The day's travel through Hollin had been long, tiring, and uneventful.  The company of the ring moved in silence for the most part, the only sound being the occasional complaint from young Peregrin who, having once been so eager to follow his cousin Frodo on his quest to destroy the one ring, was beginning to tire of the walking and few daily meals.

    The young Took was grateful when Gandalf finally decided they would go no further for the day.  Pippin plopped down onto the ground, resting his back against one of the large boulders which littered the ground.  Merry sat down next to his cousin, amused.  He was wearing of the walking too, but did not always over exaggerate situations as Pippin did.

    "You know, Pip," began Merry, watching Aragorn and Boromir tend to a cooking fire, "maybe Lord Elrond was right in wanting to keep you back."

    "What for?" asked Pippin.  "I am quite capable of pulling along my own weight with the group!"

    "I don't doubt it," smiled Merry, "but your complaining makes me wonder if you're ready for the road ahead."

    This remark didn't have the reaction Merry had intended.  Pippin looked angered by his cousin.  "I'm as ready as anyone else!" he puffed, getting to his feet.  "I have as much right as you to be here!"  With that, he stomped off and dropped himself down beside Gandalf.

    The wizard sat by the newly made fire, puffing on a pipe and humming to himself.  He looked down at the disgruntled hobbit sitting next to him and smiled.  "What seems to be the trouble, Master Took?"

    "Merry doesn't think I should be here," whined Pippin, "he thinks Master Elrond was right and I should go home!  He's not being fair, Gandalf!  Just because I'm the youngest--"

    "But what is fair?" asked Gandalf distantly.

    Pippin stopped jabbering on and looked up at the old man, confused.  "What?"

    "What is fair?" repeated Gandalf.

    "What sort of a question is that?" asked Pippin.  "What is fair?  Why it's when everyone is treated the same in all circumstances."

    "So an act of fairness would include everyone?"

    "Well, yes," nodded Pippin, "that's what makes it fair.  If you exempt one person or a small group of people from the rules, that's not exactly fair, is it?"

    "That much is true, yes," mused Gandalf, still puffing away at his pipe in thought.  "But, little hobbit, let's think about this for a moment."  Pippin wasn't sure how or why, but he had somehow found himself in some sort of discussion with Gandalf.  "You say that as long as the rules include and apply equally to everyone then it's fair, correct?"

    "Yeah..."  Pippin wasn't sure where Gandalf was leading him.

    "Such as... say..."  Gandalf searched for an example.  "Pippin, your father is the Thain, correct?"  Pippin nodded.  "And the Thain approves laws which are proposed to him, does he not?"  Again Pippin nodded.  "So let us use one of those laws as an example.  They are fair, right?"

    "Well they apply to every hobbit in the Shire, don't they?"

    "This much is true.  But what about the content of the law?"

    "What do you mean, Gandalf?" asked Pippin.

    "I'll use an example," said the wizard.  "You drink, am I right?"

    "Oh yes!" exclaimed Pippin.  "All of us hobbits do!  Why, the Gaffer himself makes some of the finest ale in all the Shire!  It's well worth the long road north to sample his brewings!  But, Gandalf, I don't understand.  What does this have to do with anything?"

    "Let me finish," said Gandalf.  "Do you know what prohibition is?"

    Pippin shook his head.  "I've never heard the term."

    "It is an idea," the wizard explained, "in which a law would be passed banning the brewing and consumption of ale."

    "Oh the horror!" gasped Pippin.  "I'm sure my father would never pass something like that!  No ale?!  We hobbits would not know what to do with ourselves!  That law is not very fair at all!"

    "Aha!" exclaimed Gandalf triumphantly.  "Exactly!"

    Pippin was confused.  "What?"

    "Did you not hear what you just said?" Gandalf chuckled.  "You said it's 'not very fair.'  Yet, by your earlier definition of the matter, this law surly must be fair as it affects everyone.  No one would be exempt from the law of prohibition, would they?"

    "No... they wouldn't be..." sighed Pippin.  He took a moment to recollect his thoughts.  Gandalf had twisted his words around to prove him wrong.  Pippin wasn't sure how their conversation had gotten to where it was, but he would not let himself be outsmarted.  "So I made a slight error.  Fairness then would be treating everyone equally in the right way."

    "And just what is the right way, young Pippin?" asked Gandalf.

    "Well it has to be good... beneficial to everyone," supplied Pippin.

    "Prohibition would be beneficial.  No ale would mean no drunks.  And despite your folk being of a small stature, a drunk hobbit could get himself into trouble.  I'm sure your shirrifs would appreciate it if there were less tipsy hobbits."

    "Yes, but we hobbits are responsible in our drinking for the most part," pointed out Pippin.  "It wouldn't be fair to us if we were no longer allowed to have the occasional drink here and there or more importantly, at our parties.  And the brewers and bar tenders have a right to make their livings.  It's not right to take their livelihoods and source of income away from them.  For something to be fair it must be right and include everyone.  For something to be right it must not inhibit others from making their way through their lives.  So there is my definition of the matter."  Pippin grinned, pleased at his own logic.  Gandalf raised his eyebrows in interest.  Several of the fellowship members had moved closer to the pair, intrigued by the debate between the hobbit and the wizard.

    "Your definition is an improved one, no doubt," nodded Gandalf, "but as always with you, young Peregrin, there is much room for improvement.  Who makes up these "fair" laws?"

    "My father and his assistants," replied Pippin.

    "Yes, and what the Thain says must be obeyed.  But tell me, who is to say that the rest of the Shire folk cannot create laws which would benefit ourselves instead of what the Thain perceives as your best interest?"

    "He is my father," Pippin stated flatly.  "And a good hobbit.  I trust his judgment."

    "Well then, let's pretend he wasn't your father."

    "Even if he wasn't," said Pippin, "the Thain holds a position of power over all the hobbits.  It's his job to choose what is right for us.  Surly you knew that, Gandalf!  We don't have the power to create our own laws as we see fit."

    "So the Thain is entitled to more power than any hobbit?" asked Gandalf.

    Pippin's instinct suddenly kicked in.  He had the feeling Gandalf was trying to corner him again and became weary.  "Yes..."

    "That's not exactly fair, is it?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "Well why should the Thain decide what is right for everyone else?" asked Gandalf.  "Why is he given more power than yourself or Samwise over there?  You said fairness was when everyone was treated all the same and properly.  If one hobbit has more power to affect the country than the citizens, then the public and the Thain are not playing on the same level.  And that, Peregrin Took, by your definition would not be fair."

    "Well, Gandalf, it seems I've muddled myself up again," sighed Pippin.  "Since you seem to be the wiser, what is fairness then?"

    "Ah, but remember, I am but a humbled old man," smiled Gandalf.  "It is you who should be the one explaining it to me."

    Defeated, and at a loss for words, Pippin picked himself up and left the light of the campfire, not knowing what to do with himself.  His head reeling from Gandalf's logic tricks, the hobbit sat down next to his snickering cousin.

    "Gandalf does not play a fair game of debating, Merry," Pippin whined, pouting.

    "But what is fair, Pippin?" teased Merry.

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