Dear Prudence:
Isn't this fine? Another letter! I think I'm improving. I still have Miss Grubb helping me with spelling and punctuation and telling things properly but I'll soon be able to make due by myself. She says hello. (Hello!) I feel so foolish. Writing is easy. Why did I wait until now to learn my letters? Well, we all know why, I suppose. No one would teach an old widow like me and what use did I have for letters anyway? Letters wouldn't help me get the work done. But young Samwise Gardner (hooray!) has been teaching anyone who is willing to learn since he was just a little thing and I decided why not? There are six healthy Rumbles in this smial and they do all the work now. I have all the time in the world to master whatever I want! (Hear, hear!)
But there are those who think that Sammie, that's what I call Master Gardner, he insists on it, being only sixteen and me ninety, should mind his own business. They say, "What business is it of his if people can't read? Who does that elf-boy think he is?" Prudence, I love Sammie (me, too) and I would never call him elf-boy but there are those who call him worse (elf-bastard) and have threatened to hurt him if he doesn't stop interfering with other people's families. Rolf Burrows and those big, ugly Tunnely Twins swear they're going to come by and beat him if he doesn't stop. And it's gotten so bad that some folks won't let their children come to the library and learn anymore for fear of them getting caught in the middle of it and hurt.
Sammie has asked the Mayor and the Master to stay out of it and they pretend they are but everywhere Sammie goes he has a large shadow with the name of Gardner (Fro), Took (Farry) or Brandybuck (Borry) following behind him. It annoys Sammie no end. (It annoys Rolf and the Tunnelys, too. Believe it!)
Prudence, it's time for my lesson. No one is scaring ME away! (Huzzah!) I hope you are well and you've enjoyed my letter and Miss Grubb's additions. (Of course you did!) I don't know what to do with this girl. (Neither does anyone else.) I will write again and tell you how it all works out.
Very Sincerely Yours,
Adamant Rumble
"I brought you an apple! It's perfectly round!" Anise Smallburrow twirled the fruit on it's stem and gazed up worshipfully at Sammie. "And perfectly red!" She handed it over and Sammie made a great show of polishing it on his sleeve until it gleamed. The Widow Rumble thought the two of them were the cutest things she'd ever seen.
"It's beautiful, Annie! Want a bite?"
"No, its yours!"
"Well, thank you very much." Sammie put the apple in his pack with his books, papers and pens. "I'll have it for lunch, sweetheart."
Anise flipped her little apron up over her head and rushed to rejoin the other students who were sprawled comfortably under the gargantuan oak tree in the front courtyard of the Hobbiton Library. At six Annie was Sammie's youngest pupil and her best friend in the class was the Widow Rumble who, at ninety, was Sammie's oldest. She looked around herself and smiled. All of Sammie's pupils were as different from one another as cherries from eggs but one thing they all had in common was a desire to learn their letters. And as long as anyone was willing to learn then Sammie was willing to teach. Usually there were more people but trouble was leaving a smoke in the air around Sammie's classes and folk were staying away.
The Widow sighed. Sammie was a smart and a good boy. Only sixteen and growing like a weed she was sure he was going to be tall but not as bulky or as strong as his brothers or, heavens, even some of his sisters. Which was unfortunate. A thrill of fear rippled through her as she saw Delphinium Grubb slink out of the bushes as quiet as a fox and approach Sammie. She whispered something in his ear and Sammie turned with a jerk to look at the North Road beyond it. "Fine." She heard him say. "Let them come." Del muttered something more and Sammie shook his head at her. "I'm ready for them. Tell Fro to stay away. All of you stay away. I'm going to handle this on my own." Del looked rebellious. The students were perfectly silent now and Anise suddenly took the Widow's arm and held on tight. "Del, please." With a hiss that didn't sound quite human Del turned and dove into the shrubbery again.
With a hiss that didn't sound quite human Del turned and dove into the shrubbery again.
"Oh, no. Look." Aspen Tunnely pointed towards three bulky figures that were slouching along the North Road towards the library. "It's my stupid cousins." She turned to Sammie. "They're coming to beat you." Anise hiccupped and began to cry. "You need to run, Sammie!" Aspen warned.
"No." He reached out a foot and brought his pack closer. "I'm here to teach and, I swear, those three are going to learn."
"But, Sammie!" Aspen was crying, too.
"No. Everyone should go. This isn't going to be pretty."
"We're not goin' anywhere." said the Widow and she brandished her cane. "I'll deal with 'em!"
"I'LL deal with them." Sammie corrected and then Rolf and the Tunnelys were upon them. They swaggered into the clearing and looked at the small assembly with disgust.
Rolf stepped forward and his thin lips curled. 'What do you lot think you're doing? None of you got any decent work to do? Who do you all think you are?! Lazy good-for-naughts!'
'It's none of your concern how people spend their time.' Sammie's voice was quiet and clear. The Tunnely Twins snorted and the Widow's nose wrinkled. Ugh. She could smell them. They smelled like manure and stale beer.
Rolf looked Sammie up and down as if he were a rather tall worm. 'All these squiggles and songs and stupid papers are best left to you dried-up gents who ain't got nothin' better to do. Don't you know it rots your brain?! I never seen a person that reads that ain't been cracked, too! Aspen! Get home!' Aspen blanched and looked at Sammie.
Aspen blanched and looked at Sammie.
'She's not going anywhere.' Sammie's tone was final and Rolf stepped back in exaggerated surprise, his mouth a perfect little O of terror. The Twins laughed. The Widow cast about nervously and spied, some distance away, half-hidden by lilacs, Borry Brandybuck, Fro Gardner and Farry Took. Any one of them could pick up Rolf and break him with their bare hands but they were just standing there, their eyes hooded and dangerous. And there! There was Delphinium standing in Farry's shadow, a deadly rock in each hand. Come on! The Widow mentally screamed at them. Come on! Help him! What are you waiting for?!
'You pissant little Elf-bastard! You filthy little dung-sucker!' Rolf shouted. The Widow saw the tendons in Fro Gardner's neck bulge despite the distance between them but he still didn't move. Why?! MOVE, boy!
Sammie's eyes drooped with feral amusement and he smiled. 'Oh, dear.' was all he said. Rolf charged and the Tunnelys stood back and cheered him on. Anise screamed. Aspen screamed. Sammie bent quickly and yanked something from his pack. For one awful moment the Widow thought that it was a long, black snake. Sammie threw his arm up into the air and then down and it wasn't until the Widow heard the awful CRACK! that she understood what it was. And, oh, she could have lived the rest of her life without ever seeing one of those things again. Rolf stopped dead in his tracks and Sammie casually caught and coiled the end of the orc whip around his left hand while he held the horribly carved handle in his right. Remembered pain and terror traveled throughout the Widow's body and she clutched Anise tighter. The poor child's face was pale as the moon's.
'You ain't got the guts.' Rolf snarled. Sammie ran the length of brightly oiled black leather through his hands and said nothing. 'RUSH HIM!' shouted Rolf and all three foolishly darted forward.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Rolf screamed. He clutched his face and screamed again!one of the Tunnelys, clutching his arm and howling in shock and pain, broke and ran as fast as he could back to the North Road. His brother, cradling his arm, watched him go. Then he jumped at Sammie again.
CRACK!
The remaining Tunnely staggered back, his hands on his chest. He took one look at Sammie standing there, flushed with fury and breathing heavily, and followed his brother. Rolf gaped after them, his obvious pain creating a sheen of sweat on his face. He whirled and lunged but CRACK! he was too slow and he clutched his arm to him as if Sammie had cut it in two. The Widow almost, ALMOST, felt sorry for him. Those things!those horrible things were designed for nothing but burning pain. Sammie could have flayed the skin off them if he had wanted to. Old memories of blood and flame filled her mind and she shook herself.
'Listen to me.' Rolf looked up at Sammie, shocked and uncomprehending. Sammie pointed the handle of the orc whip at Rolf and its red eyes glared at him. 'I never want to see you around here again. I'm sick of seeing you. I'm sick of hearing you. Find another town to pollute. Do you understand?' Rolf's jaw worked and he grunted in frustrated pain. Sammie raised his arm again and stepped forward. Rolf gave a shout and sprinted for the North Road. The Widow watched him comically kicking up dust and sagged with relief.
And they were gone.
Sammie sat on the grass so quickly that the Widow wasn't sure if his legs gave out under him or not. His cousins and brother burst from the bushes, cheering, and they surrounded him, thumping his back, hugging him, Del kissed him and suddenly Anise broke away from the Widow and threw herself into his arms. She was crying still and Sammie cuddled her. 'It's all right. I'm all right. It's all right!' he repeated over and over. 'They won't bother us again.' His students crowded around, petting him and praising him as if he were a good dog, and the Widow leaned on her cane and struggled to her feet. Anise reached for the whip, her eyes bright and fascinated!
'Don't touch that!' the Widow barked and everyone moved away from where Sammie had dropped it on the grass. 'Boy, where did you get that thing?'
'The Ruffians left it behind during the Siege. My Gaffer Gamgee took it for a souvenir. I found it in a box!'
'We find a lot of strange things in boxes!' Fro quipped and Sammie smiled up at him.
'Burn it.' the Widow ordered. Everyone looked at her in surprise. Should she really be ordering the Hero of the Hour about like that? But Sammie understood and so did all his kin. Their eyes were compassionate and Sammie nodded.
'Yes, ma'am. Consider it burned.'
And that very night, it was.