It was a quiet Friday evening at Bag End. Rosie’s party a week before was a success and Rosie wanted to see Sam again some night. To celebrate Sam’s success with Rosie, Frodo had invited Merry, Pippin, and Sam to dinner. The four all enjoyed a hot meal of baked potatoes, corn, salad, biscuits, and apple cider. There was also a large glass jar containing some fresh mushrooms. The table was laid out with so much food; the tabletop was virtually non-existent. And the smell was intoxicating.

Frodo finished his meal and leaned back in his chair with a satisfied grin. "I think that was great," he stated. The other three were still stuffing themselves but managed to nod their heads.

"You really can cook, Frodo," Merry stated between mouthfuls.

"Well, Sam helped," Frodo said, patting Sam's shoulder lightly. "Most of this stuff came from Sam's own garden," he added.

Sam blushed a bit and finished his food. "Thank you Mr. Frodo," he replied.

As all the hobbits finished their food, Merry and Pippin eyed a lonely mushroom that was in the glass jar. The two were both still very hungry and wanted the last mushroom. Both at equal distances from the jar, they waited like hawk's to see who would move first.

Merry gave Pippin a challenging eye. "You had more potatoes than I did," he stated, but Pippin shook his head. "You had more biscuits," he declared.

Frodo and Sam helplessly watched the two quietly. They seemed to argue about every little detail, and yet stayed such close friends.

"Why don't we flip for it?" Merry asked.

"Ok, but we use one of Frodo or Sam's coins to make sure you don't cheat," Pippin stated.

"Fine," Merry agreed. "Frodo, may we have a coin?" he asked, never taking his eyes off of Pippin.

Frodo nodded and found a coin on a table by his favorite chair. He stood between the two hobbits. "All right, Merry. Call it," he announced as he tossed the coin in the air! Catching it in his hand, Frodo covered it so neither could see the result.

"Heads!" Merry stated.

"You always get heads. I want heads this time," Pippin protested.

"But I already called it. You should have been faster," Merry grinned.

Pippin just sighed and looked at Frodo. Frodo glanced over at Sam and showed him the winner. "Tails," Frodo stated, looking at Pippin.

Pippin jumped for joy. "WOO HOO!" he shouted and took the jar. Merry grunted angrily and took some of the dishes from the table.

"I never won anything before," Pippin laughed to Sam and Frodo.

"Good for you Pip," Sam smiled. Then both Sam and Frodo went to help Merry wash the dirty dinner dishes.

Alone, Pippin was still excited from his victory. He was not even thinking when he placed his hand into the jar to get the mushroom. Any smart person would have simply tilted the jar upside down and let the mushroom fall out, but Pippin did not do that. As a result, his hand got stuck!

The youngest hobbit stayed calm for a moment. He tried to quietly squeeze his hand out of the jar, but it did not work. Turning the jar and pulling did not work either. He was stuck and did not know what to do. HE was embarrassed and was afraid what the others would say, but there was only one thing to do. "HELP!"

Merry, Frodo, and Sam had a nice order to washing the dishes going on: Sam washed, Frodo dried, and Merry put away. However, it got a bit confusing when Merry would trick Sam; giving him an already washed plate to wash. After a few minutes, Sam caught onto Merry's joke and playfully slapped him across the head with the towel.

Suddenly, the three stopped what they were doing when they heard a panicked. "HELP!" coming from the other room.

Frodo rushed into the dining room, followed by Sam and Merry. When they saw the problem, all three started to bust up laughing. Poor Pippin's face was a dark shade of red from his embarrassment.

"Awe, Pippin, you give a new meaning to ‘hand stuck in the cookie jar!’ Or mushroom jar in this case!" Merry laughed hysterically.

"Will you stop laughing and help me here?" Pippin ordered as he continued to pull at the jar unsuccessfully.

Frodo calmed down from his laughing and went to Pippin. "All right. Let's see..." He tried everything Pippin tried, from pulling to turning and nothing worked. "This thing really is stuck," Frodo said. "What should we do?" he asked.

"What about butter?" Sam suggested.

"Good thinking, Sam." Frodo praised. Finding the butter on the table, Frodo took a clump in his hand and spread it on Pippin's hand and the rim of the jar. Once everything was nice and greasy, Frodo stated to pull. For five more minutes the two pulled, pushed, squeezed and yanked, but it was no use. The jar would not come off.

"I have an idea," Merry stated. He walked down the hall into another room and returned with a hammer. "Here. Put your hand on the table, Pip," he stated as he brought the hammer to the table.

"Are you crazy?" Pippin shouted and backed up. "You'll smash my hand in!"

"Don't be ridiculous Pippin. That is only a minor possibility. The most possible damage you face is glass in your hand. But hey; at least the jar will be off." He grinned and walked to Pippin who rushed behind Sam for protection.

Frodo got the hint from Pippin that the Took was not comfortable with this idea. "Look, Merry, hold on. There has to be something else we can try," he stated as he took the hammer from Merry's hand.

"Well, it was just a thought," Merry mumbled.

Everyone sat quietly for a few minutes except for poor Pippin who was pacing around the living room. He was aggravated, embarrassed, annoyed and rather scared. Would he have to life the rest of his life with a jar on his hand?

"I have an idea!" Frodo stated suddenly. The other three all looked at him confused. "What is your idea Mr. Frodo?" Sam asked. Pippin looked to the older hobbit with high spirits.

"Follow me," Frodo commanded as he got up and went outside. The others did so and waited to hear Frodo's idea. Frodo ran back into the house for a bucket of spring-cooled water. When he returned, he placed Pippin's jarred hand into the bucket.

"WOAH! That's cold Frodo. Couldn't you warn it up?" Pippin asked.

"Relax Pippin. Now keep your hand in the bucket for an hour," he explained. "We will then place the jar in the sun and let it warm up. Hopefully, the constant contrasting will weaken the glass so we can pull your hand out easier."

"Hey, that just might work," Merry smiled hopefully.

And so Frodo, Sam and Merry left Pippin to sit in the sun soaking and drying his hand repeatedly. Pippin had to do this for six hours straight. Finally, the three returned to see Pippin standing with the glass in the sun. He was staring at the jar mindlessly as if thinking about something.

"What are you looking at Pippin?" Sam asked when he noticed an odd expression on the Took's face.

"The mushroom is still in the jar and I am hungry," he stated anxiously.

Frodo laughed and stood by Pippin. "All right, then. Let's see if this experiment worked."

Frodo and Pippin stood facing each other and Frodo started to pull and twist the jar. Five minutes later, there was still no change. All four hobbits moaned at the failed plan. And Pippin was getting frantic. It was now dark and everyone was tired and hungry.

"Well, Pip, it looks like you are gonna have to sleep in that jar tonight," Merry stated without any humor in his voice.

"I am gonna live the rest of my life like this!" Pippin moaned.

"No you won't," Frodo protested. "We will get it off. Let's just get something to eat and give the jar a rest. Thinking too much about the problem will only make it worse," he stated. At that, Sam went home for the night and Merry and Pippin stayed with Frodo at Bag End so they did not have to make a night's journey to Buckland.

Merry and Pippin shared a guest room but neither could sleep. Frodo was in bed in his room and though Merry was trying desperately to go to sleep, Pippin's complaining and talking kept him awake.

"Peregrin Took! Don't make me hit you!" Merry moaned.

Pippin just looked at Merry and sighed. "I'm sorry Merry but I don't know what to do," he stated.

"We will find an answer tomorrow, but not tonight. Now go to sleep," Merry commanded and rolled over on his bed. Pippin sighed and did the same. There was no more use in talking the night away. He was tired himself and the stress was not good.

The next morning, Pippin, Frodo and Merry were sitting at the table eating their first breakfast. Pippin was quiet and barely talked. His jarred hand lay gently on his lap, hidden from view. He nibbled on a few crumbs of a muffin but that was all.

"Pippin, you need to eat more than that," Frodo frowned.

"I am too worried to eat. Maybe later," Pippin replied.

"Fine, then I get your share," Merry grinned and took Pippin's plate and began to eat. Pippin did not even care. He was too focused on the jar.

This continued on for five more days. All attempts to get the glass off failed. Even breaking the glass, which Pippin finally agreed too did not work. It was later found out that the jar was one of Bilbo's presents from the Elves and that the glass would not break. No matter how hard Sam, Frodo and Merry tried, nothing was working. Another three days had passed and Pippin was hopeless.

It was another beautiful Friday night and the four Hobbits were relaxing under a large tree together. Pippin was still upset, and who wouldn't be? He paced around the tree quietly as if contemplating and thinking of a new plan, though nothing was coming to mind. He was shaking his hand up and down repeatedly as well. A slight rash appeared from lack of oxygen and Pippin himself, who had not eaten a single thing in days was becoming weak and tired.

Merry finally took that time to say something. "Pippin, you have to stop this, it is not healthy for you," he stated. Frodo and Sam both nodded their heads.

“I think Gandalf is coming to the Shire in a few days. Maybe he knows a cure," Frodo explained.

"Days?" Pippin yelped. "If I am in this blasted thing one more second I am going to go jump from the Brandywine bridge!" he stated as he still shook his hand. Suddenly, there was a loud POP! And the glass jar flung off of Pippin's hand and went flying across the small field. It landed a few feet away from the group. Pippin looked on in shock, as did Merry, Sam and Frodo.

Pippin burst into cheers and started jumping around the area.

"That is amazing! How did it come off so easily?" Sam asked in surprise.

"I bet the weight Pippin lost from not eating anything thinned out his wrist," Frodo suggested. Pippin however did not care how or why, just that he was free from the jar. He went to the glass and picked it up. Looking at it for a moment, he gave the jar to Frodo. "Take this, I never want to see it again!" Pippin laughed.

Frodo just laughed and took the mushroom out of the jar. "Then I suppose you don't want this mushroom anymore?" Frodo laughed. Merry came up beside Frodo and took the mushroom and popped it in his mouth. "Of course not. He is too excited to eat," he laughed.

"No I am NOT!" Pippin shouted. "I haven't eaten in days! Where is the food?" he laughed. The laughter was joined with Merry, Sam and Frodo's and they all went to have a victory dinner. However, it was agreed on by all four hobbits that mushrooms would not be on the menu.