The Tale of Frodo Baggins by Beatrix Potter
Once upon a time there were four little Hobbits, and their names were Pippin, Merry, Sam-wise, and Frodo.
They lived with Frodo’s uncle Bilbo Baggins in the Shire, underneath the root of a very big fir-tree.
‘Now, my dears,’ said old Mr. Baggins one morning, ‘you may go into the fields or down the lane, but don’t go into Saruman’s garden: your Father had an accident there; he was put in a pie by the Uruk-Hai.’
Now run along, and don’t get into mischief. I am going out.’
Then old Mr. Baggins took a ring and his umbrella, and went through the Forbidden Forest to the baker’s. He bought a packet of pipeweed and five currant buns.
Pippin, Merry, and Sam-wise, who were good little hobbits, went down the lane to gather blackberries:
But Frodo, who was very naughty, ran straight to Saruman’s garden, and squeezed under the gate!
First he ate some lettuces and some Gondor beans; and then he ate some radishes;
And then, feeling rather sick, he went to look for some parsley.
But round the end of a cucumber frame, whom should he meet but Saruman!
Saruman was on his hands and knees planting out young cabbages, but he jumped up and ran after Frodo, waving a staff and calling out, ‘Stop thief!’
Frodo was most dreadfully frightened; he rushed all over the garden, for he had forgotten the way back to the gate.
He ran on four legs and went faster, so that I think he might have got away altogether if he had not unfortunately run into a gooseberry net, and got caught by the large buttons on his jacket. It was a blue jacket with brass buttons, quite new.
Frodo gave himself up for lost, and shed big tears; but his sobs were overheard by some friendly sparrows, who flew to him in great excitement, and implored him to exert himself.
Saruman came up with a sieve, which he intended to pop upon the top of Frodo; but Frodo wriggled out just in time, leaving his jacket behind him.
And rushed into the tool-shed, and jumped into a can. It would have been a beautiful thing to hide in, if it had not had so much water in it.
Saruman was quite sure that Frodo was somewhere in the tool-shed, perhaps hidden underneath a flower-pot. He began to turn them over carefully, looking under each.
Presently Frodo sneezed - ‘Kertyschoo!’ Saruman was after him in no time.
And tried to put a foot upon Frodo, who jumped out of a window, upsetting three plants. The window was too small for Saruman, and he was tired of running after Frodo. He went back to his work.
Frodo sat down to rest; he was out of breath and trembling with fright, and he had not the least idea which way to go. Also he was very damp with sitting in that can.
After a time he began to wander about, going lippity—lippity—not very fast, and looking all around.
He found a door in a wall; but it was locked, and there was no room for a fat little hobbit to squeeze underneath.
An old dwarf was running in and out over the stone doorstep, carrying peas and beans to her family in the wood. Frodo asked her the way to the gate, but she had such a large pea in her mouth that she could not answer. She only shook her head at him. Frodo began to cry.
Then he tried to find his way straight across the garden, but he became more and more puzzled. Presently, he came to a pond where Saruman filled his water-cans. An Uruk-Hai was staring at some gold-fish, he sat very, very still, but now and then the tip of his head twitched as if it were alive. Frodo thought it best to go away without speaking to him; he had heard about Uruk-Hai from his friend, Gandalf the Grey.
He went back towards the tool-shed, but suddenly, quite close to him, he heard the noise of a hoe— scr-r-ritch, scratch, scratch, scritch. Frodo scuttered underneath the bushes. But presently, as nothing happened, he came out, and climbed upon a wheelbarrow and peeped over. The first thing he saw was Saruman hoeing onions. His back was turned towards Frodo, and beyond him was the gate!
Frodo got down very quietly off the wheelbarrow, and started running as fast as he could go, along a straight walk behind some black-currant bushes.
Saruman caught sight of him at the corner but Frodo did not care. He slipped underneath the gate, and was safe at last in the wood outside the garden.
Saruman hung up the little jacket and the shoes for a scare-dragon to frighten the balrogs.
Frodo never stopped running or looked behind him till he got home to the big fir-tree.
He was so tired that he flopped down on the floor of the hobbit-home, and shut his eyes. Bilbo was busy cooking; he wondered what he had done with his clothes. It was the second little jacket and pair of shoes that Frodo had lost in a fortnight!
I am sorry to say that Frodo was not very well during the evening.
His uncle put him to bed, and made some camomile tea; and he gave a dose of it to Frodo!
‘One table-spoonful to be taken at bed-time.’
But Pippin, Merry, and Sam-wise had bread and milk and blackberries for supper.
THE END.
