how it began
by pipkin sweetgrass

         merry remembered how it all began; pippin and himself. he had been eight years old when his cousin was born, and he didn't see why the adults would take on so over a little baby when there was a nice young lad such as himself around, who had to be more fun than a helpless little baby. relatives had come from some ways off to see the addition to the took family; after all, the little thing was the only son of the thain. some day he would be the took.
         at the time of the gathering, little peregrin was no more than six months old. merry didn't see why he had to be dragged along when there were so many more fun things to do than look at a baby. the smials was a bit crowded. merry was bored. he decided to go exploring. the baby was sleeping, anyway.
         he found a door opened just a crack, and decided to go in, seeing a few toys lying about. he crept into the room. it was a pleasant place. the window was open, and the sun was pouring through it like butterscotch. then merry heard a tiny sound. near the window in a cradle lay the object of all this commotion.
         merry crept closer. as he knelt beside the cradle, there lay a remarkable thing, though he did not then know it. this would be his life-long friend, more brother than cousin.
         merry peeped over the edge of the cradle. he was regarded with a very large and deep green set of eyes, fringed with long, thick lashes. the tiny ears looked like little seashells. little peregrin looked at the bigger child and made a small, soft, happy sound. merry looked at the tiny feet. he reached in and gently took one in his own small hand. some day, the soles would be tough as leather... but now... merry thought they felt much like the tender, newly unfurled petals of spring flowers. the little feet would some day be covered with a thatch of woolly hair, but for now, it felt like the fur of a new kitten.
         the baby smiled up at him, "well, hullo, there!" merry said, softly. the little one laughed. merry decided to pick the baby up. as he lifted the tiny thing, the baby reached out little fingers to explore the child's face. the baby smelled just like apples to merry and since that's what he smelled like, merry decided then and there to call him "pippin," meaning "little apple."
         the adults had found him holding the tiny prize, and were amused that merry, who had been so reluctant to see the baby, now seemed enchanted with the little thing. merry's parents asked, "would you like to have one like that?"
         merry had paused and thought for a bit, then shook his head, "no. no, i don't think i want one like him, rather. no, i am sure i do not, i don't want one like this one... i fancy i want this one."
and so it had begun.

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the author of this piece would like to extend a special "thank you" to j.r.r. tolkien, peter jackson, all the lord of the rings cast, especially dominic monaghan and billy boyd, her husband, "beornomir," son, "the dark warrior," his wife and three children, and finally, but not least, to bmg of the bb.n forums.

... x