Vanilla trick for safely killing endermen: create an overhang of blocks 1 block above your head. (3 block height). Enderman is 3 blocks tall and you are 2 blocks tall. Don't get angry if you already know this. There's no reason you can't kill an endermen with a plain stick and no armor if you use this. Enjoy your ender pearl!
Can't get angry with someone who's trying to help out
I didn't have the enderman problem though. Luckily one showed up early right outside my hole on the second night. I chopped away at his feet with a mattock.
EDIT: typo
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