[Primrose Bolger]

Previous to the misadventure . . .

‘Boys are so stupid!,’ she thought to herself, chuckling quietly. ‘Even my brother!’ Sassy caught herself just as she was about to let out a small whoop over her observation. ‘Quiet, Sass,’ she reminded herself. ‘Don’t let them know you’re here.’ She hunkered down behind a thick bush watching the boys. Piled neatly on the raft was a little pile of blankets, and several small sacks of apples, taters, and little carrots and a number of tools and other things . . . all taken from the Brandybuck cellar. She knew, because she’d seen her brother and one or two of his companions sneaking them away and followed them, sliding along behind trees and running as quickly as her little feet would carry her from the shelter of one shrub or rock to another. She watched them cover the pile carefully with a large piece of oilcloth, then, later, tie it down securely to the raft with rope.

When the boys had gone, off to gather their own packs for the next day’s trip, she snuck down to the shore where the raft was tied and looked about it. For the most part the oilcloth over the mound of supplies was secured well. But being a determined eleven year old girl and one of small stature, she found a little space where two ropes crossed, leaving just enough room to pull up a corner of the cloth and wriggle beneath it. ‘This is it!’ she whispered to herself as she gave it a try and pulled the flapping corner in behind her, tucking it in neatly so that it wouldn’t be noticed. ‘This is my chance to go with him this time!’ She shivered a bit in the darkness beneath the oilcloth, but shrugged it off. She wasn’t scared . . . no, all she needed was her little cloak to pull over her and she would be fine. It was Spring after all, and sometimes Spring was a little chilly, she reassured herself.

Early next morning, before breakfast had even begun, she crept out of the Hall. Her little pack was stuffed with items she thought she might need. None of which were clothes. Fishing line borowed from her uncle’s creel with a few hooks and a number of fat, stubby candles from the kitchen, a shaker of salt, too, and a small pot of honey. Oat and currant cookies from the pantry wrapped in clean napkins, her Da’s filleting knife in its leather sheath, and a rather large ball of twine. A small, sharp hatchet meant for the woodpile, for kindling. And in one side pocket were stuffed two little rope snares for coneys or squirrels and in the other her tin mug and a spoon.

The sun had not yet burnt off the little fog that gathers along the river in the morning, so it was quite easy to slip down to the raft and hide in the little space she’d made for herself. She’d been quite tired, having stayed up most of the night to pack her needed things. It was warm under the oilcloth once she’d drawn her cloak up over her and resting her head on one of the little folded blankets, she fell asleep in spite of herself, the rocking of the raft on the river current in the little inlet lulling her.

-o-o-o-

She’d woken when the fight began. First were the loud words and then what she imagined were pushes and blows as the raft rocked and tipped. She heard the sounds of the others as they splashed into the water. She would have gone into the water herself, save for the fact her little space was well secured by rope. The cries of the Hobbits faded as the raft moved down the river, and Sassy had just peeked out from under the oilcloth, seeing if she should try to help maneuver the raft. There was no one aboard but her! She ducked her head back into the supposed safety of her little burrow and thought furiously about what she should do. Fortune smiled on her and she heard the voices of her brother and one other . . . Reggie, she thought by the sound of the voice.

Sassy realized she had been holding her breath as they tried their plan to rope something on the bank. And she almost cried out as she heard the first anchoring log snap. But somehow the raft was brought into shore and she heard Sondo talking as he tied it to a tree, telling Reggie to go on ahead; he would follow after.

Carefully easing her way back into back of her little hidey-hole, Sassy lay down, resting her head on the crook of her arm. She got her ragged breathing under control and thought about what she should do. Stay hidden or go out and wait for her brother and the others. She decided to think on it a little more and she was still not done with her thinking when she heard the gathering voices of the boys . . .

-o-o-o-

The stowaway . . .

‘What are you doing here?’ he demanded harshly.

Sassy stood up and looked her brother square in the eye, or almost in the eye, that is. She had stepped up onto one of the folded blankets, affording her a few more inches of height. In one hand was a cookie she’d been munching on to ‘help her think’, and in the other was a half-eaten apple from one of the sacks because, well, she liked the taste of them both together. In a decisive moment she jammed the remainder of her snacks into her pockets and planted her hands on her hips.

‘Don’t you talk to me like that, Mister Sondo-I’m-so-smart-I-can-sneak-away-without-anyone-knowing! Ha! I’ve been on to what you been doing and planning all along.’ She tilted her head up at him, and narrowed her eyes, giving the appearance she was considering him from a great height. ‘I’m going with you!’ she declared. Sassy looked up the river to where they’d started. ‘It’s too far now to send me back without you taking me.’ As he appeared to be considering just that option, Sassy cut off his response with a threat. ‘You do that and Da will skin you alive. Especially when his poor little girl comes in all dirty and bruised and maybe even bleeding and for sure, crying.’

She pushed a stray curl back from her face and looked round the circle of boys. ‘Uh huh - I’m coming with you.’ She bent down and fished around in her pack, pulling out a napkin filled with big cookies. ‘Anyone else want one? There’s enough for all of you?’ she said smiling sweetly at the cluster of lads.

As the boys were passing the cookies about, Sassy sidled over to where Sondo stood. She stood next to him as he looked about at his companions. With a quick move, she pinched him hard on the back of his arm as she smiled and handed him a cookie. ‘And don’t you ever talk to me like that again, or I’ll tell Da you dragged me along on this adventure,’ she whispered