I'm out of practice!
Mar. 28th, 2007 09:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rabidsamfanBut between ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
shirebound's birthday and belegcuthalion's birthday I thought to at least give it a try... Think of it as being in the same timeline as "Chosen".
What do you give the hobbit who has everything?
Food, of course, is what Gaffer Gamgee had suggested, but if Frodo knew anything after a year of living at Bag End it was just how full the pantries were, and how many of the rents due his Cousin-Uncle were paid in produce. They'd spent half of September putting up preserves, or preparing foods for the upcoming party. Besides, the Gaffer had ended up doing most of the gardening, even in the corner of the herb garden where Frodo had planted the cuttings and seeds he'd brought from Brandy Hall, while Bilbo made a walking tour of three Farthings, towing his heir along to meet Bagginses and Baggins cousins of various degrees until Frodo's head was full of relations he still hadn't quite sorted out.
Books, of course, is what the relations suggested – at least the relations who liked Bilbo best. And it was a marvelous suggestion really, except that most of the time the only way that Frodo even knew that a book existed was because Bilbo mentioned it, and that probably meant there was a copy in the library already. At least of any books close enough for Frodo to go and try to copy. Besides, gadding about the Shire had been hard on the pocket, especially with Uncle Bilbo there to encourage him to try a new kind of candy or buy a little mathom that might be nice to have in his bedroom.
In desperation, Frodo turned to Sam, who was little, but who had run in and out of Bag End since he was tiny, and knew Bilbo better than just about anyone. Sam took the question and Frodo to his mother, who sat down at the kitchen table and cracked nuts for the baking while she helped them think. After some discussion the three of them came up with the notion of making Bilbo a new featherbed, since Bell could teach Frodo how to sew a straight seam, Frodo had just enough money left to buy the cloth and thread he needed, and Sam could collect feathers to stuff it from all of the birds which were going to be roasted for the party.
Naturally, the other Gamgee children found out that Sam – who was terrible at keeping secrets – was collecting feathers, and why, and wanted to help. Daisy and May teased Frodo about his stitches, but helped to sew. Marigold sewed too, and although her edge looked a bit bockety, Frodo had to admit it wasn't much worse than his. Halfred and Hamson coaxed him away from the girls long enough to go down to Bywater Pool and hunt ducks from blinds, while Sam danced uncertainly on the bank. And they all helped to pluck.
By the birthday morning they had collected so many feathers that the featherbed looked more like a bolster, but Bell assured them that it would flatten out with use. The children snuck it into Bag End while Bilbo was down at the Ivy Bush, meeting the guests who were coming in along the Bywater road and picking up the last few supplies.
It was quiet in the smial, except for the giggles. All of the grownups were elsewhere, putting the final touches on this or that. Frodo led the way to Bilbo's bedroom and rolled up the old featherbed to make way for the new.
Hal and Ham put it on the bed and they all stood back to admire it – and then burst into laughter.
"It's not much like a bed, is it?" Daisy asked.
"It doesn't even come to the edges of the mattress," Ham observed.
"It's as round as a door," Hal agreed.
"It looks like a sausage," Marigold chipped in.
"I think we should sit on it," May opined.
"I think we should jump on it," Sam said.
Six pairs of eyes turned to Frodo, waiting.
He looked at the great round lump. It looked soft. It looked very soft. He looked at the others and began to grin. "I think Sam's right."
"Ready?" said Hal.
"Steady?" said Ham.
"Go!" everyone cried, and leaped for the bed just as the door opened and Bilbo walked in.
Fortunately, what Bilbo liked best of all as a birthday present was a surprise.
And they found all the feathers by Yule.
Well, most of them...
shirebound's birthday and belegcuthalion's birthday I thought to at least give it a try... Think of it as being in the same timeline as "Chosen".What do you give the hobbit who has everything?
Food, of course, is what Gaffer Gamgee had suggested, but if Frodo knew anything after a year of living at Bag End it was just how full the pantries were, and how many of the rents due his Cousin-Uncle were paid in produce. They'd spent half of September putting up preserves, or preparing foods for the upcoming party. Besides, the Gaffer had ended up doing most of the gardening, even in the corner of the herb garden where Frodo had planted the cuttings and seeds he'd brought from Brandy Hall, while Bilbo made a walking tour of three Farthings, towing his heir along to meet Bagginses and Baggins cousins of various degrees until Frodo's head was full of relations he still hadn't quite sorted out.
Books, of course, is what the relations suggested – at least the relations who liked Bilbo best. And it was a marvelous suggestion really, except that most of the time the only way that Frodo even knew that a book existed was because Bilbo mentioned it, and that probably meant there was a copy in the library already. At least of any books close enough for Frodo to go and try to copy. Besides, gadding about the Shire had been hard on the pocket, especially with Uncle Bilbo there to encourage him to try a new kind of candy or buy a little mathom that might be nice to have in his bedroom.
In desperation, Frodo turned to Sam, who was little, but who had run in and out of Bag End since he was tiny, and knew Bilbo better than just about anyone. Sam took the question and Frodo to his mother, who sat down at the kitchen table and cracked nuts for the baking while she helped them think. After some discussion the three of them came up with the notion of making Bilbo a new featherbed, since Bell could teach Frodo how to sew a straight seam, Frodo had just enough money left to buy the cloth and thread he needed, and Sam could collect feathers to stuff it from all of the birds which were going to be roasted for the party.
Naturally, the other Gamgee children found out that Sam – who was terrible at keeping secrets – was collecting feathers, and why, and wanted to help. Daisy and May teased Frodo about his stitches, but helped to sew. Marigold sewed too, and although her edge looked a bit bockety, Frodo had to admit it wasn't much worse than his. Halfred and Hamson coaxed him away from the girls long enough to go down to Bywater Pool and hunt ducks from blinds, while Sam danced uncertainly on the bank. And they all helped to pluck.
By the birthday morning they had collected so many feathers that the featherbed looked more like a bolster, but Bell assured them that it would flatten out with use. The children snuck it into Bag End while Bilbo was down at the Ivy Bush, meeting the guests who were coming in along the Bywater road and picking up the last few supplies.
It was quiet in the smial, except for the giggles. All of the grownups were elsewhere, putting the final touches on this or that. Frodo led the way to Bilbo's bedroom and rolled up the old featherbed to make way for the new.
Hal and Ham put it on the bed and they all stood back to admire it – and then burst into laughter.
"It's not much like a bed, is it?" Daisy asked.
"It doesn't even come to the edges of the mattress," Ham observed.
"It's as round as a door," Hal agreed.
"It looks like a sausage," Marigold chipped in.
"I think we should sit on it," May opined.
"I think we should jump on it," Sam said.
Six pairs of eyes turned to Frodo, waiting.
He looked at the great round lump. It looked soft. It looked very soft. He looked at the others and began to grin. "I think Sam's right."
"Ready?" said Hal.
"Steady?" said Ham.
"Go!" everyone cried, and leaped for the bed just as the door opened and Bilbo walked in.
Fortunately, what Bilbo liked best of all as a birthday present was a surprise.
And they found all the feathers by Yule.
Well, most of them...
