[Primrose Bolger]

Ginger and Benat

‘Begging your pardon, sir,’ said Ginger, stepping up close to Benat once he’d asked his question of her. ‘Did you say “Mister Bilbo Baggins”?’ Benat nodded his head ‘yes’ as he chewed on his bread and cheese. ‘Well, sir, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but he’s no longer with us.’

Benat lowered his half gnawed bread to the plate and looked questioningly at Ginger. His shoulders slumped and he looked quite dejected.

‘Oh, no, sir,’ Ginger protested stumbling over her words. ‘It’s not that he’s . . . well, you know . . . though he might be, he was awfully old. But really we don’t know, you see . . .’

Benat shook his head, a perplexed look on his face, giving every indication he did not see.

‘My stars, let me just try to untangle my twisty tongue and get it out right for you.’ Ginger pushed back the hair from her reddened face and began again. ‘It’s not that he’s gone and died before you got here. He disappeared, when I was just a wee one. Went off with his nephew, Mister Frodo Baggins. Off west, it was. Took a fancy to go sailing, the two of them did. And packed it in here in the Shire and took off with some of the Fair Folk. Haven’t seen hide nor hairy toes of either one of them since.’ She was going to add that Mayor Sam saw them off, but she held her tongue, thinking that perhaps Benat did not need to know everything at the moment.

Ginger filled the man’s tankard with ale from the pitcher she was carrying. He was quiet, and she wished, upon seeing his saddened face, that she had more comforting news to tell him. A sudden idea brightened her face. ‘You just sit here and relax,’ she said, patting the man on his arm. ‘I’ll go fetch Cook. She’s sure to know something as can help you.’