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It was my first day of school. Uncle Bilbo had packed
some fried chicken and biscuits into a dinner pail and
handed it to me as he saw me out the door.
“Have a good day in school, Frodo,” he said. “Pay attention
in class and mind the schoolmarm.”
“Yes, Uncle Bilbo,” I said. I waved and smiled at him,
then turned to head toward the schoolhouse.
When I got there I felt very nervous. There were so
many new faces and most of them stared at me as I approached
the one-room schoolhouse.
One of taller students with red hair and with a strong
muscular build sneered at me and said, “Hmpf! Shire
boy!”
I looked down at what I was wearing. Uncle Bilbo had
set out my clothes for me the night before: simple country
gentleman’s garments. I’ve always liked whatever clothes
I wore, but today I felt out of place.
The schoolmarm’s name was Miss Arwen. She was very pretty
and had a nice smile.
I sat with some other Hobbits. I was surprised and happy
to see that my two cousins Merry and Pippin were also
in this school. We made a new friend: a fellow Hobbit
named Samwise.
Miss Arwen said that I would need to buy some supplies:
a slate and some chalk.
“You’ll be able to purchase those items over at the
mercantile,” she said.
After school Merry, Pippin, Samwise and I arrived at
the mercantile.
“We’ll help you find what you need, Frodo,” said Samwise.
I almost bumped into that tall red-haired boy who called
me ‘Shire boy’.
“Well, if it isn’t the Shire boy,” he sneered. “My folks
will let just anyone shop here. But that wouldn’t be
the case if I was in charge of this mercantile.”
I glared at him and tried to walk past him, but he moved
to block my way.
“Move aside, Boromir,” said Samwise. “He has some shopping
to do.”
“Does he have any money? He better not expect to put
it on a tab.”
“How about asking me directly? I’m standing right here!”
I said.
Boromir stared at me. “Well, Shire boy, do you have
any money?”
“My name is Frodo, NOT Shire boy!”
“Not that being called a Shire boy would be a bad thing,”
said a strange voice.
I turned around and saw a tall handsome muscular young
man.
“Let the boy pass, Boromir,” said the stranger in a
calm voice.
Boromir quickly moved aside.
I looked at the stranger. “Thank you. What’s your name?”
“I am Aragorn,” he said.