Frodo sat at his desk by the window, across from the fireplace. The crispness of autumn had returned again, and the fire was crackling in the hearth. Frodo stared at the fire, smiled, and returned to his writing. Strangely enough, there was a large white wrapping about one of his ankles, although the ankle did not appear to bother him.
A knock came at the door.
Frodo turned sideways, quickly propping his bandaged foot on the chair next to him. "Who is it?"
"It's me, Mr. Frodo - Sam Gamgee. Just me!"
Frodo breathed a sigh of relief, and brought his foot back to down to its normal position again. "Come in, Sam!"
The door opened, and Sam poked his head in, peering around the edge of the door until he saw Frodo. When he was certain Frodo was alone, Sam entered, closed the door, and stood nervously in the entryway, hesitating. He'd rarely been inside Bag End on a visit. To come in and help out Mr. Frodo, or, years before, Mr. Bilbo; to cook in the kitchen, or to visit at the kitchen door, but to come and sit in the front room as a guest? Surely he couldn't sit here - Mr. Frodo would be sure to think he'd get it... dirty.
Sam stood with his head down. "Er... I washed me face and hands before I came, I did," he said to the floor, and then looked up.
But Frodo shot a welcoming look Sam's way, "Come in, Sam, and don't be silly! " Frodo said, laughing lightly. Sam reddened a bit, but gave a quick smile of relief, stopped his fidgeting, and made his way to Frodo's desk. "The Gaffer says I'm to 'elp you out during the day while yer recooperatin'."
"That's wonderful, Sam! It's just as I'd hoped. Now we'll have plenty of time to get you into shape before the Ball," Frodo replied, bounding up from his chair with no sign of injury to give Sam a quick hug and a slap on the back. But his friend didn't seem quite so delighted.
"Well, I don't know as I feel alright 'bout 'avin' told the Gaffer a story like that...", Sam said hesitantly.
"But, Sam! You're doing me a great favor! You know how empty and boring it gets up here for me in the winter! And I know you're always saying how useless and underfoot you feel back home when there's no gardening to do. And if your Gaffer needs you for anything, we'll make sure you have the time to do it," Frodo said encouragingly.
A look of hope formed on Sam's face despite himself - then quickly was replaced by glumness.
"I just don't know, Mr. Frodo. It don't feel right tryin' to change me into somethin' I'm not - and somethin' I could never be. People will think I'm puttin' on airs and such, gettin' above my station." Sam shook his head, defeat in every line of his face. "I ain't the kind of person you are, Mr. Frodo - and I can't never be."
"You "can't" be", corrected Frodo.
Sam's head jerked up. "See? You think so, too!"
"No, no, Sam! I mean.. I mean the proper thing to say is "I can't be", not "I can't never be". "I can't never be" is a double negative - "can't never" means you "can". Do you see?", Frodo asked, peering at Sam's face, as Sam tried to work it out.
""Can't never" means "can"... ", Sam said thoughtfully to himself. Then his chin came up and his arms crossed his chest, as he put on his best "now that can't be" face: "Now that don't make no sense, Mr. Frodo! If you can't never, then you can't!"
Frodo smiled slowly, "So... you're saying "can't" and "can't never" mean the same thing?"
Sam huffed, "Well, of course they - wait... can't... can't never... I can't be... I can't never be... I can't be... I can't never be..." Sam stopped. "Well, when ye put it that way - it does seem a mite strange how they could mean the same thing. But... well, it still don't make no sense to me!"
Frodo laughed, shaking his head, "Ah, Sam - this could be a very long lesson..."
Sam looked puzzled. "Lesson?"
Frodo nodded. "Yes, lesson. The first lesson in speaking proper Shire Talk will be to avoiding the double negative. And, Sam - I do believe you can do it. In fact, I know you can." Frodo looked steadily at Sam, trying to give him the same confidence in himself that Frodo had in him, trying to will it into him.
Sam sighed, "Well... if we're to do this thing, I guess now's as good a time as any to start," and ruefully chuckled.
"That's the spirit, Sam, my lad!", Frodo responded exuberantly. "Now, let's get some parchment and we'll look at those can't nots and ain't nots and.... well, all of that whatnot!", and Frodo put his arm around Sam's shoulders as they confidently marched over to the desk and began.
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