Sam, Merry, Pippin, and Melian go on a little apple picking adventure.
“Are you sure there were apple trees this way??” Sam asked as he trudged along behind Melian, Pippin, and Merry. “Yes, of course! Just over the crest of this hill!” Melian replied, with her hands on her hips as she stopped to wait for her brother. The four hobbits had met in Bywater at the crack of dawn to venture out to the outskirts of the Old Forest… all in the name of picking some fresh apples. “I just don’t know why we have to travel all this way to pick some apples that we could’ve easily bought in the Hobbiton market just down the road,” Sam complained as he sat down on a log to catch his breath.
“Because the journey is part of the fun!! C’mon now, we’re nearly there!” Merry said, reaching under Sam’s arm and pulling him up from his seat. Sam begrudgingly stood up and continued up the hill. “Besides, if Gaffer knew you were coming all this way for silly adventures, I’m not sure if he’d be too pleased… trust a Brandybuck and a Took,” he said under his breath. “I think Gaffer will indeed be pleased with baskets full of apples!” Melian replied. “To tell you the truth, Mel didn’t want us to drag you along, afraid it would be too ‘adventurous’ for you,” Merry explained.
“Yes, but we figured we needed another body to help us carry more apples back!!” Pippin added with a chuckle. “Ah! Here we are!” he then said as they approached the top of the hill. Right at the top of what felt like a mountain was a number of apple trees. There was an array of bright crimson apples, shiny green apples, and golden apples. Sam looked up at them wide-eyed, as if he had never seen such beautiful apples. “Well, I’ll be…” he said to himself.
Merry reached up and picked one of the red apples, wiping it on his sleeve before taking a big bite. “Mmmm… so juicy,” he said with his mouth full, handing it over to Melian so she could take a bite. “Well, this is great and all, but how are we supposed to reach most of the apples?” Sam asked as he picked a golden apple to try. He had a point… they were hobbits, after all, and most of the apples on the trees were well beyond their reach. “Climbing the trees, of course!!” Pippin answered, throwing away the core of an apple he was already able to finish.
“Exactly,” Melian said, throwing her basket over to Pippin. “Here… hoist me up,” she said to Merry, who was putting his hands together for her to step on. “Oh, no you don’t,” Sam said, setting his basket on the ground before stepping into Merry’s place. “I won’t have you lookin’ up my sister’s skirt… even if you two are going out,” Sam said. “Sam!!” Melian said, her face as bright as the apples on the tree. “Th-that was not my intention at all!!” Merry exclaimed, innocently. Ever since Bilbo’s party, Sam had been keeping a close eye on them. Of course he approved of Merry, but Melian was his little sister, after all.
Sam hoisted up his sister, who grabbed hold of a branch and lifted herself up into the tree of red apples. “Heads up, Pip!” she said, picking an apple and throwing it down at him, hitting him squarely in the head. The apple bounced off him and fell into the basket, getting his attention. “Ok, I’m ready!” he said, now catching the apples as she threw them down to him. Merry managed to climb into the tree of green apples and began throwing some down to the two other hobbits below.
The four hobbits continued to pick apples, laughing and chatting all the while, and of course stopping for a little picnic snack. All four of their baskets were full, so they decided to head back to the Gamgee residence for their lunch. As they walked back, Melian found herself walking next to Merry, while Pippin and Sam lagged behind a bit. “You want me to carry your basket for a bit?” Merry asked Melian. “No, it’s alright… thanks, though,” she replied.
“I really wasn’t trying to peek up your skirt, you know,” Merry said, Sam’s comment still bugging him. “You’re still thinking about that? I know,” she began. “And Sam does trust you… he’s just being the big brother that he is. And of course I trust you, too. You’ve always been nothing but a gentleman,” Melian said, blushing slightly. Merry smiled at her. He was quite smitten with her, and though they had been seeing a lot more of each other since their date at Bilbo’s party, he didn’t feel right about asking her to court him officially until he had a talk with old Gaffer Gamgee.
They were happy to arrive to the Gamgee residence and to smell the soup that was simmering on the stove for lunch… though not as happy as old Gaffer was when he saw the many baskets of apples. “We can have apple pie, apple butter, apple jam, apple tarts, apple…” and he proceeded to name all the things that they could make with the apples. “One at a time, father… let’s start with apple pie,” Melian said, kissing her father on the cheek.
While she cleaned up the dishes, the boys began peeling and slicing the apples. Melian rolled out the dough and prepared the pie, putting the crust in a cross-hatched pattern before sticking it in the oven. Sam left for his gardening duties at Bag End while the pie baked, and the other three hobbits found themselves in the living room with cups of tea in hand. They talked for a while, until Pippin began nodding off with drowsiness. “I think I’ll have a little cat nap while we wait for the pie,” Pippin said, curling up in the armchair he was sitting in.
“Not a bad idea, actually… we have worked hard today,” Melian said with a yawn. She pulled up her feet on the couch in between her and Merry and rested her head on the arm of the couch, cuddling one of the many couch pillows in her arms as she shut her eyes. Merry continued to quietly read his book until he heard the rhythmic breathing of a sleeping Melian. He peered over at her, and seeing that her mouth was slightly opened, he knew she was definitely asleep. Melian’s feet had made their way to his lap, so he strategically and quietly got out from beneath them and off the couch.
He roamed around a bit, looking for someone, and then spotting the Gaffer through the window smoking outside, he decided to join him. “Mind if I join?” Merry asked, getting out his pipe from his jacket pocket as he shut the yellow door behind him. “Not at all… I could always use some company,” Gaffer said. Merry began smoking his pipe, mustering up the courage to do what he came here for. They sat in silence for a bit until Merry broke it by saying, “I’ve been wanting to ask you something.”
“What is it, my boy?” Gaffer asked. “Well, I was wondering if I might have your blessing to start courting Melian,” Merry said as coolly as he could, though his face was on fire. “Court her?? Haven’t you been doing so already?” he replied sincerely. “I- well… we have been spending more time together… but I haven’t actually asked her to court me or anything yet,” Merry replied, surprised at the old Gaffer’s answer. “Why yes, of course, boy! I’ve been waiting for a young sensible hobbit to marry my daughter! And why not the future Master of Buckland!! You have my blessing!” Gaffer replied.
Merry sighed a long sigh of relief… though the Gaffer was kind to all he met, Merry couldn’t help but have been a bit nervous in asking him for the blessing to court his daughter. It would eventually lead to marriage of course, and that was no small thing. “Tell me why you’ve chosen my daughter,” Gaffer added. Being the future Master of Buckland was no small thing either, and in the Gaffer’s mind, they were just a family of humble gardeners in comparison. Merry looked at him wide-eyed and then gave some thought before he spoke.
“She’s not like any of the other hobbit girls I know… she’s brave and fun, willing to go on any adventures I put her up to… she even suggests adventures to go on herself, like the apple picking today. She’s smart and perceptive, teaching me knew things and learning of the world around her. She’s beautiful but doesn’t know it. She’s the best baker in the Shire in my opinion… even now I am excited for her apple pie—” he said, suddenly remembering the pie.
“THE PIE!” he said, realizing the smoke he smelled was no longer just pipe weed but also of apple pie coming out the window. He put out his pipe and ran inside, checking the oven to see a beautifully golden crusted apple pie inside. He found some oven mitts and carefully pulled it out of the oven, realizing some of the juice from the pie had spilled to the bottom of the oven, causing the smoke he was smelling. “THE PIE IS DONE!” Melian exclaimed, rushing into the kitchen. “Oh, thank goodness…” she said upon seeing Merry.
“I dozed off longer than expected and when I smelled the smoke, I was afraid my pie was ruined!” she said, walking over and looking at the perfectly baked pie. “You saved it just in time!! What would I do without you, Meriadoc Brandybuck?” she asked, sweetly, patting him on the arm. “Well, you would have a burnt apple pie for one,” he chuckled. “Too true, too true… hey, let’s have a taste of it while it’s still hot! That’s when it’s best, after all,” she replied, looking for her serving knife.