Stephenson Family Ties

To The First Robin

by Louisa May Alcott (Written at the age of 8, 1840)

Welcome, welcome, little stranger,
Fear no harm, and fear no danger;
We are glad to see you here,
For you sing “Sweet Spring is near.”

Now the white snow melts away;
Now the flowers blossom gay:
Come dear bird and build your nest,
For we love our robin best.

I know, it’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here! But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The one’s that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened. But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come! And when the sun shine’s, it’ll shine out the clear. Those were the stories that stayed with you—that meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand; I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. Because they were holding onto something…that there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.

Samwise the Brave