Chapter 6
Remember How Much I Love You
Farmer Maggot took the rope that was tied around his prize pig and with a jerk for the rope, the squealing pig trotted at his heels. Farmer Maggot approached Pippin and the group of hobbits standing next to the table where they just finished the pie-eating contest. He presented Pippin with his finest pig. "That was some fine eating, my boy. You won her fare and square. Take good care of her for me. She's a fine one, that is for sure." Pippin stuck out his hand to shake Farmer Maggot's hand, but he glared at Pippin's hand full of blueberry pie filling. Pippin face blushed some and he shrugged his shoulders with a sly smile. He tried to wipe his hands off on his shirt, but Farmer Maggot raised his hands and shook his head as he turned and walked away laughing.
Merry approached old man Bolger who collected all the coins for the betting. He reluctantly handed them over to him. Merry began filling his pocket full of the coins. The hobbits groaned giving them up, but a bet was a bet and he won fair and square. "That Meridoc must have been born under a lucky star." They all said as they walked away.
Pippin kneeled to pet his new pig, in which the pig, smelling the sweet blueberry pie filling all over Pippin, knocked him down and began licking his face and hair. He was laughing so hard he could hardly move from under her. Not to mention the weight of the pig as it sat on his chest. Pippin screamed, "Help!" in between licks, grunts and giggles.
Eglantine pulled on the rope and Paladin pulled Pippin's arms and Pimpernel grabbed some pie off the table. She placed it on the ground to coax the pig over to it. When the pig saw the pie that Pimpernel sat down on the ground, the pig took off in a flash to get it. This sent Eglantine and Paladin onto their butts and Pippin falling on top of Paladin. His fine pressed black coat and pants was now stained in blueberry pie filling. Pimernel quickly tied the pig to the heavy wooden table and place a bowl full of water next to the blueberry pie that the pig ate. Pimpernel scratched the pig's ear as she thought of a name for her. Penelope came to her mind. Penelope the pig sounded wonderful to her.
"Well it looks like we all need a bit of cleaning." Eglantine giggled as she pointed to the tents where the hobbit women were preparing tubs for the contestants to bathe. Eglantine took out her bag and pulled some clothing out in search of Pippin's extra clothes. Pevinca's sweater was on top and she placed that on their blanket at the picnic area, were they sat. She unfolded Pippin's shirt and pants and gave them to Merry to bring to Pippin. Eglantine insisted that Paladin take off his coat so she could brush it clean.
Merry walked down to the tents were the hobbit's were bathing after the contest. Merry called out to see which tent Pippin was in. When he yelled out, Merry opened the tent and walked in. Seeing Pippin dunking his head into the water to wash the soap out of his hair, Merry began laughing at the funny sight of Pippin sitting into a tub just big enough for him to fit in. Two bony knees stuck high out of the water. Merry shook his head thinking how Fatty Bolger would ever fit into his tub. He wished he could peek to see how he was fairing. There were two buckets of water left over from the hobbit woman when she filled the tubs. One was a warm bucket of water and the other a cold bucket of water. She placed a thick towel next to the tub and big bar of soap.
"Hey Pip, let me help you with that." Merry picked up one of the buckets and dumped it over Pippins head. Pippin screamed in shock as the ice cold water chilled his head and sent shivers down his spine. Merry ducked out of the way with lighting speed, as Pippin sent a splash of water as he tried to soak Merry, trying to get back at him. Merry laughed all the harder at Pippin because him missed. "You just wait Merry, one of these days I will get even with you." And he too started laughing thinking about it. Merry closed the tent curtain and went outside.
Pippin grabbed a towel and dried himself off. When he finished dressing, he met Merry outside with the other Hobbits. Merry pointed to Eglantine and Pearl sitting on their blanket. Pearl was handing her a gift to open that she made for her. "Pippin, it looks like your mother is opening her presents. I can not wait to see how your flowerpot turned out. Come, let's join them."
"Oh, Pearl! This is just beautiful!" Elgantine admired the portrait of her that Pearl painted. "You certainly are an accomplished artist and so very talented." Eglantine told her.
Pimpernel wrote her a poem about comparing spring with a mother's love. Eglantine tears formed in her eyes as she read it. She would save this forever.
Pippin held his present for his mother to open. She pulled the strings that held the cloth around her present. Her eyes widened as she saw the flowerpot that she loved that had gotten broken. The flowers were not skillfully painted as the other flowerpot, and the clay of the pot was not as smooth or evenly perfect, as the other one. But what she loved mostly about this pot was the colors, pink and red flowers with dark green leaves. Then having a flowerpot made by her son, meant more than any grand pot that was sold at the craft fair. Eglantine looked up at her son, as she remembered catching him sneaking into the house with his clothes full of muddy clay. She remembered how angry she became with him and how hard he worked scrubbing the floors until it was clean and the hours it took him to pick all those blueberries. She remembered the paint that got spilt over Pevinca white apron, pink, red and dark green. Then, how Paladin became so angry with him. A single teardrop ran down her cheek and she hugged her son tightly. "Thank you, my dear son. I love this flowerpot more than the pot that was broken. This is the most beautiful flowerpot that I have ever seen. I know exactly what flowers I will put into this pot, as they are my most favorite." She paused for a moment and continued, "Every time I look at this pot, I will always remember just how much I love you."
Pevinca saw her sweater sitting on the blanket and walked over to it, sitting down on the blanket. She played with the buttons and got one arm into the sleeve. She stuck one of the buttons into her mouth, chewing on it. She reached behind her and pulled the sweater on to her shoulder. She saw the other sleeve and placed her other arm into it. She took the button out of her mouth and played with it between her fingers. She saw the buttonhole on the other side of her sweater and held the button next to it. She giggled as she remembered her mother tickling her every time she did this. Her eyes looked up to see where her mother was, but she was standing a few feet away from her hugging Pippin. She waited and waited for her mother to pull the button through as she always did. However, her mother did not come over to do this for her. She looked at her mother and looked at the button. She remembered how her mother would pull the button through the hole. Pevinca squealed and clapped her hands after she pulled the button through all by herself. Eglantine looked over Pippin's shoulder at the noises her daughter was making and her eyes widened in surprise. She let go of Pippin and went over to see Pevinca. Bending down on her knees, Eglantine's tears overflow from her eyes with pride for her daughter. She tickled her until she squealed with delight and gave her a huge warm hug, kissing her daughters cheek. All the long months of teaching her, Pevinca could now button her own sweater.
This spring festival Eglantine would always remember.
Remember How Much I Love You
Farmer Maggot took the rope that was tied around his prize pig and with a jerk for the rope, the squealing pig trotted at his heels. Farmer Maggot approached Pippin and the group of hobbits standing next to the table where they just finished the pie-eating contest. He presented Pippin with his finest pig. "That was some fine eating, my boy. You won her fare and square. Take good care of her for me. She's a fine one, that is for sure." Pippin stuck out his hand to shake Farmer Maggot's hand, but he glared at Pippin's hand full of blueberry pie filling. Pippin face blushed some and he shrugged his shoulders with a sly smile. He tried to wipe his hands off on his shirt, but Farmer Maggot raised his hands and shook his head as he turned and walked away laughing.
Merry approached old man Bolger who collected all the coins for the betting. He reluctantly handed them over to him. Merry began filling his pocket full of the coins. The hobbits groaned giving them up, but a bet was a bet and he won fair and square. "That Meridoc must have been born under a lucky star." They all said as they walked away.
Pippin kneeled to pet his new pig, in which the pig, smelling the sweet blueberry pie filling all over Pippin, knocked him down and began licking his face and hair. He was laughing so hard he could hardly move from under her. Not to mention the weight of the pig as it sat on his chest. Pippin screamed, "Help!" in between licks, grunts and giggles.
Eglantine pulled on the rope and Paladin pulled Pippin's arms and Pimpernel grabbed some pie off the table. She placed it on the ground to coax the pig over to it. When the pig saw the pie that Pimpernel sat down on the ground, the pig took off in a flash to get it. This sent Eglantine and Paladin onto their butts and Pippin falling on top of Paladin. His fine pressed black coat and pants was now stained in blueberry pie filling. Pimernel quickly tied the pig to the heavy wooden table and place a bowl full of water next to the blueberry pie that the pig ate. Pimpernel scratched the pig's ear as she thought of a name for her. Penelope came to her mind. Penelope the pig sounded wonderful to her.
"Well it looks like we all need a bit of cleaning." Eglantine giggled as she pointed to the tents where the hobbit women were preparing tubs for the contestants to bathe. Eglantine took out her bag and pulled some clothing out in search of Pippin's extra clothes. Pevinca's sweater was on top and she placed that on their blanket at the picnic area, were they sat. She unfolded Pippin's shirt and pants and gave them to Merry to bring to Pippin. Eglantine insisted that Paladin take off his coat so she could brush it clean.
Merry walked down to the tents were the hobbit's were bathing after the contest. Merry called out to see which tent Pippin was in. When he yelled out, Merry opened the tent and walked in. Seeing Pippin dunking his head into the water to wash the soap out of his hair, Merry began laughing at the funny sight of Pippin sitting into a tub just big enough for him to fit in. Two bony knees stuck high out of the water. Merry shook his head thinking how Fatty Bolger would ever fit into his tub. He wished he could peek to see how he was fairing. There were two buckets of water left over from the hobbit woman when she filled the tubs. One was a warm bucket of water and the other a cold bucket of water. She placed a thick towel next to the tub and big bar of soap.
"Hey Pip, let me help you with that." Merry picked up one of the buckets and dumped it over Pippins head. Pippin screamed in shock as the ice cold water chilled his head and sent shivers down his spine. Merry ducked out of the way with lighting speed, as Pippin sent a splash of water as he tried to soak Merry, trying to get back at him. Merry laughed all the harder at Pippin because him missed. "You just wait Merry, one of these days I will get even with you." And he too started laughing thinking about it. Merry closed the tent curtain and went outside.
Pippin grabbed a towel and dried himself off. When he finished dressing, he met Merry outside with the other Hobbits. Merry pointed to Eglantine and Pearl sitting on their blanket. Pearl was handing her a gift to open that she made for her. "Pippin, it looks like your mother is opening her presents. I can not wait to see how your flowerpot turned out. Come, let's join them."
"Oh, Pearl! This is just beautiful!" Elgantine admired the portrait of her that Pearl painted. "You certainly are an accomplished artist and so very talented." Eglantine told her.
Pimpernel wrote her a poem about comparing spring with a mother's love. Eglantine tears formed in her eyes as she read it. She would save this forever.
Pippin held his present for his mother to open. She pulled the strings that held the cloth around her present. Her eyes widened as she saw the flowerpot that she loved that had gotten broken. The flowers were not skillfully painted as the other flowerpot, and the clay of the pot was not as smooth or evenly perfect, as the other one. But what she loved mostly about this pot was the colors, pink and red flowers with dark green leaves. Then having a flowerpot made by her son, meant more than any grand pot that was sold at the craft fair. Eglantine looked up at her son, as she remembered catching him sneaking into the house with his clothes full of muddy clay. She remembered how angry she became with him and how hard he worked scrubbing the floors until it was clean and the hours it took him to pick all those blueberries. She remembered the paint that got spilt over Pevinca white apron, pink, red and dark green. Then, how Paladin became so angry with him. A single teardrop ran down her cheek and she hugged her son tightly. "Thank you, my dear son. I love this flowerpot more than the pot that was broken. This is the most beautiful flowerpot that I have ever seen. I know exactly what flowers I will put into this pot, as they are my most favorite." She paused for a moment and continued, "Every time I look at this pot, I will always remember just how much I love you."
Pevinca saw her sweater sitting on the blanket and walked over to it, sitting down on the blanket. She played with the buttons and got one arm into the sleeve. She stuck one of the buttons into her mouth, chewing on it. She reached behind her and pulled the sweater on to her shoulder. She saw the other sleeve and placed her other arm into it. She took the button out of her mouth and played with it between her fingers. She saw the buttonhole on the other side of her sweater and held the button next to it. She giggled as she remembered her mother tickling her every time she did this. Her eyes looked up to see where her mother was, but she was standing a few feet away from her hugging Pippin. She waited and waited for her mother to pull the button through as she always did. However, her mother did not come over to do this for her. She looked at her mother and looked at the button. She remembered how her mother would pull the button through the hole. Pevinca squealed and clapped her hands after she pulled the button through all by herself. Eglantine looked over Pippin's shoulder at the noises her daughter was making and her eyes widened in surprise. She let go of Pippin and went over to see Pevinca. Bending down on her knees, Eglantine's tears overflow from her eyes with pride for her daughter. She tickled her until she squealed with delight and gave her a huge warm hug, kissing her daughters cheek. All the long months of teaching her, Pevinca could now button her own sweater.
This spring festival Eglantine would always remember.