When Dimple got back to the Fairbairns’ she found Rosa mopping the
floors as quickly as she could. Dimple looked down at her feet then smiled up
at Rosa “umm…where can I step?” Rosa paused for a moment to scout out where she
had just mopped, “to your left by the wall and then you will have to pretend
you’re a frog and jump from dry spot to dry spot. Got it?” Dimple smiled “that
is just what I was planning to do!” they both giggled as Dimple tried her
hardest not to step on the already mopped floors. She made it to the kitchen
area and smiled across the room to Rosa. The pretty girl’s cheeks were rosy
from laughing. Dimple smiled wider that
was probably why she is named Rosa. Dimple called across the hall “So missy
rosy cheeks! Where is the legend, longest, ever, list?” Rosa tried to scowl but
she had trouble her face did not want to bend in that direction. “It is on the
table; do not let it eat you!” Dimple laughed and wandered into the dining room
right beside the kitchen. There it was. The List, it was stretched across the
six-foot table. Dimple whistled. She thought her mother left long lists of
chores! No way she can possibly get all
that done! Was the only thought that came to Dimple’s mind; it was going to
be a long day.
*
Five o’clock came upon the girls very swiftly; and the Halflings
hardly had half of the list and both were utterly exhausted. They had mopped
all the floors, and dusted every surface that could have had dust on it, and
washed sheets, cleaned windows, the bathroom, organized the pantry and the
closets, and between that they ate lunch and tea, cleaning up after themselves
of course. Dimple wondered what had become of the little pestilence
Orangeblossom, and her fateful play day in the mud with Durrey; Dimple heard a
soft knock on the door. She glanced at Rosa who rolled her eyes. “She will come
in and mess everything up Dimple!” Dimple could not help but to feel sorry for
her good friend, how could they avoid her? She was staying at the Fairbairn’s
house and Rosa had to watch her. Dimple was thinking as fast as she could, then
she had an idea. “Rosa would you like to come to my house for supper?” Rosa
nodded “what are you thinking Dimple?” The clever redhead just smiled. Then
opened the door to find none other than a mud covered Orangeblossom. “See! I didn’t get in nasty trouble or
anything Miss. Dimple!” Rosa covered her mouth. Dimple had not told her who she
had left Blossom with. Dimple smiled at
Orangeblossom and then pointed at the mud that had dropped down to the rug just
inside the door. “Miss Blossom! I just mopped this floor!” Blossom’s lip
quivered, “I’m sorry! Miss Dimple, please don’t make me get a bath!” Dimple
heard someone snort just outside the door. “Durrey, Durrey Took! What do you
have to say for yourself?” Durrey stepped out from behind a small tree that
grew just outside the fence. He was at least as mud covered as Blossom and he
had a permanent smirk on his face causing the mud to wrinkle on his face and
make him look completely silly. Between the two of them, one would have never
guessed they were hobbits; they looked more like bears. “Hehe, well you see
miss. Dimple” Durrey began “I was in the middle of a big nasty battle when this
here forlorn maiden wandered to me and she says “Mr Durrey!” she said real
softly and princesses like. I spun! I had no idear who ‘twas be’ind me! Miss
blossom and I were in quite a fix! For the boys on the other side started
a-flingging stones and hurlin’ mud every which way the moment I stopped looking
at ‘em! So I grabs the missy and we runs fer it! And… I tripped, and then she
fell and we both got covered in mud. We have had a lovely time since though! We
stayed out of mischief the rest of the day, we did! We visited a few farmers
and a few lovely generous housewives with pies... we were quite well
behaved!” Dimple smiled sinisterly at
the two mud caked creatures. “Oh I am sure you were just perfect hobbits the
both of you! And if you want to leave this house Durrey Took without being
scrubbed clean and sparkling I suggest you head to the kitchen and get washing
some dishes! Orangeblossom, you must get a bath! Right away, go on with you!”
Durrey looked horrified and tried to dart out the door but, it seems that
lovely, sneaky, little lasses are much faster than Mud covered lads. Rosa
caught the Took by the arm before he could rush away, and shut the door. “Mr
Durrey.” She began haughtily “I believe you promised me a favour last spring
when I lent you a bit of my money?” Durrey whimpered “Yes’m, and I twould ‘ave
paid you if it weren’t for the nasty Dragon
stealing it all! I cannot be a good customer there and with you! Ya know!” Rosa
twisted his arm. “will you do it for me now, Mr Took?” Durrey huffed and whined
out a mournful “Sure yer ‘ighness! Anything! Just do not EVER let me borrow
money from you again!” Rosa smiled “Ah yes, I will and you will wash the dishes
that are still in the kitchen and finish a list of jobs that is on the dining
room table. ALSO tuck little miss Blossom in bed after she has gotten her
bath!” Dimple smiled and grabbed her shawl.
“You two be good, and do not dare
step foot in their pantry!” Rosa followed Dimple’s example and grabbed her
small cloak and opened the door for the two of them. Leaving behind two
miserable, filthy Halflings.
Out on the road in the brisk spring night air the two girls
giggled on their way down to Bywater.
“Dimple you’re a genius!” said Rosa gleefully, “Surely I would
have never thought of that!”
The prideful Dimple smiled and shrugged “Well, some of us are just
more brainy than others I suppose dear Rosa.”
Rosa rolled her eyes “I caught that remark missy! I am just as
smart as you at least!”
Dimple laughed. “ I know you are, silly! Let us not fight this
evening! We are both too tired for that and I am hungry for supper!” She sped
up and grabbed Rosa’s hand as she did. “Come on slow chops! Let us get there
before tis all gone!” The two hobbits raced each other the rest of the way down
the well-worn path to Bywater. They stopped just as they reached the front
garden “I win!” Rosa proclaimed happily “I beat you every time Dimple! You
should really run more often! You would
not be nearly as chubby if you did! And you eat could thrice more than what you
eat now!” Dimple gasped for breath and panted out “I seriously doubt that! My
mother would kill me before she’d let me eat more.” Dimple walked past Rosa and
up to the wooden red front door and opened wide. “Here we are Lady Fairbairn.
My humble abode” Dimple did and very sarcastic deep curtsy while Rosa walked
into the familiar home of the Millstones’.
Baby Mo was rushing around with the forks and spoons when the two
walked in. “I suppose we are not late yet!” Said Dimple happily, Moro walked
past them swiftly and called loudly behind his shoulder “Get out of ‘d’ way
girls! Mamma comin wib ‘d’ ham!.” The girls backed out of the walkway in the
small hall, and as if on cue, May came out of the kitchen with a small glazed
ham on a platter with carrots and potatoes.
“Watch out Dimple! Hullo Rosa! Coming through!” She walked down the hall
and then scurried into the sitting room towards the dining room in the south
hall. The girls followed the two meal preparers into the snug dining hall where
Olo sat at the end of a long table reading an old tattered book. He looked up
gleefully when the smell of ham and the sound prodding of feet entered the
room. “Eh heh! Look at that! Amazing job May! It smells delicious!” Olo turned
to look at Baby Mo setting the table with vigour “Moro! The spoons go by the
knifes you silly lad! Thank ye for helping your mother anyways!” May grinned
and set the ham down then hurried towards the doorway to go to the kitchen and
grab the bread and some plates. She smacked right into Dimple who was entering
the Dining hall. “Ah! Dimple! Come help me with the pie! And the plates! You
too Rosa, please!” The trio raced around until everything was in order for a
lovely supper of Ham, potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, and honey bread.
All five sat around the oval table eating and enjoying each
other’s company. It was a peaceful night in the Millstone’s hole… and hopefully
at the Fairbarin’s hole too.
Mr Olo walked Rosa home later that evening after the day’s final
meals were over. And Dimple helped her mother wash and dry the dishes to get
them put away. May was very delighted by Dimple’s good behaviour, which led her
to make cheery comments on things like how well Dimple had washed that dish!
The merry hobbits were nearly finished when Baby Mo walked in in his nightshirt,
(for he had already been tucked in.) hair a mess and his blanket hanging over
his arm. May’s shoulders tensed when she saw him walk in, she knew what the
problem was. It vexed her greatly. But she put on a smiling face and bent down a
little to be eye-to-eye with the youngster. “Baby Mo, what’s the matter this
time?” Moro looked up towards the ceiling trying to come up with an answer and
avoid eye contact with his mother. “Ehhhh well.. It’s too dark in my room! And
der bes too much light out here! And noise too! I can’t sweep wif all dis
noise!” May looked imploringly at Dimple. The poor hobbit lass could guess what
her mother was going to ask before she started saying it. Dimple threw her
hands behind her untied her apron flung it on the table and darted for the
doorway. May stopped her before she could escape. “Dimple! You forgot to hang
up your apron!” Dimple whimpered and
darted back and hung her apron up as swiftly as she could, then back out of the
kitchen she tried to run. However, May grabbed her arm this time. “Dimple
dearie! Please tuck your brother in again.” Dimple groaned. She had been so
good all day! She had stayed out of trouble! Cooked breakfast, washed the
dishes, AND helped a forlorn hobbit lass with her chores! Now her mother had to
ruin her successful day by giving her the worst job ever imaginable to any
hobbit lass! Tucking Baby Moro in. It would not be so terrible if the lad would
go to sleep! But he never would! You could sing all the lullabies you knew
three times over, say all the nursery rhymes ever invented, and tell him long
dull stories about sheep! But the confounded lad would just ask for more wide
awake and ready for anything! Except sleep! Dimple grabbed Moro’s hand rather
tightly and pulled him off to his room huffily. He crawled into his tiny bed
and sat waiting to see which story Dimple would tell him. A thought struck
Dimple, a thought she had never had before! If she could not lull him to sleep, she would try to scare him to sleep!
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