"Well, no, logically I know what they're doing," he said with a snort of laughter. "Any animals that aren't nocturnal should surely be sleeping by now; that's what I'm counting on. I said I wanted to see how they are doing."

He waited for Frodo to join him in the dusty road before shoving both hands into the pockets of his coat and ambling along the street at an easy pace.

"Ah, yes, good, better we're both trampled," he said with a grin, a bit unsure how Frodo planned to stop any cows from trampling him should they be so inclined. "This sort of thing is rumored to be far more enjoyable in good company, though, so I hear. Are there cows in your Shire?"