[Arry]

So this was mistress Zimzi’s family. Andwise stood back with a smile of pleasure at the merry meeting. For all their joking, they seemed quite fond of Master Derufin. The two brothers, even now, had him in a great bear hug, while the mother and father looked on and laughed. For his part, Andwise looked on in amazement as the two young men lifted the Derufin off his feet. He’d always thought of Derufin as a largish specimen of the Big Folk, but these were two strapping lads with great broad shoulders and long legs, like mighty tree trunks. The Hobbit lads, he noted, looking about at his own son and his companions, seemed just as in awe. Zimzi's brothers seemed almost like giants to the Hobbits; though friendly ones with ready grins and great loud laughter.

‘Best you run and tell Miz Aman and Cook and Mistress Zimzi, of course, that the family has arrived,’ Andwise said, giving a little prod to Ferdy. ‘And you might want to tell them to hurry on over afore the poor groom is crushed to death and we be having a wake tomorrer and not a wedding . . .’ Ferdy looked at him in alarm. ‘A joke, dear boy. Now hurry on!’ he urged. Ferdy took off at a quick pace, trailed by his friends who all wanted to be in on breaking the news.

Derufin had managed to get out of the brothers’ grasp and stood tucking his shirt back properly into his breeches. ‘Now if you two louts’ll behave a bit,’ he heard the man say, ‘I’ll introduce you to my friend here.’ Soon the Hobbits small hand was engulfed in turn by Zimzi’s brothers’ hands and then by her mother and father’s.

They stood about in an easy group talking about the cottage and what last minute things there were to be done to it. Zimzi’s father remarked on the workmanship of the door, bringing a flush of pride to the Hobbit’s face. ‘Quite good work,’ he heard Abar say as he ran his fingers over the carving. ‘Very deft at what you do, Master Andwise. Hands of an artist in wood, I would say.’ ‘And heart, too,’ Zamin followed up on her husband’s comments. She had taken a few steps back and was taking in the images be had carved into the wood. ‘Captured the spirit of my dear daughter quite well, I think. And that of my soon to be son,’ she smiled, nodding her head in approval at Andwise.

Andwise was grinning like some great cat got into the bottle of cream. Very nice folk Mistress Zimzi comes from he thought to himself; then, turning a light shade of red, he managed to stammer out his thank-you’s.