It is rather unfortunate really, but perhaps also a blessing to have lost all my old diaries, save a few pages and a couple of letters. Not that anyone will ever read such silly things as the life of a hobbit of course...I mean no one wants to read about that surely, 'twas more a record for meself, you know….just remembering all the silly things and adventures me, myself and I had along the years.
Now thinking about that, I never told you certain details ‘bout me - like when and where I was born, and ‘bout my family and generally ‘bout important events and folk I met along the way...so here it is, in all its glory, - The Life of ‘Me’- where this adventure begins and where it will end one day, as told by me (mostly). There and back again by Amorey Sweetrose Took of the Shire.
Concerning Birth
Once upon a time my father was a young and good looking lad from Overhill. As many Tooks, he was tall and fair, and a very handsome bachelor. Amany lasses in the Shire fancied him, but he was playing hard to get. This one time in the Autumn many years ago he decided to go to the Brokenborings Funfair, and there he met a very beautiful lass selling bells from a small stall. She was kind and her smile was warm and gentle. One thing drives onto another, soon the two young hobbits were seen walking under moon and under star in the Greenfields holding hands. What happened that night you can surely guess. In the morning when my father woke up under the trees, she was not there. He went look for her, but her stall was gone, and so was the fair.
He was distraught as he felt love for this mysterious lass, but life had to go on. Two months later he met and married a girl from Overhill and settled down for a quiet life. About nine months after the Brokenborings Fair I was born in a wagon deep in a forest, the exact location remains a mystery to this day. One morning when my father opened the door of his house he found a small basket there, and inside it was little me, wrapped in a white blanket. Around me neck was a silvery pendant and on a small tag around my wrist was written in fancy handwriting a name: ‘AMOREY‘
Concerning Family
Gerebaldo ‘Tylor’ Took and Lullabella ‘Lully’ Sweetrose were loving and caring parents. My ‘mother’ was a gentle and kind woman, she treated me and loved me as if I was her own child, and despite the circumstances of my birth, accepted me. I was a happy child, growing up in the small village of Overhill on the edge of the forest. My father taught me to read and write, and made me read books about the history of the Shire. I loved to sing and learned to play music early on, it was a simple life. My father would often welcome strange visitors to the house - passing elves and traveling dwarves. As a young child I did find these folk fascinating - the elves seemed to shine, like if they had bathed in light, and words that sounded like music - and the dwarves with their long beards, deep voices, and strong hands.
When I was in my tweens, this handsome lad came to Overhill. His name was Tahitoa. We soon became friends and my parents invited him to stay with us as he had recently lost both his mother and father which was very sad. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and Tahi became more and more part of our lives. A brother to me, and a son to my folk, they decided to adopt him, so that we could forever be a real family.
Concerning Courting
‘Twas about this time that I felt it was time to ‘fly the nest’ and with my parents' blessing I bought me a small burrow in the village of Brightdown, not far from the Southfarthing, and I also met some of my oldest friends like Simbo and Lina and Nannie dear. It was a lovely time, my life was just starting and the future looked wonderful and exciting. Now on the subject of ‘lads’ and courting I will say this : over the years there have been a few suitors trying to win my hobbit heart, but in truth I never met the right lad, I am kind of an adventurous and independent hobbit me, I like my adventures and music and to travel round the world, not really the ‘settling’ type, if you get my meaning, but yer never know what’s around the corner, do you? Friendship is more precious than love, methink. So not much more to add to this, other than to say that I prefer to keep these things private in my heart,’tis the best way to go.
Concerning Adventures
Just like ‘Mad Old Bilbo Baggins’, I also like to adventure and to travel. I have been in many places in Middle-earth and I certainly going to see even more soon. There is something about adventures that appeals to me, I am a Took after all, so that ‘Tookish love for travel’ runs deep inside. Over the years I have feasted in the vast halls of the dwarves, and I have danced and played music with the elves. I have met tall men, good ones and bad ones also, as the hearts of men are easily corrupted.
There is still much I want to see, I am not quite done yet with my adventures, and I am also still looking to find my real mother, although I keep this as a secret from everyone. I want to know who she was and why she left me. There is one thing about travels and adventures I love the most...and that is, returning home.
Concerning Hobbits and The Shire
No matter how exciting and amazing adventures are, the best thing about them is when I turn back and follow the road that leads back to my land. The Shire is a special place, filled with the most amazing folk you can ever meet. There is no other place in Middle-earth like it. Here hobbits are true and caring, loyal and brave. Of course there is the odd bad apple also, but nothing can spoil the beauty of my fair land. I feel at peace, I feel truly myself, as sorrow and grief are left behind.
After leaving Brightdown, I moved back to the Northshire and I lived in Room Number 6 at The Plough and Stars Inn in Brockenborings for many years, but recently I decided to finally get me own place and bought a small home in the forests in the northern part of the Greenfields, near a small lake and at the mountains. ‘Tis nothing too special or grand, but ‘tis home and will be for as long as I am in the Shire. Over the years I became a much more quiet and introverted hobbit, and often sit beside the fire and think of all that I have seen, and all those I met along the way.
Concerning The Future
My parents both passed away last year and I will never be the same again. Still a small family remains, my brother Tahitoa has married a lovely lass called Winterly and they now have a little child, my nephew Toanui. Cousin Yule is still living in her wagon in Waymeet, and of course there are dozens of twice and thrice removed Took cousins, and various other relatives, so one is never alone in the Shire. There are also my bearded friends from the Blue Mountains, and the lovely elves from the hidden valley of Imladris.
I’ll be just fine, as for my plans and the future...who knows, maybe I will go on another adventure, perhaps I will meet new friends, or maybe I will solve the great mystery of the whereabout of all the Shire sausages that have incredibly disappeared overnight from the food stores in the Four Farthings, but whatever I do I plan to be happy and I promised that from now on and until the end of me life, I shall be just what I was born to be, and what I am best at, and that is ......myself.
