sure it will," Merry said. "Put your hands on my shoulders to steady yourself as I lift you."
Pippin tried again, this time holding his hands on Merry's shoulders.
"Now reach up for the tree," Merry mumbled, his face buried in Pippin's stomach.
"But I'll have to let go of you," Pippin said.
"That's the point," Merry said. "You need to let go of me and reach up for the tree."
Pippin reached up with both hands, started to lose his balance, and quickly wrapped both hands around Merry's head to steady himself.
"Pippin!" Merry mumbled, fearful of toppling over himself.
Pippin made a second attempt, and a moment later the two young hobbits were on the ground again in a tangled mess.
"What happened?" Merry asked, pushing Pippin off of him.
"I'm still not tall enough," Pippin said. "We need another plan."
Merry sighed. Why did HE always have to come up with the plans?
"I know," Pippin said suddenly. "I could climb on your shoulders -- then I should be tall enough."
"That might work," Merry said. "Come get on my shoulders, and then I'll stand up."
Pippin sat on his cousin's shoulders and Merry attempted to stand. But if you've never tried it, you don't realize how difficult this task can be. Merry was almost blinded when Pippin frantically grabbed his eyes for balance, and eventually they ended up back on the ground.
"Now what?" Pippin asked.
"How about I stand up first, and then you climb onto my back?"
Pippin nodded in understanding as the two of them rose. But the instant Merry was standing, Pippin jumped on his back and started trying to crawl his way up to his shoulders. Merry wasn't prepared for him, so he almost toppled right then and there. And Pippin's spastic crawling movements were making it hard for Merry to stand. Finally, one of Pippin's feet kicked out at Merry's braces, causing them to unhook and his breeches to start to fall. Merry frantically grabbed for his breeches, knocking them both off-balance, and they soon ended up once again entangled on the ground.
"THAT didn't work," Pippin mumbled, trying to crawl out from under Merry.
"Because YOU tried to debreech me," Merry said, frantically trying to refasten his braces.
"I did no such thing."
"Did so," Merry said, rolling over so that he was face to face with his cousin. "And I bet you did it on purpose."
"Gross!" Pippin said, making a face. "Now get off." He pushed his cousin off-balance, trying to roll him off. But as Merry started to fall, he grabbed his cousin so that they both rolled, with Pippin ending up on top of him.
"See?" Merry teased, staring up at him. "Can't bear to let me go."
"Shut up!" Pippin said, looking embarrassed, and started to playfully punch Merry. But Merry had caught Pippin's look and realized that his teasing might've hit just a little too close to the mark.
Merry fought back, and the two hobbits soon resumed the wrestling match they had started earlier under the table. As they wrestled, Merry couldn't help but taunt the younger boy, "Pippin likes me, Pippin likes me!"
"Shut up!" was all Pippin could answer in between punches.
Finally Merry ended up back on top and the fighting paused. They were both breathing heavily from all the exertion of their fight, and in the stillness they now stared into each other's eyes. For the first time, Merry saw something there, something he'd never seen before, and he wondered if Pippin was seeing the same thing in his eyes.
But suddenly Pippin tore his eyes away and yelled out, "Merry!" right as the apple fell.
"Ow!" Merry said, rolling off of Pippin and rubbing his head.
"We don't need to climb to them," Pippin said excitedly, sitting up and looking around for a good rock to throw. "They can come to us instead." He picked up a rock and carelessly threw it up in the air, and Merry had to quickly manoeuvre out of the way so that it didn't hit him on the way down.
"Not like that!" Merry said, grabbing a rock of his own. "You gotta aim for the branch above so that it'll knock the apples loose. Like this." He demonstrated, doing an excellent job of shaking the tree branch above, but the apples still clung tight.
"Just like that, huh?" Pippin teased.
"I bet you can't do better."
"Oh, yeah?" Pippin grabbed a rock and threw it, and this time a shower of apples came raining down on their heads. The two hobbits frantically grabbed them up, placing some in their pockets and some in their mouths.
"Sour!" Merry said, making a face and spitting out the apple he'd been carrying in his teeth.
"Sour grapes?" Pippin teased.
"Hardly," Merry said. Not wanting to be outdone, he threw another rock, imitating Pippin's throw, and another shower of apples came down.
"This is great!" Pippin said as he bit into his third apple and sat back contentedly against the trunk of the tree. "Why didn't we ever think of this before?"
"Well, I know what WE'LL be doing at every family function from now on," Merry said, eagerly biting into his fourth apple as he fell back against the tree trunk next to his cousin. But upon doing so, his shoulder gently brushed against Pippin's. They each turned and stared at each other for a moment in silence before quickly returning to their apples.
After a moment, Pippin agreed absently, "Yeah...next family function...."
And Merry wordlessly took another bite out of his sweet, juicy apple.
THE END
Click here to return to the index page.