A Full Hobbit Hole
By Firniswin

It is a beautiful day in Hobbiton as I rise from my bed. Rosie tends to our little daughter Elanor Gamgee, and Frodo comes into the house after his morning stroll. I sit down at the attractive mahogany table to eat my breakfast.
” Good morning Mr. Frodo!” I say to him as he comes through the kitchen humming to himself.
” Yes Sam, It is a fine morning.” He says to me trying to conceal his hurts.
” Are you alright Mister Frodo?” I said after chewing the bit of food I had in my mouth. ” Why do you ask Sam?” Frodo gave me a confused glance.
” Oh, nothing. You just are acting a bit odd.” I answered.
” No Sam, I am fine. Thank you for asking though.” He said as he grasped the teapot and poured a cup.
Elanor sat giggling on the floor playing with a doll and some blocks. Frodo stooped down to her and made a hilarious face. She giggled with glee and said in a small happy tone: “Uncle Frodo, funny.” She giggled again. She was not even one and she was already talking, but that did not surprise me. Sometimes all I wanted was for her to keep her little mouth shut.
Rosie got me a cup of tea and then picked up the little girl and swung her up and down gently. She laughed happily in her mother’s arms.
” So, Sam dear what are you doing today?” She asked in a curious tone. “Oh, just thought I would trim the verge and maybe get some flowers from the garden for you if Mister Frodo permits me to do so.” I said eyeing the old hobbit. “Go ahead Sam. I have no use for them. Only to bring me pleasure on my walks.” Frodo said laughing.
” Well then, could you go to the market and get me some flour and butter?” she said as she gently set the young one back on the floor to play.
” Yes, my dear.” I said in an unhappy tone. ” But it is quite a walk from here.”
” Well you are due for a walk anyway?” Rosie said smiling.
” Right then, you coming Mr.Frodo?” I asked as I got up from the table and packed my bag. “Not this time Sam.” he said sadly. ” Suet yourself.” I said as I went out the door. “Bye, be back soon.” I said as I closed the door.

Elanor crawled to Frodo’s leg her happy eyes looking straight up at him.
Frodo picked her up and walked down the hall and went into the room.
“Oh Ellie, I feel awful. It is so difficult to keep it a secret.” He said coughing.
“Uncle Frodo hurt?” She asked sadly. “Yes, but don’t tell daddy.” He cautioned her. ” Ellie no tell.” She said happily. ” Good girl.” Frodo said with a laugh that was abruptly followed by a cough.
” Frodo, Are you alright? Tell me what is going on.” Rosie said running in.
” Sam is right, you have not been yourself today.” She said sitting down on Frodo’s small bed beside Elanor. ” I won’t tell Sam, I promise.”
” Rosie my dear, I have seen many things in my long life, Some good, some ill.
I have found that my injuries never really healed. Once in a while I feel as life really is not worth living. The pain I go through, is it really worth all this suffering. Then I think of little Elanor and Sam and You, and I finally realize that it is worth it.” He said sitting down on the bed beside Rosie and Elanor.
” I just don’t want Sam to know, if he found out, he would not understand.” Frodo concluded.
” Frodo, you lay down and rest. I will come get you when I see Sam coming home.” Rosie said helping him get in bed.
“Thank you Rosie, and Elanor. Remember this is a secret.” He told the two.
Rosie left the room quietly carrying Elanor in one arm. Elanor hummed happily as her mother walked to the Kitchen. She set the little girl down on the floor again and began washing dishes as she hummed with Elanor.

Rata tat tat came a knock on the small round door. Rosie thought to herself: Oh no what if it is Sam!
She hurried quickly to the door and asked allowed: ” Who is it?”
” Gandalf, May I come in.” Said the voice behind the door.
She opened the door immediately to reveal the old face of the wizard.
” Hello My dear Rosie.” said the friendly old man.
” Is Frodo around?” He questioned. She had fooled Gandalf.
” Um well, yes but he is quite busy.” She thought her lie had fooled the wizard.
” Well then I will wait till he can see me.” said Gandalf unworried” May I come in and wait?”
” Um, yes! Would you like some tea, or cookies, cake perhaps?” she questioned.
“Just tea, thank you.” Gandalf said as he had said once before.
They walked quietly in the small room together. And Gandalf sat on the little chair. He saw Elanor on the floor and picked her up in his huge hands.
” Gandy, Gandy!” the little infant cried. ” Well hello my dear.” He said smiling.
Gandalf smoked his long pipe as he bounced the little girl on his knee.
” So what has Sam been up to?” Gandalf asked quietly thinking if he asked it to loud he would disturb Frodo from his work.
“Oh, the usual. Trimming the verge and all that.” She laughed.
” Ha, yes. Did I ever tell you Elanor about the time I found your daddy eavesdropping out that window there?” Gandalf pointed to the large window by the hedge.
” Yes, he he. Daddy was a bad boy.” Elanor laughed gleefully.
“Has she met Merry and Pippin?” Gandalf asked smoking out of his long pipe.
“Oh yes,” Rosie started to talk when Elanor broke out into a song:

Ho Ho Ho! To bottle I go,
To heal me heart and drown my woe.
Rain may fall and wind may blow,
But many miles be still to go.
But under a tree I will lie and watch the clouds go sailing by.

” Shhhhhh!” Rosie clapped her soft hand to Elanor’s mouth.
“Remember, Mr. Frodo is slee. . . Um . . . .I mean . . . .working.” Rosie said sheepishly.
“What is going on?” He asked his eyebrows lifted high.
“Nothing.” Rosie said quickly.
Gandalf got up from the table and started down the hall towards Frodo’s room.
” No, wait.” Rosie called after him as she lifted Elanor and ran down the hall after him.
Gandalf reached the room, and opened the door quietly to reveal Frodo snoring soundly turned over on his side in his bed. The old hobbit’s room was quite dirty and unkempt having clothes all over and maps and books piled high on the dirty floor. But in one clean corner on a desk, a big red book sat dusted and clean, pen right next to it.
“What is wrong with a hobbit getting a normal rest, I mean Elanor must cry much in the night. That would keep even me well awake.” He whispered as not to wake Frodo.
“Well, he claimed to feel quite tired and weak this morning after Sam left.” She whispered. “Elanor does not cry during the night either.” She added.
Gandalf went quietly over to the bedside and shook the hobbit gently.
“Frodo.” He spoke in the hobbit’s ear. Frodo let out a groan then turned to the wizard still rubbing his eyes. He saw double, in front of him two of everything was doing the same thing as the real one.
“Frodo, are you alright?” Gandalf asked gently. “Um, just taking a little nap.” Frodo yawned. “Frodo!” Gandalf said sternly.
“Well, I have been feeling a bit odd,” Frodo finally said. My neck hurts, I have a small headache, and so on. It is nothing you need not worry Gandalf I am fine.” Frodo smiled. “Frodo, you must tell me these things. Gandalf frowned. “The best thing for illness is tea and rest.” Gandalf pushed Frodo back into the bed.
” But Gandalf, Sam can’t know. He will be worried and then he will not be able to be here for his family.” Frodo pushing Gandalf back so he could get up.
Frodo got up and wiped the wrinkles from his clothes, then went out to the front room. And put on some tea then turned to Gandalf. “See, I made some tea. That enough for you.” he said inquisitively.
“Frodo! You are not being sensible.” Gandalf said in a roar.
“Frodo my dear, if it means that much to you, we will say you went outside and caught a cold.” Rosie said as she set Elanor on the hard floor.
They all agreed that Frodo’s symptoms were like a cold or flu, so they decided he had a cold. Rosie boiled some water for tea and Gandalf started a fire in Frodo’s room. They gave the sick hobbit extra blankets and his red book so he may work on it while he was made stay in bed.
Elanor had brought her blocks and doll to the same room and sat quietly building towers and then setting the little homemade doll on top of the tower. Then she would crawl off to her room and get a wooden toy man on a little wooden horse. She would have the so-called knight save the homemade doll from the tower.
Frodo watched with great anticipation as she played her little games all day in the room. Once in a while she would stop and ask a story from Frodo from one of his adventures. He would tell her one as she listened paying close attention to each detail.

Finally I came home. I had gotten the ingredients Rosie had wanted and had also finished my other chores in the garden of Bag End. Ready for a nice dinner and a quite night home with my family and Mister Frodo he went in the hobbit hole.
“I am home, Rosie I brought all the stuff you wanted.” I said merrily. “I hope you have made a big dinner, I brought some visitors.”
“Not Master Meriodoc and Master Perigrin,” Rosie called from another room.
” Well yes, actually.” I called sheepishly
I went forward to find were the voices were coming from and found everyone in Frodo’s room.
Frodo was in bed working on his red book, Elanor was in Rosie’s lap and Rosie was reading her a story. And much to my surprise Gandalf was sitting smoking his favorite pipe.
“What is going on?” I was clearly confused. “Frodo just caught a bit of a cold.” Rosie said coming over and giving me a kiss on the cheek.
“And so we decided to stay with him in here instead of being mean and cruel and leaving him alone.” Gandalf explained.
” Hullo, Mrs. Gamgee.” Merry popped out from behind me. “Hullo Frodo!” pippin said with a sneeze. “It is mighty chilly out there.” he said looking at little Elanor who was now at her daddy’s feet hugging his legs.
“Mam, we are mighty hungry. Is it possible we could have something to eat?” Pippin asked.
“Let me go start dinner.” Rosie said going to the kitchen.

It turned out to be a nice night. Merry, Pippin, and Gandalf stayed for a few days until Frodo was well then they left for home and Gandalf left because there was business he had to tend to. Frodo left a month later for The Grey Havens with his faithful Sam right by his side and Merry and Pippin too. But they could not go only Frodo was permitted to go, until later after Rosie’s death Sam passed the Red Book to her and left for The Grey Havens were he reunited with Frodo, Bilbo, Gandalf, Galadriel, and all his other friends.