Introductions
Mar. 3rd, 2005 10:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rabidsamfanFigure Sam at three and a bit is equivalent to 2, Frodo at fourteen is equivalent to just under 9, and Merry at one is equivalent to about 7 and a half months.
When Bilbo opened the door to Saradoc's knocking he had a fauntling perched on his hip and two small lasses clinging to his coattails. The visiting Brandybucks were surprised, but young Frodo, who had visited Bag End before his parents died, recognized the Gamgee girls and laughed. "Are Hal and Ham here too, Cousin Bilbo?"
"Indeed they are," said Bilbo. "They're in the kitchen, peeling potatoes for our luncheon. The midwife's with Bell now," he added to Saradoc and Esmerelda, "so I'm awash with younglings for a day. That's Daisy, and that's May, and this young rascal is Sam." The child on his arms blushed and put a thumb in his mouth, hiding his face against Bilbo's shoulder. Bilbo didn't seem to mind. He nodded at the bright eyes peeping out from behind Frodo's curly hair. "And I see you've brought another one."
"This is Merry, Cousin Bilbo," Frodo explained. "Meriadoc. Can you wave, Merry?"
"He doesn't know how to wave yet, either, half the time," his mother said tolerantly. "Give him to me, lad, and go and see if you can help with the potatoes."
Frodo gave her a brilliant grin, "Yes, Auntie," he said. It took some prying to get free, but he'd had a year of practice now, and at fourteen his patience with babies lasted only as long as he didn't have something better to do.
Bilbo watched him go with a smile. "You've done well by him," he admitted, glad to see that two years had eased much of the sorrow of his young cousin.
"It's Merry's doing," Esmerelda said. "As soon as he was old enough to smile he made a friend of Frodo. And he's such a happy baby I don't think Frodo could stay sad around him even if he wanted to."
"Baby?" Sam asked, pulling his thumb out of his mouth to point at the smaller lad who was now at eye level with him. Everyone had been talking for days about a new baby, and he'd been trying to attach the word to chickens, portraits, and gingerbread men without success.
"Yes, Sam, that's a baby," Bilbo told him, much to Sam's delight. "His name is Merry."
"Baby!" Sam reached for Merry. Merry grabbed the hand Sam was waving at him and tried to put it in his mouth. Sam pulled back his hand and looked alarmed. "Baby bi'e Sam!"
"The baby is hungry, I expect. And he's not the only one," Bilbo waved his guests inside. "Come along and we'll have some gingersnaps and tea, that'll hold us till luncheon."
To save the books and knickknacks on the shelves of Bag End from Sam's curiosity, Bilbo and the older Gamgees had constructed a playpen out of chairs in the parlor and filled it with cushions and small toys. Both babies fit in it, though, and the adults sat around and chatted, watching amused as Sam toddled round and round after Merry as the younger baby crawled to all the corners in search of a way out. He offered various toys to the little one, but being ignored eventually sat down on the cushions and ate gingersnaps instead.
By lunchtime they were both asleep.
When Bilbo opened the door to Saradoc's knocking he had a fauntling perched on his hip and two small lasses clinging to his coattails. The visiting Brandybucks were surprised, but young Frodo, who had visited Bag End before his parents died, recognized the Gamgee girls and laughed. "Are Hal and Ham here too, Cousin Bilbo?"
"Indeed they are," said Bilbo. "They're in the kitchen, peeling potatoes for our luncheon. The midwife's with Bell now," he added to Saradoc and Esmerelda, "so I'm awash with younglings for a day. That's Daisy, and that's May, and this young rascal is Sam." The child on his arms blushed and put a thumb in his mouth, hiding his face against Bilbo's shoulder. Bilbo didn't seem to mind. He nodded at the bright eyes peeping out from behind Frodo's curly hair. "And I see you've brought another one."
"This is Merry, Cousin Bilbo," Frodo explained. "Meriadoc. Can you wave, Merry?"
"He doesn't know how to wave yet, either, half the time," his mother said tolerantly. "Give him to me, lad, and go and see if you can help with the potatoes."
Frodo gave her a brilliant grin, "Yes, Auntie," he said. It took some prying to get free, but he'd had a year of practice now, and at fourteen his patience with babies lasted only as long as he didn't have something better to do.
Bilbo watched him go with a smile. "You've done well by him," he admitted, glad to see that two years had eased much of the sorrow of his young cousin.
"It's Merry's doing," Esmerelda said. "As soon as he was old enough to smile he made a friend of Frodo. And he's such a happy baby I don't think Frodo could stay sad around him even if he wanted to."
"Baby?" Sam asked, pulling his thumb out of his mouth to point at the smaller lad who was now at eye level with him. Everyone had been talking for days about a new baby, and he'd been trying to attach the word to chickens, portraits, and gingerbread men without success.
"Yes, Sam, that's a baby," Bilbo told him, much to Sam's delight. "His name is Merry."
"Baby!" Sam reached for Merry. Merry grabbed the hand Sam was waving at him and tried to put it in his mouth. Sam pulled back his hand and looked alarmed. "Baby bi'e Sam!"
"The baby is hungry, I expect. And he's not the only one," Bilbo waved his guests inside. "Come along and we'll have some gingersnaps and tea, that'll hold us till luncheon."
To save the books and knickknacks on the shelves of Bag End from Sam's curiosity, Bilbo and the older Gamgees had constructed a playpen out of chairs in the parlor and filled it with cushions and small toys. Both babies fit in it, though, and the adults sat around and chatted, watching amused as Sam toddled round and round after Merry as the younger baby crawled to all the corners in search of a way out. He offered various toys to the little one, but being ignored eventually sat down on the cushions and ate gingersnaps instead.
By lunchtime they were both asleep.
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Date: 2005-03-04 04:38 am (UTC)*can't stop laughing in that 'OH MY GOD CUTE!!!' kind of way*
This is OFFICIALLY my 'cheer-up' piece. *prints*
GAAAHH!!!! Sam toddling after Merry and trying to give him toys!!! *DIES AGAIN OF CUTE!!*
Ooooh, my day is MADE.