The Green Dragon Inn #11 - The Last Chapter

[Fordim Hedgethistle]

Hearpwine hummed a tune to himself as he went off in search of the school room, running over in his mind the odd character he had befriended the night before. Snaveling was an odd name for a man such as him – a man in whose veins there clearly flowed the blood of Numenor. The bard had spent too long a time in Ithilien with the lord Faramir not to recognize the sight and feel of the far off air of the vanished land. There was something else about Snaveling that was familiar, something in him that he had seen before, but exactly what it was he could not remember. He suddenly realized that the tune he was humming had been brought to mind by the dark man of the South. It was odd indeed, for the song he had running through his mind was the last he would think to associate with this dour stranger…

His meditations were abruptly cut off by his arrival at the schoolroom. Children’s voices came to him through the windows and he smiled at it, for it had been a long time since he had last heard such sounds. He paused for a moment, debating whether or not to talk, but the door came open of its own accord as a young hobbit lad flew out of it in pursuit of a small glass marble. Hearpwine stopped it with his foot and retrieved it. He stood up again, towering over the lad, for he was a tall Man of Rohan, over six feet in height, while the Halfling boy was but an inch or two past one foot himself. Hearpwine smiled down at the boy and was pleased to see that he was not afraid. “Thank you sir,” the boy said. “I was afraid as I’d lose that!” Hearpwine had to kneel all the way down to return the marble, and the boy immediately rushed back into the room. Hearpwine followed him in.

He looked about for the teacher but could not see anyone obviously in charge. He suddenly realized how hard it might be to identify the hobbit adult from the children, for they all looked so alike to him. There were some lasses hard at work arranging books upon a shelf so he directed himself toward them. They paused in their motions as he approached and looked up at him. “Good morning,” he said in his pleasantest tones. “Do any of you know where your teacher is?”

[Child of the 7th Age]

A cluster of adult hobbits crowded into Miz Bella's office, all of them kinfolk of the young ones who were planning on attending school. Miz Bella had extended a warm welcome to Mari and to Woody and Hanson's Uncle Gil. Then she explained about the school and how the families could pay their fees in kind: a chicken or basket of eggs, or perhaps the provision of some needed service. Willy's mother Miz Burrows had been the last to arrive. After talking about her son, Miz Bella had the definite feeling that, unlike several of the other lads and lasses, Willy Burrows had certain misgivings about attending school and learning to read.

Miz Bella couldn't help smiling. She had taught her fair share of little ones over the years. They had not been hobbits but sons and daughters of the big folk, both those in the New Lands and in every corner of Middle-earth where she had travelled. But children were children; she didn't expect to find things too different in a hobbit classroom than she had found them in the villages and households of the big folk. She would need to keep a firm but kindly eye on Willy to make sure that he did not act up and try to interest him in the material she was teaching. Perhaps Willy and Camille could be paired together since both seemed hesitent about their studies. Possibly, they could help and encourage each other. It all depended if Willy could mind his manners or had his heart set on being disruptive in class. She would proobably find that out very quickly.

After Miz Bella tied up all the practical details of who would pay what and when, she spoke a little about what they would be doing in the class. "I know you need the lads and lasses to help out at home as well, so we'll meet in the morning and finish off about two hours after lunch. That should give them plenty of time to get home and do their chores. I'll understand if you ever want them to stay home to help in the fields or gardens, especially during the harvest; just try to tell me in advance so I can send work home. Today, because it's the first day of school, we have a special treat. Cook has promised cornbread and soup at lunchtime, and some fine sugar cookies. Normally, though, you'll want to send a lunch pail or make your own arrangements with Cook to send up a meal from the kitchen, which I'll be doing for myself. We can also get water from the pump out back."

"As far as the work goes, we'll start with some basic things: numbers and letters and short words plus a few stories about dragons or Elves or perhaps some discussion of the places I've been over the years. That should whet their appetite." By starting off simply, I can get a good idea of what each child knows and can tailor things accordingly. The class will have recess every morning, and I hope to have each child choose a special project." Miz Bella actually had a few projects in mind, one involving the side garden, the other the horse barn, and the third making recipes in the kitchen. She wondered if she could persuade Cook to lend her kitchen space, perhaps one day near the end of school after the lunch guests had left when things had slackened off .

"One other thing," she added. "Each of your little ones will be given a slate and chalk to take home. Please try to keep these in good shape. The children are welcome to practice what they learned. And for those who can already read, Master Samwise has graciously sent over some books that the children can borrow. "

"Now, do you have questions about anything? How we'll arrange payment or what the children will be learning? Otherwise, you're welcome to go about your business, and come back and collect the young 'uns in the mid-afternoon."

[Primrose Bolger]

Hearpwine is given directions

‘Good morning,’ the very tall man said in a pleasant tone. ‘Do any of you know where your teacher is?’

Ginger looked up to see Hearpwine towering over them like some straw-headed giant. She took a step back so that she would not have a view up the fellow’s nose and gave him a smile back. The other girls had moved back in chorus with her and stood close behind her.

‘Well, sir,’ Ginger began, handing off the tall, thin, green book to Daisy. ‘Miz Bella is right through there, in her office.’ She pointed toward the door into the side room. ‘She’s seeing to the parents who want their children at her school. Going over the schedule and such with them.’ She glanced about the schoolroom, not seeing a chair she thought would accommodate the man. ‘You’re more than welcome to stand here and wait for her to get done. Shouldn’t take long.’

From outside the door, Ginger heard Buttercup calling her. She turned round to say good-bye to Daisy and Camille. ‘Got to run and get those dishes done up now that breakfast is done.’ She gave them each a hug. ‘I’ll come back a little later and try to get in on the lesson going on. You two pay close attention and let me know what Miz Bella is teaching first. Catch me up, alright?’

She ran quickly out the door toward the kitchen.

[Arry]

Gil pulled his cap from his belt and settled it back on his head as he walked through the classroom and back into the common room proper. Woody and Hanson had been seen to, and he’d made the offer of him and his mates doing some cabinetry work or fix-up jobs as needed for Miz Bella in exchange for her taking on his nephews. Resources were stretched a little thin at his sister’s house, though he bet that Gammer Boffin would send along a jar or two of her plum conserve or gooseberry jam as she could spare it.

He stopped briefly to let the boys know when he’d come back to fetch them. To their amusement, he admonished them once again to be good. They fidgeted under his instruction, eager to get back to their game of marbles. A look of surprise passed over his features as he looked about at their fellow gamers. There was an Elf child with them! He bent down down and whispered to them, ‘Who is your Elven friend?’ The boys looked up confused. He nodded toward Neviel.

‘He’s our new friend, Neviel’ piped up Hanson. ‘We’re teaching him marbles.’

Gil said goodbye once again and hurried out. His eye caught cloaks and pails and whatever else the children had brough, piled all higgledy-piggledy in a corner. ‘Tell Miz Bella the lads and I will come round when classes are over and put up some pegs for cloaks and bags.’ He surveyed the room once more. ‘And we’ll throw up some cubbyhole shelves to put your pails and marble bags in, and whatever else you have in those pockets of yours that you don’t need while you’re learning.’ He grinned down at them, as they looked innocently up at him, their hands in their pockets, fingering the slings and rocks or pea shooters and little pebbles that were thrust in there.

Woody and Hanson gave a relieved sigh as he left. It was hard to put one over on Uncle Gil . They returned to their game. It was Woody's turn to shoot. Hanson stood near Neviel and reaching up his little hand, tugged at the boy's sleeve. 'Say, are you really an Elf?' he asked, trying to accomodate such a novel idea.

[Noinkling]

The men had a pleasant smoke and agreed to meet later at supper. Hob and Anyopâ were eager to hear about the battle at last, but there were tasks to be done before they could take their leisure. Hob was soon bidding them a good-day as he was off to the market place to see merchants about taking on his wares.

Benat bid a good-day then to Anyopâ, saying he was going to finish up some wood chopping and stacking for Cook, along with Envinyatar. Later, he would be going to see the mayor, Master Samwise, to inquire about a mutual friend. He was just putting on his cloak when the thought struck him that perhaps Anyopâ might enjoy coming with him.

‘What say you,’ he asked the man, calling Cullen to come along. ‘Would you care to meet Master Samwise with me? It should prove interesting?’

Cullen trotted toward the door and whined. He was eager to be out and about.

[Fairleaf]

Mari hurried out to the wagon where Wilfrid sat waiting. ‘They’re all taken care of, dear,’ she said as he gave her a hand up to the seat. She adjusted her thick wool shawl about her and smiled fondly at him. ‘I told Miz Bella we would bring her a pair of little banty laying hens and a rooster. And I spoke with Gil Tussock, asking if he could make her a little coop outside the classroom. We have some of that wire mesh fencing to put up for a little pen I said he could use.’

Wilfrid flicked the reins lightly against Larkspur’s flanks and urged the pony forward. ‘Best get to the lambing pens now, Mari. I’m worried about that black ewe.’ He rubbed his jaw as he thought on it.

‘Well, if she still hasn’t dropped, Wilfrid, by the time the children need to be picked up, old Larkspur and I can come to the Inn and fetch them.’

‘You’re a right treasure,’ he said, giving a relieved sigh, and looking at her with a fond grin. He flicked the reins once again and clucked to the pony to pick up her pace.

[Huan]

It was only after a second thought that Anyopâ took Benat up on his offer. There was only so much one could do in an Inn, and he did not relish the idea of spending a day inside. The view from the window in his room when he’d first gotten up was that of a cloudless day in the making. It would be good, he thought, to stretch his muscles with a bit of hard work.

‘Go on over to . . . the cottage, is it? I’ll just change into some clothes more suitable for hard work and join you there.’ Anyopâ rose from the table and headed for the staircase.

‘And we’ll see you later, won’t we?’ he called out to Hob, who was heading to the door just after Benat. ‘Good luck on selling your wares!’