Local Shirriff Case File Number 10

by Local Shirriff Mellam Hollytoes, investigating officer 

The Pie Piper of Oldfurlong!

It was a clear night with a full moon when this case began, a full moon with a whiff burnt pie in the air. It was the evening after the big gathering at the Gardening Goblin, and a very large pumpkin pie was being finished. This was being sent to the dwarves of Thorins Hall as a gift of thanks for work done in the homesteads recently.

I was outside my burrow enjoying a pipe of Old Toby, when my friend Bovso walked up with a worried frown.

He offered a greeting before telling me that his favourite flute had gone missing. Theft is unusual in Oldfurlong, so I realised it was a serious matter. He told me the last place he had seen it, was at the celebrations at the Gardening Goblin the previous night. Him and the Deputy Mayor Wiberic had both looked all over and even with the help of the lovely Miss Acorne they had no luck. So I went with him and searched again but apart from the odd coat button and empty ale glass, no flute. As we stood outside with me thinking what to do next, the cart leaving with the large pumpkin pie pulled away. 

The pie was cooling now and the steam was starting fade, as the wagon turned onto the homestead road. All of a sudden me and Bovso heard a tooting, and it was coming form the pie. The eerie tooting continued and the ponies pulling the pie cart began to get skittish. I turned to Bovso and remarked that I think I knew where his flute was. Bovso just stood and looked at the pie cart with a stunned look on his face.

Then the tooting got louder and the skittish ponies decided this was the time to bolt down the hill towards the homestead lake. Mungo Boffin who was driving the pie cart decided with good hobbit sense to throw him self off it, and landed in a bush. With the cart now gathering speed and me and Bovso trying to catch up by running, only one end was going to be the outcome. 

As the cart clattered over the bridge at full speed, the pumpkin pie decided to part company with it. A mournful tooting was coming from the pie as it made splash down into the lake. This was followed by a strange gurgling as the pumpkin pie began to dip below water. Me and Bovso arrived moments later to see the final sinking off the pumpkin pie. A sigh came from both of us as we witnessed it's last dip beneath the waves. 

I glanced to see where the cart had gone, and noticed it had stopped in Oates's front garden with the ponies eating some grass. Suddenly I heard Bovso gasp and he tugged my sleeve. I turned and saw him point to the water, where a flute was now floating covered in bits of pie.

Well I still don't know how the flute got in the pie, but I reckon it was the steam making it play. As for Bovso he maintains it was a ghost or other unnatural means that made the flute play. We rescued his lute and the pie dish but the pie was all gone, with a lot off happy fish in the lake. As for the Dwarves, we decided two barrels of Old Toby would have to do as a gift instead.

Report ends: Local Shirriff Mellam Hollytoes investigating officer. 

                         Signed Mellam