"How did you do that?" said Sam. "How did you make him go quiet like that?"
And Frodo looked like he would shrug if he weren't holding a baby in his arms and worried about waking him, so he smiled instead and said, "Practice, I suppose."
Pippin's parents were inside visiting with Bilbo and eating seedcakes, which Sam liked very much, and drinking tea, which Sam cared for not at all. So Sam didn't mind terribly being outside, but he wondered if Frodo, who liked his tea well enough, resented being sent out with the children. But he decided not to ask.
"That might be right," said Sam. "My big brothers and sisters are better at making Marigold do what they want, and maybe it's because they had practice with me already."
Frodo nodded. "Like I had practice with my cousin Merry when he was little."
"Da says I need to practice taking care of Marigold now since someday I'll have my own little ones to take care of," said Sam.
"That sounds like good advice," said Frodo, swaying a little with the baby.
"I don't think so."
"But why not, Sam?"
"Because I don't want to get married and I don't want to have little ones. And even if I did, they'd be good children, and well-behaved. Not like Marigold and Rosie."
As if on cue, the two little girls came running up the path and screaming as they came, and of course the noise woke Pippin, who immediately joined in the screaming. The girls stopped short and went quiet, repentant.
"See what you've done now?" said Sam.
"We were just playing," said Marigold, though it was a little hard to hear her over the baby's screams.
"Playing is fine, but you weren't supposed to yell, and you weren't supposed to get mud on your skirts."
"You didn't say that though!" said Rosie, who's cheeks were flushed from running but also, maybe just a little bit, from anger. "You said go and play and don't leave the garden and don't hurt the flowers. If you didn't want us to yell that should've been part of the rules!"
"Now, Rosie Cotton." Sam put his hands on his hips. "I'm talking to my little sister and you've no call to be sassing me as well."
Not only Sam but also wee hobbits! What have you done?! (Part 1)
And Frodo looked like he would shrug if he weren't holding a baby in his arms and worried about waking him, so he smiled instead and said, "Practice, I suppose."
Pippin's parents were inside visiting with Bilbo and eating seedcakes, which Sam liked very much, and drinking tea, which Sam cared for not at all. So Sam didn't mind terribly being outside, but he wondered if Frodo, who liked his tea well enough, resented being sent out with the children. But he decided not to ask.
"That might be right," said Sam. "My big brothers and sisters are better at making Marigold do what they want, and maybe it's because they had practice with me already."
Frodo nodded. "Like I had practice with my cousin Merry when he was little."
"Da says I need to practice taking care of Marigold now since someday I'll have my own little ones to take care of," said Sam.
"That sounds like good advice," said Frodo, swaying a little with the baby.
"I don't think so."
"But why not, Sam?"
"Because I don't want to get married and I don't want to have little ones. And even if I did, they'd be good children, and well-behaved. Not like Marigold and Rosie."
As if on cue, the two little girls came running up the path and screaming as they came, and of course the noise woke Pippin, who immediately joined in the screaming. The girls stopped short and went quiet, repentant.
"See what you've done now?" said Sam.
"We were just playing," said Marigold, though it was a little hard to hear her over the baby's screams.
"Playing is fine, but you weren't supposed to yell, and you weren't supposed to get mud on your skirts."
"You didn't say that though!" said Rosie, who's cheeks were flushed from running but also, maybe just a little bit, from anger. "You said go and play and don't leave the garden and don't hurt the flowers. If you didn't want us to yell that should've been part of the rules!"
"Now, Rosie Cotton." Sam put his hands on his hips. "I'm talking to my little sister and you've no call to be sassing me as well."