Chapter one;
The Ferris Wheel and A Slice of Pizza

Strider looked around and sighed. He had disappeared again. A sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach had told them it wasn’t a good idea to take them to the carnival, but the hobbits had been so good. And Gandalf had agreed to letting them go, if they would stop bugging him. He had been rather cranky lately. Strider wasn’t sure why, but he thought it had something to do with the new diet the wizard had gone on of kiwis and toast. Strider didn’t want to take them to the carnival. He had no intention of it. But Gimli had gone to Montana to visit his cousin. Legolas had an appointment with the optometrist that afternoon, and Boromir never left the couch, even for a shower. So, Strider had piled them all into his beat-up station wagon, and off they went to the state fair. They had to stop three times for bathroom breaks and ten times to go through the drive-thru at Wendy’s, but now everything had been going smoothly….. until everyone noticed Pippin had vanished.
The carnival was a huge place for a hobbit to get lost in, and Pippin had succeeded in just that. They soon found him at the chainsaw-carving exhibit as he watched with interest as a man in a ragged flannel shirt carved a bear out of a stump with his trusty chainsaw, named Eunice. They managed to drag him away, when with a squeal he spied the pizza and hamburgers cart. Strider followed him, dragging Merry and Sam, who drug Frodo along until they reached the cart. Inside it, man looked down at them from his stool. Flies buzzed around, and the man casually brushed them away from the pizzas. Strider eyed the man, who rubbed his sweaty palms on a stained apron. He adjusted his ponytail in his ballcap and smiled at them.
‘Hullo there gents. What may I get for you?’ he asked in a polite and drawn-out British accent..
Pippin rubbed his chin ‘I’ll have…….what have you got?’
The man looked around, startled, and leaned against the aluminum counter. ‘Who said that?’ he hissed.
He leaned out of the cart and peered over the counter at Pippin, who stood rifling through the dollar bills Gandalf had given him.
‘I did,’ the hobbit said nonchalantly.
The man shrugged. ‘Well then, we have, Supreme Pizza, and Pepperoni, and Cheese, and Triple Cheese, and Double Cheese, and this one,’ he smiled wistfully, ‘is my favorite. I piled four pizzas together into one Special Pizza. And then we–oh, my timer. Why don’t you look at the pizzas. I have to go back and check the temperature of my lasagna.’ He left, crossing the room of the trailer and shutting a tiny door.
Pippin looked around. ‘What pizza?’
Strider sighed and held his hands into a brace while Pippin stepped into it and examined the cold, congealing, fly visited pizzas. Sam sighed.
‘Pippin, why don’t we just go to that nice little diner over there. It seems you’ll have more selection.’ Merry snorted.
‘Oh Sam. Do stop being a know-it-all for once, won’t you? It’s not very logical to walk all that way…….when there is food right here.’
Frodo didn’t say anything, and just nodded. Sam sniffed, and folded his arms. Pippin pressed his nose against the smudged plastiglass window.
‘Ai! I want the Special Pizza!’ he cried, leaping out of Strider’s arms to the muddy ground.
Strider cringed, but only leaned against the counter. Soon the British man cam back carrying a platter of lasagna. He looked at them.
‘Have you decided?’
Pippin nodded, pointing to the pizza. The man couldn’t see him, so Strider had to point for him.
He smiled. ‘That will be five dollars.’
Pippin grinned and slapped five pennies on the counter. The British man did nothing, and stood there, waiting for more. Pippin stood there, waiting for his pizza.
Strider cleared his throat.
‘Pippin, you need to give him four dollars and ninety five cents more.’
The hobbit shook his head. ‘Uh uh. I just gave him five dollars. Now he needs to give me my pizza!’
No one budged, so, finally, Strider reached into her pocket and produced the amount of money needed, plus a handful of pocket lint. Pippin proudly took his pizza and they walked on again. Soon they spotted the Ferris Wheel. Merry pointed excitedly.
‘Could we go on that, please, Strider?’
Strider sighed in exasperation. ‘Sure, why not.’
‘Nooooooo!’ Pippin screamed.
‘And why not?’ Sam asked him quickly.
Pippin hung his pizza-covered head. ‘I’m afraid of heights.’
Merry rolled his eyes. ‘Since when?’
Pippin stomped his hairy foot. ‘Since forever!’
Strider had gone on ahead of them to the Ferris Wheel, and so they ran to keep up. The line had shrunken by the time they reached it, and they walked on to the ride. Strider stepped into the waiting cage, and flopped onto the seat. Sam and Merry timidly climbed on, and Frodo stepped onto the ramp. But Pippin stayed glued to the floor on the outside, his eyes round in fear.
‘No!’ he cried, squeezing his pizza for comfort between his fingers.
Frodo sighed. ‘Come on Pippin.’
Pippin shook his head. Frodo leaned closer.
‘Come, Pippin. Come. Trust me.’
Pippin looked up at him like a lost puppy, and slowly stepped up to him. Frodo backed into the cage of the Ferris Wheel, and snapped his fingers.
‘Pippin, come!’
Pippin stepped onto the platform, and Frodo took his hand.
‘Good Pippin. Nice Pippin.’ He led him into the little cage, and the attendant shut the door behind him.
Frodo sat down on the bench, but Pippin screamed and flung himself against the railing, clawing at the latch that held the gate.
‘Please take your seat, little boy,’ said the attendant in a nasal voice.
Frodo dragged him down onto the seat. Merry sat down on the other side of Pippin as the wheel lurched upward. Pippin stared out at the park, and suddenly got quiet.
‘Wow!’ he cried. ‘I can see all the hot dog stands from here! I can map out my route, and then, I’ll go to each one! Oh! This is so cool!’ He swung his little legs back and forth as he sat on the little bench, staring out at the carnival. Sam rolled his eyes, gripping the seat tightly and leaned his head against the metal bar.
Merry grinned at Pippin. ‘Hey Pip, do ya think this thing can swing?’
Pippin stared, his eyes as round as ping-pong balls.
‘No, I don’t,’ the hobbit answered cautiously.
Merry leaned forward, and backwards in his seat, until the cage began to swing a bit. Pippin clutched Merry’s arm.
‘What are you doing?!?’ he cried nervously.
‘Swinging,’ Merry answered casually.
He rocked it back and forth even harder, and even got Frodo to join in. Strider rolled his eyes, then leaned back and closed them. Sam, meanwhile, clutched to his arm, eyeing the other three hobbits suspiciously. Pippin began screaming, high pitched and blood curdling as Merry and Frodo continued to rock the Ferris Wheel cage, maniacal grins plastered across their usually innocent faces. Strider had started to get a splitting headache. The other riders were beginning to complain, when suddenly the Wheel lurched forward again and they sailed smoothly to the bottom. Pippin crawled off the platform shaking and muttering to himself, clinging to Strider’s sleeve.