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‘What is it?’ ‘Where is it?’ ‘Be quiet,’ Merry whispered urgently. The tall dark shadow was crouched in the bushes, hiding, or preparing some kind of trick. Pippin and Pervinca continued to whisper. ‘Look!’ one of them urged suddenly to Merry, who was looking and better than they had been. The strange figure stepped out into the light. It wasn’t the red-eyed demon Merry was promised, but a fierce enough appearing person. As for what he was doing, he was eating blackberries. Merry recognized the bushes now.
They ducked when the big stranger turned in their direction, peered cautiously again when he bent back down. Pippin crouched behind Merry to get a better look. ‘What’s he doing?’ Pervinca tugged on his suspender. ‘Let's go. He’s coming for us.’ Merry shrugged them off. He’d never seen a wild man before and he was fascinated by this one, out in the daylight, foraging berries, just like a normal person. His cousins were blessedly silent for a few minutes. When the stranger next appeared, it was with a bag in one hand, visibly full of ripe fruit, enough for several pies. ‘Oh,’ Pippin said, disappointed. ‘Well, that will be all of it, then.’