''Three cheers for Captain Frodo, Lord of the Ring''

Originally Posted by Groin Redbeard

I think that we could cut Gandalf a bit of slack here. He has seen and done things that Pippin wouldn't even dare do. It was Gandalf who came up with the master plan to defeat Sauron, so let's not be to hasty to accuse Gandalf of being "Mr. serious!"

What is the use of filling young Hobbits with dread all the time, even when no imminent danger exists, such as in Rivendell? Frodo had nearly become undead, and was for the first time conscious and talking merrily to the other Hobbits. Some humour would have cheered him up, I would have thought. Gandalf was not the lord of Rivendell, after all! Elrond was the master here. Would he have objected like this?