Fic: ‘Caught!’
Title: Caught!
Fandom: the Hobbit (movies).
Rating: (G)
Time Period: Before events in The Hobbit.
Summary: He did try ...
Author's Note: This is quick ‘n’ dirty (for definition see the F. A. Q.).
I meant to write this on Thursday but got side-tracked by goodbye which was very unlike this as possible!
Thanks to Quint @ AICN, I’ve felt inspired for The Hobbit (the movies) and this is the second story written since first reading his reports from The Hobbit set (the first was A-to-). The fishmonger below is his (Quint’s) character in the film(s); in his brief part in the film(s), he sells Bilbo some fish.
I could see the below scene so very clearly in my mind that I felt I had to write it!
Disclaimer
All characters contained herein are the intellectual property of JRR Tolkien, the Tolkien Estate and the Tolkien Trust & Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens (their interpretations); I am not affiliated with nor endorsed by them.
_______________________
Looking into the basket, he moves its contents with his fingers. Tomatoes. Beans. Onions. A few potatoes. He pauses for a moment, glancing around the market. He still needs ... fish, that was it!
He nods to a few folks he knows as he strolls to the fishmonger, his smile wide and broad. Wasn’t it a pleasant day? The sun was high overhead, shining brightly, and the sky was so very, very blue. Everyone was talking, laughing ---
He ducks down in front of Fredegar Chubb’s stall before crawling, with his basket, behind it.
“’ello Mister Baggins,” Freddy greets.
Then he pauses, blinks and stares at the estimable Hobbit beside him.
“Is she still there?”
Freddy scratches his head, moving his hat back. “Who, Mister Baggins?”
Bilbo tugs the fishmonger down. “Freddy, shhh! And her, Freddy. Is she still there?”
Freddy peers above the counter, glancing from left to right before he ducks back down. “Who, Mister Baggins?”
Bilbo sighs and, placing his basket in the fishmonger’s arms, dares to venture up ... up ...
He sinks back to the ground when he sees a plummy feather bouncing through the crowd, his back to the stall. By this time, Freddy’s stood, picked up a knife and started running it, from tail to head, along the nearest fish. He whistles to himself as the scales fly from the fish.
“Freddy!”
The fishmonger looks left, right and then down. “Aye, Mister Baggins?”
“My basket!” The other hisses. “Where ‘t’is it?”
Freddy chuckles, setting his knife to one side and, leaning down, picks up the basket and hands it to the other, who cradles it on his lap, knees pulled to his chest. “’ere we go, Mister Baggins.” He straightens and reaches for another fish. “Can I interest you in some fresh eel, Mister Baggins? Just caught this mornin’ ...”
“Just the usual, Freddy,” Bilbo nods.
“Righto. The usual it is then!” Freddy reaches for the fish and some paper, wrapping the fish deftly and quick before he hands it to his customer. “Anythin’ else, Mister Baggins?”
Bilbo shakes his head, reaching into a pouch. “The same, Freddy?”
“Well, now,” the fishmonger speaks thoughtfully, scratching his head, “I dunno. Mebbe a coin or two more ...”
Bilbo shakes his head as he counts the coins into his hand, adding an extra three coins; he hands the money up as Freddy lowers the wrapped fish. He tucks the fish into his basket and Freddy scans the market before him. “I think she’s --- now where did he go?” He looks left to right behind him and then shakes his head before picking up his knife once more.
Looking down, on his hands and knees, Bilbo crawls, pulling his basket along. In his haste, he doesn’t see the slippered foot lain firmly before him until his head bumps into the leg attached to the foot. He smiles, weakly, and straightens his coat.
“Bilbo Baggins!”
He sighs and stands, dusting his knees and hefting his basket. “Good morning, Lobelia.”
Fandom: the Hobbit (movies).
Rating: (G)
Time Period: Before events in The Hobbit.
Summary: He did try ...
Author's Note: This is quick ‘n’ dirty (for definition see the F. A. Q.).
I meant to write this on Thursday but got side-tracked by goodbye which was very unlike this as possible!
Thanks to Quint @ AICN, I’ve felt inspired for The Hobbit (the movies) and this is the second story written since first reading his reports from The Hobbit set (the first was A-to-). The fishmonger below is his (Quint’s) character in the film(s); in his brief part in the film(s), he sells Bilbo some fish.
I could see the below scene so very clearly in my mind that I felt I had to write it!
Disclaimer
All characters contained herein are the intellectual property of JRR Tolkien, the Tolkien Estate and the Tolkien Trust & Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens (their interpretations); I am not affiliated with nor endorsed by them.
_______________________
Looking into the basket, he moves its contents with his fingers. Tomatoes. Beans. Onions. A few potatoes. He pauses for a moment, glancing around the market. He still needs ... fish, that was it!
He nods to a few folks he knows as he strolls to the fishmonger, his smile wide and broad. Wasn’t it a pleasant day? The sun was high overhead, shining brightly, and the sky was so very, very blue. Everyone was talking, laughing ---
He ducks down in front of Fredegar Chubb’s stall before crawling, with his basket, behind it.
“’ello Mister Baggins,” Freddy greets.
Then he pauses, blinks and stares at the estimable Hobbit beside him.
“Is she still there?”
Freddy scratches his head, moving his hat back. “Who, Mister Baggins?”
Bilbo tugs the fishmonger down. “Freddy, shhh! And her, Freddy. Is she still there?”
Freddy peers above the counter, glancing from left to right before he ducks back down. “Who, Mister Baggins?”
Bilbo sighs and, placing his basket in the fishmonger’s arms, dares to venture up ... up ...
He sinks back to the ground when he sees a plummy feather bouncing through the crowd, his back to the stall. By this time, Freddy’s stood, picked up a knife and started running it, from tail to head, along the nearest fish. He whistles to himself as the scales fly from the fish.
“Freddy!”
The fishmonger looks left, right and then down. “Aye, Mister Baggins?”
“My basket!” The other hisses. “Where ‘t’is it?”
Freddy chuckles, setting his knife to one side and, leaning down, picks up the basket and hands it to the other, who cradles it on his lap, knees pulled to his chest. “’ere we go, Mister Baggins.” He straightens and reaches for another fish. “Can I interest you in some fresh eel, Mister Baggins? Just caught this mornin’ ...”
“Just the usual, Freddy,” Bilbo nods.
“Righto. The usual it is then!” Freddy reaches for the fish and some paper, wrapping the fish deftly and quick before he hands it to his customer. “Anythin’ else, Mister Baggins?”
Bilbo shakes his head, reaching into a pouch. “The same, Freddy?”
“Well, now,” the fishmonger speaks thoughtfully, scratching his head, “I dunno. Mebbe a coin or two more ...”
Bilbo shakes his head as he counts the coins into his hand, adding an extra three coins; he hands the money up as Freddy lowers the wrapped fish. He tucks the fish into his basket and Freddy scans the market before him. “I think she’s --- now where did he go?” He looks left to right behind him and then shakes his head before picking up his knife once more.
Looking down, on his hands and knees, Bilbo crawls, pulling his basket along. In his haste, he doesn’t see the slippered foot lain firmly before him until his head bumps into the leg attached to the foot. He smiles, weakly, and straightens his coat.
“Bilbo Baggins!”
He sighs and stands, dusting his knees and hefting his basket. “Good morning, Lobelia.”