Anniversary Presents
(for shirebound, slightly belated, but well-meant for all that)
I seem to recall Pippin and Merry visiting Shirebound’s workplace and wreaking hobbit havoc some time ago, and so this little vignette came to mind when I read her post about the Anniversary on May the First. (Of course, if I’m misremembering the author of those mischief-filled visits, apologies, and hopes that this small story will bring a smile anyhow.) Pippin and Diamond pay a flying visit to Shirebound, with a little aid from a certain wizard.
(Two small figures appear suddenly and silently in Shirebound’s kitchen.)
Sh-h-h-h-h! Tip-toe, my love, my heart, my own, my Diamond-bright. She’s asleep!
They’re asleep, ra-ther. And I’ll have you know, I can walk as softly as the next hobbit...
Yes, they’re sleeping. So hush - we don’t want to wake them, do we?
Mercy, no, that would spoil the surprise!
Isn’t she sweet? Look, the tip of her tail is wagging in her sleep.
She must be such a happy little creature... you seem quite proud of your namesake.
If you must know, I’m practically chuffed to bits! She’s such a winsome little thing...
O look... Now her feet are twitching and her eyes are winking - she looks as if she’s having such a lovely dream!
But it also means she may be wakening soon. Well, do please choose a good place to put down those packets of biscuits, Diamond, that you baked especially for the Anniversary celebration! Are you quite sure you properly labelled which is for Shirebound and which is for my little namesake?
Quite sure. There (patting the ribbon bow on Shirebound’s package) ...you won’t have switched the labels on these packets, I trust?
Di-amond, you know I would never do such a thing! Well, perhaps if we were leaving off a surprise for Merry or Frodo or Freddy...
(Suppressed chortling ensues, suddenly cut off as the pup wakens from her lovely dream, and the visitors, seeing her raise her head, vanish in the wink of an eye.)