Peregrine Took for Shakespeare

[p]Pippin looked over the mushroom troop with an appraising eye. It was a particularly fine crop, the sort only seen when conditions were just right in the Shire. Plenty of moisture without too much standing water that wouldn't allow the valued fungus to sprout.

[p]He'd always had an eye for the land to match his taste for fungus.

[p]Merry, on the other hand, was all stomach.

[p]"Come [i]on[/i], Pippin. Before he sets the dogs on us!"

[p]Fine dogs they were too, three wolfish brutes quite capable of chasing even the stoutest hobbit down. Their owner had no tolerance for thieves, not even a couple of mischievous youngsters who meant no real harm.

[p]There was a subtle beauty in the yellow wax caps that one couldn't appreciate in a hurried glance. Pippin appraised the wonders of nature with a gentle hum of approval. This would surely be a harvest year for the record books.

[p]Distant barking broke into his reverie at last. He hurried to Merry's side, grabbing the sack they'd spent half the morning stuffing with treats.

[p]"Grip! Fang! Wolf! Hurry now, lads! We've got ourselves a trespasser!"

[p]There was a thrill in taking to the undergrowth. In some places it grew so high that it nearly touched the overgrowth. Smooth grass underfoot, birdsong overhead and the gentle rush of a summer breeze all combined to make the chase more thrilling than chilling.

[p]They slipped beneath the gnarled roots of an old oak older than Hobbiton, breathlessly laughing as the stream they had crossed confused their scent and left the dogs growling and muttering overhead. Farmer Maggot gave up the chase with a half-hearted "Bah!". They could hear his gnarly feet stomping on the weathered planks that served as a bridge over the stream.

[p]"Young hoodlums! Let this be a lesson to you! Next time I won't be so easy on you, no I [i]won't[/i].

[p]Merry popped a particularly fat cap in his mouth, chewing with relish. Pippin was more selective in his selection, picking one with pale pink gills that was sure to be sweet, despite its smaller size.

[p]"Pippin...you don't really think we're being so bad...do you?"

[p]Pippin rolled a savory chunk on his tongue, taking his time in answering. "You and I, we've helped Maggot out in his fields plenty of times, right?"

[p]"Right."

[p]"How many times has Maggot paid us with a few potatoes or some lumpy carrots?"

[p]"More times than I can count."

[p]"Right. And how many times has he given us even one of these luscious mushrooms?"

[p]"Never. Not even when we helped him pick all those rocks."

[p]Pippin nodded with all the grandeur of a wise wizard scoring an intellectual point. "Right. So we'll call this our back pay, you see? It's not as if we took any of those fat white mushrooms he sells at market. That's where the [i]real[/i] profit lies. If anything, we're doing him a favor, clearing up some land for those more profitable mushrooms."

[p]Merry perked up at the thought. "I sure am glad you're so smart about the land, Pip. It really makes a hobbit feel good, knowing his friend is such a pro about the land."

[p]Pippin levelled an easy grin. "Merry, my lad. It does my heart as good as my stomach, spending time with someone wise as yourself."

[p]Merry bowed at the waist. "We're good company, we too."

[p]"The best, and don't you forget it. Nothing will ever come between our friendship. Why, not even the big people could find a way to part two such as we."

[p]They spent the next hour in companionable silence, cleaning out the sack until not one single mushroom remained and enjoying the beauty of the sun rising over the Shire.

[p]Story by [user=Pureflower]