"There, now," Frodo tried hushing Pippin, with very little effect. "Sam, do you think you could...?"
"What's that, Mr. Frodo?" But Sam knew perfectly well what Frodo meant, since he was holding the screaming baby out for Sam to take from him. "I don't think I'd know how to..."
"That's all right, Sam, I just need my hands free." Frodo had raised his voice a bit to be heard over Pippin's yelling, which of course, caused Pippin to yell louder, and rather than keep the argument going Sam took hold of the baby and did his best to start rocking him as he'd seen Frodo do. Frodo, mean while, crouched low to the ground so as to be able to look Marigold and Rosie in the eye as he spoke to them.
"It's true Sam didn't tell you not to yell or not to get your clothes dirty, and he probably wishes he had now. So, you can just imagine he's saying he's sorry, only he's too busy to tell you so himself because he's taking care of Pippin."
Sam frowned but didn't say anything. Pippin, for no reason Sam could tell, was actually starting to calm down now, and he didn't want to disturb whatever was happening.
"Here's the thing though," said Frodo. "You don't do something just because Sam says to do it. You do it because you want to."
"But mud is fun," Rosie said seriously, and Marigold, though too shy to speak, nodded her agreement.
"That's true!" said Frodo. "Mud is terrific, and Sam and I know it too, don't we, Sam?"
Pippin had not fallen asleep but had taken an interest in Sam's nose, and was delighted to see it move in his hand as Sam nodded.
"What's not as much fun," Frodo continued, "is washing clothes when they're stained. Who's going to be doing that for you then, Mari?"
"Daisy." Marigold dug in the dirt with her toe.
"She didn't tell us to be careful of her skirts either," Rosie put in.
"All right, I believe you," said Frodo. "You have to keep in mind though, is it going to take Daisy more time to wash now that there's the mud?"
"Probbly," said Marigold.
"And if that's true, then she'll have less time to do other things that she'd rather."
"Daisy doesn't like mud," said Marigold.
"All right, that's fine," said Frodo. "Not everyone does. But maybe she'd rather be going for a swim or reading a book than washing your skirts."
"Maybe."
"And maybe Pippin would rather be sleeping than screaming. And certainly Sam and I would rather be holding a sleeping baby than a screaming one."
"So?"
"So you see, running and yelling is great fun, and I wouldn't ask you to give it up. It's just best not to do it when Pippin's around, you see?"
"I don't like babies," said Rosie.
"Me neither," said Marigold. "They're no fun."
"That's what Sam thinks too," said Frodo. "So it's a good thing you two aren't babies anymore."
Well, there was something Sam could agree with, anyway.
"Good then," said Frodo. "Come, Sam and I will bring Pippin back inside with the grown-ups -- it's time he had something to eat anyway -- and you two run back to Number Three so Mari can get changed. We'll meet over by the well, and Sam and I can show you two some wonderful things to do with mud that won't get your clothes dirty. Does that sound all right?"
Sam didn't think spending more time with the girls sounded like a very good idea. He had liked his own plan of letting them run loose in the garden as long as they didn't make trouble. On the other hand, Frodo had got them to stop screaming. And Sam was big enough to watch the girls, it was true, but he wasn't so big that he wasn't interested in finding out what Frodo liked to do with mud.
"All right," he said, "but I hoped you girls have learned your lesson."
Marigold frowned as if confused, and Rosie stuck out her tongue, but then they both turned and ran away down the hill, and Sam decided that was taken care of well enough. Then he and Frodo, and Pippin quiet and happy and still in Sam's arms, turned around and went inside.
But then it gets away from me and turns into Frodo fic again! :( (Part 2)
"What's that, Mr. Frodo?" But Sam knew perfectly well what Frodo meant, since he was holding the screaming baby out for Sam to take from him. "I don't think I'd know how to..."
"That's all right, Sam, I just need my hands free." Frodo had raised his voice a bit to be heard over Pippin's yelling, which of course, caused Pippin to yell louder, and rather than keep the argument going Sam took hold of the baby and did his best to start rocking him as he'd seen Frodo do. Frodo, mean while, crouched low to the ground so as to be able to look Marigold and Rosie in the eye as he spoke to them.
"It's true Sam didn't tell you not to yell or not to get your clothes dirty, and he probably wishes he had now. So, you can just imagine he's saying he's sorry, only he's too busy to tell you so himself because he's taking care of Pippin."
Sam frowned but didn't say anything. Pippin, for no reason Sam could tell, was actually starting to calm down now, and he didn't want to disturb whatever was happening.
"Here's the thing though," said Frodo. "You don't do something just because Sam says to do it. You do it because you want to."
"But mud is fun," Rosie said seriously, and Marigold, though too shy to speak, nodded her agreement.
"That's true!" said Frodo. "Mud is terrific, and Sam and I know it too, don't we, Sam?"
Pippin had not fallen asleep but had taken an interest in Sam's nose, and was delighted to see it move in his hand as Sam nodded.
"What's not as much fun," Frodo continued, "is washing clothes when they're stained. Who's going to be doing that for you then, Mari?"
"Daisy." Marigold dug in the dirt with her toe.
"She didn't tell us to be careful of her skirts either," Rosie put in.
"All right, I believe you," said Frodo. "You have to keep in mind though, is it going to take Daisy more time to wash now that there's the mud?"
"Probbly," said Marigold.
"And if that's true, then she'll have less time to do other things that she'd rather."
"Daisy doesn't like mud," said Marigold.
"All right, that's fine," said Frodo. "Not everyone does. But maybe she'd rather be going for a swim or reading a book than washing your skirts."
"Maybe."
"And maybe Pippin would rather be sleeping than screaming. And certainly Sam and I would rather be holding a sleeping baby than a screaming one."
"So?"
"So you see, running and yelling is great fun, and I wouldn't ask you to give it up. It's just best not to do it when Pippin's around, you see?"
"I don't like babies," said Rosie.
"Me neither," said Marigold. "They're no fun."
"That's what Sam thinks too," said Frodo. "So it's a good thing you two aren't babies anymore."
Well, there was something Sam could agree with, anyway.
"Good then," said Frodo. "Come, Sam and I will bring Pippin back inside with the grown-ups -- it's time he had something to eat anyway -- and you two run back to Number Three so Mari can get changed. We'll meet over by the well, and Sam and I can show you two some wonderful things to do with mud that won't get your clothes dirty. Does that sound all right?"
Sam didn't think spending more time with the girls sounded like a very good idea. He had liked his own plan of letting them run loose in the garden as long as they didn't make trouble. On the other hand, Frodo had got them to stop screaming. And Sam was big enough to watch the girls, it was true, but he wasn't so big that he wasn't interested in finding out what Frodo liked to do with mud.
"All right," he said, "but I hoped you girls have learned your lesson."
Marigold frowned as if confused, and Rosie stuck out her tongue, but then they both turned and ran away down the hill, and Sam decided that was taken care of well enough. Then he and Frodo, and Pippin quiet and happy and still in Sam's arms, turned around and went inside.