Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took

Meriadoc Brandybuck, whose real name was Meriadoc but was seldom remembered, and Peregrin Took, usually called Pippin, stand as the closest friends of Frodo Baggins. They were among the younger hobbits, mostly descendants of the Old Took, who had as children been fond of Bilbo Baggins and often in and out of Bag End. While Folco Boffin and Fredegar Bolger were also part of this circle, it was Merry and Pippin who held the deepest place in Frodo's affections, a bond that would prove decisive when the time came for Frodo to leave the Shire.

The Bond Forged in the Shire

Their friendship was rooted in the peaceful routines of the Shire, where Frodo went tramping over the land with them. Yet even then, their companionship had a distinctive character. While Frodo often wandered by himself, to the amazement of sensible folk, he was sometimes seen far from home walking in the hills and woods under the starlight, and Merry and Pippin suspected that he visited the Elves at times, as Bilbo had done. This shared suspicion of Frodo's secret life drew the three of them together, marking Merry and Pippin as the hobbits most attuned to their friend's restless spirit. Their closeness was not merely a matter of proximity but of a shared curiosity about the wider world, a quality that set them apart from the more settled hobbits of the Shire.

The Decision to Follow Frodo

The true depth of their loyalty emerged when Frodo resolved to leave the Shire. When Frodo tried to spare them, declaring that he could not allow them to come, Merry and Pippin refused to be left behind. Pippin insisted that since Frodo must go, they must also go, and that Sam, though an excellent fellow who would jump down a dragon's throat to save Frodo, was not enough; Frodo would need more than one companion in his dangerous adventure. Merry firmly echoed this, explaining that they understood the Ring was no laughing-matter and that they were going to do their best to help Frodo against the Enemy. Frodo, deeply moved, called them his dear and most beloved hobbits, but still tried to dissuade them, explaining that this was no treasure-hunt, no there-and-back journey, but a flight from deadly peril into deadly peril. Their response was unwavering, and Frodo, completely amazed that they knew about the Ring, finally gave in.

The Celebration of Their Resolve

Their decision was sealed with a moment of pure hobbit joy. When Frodo accepted their company, they shouted, "Good! That's settled. Three cheers for Captain Frodo and company!" and danced round him. Merry and Pippin then began a song, which they had apparently got ready for the occasion. It was made on the model of the dwarf-song that started Bilbo on his adventure long ago, and went to the same tune, bidding farewell to hearth and hall and declaring that they must away ere break of day, far over wood and mountain tall, to Rivendell, where Elves yet dwell. The song captured the spirit of their leap into the unknown, a journey whose end they could not tell, and Frodo, though mindful of the danger, could not help feeling happy, happier than he had felt for a long time, having dreaded that very evening. The moment transformed their friendship into a pact of adventure, binding them to Frodo's fate.

The Shadow of Gollum and the Test of Loyalty

The bond between Merry and Pippin, though forged in the Shire, was tested in the wider world, and its strength was mirrored in the darker relationships they encountered. The story of Gollum, as told by Gandalf, served as a grim counterpoint to their own loyalty. Gollum, once a hobbit-like creature named Sméagol, had been corrupted by the Ring, his friendship with Déagol destroyed by his desire for it. Sméagol's journey into the shadows, worming his way like a maggot into the heart of the hills, showed what could happen when friendship was betrayed by obsession. In contrast, Merry and Pippin's choice to follow Frodo, knowing the peril, stood as a testament to the strength of their bond, a loyalty that would not be broken by fear or the lure of power. Their friendship, unlike Gollum's, was not a thing to be corrupted but a source of strength.

The Enduring Significance of Their Friendship

The friendship of Merry and Pippin, rooted in the simple joys of the Shire, became a model of steadfast loyalty in the face of overwhelming darkness. Their decision to accompany Frodo, made with full knowledge of the danger, was not a reckless impulse but a deliberate act of love and courage. They understood, as Pippin said, that Frodo would need more than one companion, and they were determined to be that support. Their bond, celebrated with song and dance, stood in stark contrast to the lonely corruption of Gollum, whose story served as a warning of what could happen when the heart turned away from friendship. In the end, Merry and Pippin's loyalty was not just to Frodo but to the values of the Shire itself, a commitment to stand by one's friends against any foe, a commitment that would carry them through the darkest days of the War of the Ring.