NOT a Lavender Oil Challenge
Frodo raised his head and delicately sniffed the air around him. For some time now it seemed he had slowly been becoming aware of a strange scent and now it had strengthened enough to pull him away from his translations.
He sniffed again. What on earth was it? Something burning?
He looked at his pocket watch but it was not yet time for elevenses and anyway Sam was far too good a cook to allow anything to burn like that.
Getting up Frodo paced to the kitchen determined to solve the mystery himself.
Sam was indeed in the kitchen, buttering a nice new golden loaf to go with the salad and cold meats already sitting on the table.
The smell was stronger here but it did now seemed not to be coming from the kitchen; rather it was permiating everywhere.
“Sam, what is that peculiar smell?” Frodo asked.
Sam raised his head from his careful buttering. There was a frown on his face as he looked up to meet his master’s eyes. “Fangirls!” he said as is that explained it all.
Frodo’s head swung round; he had gone dreadfully pale and looked for a moment like he might faint.
“No sir, not in the smial,” Sam rounded the table and helped the suddenly weak and shaking Frodo to a chair. “I’m that sorry Sir. I did not mean it to come out like that. Mr Gandalf said we should be quite safe with that charm he put on Bag End, they can’t get in here again."
“But what on Middle earth are they doing?” Frodo asked. “It smells dreadful. Like... something awful burning.”
“Yes, well.” Said Sam. “You see it’s like this. They are having another one of their Challenges.”
Frodo looked horrified once more.
“But.. but..." he stuttered, “I thought Aragorn had taken care of those?”
“Well, they’ve been getting quieter of late and Mr Strider thought this one sounded harmless enough. It’s about Lavender Oil.”
“For cooking?” Frodo seemed to relax slightly.
“Well that’s what we thought,” Said Sam. “My mother used to make the most lovely lavender shortbread.” He mused. “But I recon that was too harmless for them… fan girls.” He said the word at he might also say “Vineweevels.” “But the uses they’ve been putting perfectly good lavender oil too you would not believe.”
Frodo sniffed again. “My dear Sam, that is certainly not the smell of lavender oil.”
“No Sir,” Sam blushed. “It is not.”
“Then what is it?” Frodo wanted to know.
“Seems they over did themselves a bit,” Sam replied. “They’ve been setting fire to eachothers underpants with their stories!”
Frodo clamped his hand over his nose, turned green, and ran out of the room.
The end
He sniffed again. What on earth was it? Something burning?
He looked at his pocket watch but it was not yet time for elevenses and anyway Sam was far too good a cook to allow anything to burn like that.
Getting up Frodo paced to the kitchen determined to solve the mystery himself.
Sam was indeed in the kitchen, buttering a nice new golden loaf to go with the salad and cold meats already sitting on the table.
The smell was stronger here but it did now seemed not to be coming from the kitchen; rather it was permiating everywhere.
“Sam, what is that peculiar smell?” Frodo asked.
Sam raised his head from his careful buttering. There was a frown on his face as he looked up to meet his master’s eyes. “Fangirls!” he said as is that explained it all.
Frodo’s head swung round; he had gone dreadfully pale and looked for a moment like he might faint.
“No sir, not in the smial,” Sam rounded the table and helped the suddenly weak and shaking Frodo to a chair. “I’m that sorry Sir. I did not mean it to come out like that. Mr Gandalf said we should be quite safe with that charm he put on Bag End, they can’t get in here again."
“But what on Middle earth are they doing?” Frodo asked. “It smells dreadful. Like... something awful burning.”
“Yes, well.” Said Sam. “You see it’s like this. They are having another one of their Challenges.”
Frodo looked horrified once more.
“But.. but..." he stuttered, “I thought Aragorn had taken care of those?”
“Well, they’ve been getting quieter of late and Mr Strider thought this one sounded harmless enough. It’s about Lavender Oil.”
“For cooking?” Frodo seemed to relax slightly.
“Well that’s what we thought,” Said Sam. “My mother used to make the most lovely lavender shortbread.” He mused. “But I recon that was too harmless for them… fan girls.” He said the word at he might also say “Vineweevels.” “But the uses they’ve been putting perfectly good lavender oil too you would not believe.”
Frodo sniffed again. “My dear Sam, that is certainly not the smell of lavender oil.”
“No Sir,” Sam blushed. “It is not.”
“Then what is it?” Frodo wanted to know.
“Seems they over did themselves a bit,” Sam replied. “They’ve been setting fire to eachothers underpants with their stories!”
Frodo clamped his hand over his nose, turned green, and ran out of the room.
The end