for the latest challenge.
Sep. 17th, 2004 11:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rabidsamfanThere's a new challenge at ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
hobbit_ficathon and for once I was inspired right away...
The Game
“I’m thinking of a game,” Pippin announced, as they plodded through the misty wilderness for the fourth day, and Frodo bent his head and grinned where the Men couldn’t see.
“What sort of game?” Sam asked dutifully, adjusting the straps of his pack.
“Well, it’s a game of red, but not purple,” Pippin declared.
“Hmm.” Merry turned his head and fell back a little. “Is it a game of rising but not falling?”
“No,” Pippin shook his head. “’Fraid not. It’s a game of hot but not steaming, though.”
“I could use some heat!” Frodo said. “Is it a game of tea but not chocolate?”
Pippin laughed. “No, it’s not that easy. Guess again.”
“What kind of game would be about chocolate?” Boromir asked from the back of the line of walkers.
“A hobbit’s game,” Gandalf said gruffly. “Is it a game of warm but not cold, Peregrin?”
“It’s a game of warm and a game of cold,” Pippin answered, “but not a game of weather.”
“It’s a game of bird, but not feather,” Sam said slowly.
Pippin nodded. “That’s right, Sam. Give us another one.”
“A game of fly but not flea?” Sam said, and Pippin clapped.
“I think you’ve got it! Well done.”
“Fly but not flea,” Gandalf repeated into his beard thoughtfully. “Flea like the insect or flee as in running away?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Sam and Pippin nearly chorused.
Boromir leaned over to Aragorn, “Do you have any idea what they’re talking about?”
“I think I’m beginning to,” Aragorn replied. “Is it a game of bed but not blanket?” Both hobbits nodded. “Like but not different?” he tried again, and Pippin laughed as he shook his head, “No!” he practically chortled.
“It’s a game of Sam but not Frodo,” Merry said, with the air of someone who has been enlightened. “A game for Elf and Dwarf, but not for Hobbits!”
“Leave us out of it,” Gimli growled. “I’m not wasting breath on this foolishness and Legolas is too far ahead to hear.”
“I’m not,” Legolas voice drifted back from the clump of trees ahead. “But I do not think it is a game for Elves.”
“Nor is it,” Frodo agreed. “Not if you’re sp…” Pippin and Sam and Merry all hushed him hastily and he took it in good heart.
“If you’re going to play you’ve got to play right,” Pippin reminded him. “Merry, you’re in already. Come on, Frodo.”
Frodo made a little bow, to concede the point. “A game of nuts, but not acorns,” he said. “A game of rolls but not bread, and a game of words but not spelling.”
“Oooh! That one’s beautiful!” Merry crowed, as Pippin and Sam shook Frodo’s hand in turn. “I’ll have to remember that!”
“Ah,” Aragorn’s frown cleared. “A game of sword but not knife, a game of still but not frozen, and a game of less but not meager.”
All the hobbits stopped in their tracks to give him a round of applause. “Well done!” Frodo said. “I’d never thought you’d get it that fast!”
Aragorn made a far more elaborate bow, as if to prove he could. “Bilbo once tried to teach me, but as I only knew how to read Elvish then I didn’t quite catch on.”
“Is it a game of reading, then?” Boromir asked. “But not writing?”
“It’s a game you can neither read nor write,” Frodo answered him, “But it is a game for a pen.”
“You’ll mix him up,” Pippin said, and went to face the Man. “Try it this way. It’s a game of pens, but not writing. It’s a game of light, but not candles.”
“It’s a game of firsts, but not seconds,” Sam added.
“It’s a game of one… oh, bother, no it isn’t,” Merry bit his lip. “It’s a game of won and a game of lost, but not a game of gambling.”
“It’s a game of two but not one,” Pippin said. “No, we already used “two” didn’t we? It’s a game of few but not many.”
“It’s a game of risk, but not chance,” Gandalf said. “A game of rip but not tear.”
“Now you’ve got it,” Pippin said. He looked up at Boromir. “Come on, we’ve given you lots of clues. Have you figured it out yet?”
Author’s note… Well, have you?
ETA:
The key to this is here if you're stumped.
Timeline (fiction only, most recent version, includes AU) first previous next last
hobbit_ficathon and for once I was inspired right away...The Game
“I’m thinking of a game,” Pippin announced, as they plodded through the misty wilderness for the fourth day, and Frodo bent his head and grinned where the Men couldn’t see.
“What sort of game?” Sam asked dutifully, adjusting the straps of his pack.
“Well, it’s a game of red, but not purple,” Pippin declared.
“Hmm.” Merry turned his head and fell back a little. “Is it a game of rising but not falling?”
“No,” Pippin shook his head. “’Fraid not. It’s a game of hot but not steaming, though.”
“I could use some heat!” Frodo said. “Is it a game of tea but not chocolate?”
Pippin laughed. “No, it’s not that easy. Guess again.”
“What kind of game would be about chocolate?” Boromir asked from the back of the line of walkers.
“A hobbit’s game,” Gandalf said gruffly. “Is it a game of warm but not cold, Peregrin?”
“It’s a game of warm and a game of cold,” Pippin answered, “but not a game of weather.”
“It’s a game of bird, but not feather,” Sam said slowly.
Pippin nodded. “That’s right, Sam. Give us another one.”
“A game of fly but not flea?” Sam said, and Pippin clapped.
“I think you’ve got it! Well done.”
“Fly but not flea,” Gandalf repeated into his beard thoughtfully. “Flea like the insect or flee as in running away?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Sam and Pippin nearly chorused.
Boromir leaned over to Aragorn, “Do you have any idea what they’re talking about?”
“I think I’m beginning to,” Aragorn replied. “Is it a game of bed but not blanket?” Both hobbits nodded. “Like but not different?” he tried again, and Pippin laughed as he shook his head, “No!” he practically chortled.
“It’s a game of Sam but not Frodo,” Merry said, with the air of someone who has been enlightened. “A game for Elf and Dwarf, but not for Hobbits!”
“Leave us out of it,” Gimli growled. “I’m not wasting breath on this foolishness and Legolas is too far ahead to hear.”
“I’m not,” Legolas voice drifted back from the clump of trees ahead. “But I do not think it is a game for Elves.”
“Nor is it,” Frodo agreed. “Not if you’re sp…” Pippin and Sam and Merry all hushed him hastily and he took it in good heart.
“If you’re going to play you’ve got to play right,” Pippin reminded him. “Merry, you’re in already. Come on, Frodo.”
Frodo made a little bow, to concede the point. “A game of nuts, but not acorns,” he said. “A game of rolls but not bread, and a game of words but not spelling.”
“Oooh! That one’s beautiful!” Merry crowed, as Pippin and Sam shook Frodo’s hand in turn. “I’ll have to remember that!”
“Ah,” Aragorn’s frown cleared. “A game of sword but not knife, a game of still but not frozen, and a game of less but not meager.”
All the hobbits stopped in their tracks to give him a round of applause. “Well done!” Frodo said. “I’d never thought you’d get it that fast!”
Aragorn made a far more elaborate bow, as if to prove he could. “Bilbo once tried to teach me, but as I only knew how to read Elvish then I didn’t quite catch on.”
“Is it a game of reading, then?” Boromir asked. “But not writing?”
“It’s a game you can neither read nor write,” Frodo answered him, “But it is a game for a pen.”
“You’ll mix him up,” Pippin said, and went to face the Man. “Try it this way. It’s a game of pens, but not writing. It’s a game of light, but not candles.”
“It’s a game of firsts, but not seconds,” Sam added.
“It’s a game of one… oh, bother, no it isn’t,” Merry bit his lip. “It’s a game of won and a game of lost, but not a game of gambling.”
“It’s a game of two but not one,” Pippin said. “No, we already used “two” didn’t we? It’s a game of few but not many.”
“It’s a game of risk, but not chance,” Gandalf said. “A game of rip but not tear.”
“Now you’ve got it,” Pippin said. He looked up at Boromir. “Come on, we’ve given you lots of clues. Have you figured it out yet?”
Author’s note… Well, have you?
ETA:
The key to this is here if you're stumped.
Timeline (fiction only, most recent version, includes AU) first previous next last
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(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 04:06 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 04:43 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 04:43 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 06:07 am (UTC)A game of the Web but not the Internet.
Thanks for the clever story.
eiluj
(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 07:15 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 07:41 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 10:38 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 10:45 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 11:40 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 12:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 01:32 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 01:36 pm (UTC)(At least, not in this instance!)
(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 01:41 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 01:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 02:15 pm (UTC)Again, very cool story ^_^
(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 02:58 pm (UTC)This is clever (if I have it right, that is.) Wish my parents had known of it on long car trips--better than totting up state license plates any day.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 03:59 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 04:12 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 04:12 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 04:50 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 08:10 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 10:50 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 10:51 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 10:52 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2004-09-18 10:53 pm (UTC)Thanks! (And yes, you've got it.)