curiouswombat: (Eldarion)
[personal profile] curiouswombat
I had forgotten to post the set of drabbles I wrote a month or two ago - once more featuring Eldarion and his governess, Firiel, and with a guest appearance by The Players...

So - more lessons from Eldarion's School-room;

Tolkien spent much of his life inventing long complex histories for the world he had built. The first of these drabbles considers how some of that past royal in-fighting would have been told in Gondor itself over the ages - and how that might need to change... If the history bit is all a bit gobbledegook to you but you are interested - the Encyclopaedia of Arda has a brief explanation here.

Isildur’s Heir


Historical events, Firiel decided, could not be changed; but the telling of them could.

She had learnt Isildur ‘relinquished his throne’ to Meneldil – therefore Arvedui had no rightful claim.

But… Arvedui’s descendant was now Gondor’s King, and so the telling of Meneldil’s kingship need be a little different.

Meneldil, she now understood, had chosen to keep the crown, without acknowledging his rightful overlord, when in effect it had only been on loan. However, in his defence, he had been both angered and upset by Isildur’s untimely death.

It made her wonder what tales future teachers might tell of King Eldarion.

………………………….

Now a guest appearance by 'The Players' who, somehow, have access to a copy of the complete works of Shakespeare that fell down a rabbit hole - or something!


The Tragedy of Isildur


This business of making sure that people knew their history, retold, could be quite entertaining, Firiel thought.

Yesterday The Players had performed the tale of Gondor hearing of Isildur’s death; a death which left Meneldil on his borrowed throne. A death related to him choosing to keep The Ring – Isildur portrayed as ‘The Tempted Hero Unable to Resist’.

“Friends, Gondorians, countrymen, lend me your ears. I come to bury Isildur not to praise him…” the actor had intoned.

“But why?” Eldarion had asked her, in a too-loud whisper. “Why did he need their ears? Wouldn’t a spade have been easier?”

.........................


Advanced Maths


Eldarion was looking sadly at the page of numbers.

They were not very big numbers. He knew that he could add any two of them together quite well. But this was taking away

“Come on,” said Firiel suddenly. “We will go shopping!”

Soon, guard in tow, they were in the market.

“Here are twelve pennies. If you buy Nana a ribbon for four pennies will you have enough to buy toffee for Ada?”

Carefully Eldarion put four on one side, looked at the ticket on the toffee and then at the coins.

“Yes,” he decided. “And some for me, too!”

.........................

A Lesson in Horticulture


It was a spring day borrowed from summer. ‘Uncle’ Legolas looked at Eldarion’s much corrected work before suggesting taking advantage of the weather to have an outdoor lesson.

“Pricking out today,” the elf said. “Too many seeds have sprouted. There is room here for six to thrive, but ten have grown. How many must we take way?”

Eldarion thought deeply, “Four.”

“But we do not want them to die. I have a place in mind. How many levels must we go down from here to reach a garden on the second?”

“Five?”

Legolas caught Firiel’s eye and grinned – educational co-conspirators.

.........................

But, of course, things are never quite that simple when Eldarion is around...


On the Education of Princes…


“Why?” asked Eldarion. “Why is it important for a prince to be able to do sums?”

“Because,” answered Firiel, “you may need to know how many soldiers you have still in Gondor if you send some to fight in Far Harad, or,” warming to her subject, “merchants from Umbar might try to cheat, and give you too little change, if you bought jewels from them for your naneth.”

“They could probably sell Uncle Legolas all sorts of things for the wrong price,” Eldarion said, “as he is not very good at sums. He has to keep asking me to help…”

.........................

Bequest


Even Lord Gimli became involved with ‘practical uses of arithmetic’. Firiel listened, agog, to tales of wagering on orc-numbers slayed in battle.

Next morning Eldarion said, “Uncle Gimli says he will be… be… bequeath me his axe. His father be... be… thinged it to him!”

Firiel had heard of axes passed from father to son – and wondered how much of the famous axe would actually reach Eldarion. Unknowingly he answered her unvoiced question.

“He says I must have my own haft made. No warrior would use the haft of another, but the soul of the axe is in the head.”

.........................

In Loving Memory


King Eldarion ran his hand over the haft carved for him, by Legolas, to fit both Gimli’s axe and Eldarion’s body. The weapon hung in his study and meant his ‘uncles’ were always close, in thought, though he would not see them again.

As always, it also reminded him of his beloved governess; dead these many years. Her gift to him had been to encourage his ‘bright enquiring mind’, not stifle it as others might.

He wondered, again, if she had known just how many pages of subtractions he had done for Gimli before earning the promise of the axe….

.........................

Disclaimer: The characters in this story do not belong to me, but are being used for amusement only, and all rights remain with the estate of JRR Tolkien.

Date: 14/03/2012 09:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cairistiona7.livejournal.com
Yes, Eldarion, a spade would work better, you bright boy!

These are delightful! I greatly enjoy your governess stories.

Date: 14/03/2012 09:39 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] curiouswombat.livejournal.com
Thank you so much - I am rather fond of Firiel and her small charge, I must admit.

And the question about the spade has vexed many small boys and girls over the years.

Date: 14/03/2012 09:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ffutures.livejournal.com
Excellent educational technique!

Date: 14/03/2012 09:55 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] curiouswombat.livejournal.com
Thank you! It only occurred to me afterwards that Legolas was using the subtle method whilst Gimli went straight for it - bribery is so effective with children!

Mind you I'm assuming that he'd already decided that his devotion to Galadriel would mean he would have no son of his own to leave it to and so who better than Aragorn's son? And why not make use of that intention to improve the lad's arithmetic?

Date: 14/03/2012 09:49 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ellynn-ithilwen.livejournal.com
he is not very good at sums. He has to keep asking me to help…”

This is the best part! *lol*

This is funny and lovely, and just a little wistful in the end...

Date: 14/03/2012 09:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] curiouswombat.livejournal.com
Thank you! I rather liked that line when it came to me, I must admit. Th ending is a little wistful - but it was how it came to me, with the last of the prompts, and I decided it wouldn't stop me going back to them, sometime.

Date: 15/03/2012 10:38 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] clodia-metelli.livejournal.com
I was going 'awwwwwwwwwww' all the way down to the last, and then it turned into 'sniffle'. I do love Eldarion's lessons!

Date: 15/03/2012 01:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] curiouswombat.livejournal.com
Thank you - that rather sad moment just crept in there - but there will doubtless be more tales of Eldarion's lessons sometime in the future, I'm sure.

Date: 15/03/2012 10:33 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] wildecate.livejournal.com
I don't know what I'm more fascinated by, the fact that my son appears to be Eldarion or the fact I use almost exactly the same teaching methods to help him with his maths. Dan is quite obsessed by the pocket money he gets given each week by his Granny (70p). He is currently saving for a bunch of flowers for me for Sunday (but I'm not supposed to know about that).

Love these little snapshots.

Date: 15/03/2012 10:51 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] curiouswombat.livejournal.com
Eldarion is a composite of a five or six year old D-d and a number of little boys I have taught in Sunday School over the years. I think this shows that your son and my daughter have some things in common!

Enjoy your floral surprise.

Date: 16/03/2012 02:17 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] rs9.livejournal.com
The last one killed me.....*sniff, sniff* but also put a smile on my face!

Date: 16/03/2012 08:20 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] curiouswombat.livejournal.com
Thank you - that's the reaction I wanted with that one, I have to admit. I seem to always have something a little more serious in my drabble sets somewhere, and that view back was the only way I could make that last one work.

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