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Cornell University Library 
 PS 2670.M55 1932 
 
 Some merry adventures of Robin Hood of 
 
 3 1924 022 499 846 
 
THg MERRY FRIAR CARRIES ROBIN ACROSS THE WATER. 
 
SOME 
 
 MERRY ADVENTURES 
 
 OF 
 
 ROBIN HOOD 
 
 OF GREAT RENOWN IN NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 
 
 WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED BY 
 
 HOWARD PYLE 
 
 CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 
 NEW YORK CHICAGO BOSTON 
 
COPYKISHI, 1883, I90S, BY 
 
 CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 
 
PREFACE 
 
 It is no very easy matter for an author to 
 condense his own work into so small a space as 
 one-half or one-third of its original magnitude. 
 In the present instance I have found the task 
 to be entirely beyond my powers of accom- 
 plishment. Accordingly I have considered it 
 better to rearrange fragmentary portions of 
 the original story into another form of narra- 
 tive, rather than to alter and amend the entire 
 text; which indeed would have produced a 
 book scarcely recognizable as an adaptation ol 
 .the parent work. 
 
 In following this plan I have presented only 
 the direct adventures of Robin Hood and of 
 certain important members of his band. I have 
 given a -couple of chapters relating to their 
 quarrel with the Sheriff of Nottingham ; I have 
 introduced Robin Hood to the Court at Lon- 
 don and have brought King Richard of the 
 Lion's Heart into the Forest of Sherwood. 
 
 In so re-arranging the general plan of the 
 
vi Preface 
 
 story, I have omitted many merry adventures 
 that afforded me much pleasure in the writing, 
 yet which, if introduced, would make this 
 volume too great in its bulk. The story of the 
 Tinker, Wat of the Crab-Staff; the story of 
 AUan-a-Dale ; the adventures by means of which 
 Robin Hood restored Sir Henry of the Lee to his 
 estate ; the escape of Robin Hood from Lon- 
 don ; the fight with Guy of Ginsbourne ; and, 
 above' all, the adventures of Little John in a 
 friar's robe and of Robin Hood disguised as a 
 strolling beggar, have accordingly been omit- 
 ted from the present narrative. 
 
 But, though these and other passages have 
 been omitted, I trust that the young reader 
 may even now find the work not altogether 
 lacking in interest. For honest purposes man- 
 fully followed and hard knocks courageously 
 endured must always interest the wholesome 
 boy ; while nature is so closely akin to man in 
 the golden days of his green youth that tales 
 of the Greenwood, where the leaves rustle and 
 the birds sing, and all the air is full of sweet 
 savors of growing things, must ever have a 
 potent charm for the fresh imagination of 
 childhood. 
 
 Some such explanation as this is necessary 
 by way of an apology to those who have read 
 
Preface vii 
 
 the original story and who now find this cur- 
 tailed narrative set before them. 
 
 As to the story itself, the adventures of 
 Robin Hood, sung in song and ballad, have 
 entertained the Anglo-Saxon hearers from the 
 time that English first began to form itself into 
 a language, and I find they charm the young 
 readers of to-day as they delighted the young 
 bearers ot five hundred years and more ago. 
 
 Howard Pyle. 
 
 Wilmington, April 29, 1903. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 3UPTBR PAGS 
 
 <i— ^-^ How Robin Hood Became an Outlaw 
 
 and How he Met with Little John . 3 
 
 II. The Shooting - Match at Nottingham 
 
 Town 16 
 
 IIL How Will Stutely was Rescued . .27 
 
 IV. How Robin Hood Turned Butcher . 37 
 
 V. How Little John Went to the Fair at 
 
 Nottingham Town . . . .52 
 
 VI. How Little John Left the Sheriff's Ser- 
 vice 64 
 
 VII. How Little John Fought the Tanner of 
 
 Blyth 77 
 
 VIII. How Robin Hood Fell in with Will 
 
 Scarlet 90 
 
 IX. The Merry Adventure with Midge the 
 
 Miller 104 
 
 iz 
 
X Contents 
 
 CKAFTBR PACK 
 
 X. How Robin Hood Met Friar Tuck . 1 16 
 
 XI. How Robin Hood Shot Before Queen 
 
 Eleanor 129 
 
 , Xn. How King Richard Came to Sherwood 
 
 Forest . . . r •> 154 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 The Merry Friar Carries Robin Across 
 
 THE Water .... Frontispiece 
 
 PAGB 
 
 Robin Hood Meets the Tall Stranger on 
 THE Bridge ii 
 
 Little John Overcomes Eric o' Lincoln . 59 
 
 Merry Robin Stops a Stranger in Scarlet 93 
 
SOME 
 MERRY ADVENTURES 
 
 OF 
 
 ROBIN HOOD 
 
SOME MERRY ADVENTURES 
 OF ROBIN HOOD 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 HOW ROBIN HOOD BECAME AN OUTLAW AND 
 HOW HE MET WITH LITTLE JOHN 
 
 In merry England in the time of old, when 
 good King Henry the Second ruled the land, 
 there lived within the green glades of Sher- 
 wood Forest, near Nottingham Town, a fa- 
 mous outlaw whose name was Robin Hood. 
 No archer ever lived that could speed a gray 
 goose shaft with such skill and cunning as his, 
 nor were there ever such yeomen as the seven- 
 score merry men that roamed with him 
 through the greenwood shades. Right mer- 
 rily they dwelt within the depths of Sherwood 
 Forest, suffering neither care nor want, but 
 passing the time in merry games of archery or 
 bouts of cudgel play, living upon the King's 
 venison, washed down with draughts from 
 crystal fountains. 
 
 Not Only Robin himself but all tfte band 
 % 
 
4 How Robin Hood Became an Outlaw 
 
 were outlaws and dwelt apart from other men, 
 yet they were beloved by the country people 
 round about, for no one ever came to jolly 
 Robin for help in time of need and went away 
 again with an empty fist. 
 
 " And now I will tell how it first came about 
 that Robin Hood fell afoul of the law 
 
 When Robin was a youth of eighteen, stout 
 of sinew and bold of heart, the Sheriff of Not- 
 tingham proclaimed a shooting-match and of. 
 fered a prize of forty marks to whomsoever 
 should shoot the best shaft in Nottingham, 
 shire. " Now," quoth Robin, " will I go too, 
 for fain wouW I draw a string for the bright 
 eyes of my lass, for so goodly a prize as that." 
 So up he got and took his good stout yew 
 bow and a score or more of broad cloth-yard 
 arrows, and started off from Locksley Town 
 through Sherwood Forest to Nottingham. 
 
 As he walked along with a brisk step and a 
 merry whistle, he came suddenly upon some 
 foresters seated beneath a great oak-tree ; fif- 
 teen in all, making themselves merry around a 
 huge pasty. Each man was clad in Lincoln 
 green, and a fine show they made, seated upon 
 the sward beneath that fair, spreading tree. 
 Then one of them, with his mouth full, called 
 out to Robin, — 
 
And How He Met with Little John 5 
 
 •* HuUoa, where goest thou, little lad, with 
 thy one penny bow and thy farthing shafts ? " 
 
 Then Robin grew angry, for he was mightily 
 proud of his skill at archery. 
 
 " Now," quoth he, " my bow and eke mine 
 arrows are as good as thine ; and I'll hold the 
 best of you twenty marks that I hit the clout al 
 threescore rods." 
 
 At this all laughed aloud, whereat Robin 
 grew right mad. "Hark ye," said he; "yon- 
 der, at the glade's end, I see a herd of deer, 
 even more than threescore rods distant. I'll 
 hold you twenty marks that I cause the '^st 
 hart among them to die." 
 
 " Then I will take thy wager," cried one of 
 the foresters, " and will hold thee twenty marks 
 that thou causest no hart to die." Robin took 
 his good yew bow in his hand, and drew the 
 gray goose-feather to his ear ; the next moment 
 the bow-string rang and the arrow sped down 
 the glade. High leaped the noblest hart of all 
 the herd, only to fall dead, reddening the green 
 path with his heart's blood. 
 
 " Ha ! " cried Robin, " how likest thou that 
 shot, good fellow ? " 
 
 Then all the foresters were filled with rage, 
 and he who had wagered the twenty marks was 
 more angry than all. " Get thee gone, straight- 
 
6 How Robin Hood Became an Outlaw 
 
 way," cried he, " or, by all the saints of heaven, 
 I'll baste thy sides until thou wilt ne'er be able 
 to walk again. Thou hast killed the King's 
 deer, and, by the laws of our gracious lord and 
 sovereign. King Harry, thine ears should be 
 shaven close to thy head." 
 
 Never a word said Robin Hood, but he 
 looked at the foresters with a grim face ; then, 
 turning on his heel, strode away from them 
 down the forest glade. But his heart was bit- 
 terly angry, for his blood was hot and youth, 
 ful and prone to boil. 
 
 Now, well would it have bee a ior him who 
 had wagered had he left Robin Hood alone; 
 but his anger was hot. Of a sudden, and 
 without any warning, he sprang to his feet, 
 seized upon his bow and fitting to it a shaft, 
 sent the arrow whistling after Robin. 
 
 It was well for Robin Hood that that same 
 forester's fingers slipped the string a little, or else 
 he would never have taken another step ; as it 
 was, the arrow whistled within three inches of 
 his head. Then he turned around and quickly 
 drew his own bow, and sent an arrow back in 
 return. 
 
 " Ye said I was no archer," cried he aloud, 
 * but say so now again ! " 
 
 "The shaft flew straight; the forester fell 
 
And How He Met with Little John 7 
 
 forward with a cry, and lay on his face upon 
 the ground, his arrows rattling about him 
 from out of his quiver, the gray goose shaft 
 wet with his heart's blood. Then, before the 
 others could gather their wits about them, 
 Robin Hood was gone into the depths of the 
 greenwood. Some started after him, but not 
 with much heart, for each feared to suffer the 
 death of his fellow ; so presently they all came 
 and lifted the dead man up and bore him away 
 to Nottingham Town. 
 
 So Robin Hood became outlawed and so he 
 came to dwell in the greenwood that was to be 
 his home for many a year to come. Two 
 hundred pounds were set upon his head as a 
 reward for whoever, would bring him to the 
 court of Justice. 
 
 But Robin Hood lay hidden in Sherwood 
 Forest for one year, and in that time there 
 gathered around him many others like himself, 
 outlawed for this cause and for that. 
 r~So, in all that year, fivescore or more good 
 stout yeomen joined themselves to him, and 
 chose him to be their leader and chief. Then 
 they vowed that even as they themselves had 
 been despoiled they would despoil their oppres- 
 sors, whether baron, abbot, knight, or squire, 
 and that from each they would take that which 
 
8 How Robin Hood Became an Outlaw 
 
 had been wrung from the poor by unjust taxes, 
 or land rents, or in wrongful fines ; but to the 
 poor folk they would give a helping hand in 
 need and trouble, and would return to them 
 that which had been unjustly taken from them. 
 Besides this, they swore never to harm a child 
 nor to wrong a woman, be she maid, wife, or 
 widow ; so that, after a while, when the people 
 began to find that no harm was meant to them, 
 but that money or food came in time of want 
 to many a poor family, they came to praise 
 Robin and his merry men, and to tell many 
 tales of him and of his doings in Sherwood 
 Forest, for they felt him to be one of them- 
 selves./ 
 
 Up rose Robin Hood one merry morn when 
 all the birds were singing blithely among the 
 leaves. " For fourteen days," said he, " we 
 have seen no sport, so now I will go abroad to 
 seek adventures forthwith. But tarry ye, my 
 merry men all, here in the greenwood ; only 
 see that ye mind well my call. Three blasts 
 upon the bugle horn I will blow in my hour 
 of need ; then come quickly, for I shall want 
 ^ur aid." 
 
 So saying, he strode away through the leafy 
 forest glades until he had come to the verge of 
 
And How He Met with Little John g 
 
 Sherwood. There he wandered for a long time, 
 through highway and byway, through dingly 
 dell and forest skirts. At last he took a bypath 
 that dipped toward a broad, pebbly stream 
 spanned by a narrow bridge made of a log of 
 wood. As he drew nigh this bridge he saw 
 a tall stranger coming from the other side. 
 Thereupon Robin quickened his pace, as did 
 the stranger likewise ; each thinking to cross 
 first. 
 
 "Now stand thou back," quoth Robin, "and 
 let the better man cross first." 
 
 " Nay," answered the stranger, " then stand 
 back thine own self, for the better man I wot, 
 am I.': 
 
 " That shall we presently see," quoth Robin, 
 " meantime bide thou here a little while till I 
 come again." So saying he stepped quickly to 
 the coverside and cut a good staff of ground 
 oak, straight, without flaw, and six feet in length. 
 " Lo, here is a good staff, lusty and tough," 
 quoth he. " Now we will fight until one or the 
 other of us tumble into the stream by dint of 
 blows." 
 
 "Marry, that meeteth my whole heart!" 
 cried the stranger, twirling his staff above his 
 head, betwixt his fingers and thumb, until it 
 whistled again. 
 
;o How Robin Hood Became an Outlaw 
 
 Then followed a great and mighty battle 
 fietwixt these two stout yeomen. Never did 
 the Knights of Arthur's Round Table meet in 
 a stouter fight than did these two. Each stood 
 in his place, neither moving a finger's breadth 
 back, for one good hour, and many blows were 
 given and received by each in that time, till 
 here and there were sore bones and bumps, yet 
 neither thought of crying " Enough," or seemed 
 likely to fall from off the bridge. At last Robin 
 gave the stranger a blow upon the ribs that made 
 his jacket smoke like a damp straw thatch in the 
 sun. So shrewd was the stroke that the stranger 
 came within a hair's breadth of falling off the 
 bridge ; but he regained himself right quickly, 
 and, by a dexterous blow, gave Robin a crack 
 on the crown so fairly that he fell heels over 
 head into the water, as the queen pin falls in a 
 game of bowls, 
 
 "And yphere art thou now, good lad?" 
 shouted the stranger, roaring with laughter. 
 
 " Oh, in the flood and floating adown with the 
 tide," cried Robin ; nor could he forbear laugh- 
 ing himself at his sorry plight. Then, gaining 
 his feet, he waded to the bank, the little fish 
 speeding hither and thither, all frightened at his 
 splashing. 
 
 " Give me thy hand," cried he, when he had 
 
ROBIN HOOD MEETS THE TALL STRANGER ON THE BRIDGE. 
 
And How He Met with Little John 13 
 
 reached the bank. " I must needs own thou 
 art a brave and a sturdy soul, and, withal, a 
 good stout stroke with the cudgels. By this 
 and by that, my head hummeth like to a hive 
 of bees on a hot June daj ." 
 
 Then he clapped his horn to his lips, and 
 winded a blast that went echoing sweetly down 
 the forest paths. Soon the distant twigs and 
 branches rustled with the coming of men, and 
 suddenly a score or two of good stout yeomen, 
 all clad in Lincoln green, burst from out the 
 covert, with merry Will Stutely at their head. 
 
 " Good master," cried Will, " how is this ? 
 Truly thou art all wet from head to foot, and 
 that to the very skin." 
 
 " Why, marry," answered jolly Robin, " yon 
 stout fellow hath tumbled me neck and crop 
 into the water, and hath given me a drubbing 
 besides." 
 
 " Then shall he not go without a ducking and 
 eke a drubbing himself 1 " cried Will Stutely. 
 " Have at him, lads ! " 
 
 " Nay, forbear ! " cried Robin ; " he is a right 
 good man and true, and no harm shall befall 
 him. Now hark ye, good youth, wilt thou stay 
 with me and be one of my band ? Three suits 
 of Lincoln green shalt thou have each year, 
 besides forty marks in fee, and share with us 
 
14 How Robin Hood Became an Outlaw 
 
 whatsoever good shall befall us. Thou snalt eat 
 sweet venison and qua£E from crystal springs, 
 and mine own good right-hand man shalt thou 
 be, for never did I see such a cudgel-player in 
 all my life before. Speak! wilt thou be one of 
 my good merry men ? " 
 
 " Ay, that will I," answered the other joy- 
 fully, "for well I love the greenwood glade 
 and well I love stout sport with such as thou, 
 good master." 
 
 " Then I have gained a right good man this 
 day," quoth jolly Robin. " But tell me, what 
 name goest thou by, good fellow?" 
 
 " Men call me John Little whence I came," 
 answered the stranger. 
 
 Then Will Stutely, who loved a good jest, 
 spoke up. " Nay, fair little stranger," said he, 
 " I like not thy name and fain would I have it 
 otherwise. Little art thou indeed, and small of 
 bone and sinew, therefore shalt thou be christ- 
 ened Little John, and I will be thy godfather." 
 
 Then Robin Hood and all his band laughed 
 aloud. 
 
 "So be it, good friend," said Robin Hood. 
 " Little John shalt thou be called henceforth, 
 and Little John shall it be. So come, my "merry 
 men, and we will go and prepare a christening 
 feast for this fair infant." 
 
And How He Met with Little John 15 
 
 So turning their backs upon the stream, they 
 plunged into the forest once more, through 
 which they traced their steps till they reached 
 the spot where they dwelt in the depths of the 
 woodland. There had they built huts of bark 
 and branches of trees, and made couches of 
 sweet rushes spread over with skins of fallow 
 deer. Here stood a great oak-tree with 
 branches spreading broadly around, beneath 
 which was a seat of green moss where Robin 
 Hood was wont to sit at feast and at merry- 
 making with his stout men about him. Here 
 they found the rest of the band, some of whom 
 had come in with a brace of fat does. Then 
 they built great fires, and after the feast was 
 ready they all sat down, but Robin Hood placed 
 Little John at his right hand, for he was hence- 
 forth to be the second in the band. 
 
 Thus it was that Robin Hood became out- 
 lawed ; thus a band of merry companions gath- 
 ered about him, and thus he gained his right- 
 hand man. Little John. And now I will tell 
 how the SherifE of Nottingham sought to talce 
 Robin Hood, and how he failed therein. 
 
1 6 The Shooting-Match 
 
 CHAPTER II 
 
 THE SHOOTING-MATCH AT NOTTINGHAM TOWN 
 
 Now it was told before how two hundred 
 pounds were set upon Robin Hood's head. 
 It is now to be told how the Sheriff of Not- 
 tingham swore that he himself would bring 
 Robin Hood to justice, and for two reasons: 
 first, because he wanted the two hundred 
 pounds, and next, because the forester that 
 Robin Hood had killed was of kin to him. 
 
 But the Sheriff knew what a force Robin had 
 about him in Sherwood, and that he could not 
 serve a warrant for his arrest as he could upon 
 another man that had broken the laws ; therefore 
 he was compelled to devise some cunning trick 
 wherewith to entrap bold Robin. 
 
 Thus thinking the Sheriff said to himself, 
 " This Robin Hood hath a daring soul. If I 
 could but persuade him nigh to Nottingham 
 Town so that I could lay hand upon him, he 
 would never get away again." Then it came to 
 him that were he to proclaim a great shooting- 
 match and offer some grand prize, Robin Hood 
 might be over-persuaded by his spirit to come 
 to the butts. Accordingly he sent messengers 
 
at Nottingham Town I7 
 
 north and south, and east and west, to proclaim 
 through town, hamlet, and countryside, this 
 grand shooting-match, and everyone was bid- 
 den who could draw a long bow, and the prize 
 was to be an arrow of pure beaten gold. 
 
 When Robin Hood first heard the news of 
 this he was in Lincoln Town, and hastening 
 back to Sherwood Forest he soon called all his 
 merry men about him and spoke to them 
 thus : — 
 
 " Now hearken, my merry men all, to the news 
 that I have brought from Lincoln Town to-day. 
 Our friend the Sheriff of Nottingham hath pro- 
 claimed a shooting-match, and hath sent messen- 
 gers to tell of it through all the countryside* 
 and the prize is to be a bright, golden arrow. 
 Now I fain would have one of us win it, both 
 because of the fairness of the prize and because 
 our sweet friend the Sheriff hath offered it. So 
 we will take our bows and shafts and go there 
 to shoot, for I know right well that merriment 
 will be a-going. Some of you shall clothe 
 yourselves as curtal friars, and some as rustic 
 peasants, and some as tinkers, or as beggars, 
 but see that each man taketh a good bow or 
 broadsword, in case need should arise. As for 
 myself, I will shoot for this same golden arrow, 
 and should I win it, we will hang it to the 
 
1 8 The Shooting- Match 
 
 branches of our good greenwood tree for the 
 joy of all the band. How like you the plan, 
 my merry men all ? " 
 
 Then "Good! Good!" cried all the band 
 right heartily. 
 
 A fair sight was Nottingham Town on the 
 day of the shooting-match. All along upon the 
 green meadow beneath the town wall stretched 
 a row of benches, one above the other, where- 
 on sat knight and lady, squire and dame, and 
 rich burghers and their wives. At the end of 
 the range, near the target, was a raised seat 
 bedecked with ribbons and scarfs and garlands 
 of flowers, where sat the Sheriff of Nottingham 
 and his dame. The range was two- score paces 
 broad. At one end stood the target; at the 
 other a tent of striped canvas, from the pole 
 of which fluttered many - colored flags and 
 streamers. 
 
 Then the herald stood forth and loudly pro- 
 claimed the rules of the game as follows : — 
 
 " Shoot each man from yon mark, which is 
 sevenscore yards and ten from the target. One 
 arrow shooteth each man first, and from all the 
 archers shall the ten that shoot the fairest shafts 
 be chosen for to shoot again. Two arrows 
 shooteth each man of these ten, then shall the 
 
at Nottingham Town 19 
 
 three that shoot the fairest shafts be chosen 
 for to shoot again. Three arrows shooteth 
 each man of those three, and to him that 
 shooteth the fairest shafts shall the prize be 
 given/]. 
 
 Then the Sheriff leaned forward, looking 
 keenly among the press of archers to find 
 whether Robin Hood was amongst them ; but 
 no one was there clad in Lincoln green, such 
 as was worn by Robin and his band. " Never- 
 theless," said the Sheriff to himself, "he may 
 still be there, and I miss him among the crowd 
 of other men. But let me see when but ten 
 men shoot, for I wot he will be among the ten, 
 or I know him not." 
 
 And now the archers shot, each man in turn, 
 and the good folk never saw such archery as 
 was done that day. Six arrows were within 
 the clout, four within the black, and only two 
 smote the outer ring ; so that when the last 
 arrow sped and struck the target, all the people 
 shouted aloud, for it was noble shooting. 
 
 And now but ten men were left of all those 
 that had shot before, and of these ten, six were 
 famous throughout the land, and most of the 
 folk gathered there knew them. These six men 
 were Gilbert o' the Red Cap, Adam o' the Dell, 
 Diccon Cruikshank, William o' Leslie, Hubert 
 
20 The SkooHng-Matck 
 
 o' Cloud, and Swithin o' Hertford. Two others 
 were yeomen of merry Yorkshire, another was 
 a tall stranger in blue, who said he came from 
 London Town, and the last was a tattered 
 stranger in scarlet, who wore a patch over one 
 eye. 
 
 " Now," quoth the Sheriff to a man-at-arms 
 who stood near him, •* seest thou Robin Hood 
 imongst those ten ?" 
 
 " Nay, that do I not, your worship," answered 
 the man. " Six of them I know right well. Of 
 those Yorkshire yeomen, one is too tall and the 
 other too short for that bold knave. Robin's 
 beard is as yellow as gold, while yon tattered 
 beggar in scarlet hath a beard of brown, besides 
 being blind of one eye. As for the stranger in 
 blue, Robin's shoulders, I ween, are three inches 
 broader than his." 
 
 " Then," quoth the Sheriff, smiting his thigh 
 angrily, " yon knave is a coward as well as a 
 rogue, and dares not show his face among good 
 men, and true." 
 
 Then, after they had rested a short time, those 
 ten stout men stepped forth to shoot again. 
 Each man shot two arrows, and as they shot, 
 not a word was spoken, but all the crowd 
 watched with scarce a breath of sound ; but 
 when the last had shot his arrow, another great 
 
at Nottingham. Town 21 
 
 shout arose, while many cast their caps aloft for 
 joy of such marvellous shooting. 
 
 And now but three men were left of all those 
 that had shot before. One was Gill o' the Red 
 Cap, one the tattered stranger in scarlet, and 
 one Adam o* the Dell of Tamworth Town 
 Then all the people called aloud, some crying, 
 " Ho for Gilbert o' the Red Cap ! " and somCs 
 " Hey for stout Adam o' Tamworth I" but not 
 a single man in the crowd called upon the 
 Stranger in scarlet, 
 
 " Now, shoot thou well, Gilbert, ' cried the 
 Sheriff, "and if thine be the best shaft, fivescore 
 broad silver pennies will I give to thee besides 
 the prize/' 
 
 " Truly I will do ray best," quoth Gilbert, 
 right sturdily. " A man cannot do aught but 
 his best, but that will I strive to do this day." 
 So saying, he drew forth a fair smooth arrow 
 with a broad feather and fitted it deftly to the 
 string, then drawing his bow with care he 
 sped the shaft. Straight flew the arrow and 
 lit fairly in the clout, a finger breadth from the 
 centre. " A Gilbert, a Gilbert \ " shouted all 
 the crowd ; and, " Now, by my faith," cried the 
 Sheriff, smiting his hands together, " that is a 
 shrewd shot,' 
 
 Then the tattered stranger stepped iorth, and 
 
22 The Shooting-Match 
 
 all the people laughed as they saw a yellow 
 patch that showed beneath his arm when he 
 raised his elbow to shoot, and also to see him 
 aim with but one eye. He drew the good 
 yew bow quickly, and quickly loosed a shaft 5 
 so short was the time that no man could draw 
 a breath betwixt the drawing and the shoot- 
 ing; yet his arrow lodged nearer the centre 
 than the other by twice the length of a barley- 
 corn. 
 
 " Now by all the saints in Paradise I " cried 
 the Sherifi, "that is a lovely shaft in very 
 truth I" 
 
 Then Adam o' the Dell shot, carefully and 
 cautiously, and his arrow lodged close beside 
 the stranger's. Then after a short space they 
 all three shot again, and once more each arrow 
 lodged within the clout, but this time Adam o' 
 the Dell's was farthest from the centre, and 
 again the tattered stranger's shot was the best 
 Then, after another time of rest, they all shot 
 for the third time. This time Gilbert took 
 great heed to his aim, keenly measuring the 
 distance and shooting with shrewdest care. 
 Straight flew the arrow, and all shouted till the 
 very flags that waved in the breeze shook with 
 the sound, and the rooks and daws flew clamor- 
 ing about the roofs of the old gray tower, for 
 
at Nottingham Town 23 
 
 the shaft had lodged close beside the spot that 
 marked the very centre. 
 
 "Well done, Gilbert!" cried the Sheriff, 
 right joyously. "Fain am I to believe the 
 prize is thine, and right fairly won. Now, 
 thou ragged knave, let me see thee shoot a 
 better shaft than that." 
 
 Naught spake the stranger but took his 
 place, while all was hushed, and no one spoke 
 or even seemed to breathe, so great was the 
 silence for wonder what he would do. 1 Mean- 
 while, also, quite still stood the stranger hold> 
 ing his bow in his hand, while one could count 
 five ; then he drew his trusty yew, holding it 
 drawn but a moment, then loosed the string. 
 Straight flew the arrow, and so true that it 
 smote a gray goose feather from off Gilbert's 
 shaft, which fell fluttering through the sunlit 
 air as the stranger's arrow lodged close beside 
 his of the red cap, and in the very centre. No 
 one spoke a word for a while and no one 
 shouted, but each man looked into his neigh- 
 bor's face amazedly. 
 
 " Nay," quoth old Adam o' the Dell presently, 
 drawing a long breath and shaking his head as 
 he spoke ; " twoscore years and more have \ 
 shot shaft, and maybe not all times bad, but I 
 shoot no more this day, for no man can matcb 
 
24 The Shooting-Match 
 
 with yon stranger, whosoe'er he may be." 
 Then he thrust his shaft into his quiver, rat- 
 tling, and unstrung his bow without another 
 word.j 
 
 Then the Sherifi came down from his dais 
 and drew near, in all his silks and velvets, to 
 where the tattered stranger stood leaning upon 
 his stout bow, whilst the good folk crowded 
 around to see the man who shot so wondrously 
 well. " Here, good fellow," quoth the Sheriff, 
 " take thou the prize, and well and fairly hast 
 thou won it, I trow. What may be thy name, 
 and whence comest thou ? " 
 
 " Men do call me Jock o* Teviotdale, and 
 thence am I come," said the stranger. 
 
 " Then, by Our Lady, Jock, thou art the fair- 
 est archer that e'er mine eyes beheld, and i£ 
 thou wilt join my service I will clothe thee 
 with a better coat than that thou hast upon thy 
 back ; thou shalt eat and drink of the best, and 
 at every Christmas-tide fourscore marks shall 
 be thy wage. I trow thou drawest better bow 
 than that same coward knave, Robin Hood, 
 that dared not show his face here this day. 
 Say, good fellow, wilt thou join my service ? " 
 
 " Nay, that will I not," quoth the stranger, 
 roughly. " I will be mine own, and no man in 
 all merry England shall be my master." 
 
at Nottingham Town 25 
 
 " Then get thee gone, and a murrain seize 
 thee ! " cried the Sheriff, and his voice trembled 
 with anger, " And by my faith and troth I 
 have a good part of a miiid to have thee beaten 
 for thine insolence ! " Then he turned upon 
 his heel and strode away. 
 
 It was a right motley company that gathered 
 about the noble greenwood-tree in Sherwood's 
 depths that same day. A score and more of 
 barefoot friars were there, and some that 
 looked like tinkers, and some that seemed to be 
 sturdy beggars and rustic hinds; and seated 
 upon a mossy couch was one all clad in tat- 
 tered scarlet, with a patch over one eye ; and 
 in his hand he held the golden arrow that was 
 the prize of the great shooting-match. Then, 
 amidst a noise of talking and laughter, he took 
 the patch from off his eye and stripped away 
 the scarlet rags from off his body and showed 
 himself all clothed in fair Lincoln green, and 
 quoth he : " Easy come these things away, but 
 walnut stain cometh not so speedily from yel- 
 low hair." Then all laughed louder than be- 
 fore, for it was Robin Hood himself that had 
 won the prize from the Sheriff's very hands. 
 
 " By my troth," said the Sheriff, as he sat at 
 meat in the great hall of his house at Notting- 
 
26 The Shooting-Match 
 
 ham Town, " I did reckon full roundly that that 
 knave, Robin Hood, would be at the game to- 
 day. I did not think that he was such a cow- 
 ard. But who could that saucy knave be who 
 answered me to my beard so bravely?" 
 
 Then, even as he finished speaking, some- 
 thing fell rattling among the dishes on the 
 table, while those that sat near started up won- 
 dering what it might be. After a while one of 
 the men-at-arms gathered courage enough to 
 pick it up and bring it to the Sheriff. Then 
 everyone saw that it was a blunted gray goose 
 shaft, with a fine scroll, about the thickness of 
 a goose quill, tied near to its head, The 
 Sheriff opened the scroll and glanced at it, 
 while the veins upon his forehead swelled and 
 his cheeks grew ruddy with rage as he read, 
 for this was what he saw : — 
 
 " Now Heaven bless thy grace this day. 
 Say all in sweet Sherwood, 
 For thou didst give the prize away 
 To merry Robin Hood. " 
 
 " Whence came this ? " cried the Sheriff in a 
 mighty voice. 
 
 " Even through the window, your worship," 
 quoth the man who had handed the shaft to 
 him. 
 
How Will Stutely Was Rescued 27 
 CHAPTER in 
 
 HOW WILL STUTELY WAS RESCUED 
 
 Mow when the Sheriff found that he could 
 not overcome Robin Hood by guile, he called 
 his constables together. " Now take ye each 
 four men, all armed in proof," said he, " and get 
 ye gone to the forest, at different points, and 
 lay in wait for this same Robin Hood. But if 
 any constable finds too many men against him, 
 let him sound a horn, and then let each band 
 within hearing come with all speed and join the 
 party that calls them. Thus. I think, shall we 
 take this green-clad knave. Furthermore, to 
 him that first meeteth with Robin Hood shall 
 one hundred pounds of silver money be given, 
 if he be brought to me, dead or alive ; and to 
 him that meeteth with any of his band shall 
 twoscore pounds be given, if such be brought 
 to me dead or alive. So, be ye bold and be ye 
 crafty/7 
 
 So thus they went in threescore companies 
 of five to Sherwood Forest, to take Robin 
 Hood, each constable wishing that he might be 
 the one to find the bold outlaw, or at least one 
 of his band. For seven days and nights they 
 
28 How Will Stutely Was Rescued 
 
 hunted through the forest glades, but never 
 saw so much as a single man in Lincoln green. 
 
 But early in the morning of the eighth day 
 Robin Hood called the band together and said, 
 *' Now who will go and find what the Sherifi's 
 men are at by this time? for I know right well 
 they will not bide forever within Sherwood 
 shades." 
 
 At this a great shout arose, and each man 
 waved his bow aloft and cried that he might 
 be the one to go. Then Robin Hood's heart 
 was proud when he looked around on his stout, 
 brave fellows, and he said, "Brave and true 
 are ye all, my merry men, and a right stout 
 band of good fellows are ye; but ye cannot all 
 go, so I will choose one from amongst you, 
 and it shall be good Will Stutely, for he is as 
 sly as e'er an old dog fox in Sherwood Forest." 
 
 Then Will Stutely leaped high aloft and 
 laughed loudly, clapping his hands, for pure 
 joy that he should have been chosen from 
 amongst them all. " Now thanks, good mas- 
 ter," quoth he, "and if I bring not news of 
 those knaves to thee, call me no more thy sly 
 Will Stutely." 
 
 Then he clad himself in a friar's gown, and 
 underneath the robe he hung a good broad- 
 sword in such a place that he could easily lay 
 
How Will Stutely Was Rescued 29 
 
 hands upon it. Thus clad, he set forth upon 
 his quest, until he came to the verge of the 
 forest, and so to the highway. 
 
 At the Blue Boar Inn he found a band of the 
 Sheriff's men drinking right lustily ; so, with- 
 out speaking to anyone, he sat down upon a 
 distant bench, his staff in his hand, and his 
 head bowed forward as though he were medi- 
 tating. 
 
 As he sat thus, there came a great house- 
 cat and rubbed against his knee, raising his 
 robe a palm's breath high. Stutely pushed his 
 robe quickly down again, but the constable 
 who commanded the Sheriff's men saw what 
 had passed, and saw also fair Lincoln green 
 beneath the friar's robe. So, presently, he said 
 aloud : — 
 
 " Whither goest thou, holy friar, upon this 
 hot summer's day ? " 
 
 " I go a pilgrim to Canterbury Town," an- 
 swered Will Stutely, speaking gruffly, so that 
 none might know his voice. 
 
 Then the constable said, " Now tell me, holy 
 father, do pilgrims to Canterbury wear good 
 Lincoln green beneath their robes ? Ha I by 
 my faith, I take thee to be some lusty thief, 
 and perhaps one of Robin Hood's own band f 
 Now, by Our Lady's grace, if thou movest 
 
3© How Will Stutely Was Rescued 
 
 hand or foot, I will run thee through the body 
 with my sword!" 
 
 Then he flashed forth his bright sword and 
 leaped upon Will Stutely, thinking he would 
 take him unaware ; but Stutely had his own 
 sword tightly held in his hand, beneath his 
 robe, so he drew it forth before the constable 
 came upon him. Then the stout constable 
 struck a mighty blow ; but he struck no mor& 
 in all that fight, for Stutely, parrying the blow 
 right deftly, smote the constable back again 
 with all his might. Then he would have es- 
 caped, but could not, for the other, all dizzy 
 with the wound and with the flowing blood, 
 seized him by the knees with his arms even as 
 he reeled and fell. Then the others rushed 
 upon him, and Stutely struck again at another 
 of the Sheriff's men, but the steel cap glanced 
 the blow, and though the blade bit deep, it did 
 not kill. Meanwhile, the constable, fainting 
 as he was, drew Stutely downward, and the 
 others, seeing the yeoman hampered so, rushed 
 upon him again, and one smote him a blow 
 upon the crown so that the blood ran down 
 his face and blinded him. Then, staggering, 
 he fell, and all sprang upon him, though he 
 struggled so manfully that they could hardly 
 hold him fast. Then they bound him with 
 
How Will Stutely Was Rescued 31 
 
 stout hempen ccwds so that he could not move 
 either hand or foot, and thus they overcame 
 him. But it was a doleful day's doings for two 
 of that band ; for the constable was sorely 
 wounded, and the other, that Stutely smote 
 upon the crown, lay sick for many a day ere 
 he was the stout man that he had been before 
 this famous fight. 
 
 Robin Hood stood under the greenwood- 
 tree, thinking of Will Stutely and how he 
 might be faring, when suddenly he saw two of 
 his stout yeomen come running down the for- 
 est path, and betwixt them ran buxom Maken 
 of the Blue Boar. \ Then Robin's heart fell, 
 for he knew they were the bearers of ill tid- 
 ings. 
 
 " Will Stutely hath been taken,'* cried they, 
 when they had come to where he stood. 
 
 " And is it thou that hast brought such dole- 
 ful news? " said. Robin to the lass. 
 
 " Ay, marry, for I saw it all," cried she, pant-, 
 ing as the hare pants when it has escap ed the 
 HbundsT " an3~nearhelswounded sore, for one 
 smote hjm main shrewdly i' the crown. They 
 have bound him and taken him to Nottingham 
 Town, and ere I left the Blue Boar I heard 
 that he should be hanged to-morrow day/i 
 
 " He shall not be hanged to-morrow day," 
 
32 How Will Stutely Was Rescued 
 
 cried Robin ; " or, if he be, full many a one 
 shall gnaw the sod, and many shall have cause 
 to cry Alack-a-day 1 " 
 
 Then he clapped his horn to his lips and 
 blew three blasts right loudly, and presently 
 His good yeomen came running through the 
 greenwood until sevenscore bold blades were 
 gathered around him. 
 
 " Now hark you all ! " cried Robin. " Our 
 dear companion, Will Stutely, hath been taken 
 by that vile Sheriff's men, therefore doth it be- 
 hoove us to take bow and brand in hand to 
 bring him off again ; for I wot that we ought 
 to risk life and limb for him, as he hath risked 
 life and limb for us. Is it not so, my merry 
 men all?" Then all cried, "Ay!" with a 
 great voice. 
 
 The sun was low in toe western sky when a 
 bugle-note sounded from the castle wall. Then 
 all was bustle in Nottingham Town and crowds 
 filled the streets, for all knew that the famous 
 Will Stutely was to be hanged that day. Pres- 
 ently the castle gates opened wide and a great 
 array of men-at-arms came forth with noise and 
 clatter, the Sheriff, all clad in shining mail of 
 linked chain, riding at their head. In the midst 
 of all the guard, in a cart, with ? halter about 
 
How Will Stutely Was Rescued 33 
 
 his neck, rode "Will Stutely. His face was pale 
 with his wound and with loss of blood, like the 
 moon in broad daylight, and his fair hair was 
 clotted in points upon his forehead, where the 
 blood had hardened. When he came forth from 
 the castle he looked up and he looked down 
 but though he saw some faces that showed pity 
 and some that showed friendliness, he saw none 
 that he kne w. So, at last, they came to the great 
 town gate, through which Stutely saw the fair 
 country beyond, with hills and dales all clothed 
 in verdure, and far away the dusky line of Sher- 
 wood's skirts. Then when he saw the slanting 
 sunlight lying on field and fallow, shining redly 
 here and there on cot and farm-house, and when 
 he heard the sweet birds singing their vespers, 
 and the sheep bleating upon the hill-side, and be- 
 held the swallows flying in the bright air, there 
 came a great fulness to his heart so that all things 
 blurred to his sight through salt tears, and he 
 bowed his head lest the folk should think him 
 unmanly when they saw the tears in his eyes. 
 Thus he kept his head bowed till they had 
 passed through the gate and were outside the 
 walls ot the towrf. But when he looked up 
 again he felt his heart leap within him and then 
 stand still for pure joy, for he saw the face of 
 one ot his own dear companions of merry Shen 
 
34 How Will Stutely Was Rescued 
 
 wood ; then glancing quickly around he saw 
 well-known faces upon all sides of him, crowd- 
 ing closely upon the men-at-arms who were 
 guarding him. Then of a sudden the blood 
 sprang to his cheeks, for he saw for a moment 
 his own good master in the press, and, seeing 
 him, knew that Robin Hood and all his band 
 were there. Yet betwixt him and them was a 
 line of men-at-arms. 
 
 "Now, stand back!" cried the Sheriff in a 
 mighty voice, for the crowd pressed around on 
 all sides. " What mean ye, varlets, that ye 
 push upon us so? Stand back, I say f " 
 
 Then came a bustle and a noise, and one 
 strove to push between the men-at-arms so as 
 to reach the cart, and Stutely saw that it was 
 Little John that made all that stir. 
 
 "Now stand thou back!" cried one of the 
 men-at-arms whom Little John pushed with his 
 elbows. 
 
 " Now stand thou back thine own self," quoth 
 Little John, and straightway smote the man a 
 buffet beside his head that felled him as a 
 butcher fells an ox, and then he leaped to the 
 cart where Stutely sat. 
 
 "I pray thee take leave of thy friends ere 
 thou diest, Will," quoth he, "or maybe I wili 
 die with thee if thou must die,*for I could never 
 
How Will Stutely Was Rescued 35 
 
 liave better company." Then with one stroke 
 he cut the bonds that bound the other's arms 
 and legs, and Stutely leaped straightway from 
 the cart. 
 
 " Now as I live," cried the Sheriff, " yon var- 
 let I know right well is a sturdy rebel ! Take 
 him, I bid you all, and let him not go ! " 
 
 So saying he spurred his horse upon Little 
 John, and rising in his stirrups smote with 
 might and main, but Little John ducked quickly 
 underneath the horse's belly and the blow 
 whistled harmlessly over his head. 
 
 "Nay, good Sir Sheriff," cried he, leaping up 
 again when the blow had passed, " I must e'en 
 borrow thy most worshipful sword." There- 
 upon he twitched the weapon deftly from out 
 the Sheriff's hand. ** Here, Stutely," he cried, 
 " the Sheriff hath lent thee his sword ! Back to 
 back with me, man, and defend thyself, for help 
 is nigh I " 
 
 " Down with them ? " bellowed the Sheriff in 
 a voice like an angry bull ; and he spurred his 
 horse upon the two who now stood back to 
 back, forgetting in his rage that he had nc 
 weapon with which to defend himself. 
 
 " Stand back, Sheriff ! " cried Little John ; 
 and even as he spoke, a bugle-horn sounded 
 shrilly, and a clothyard shaft whistled within 
 
36 How Will Stutely Was Rescued 
 
 an inch of the Sheriff's head. Then there came 
 a swaying hither and thither and oaths and 
 cries and groans and clashing of steel, and 
 swords flashed in the setting sun, and a score 
 of arrows whistled through the air : and some 
 cried " Help, help I " and some, " A rescue, a 
 rescue ! " 
 
 " Treason ! " cried the Sheriff in a loud voice. 
 " Bear back ! bear back ! else we be all dead 
 men ! " Thereupon he reined his horse back- 
 ward through the thickest of the crowd. 
 
 Now Robin Hood and his band might have 
 slain half of the Sheriff's men had they desired 
 to do so, but they let them push out of the press 
 and get them gone, only sending a bunch of 
 arrows after them to hurry them in their flight. 
 
 « Oh, stay ! " shouted Will Stutely after the 
 Sheriff. "Thou wilt never catch bold Robin 
 Hood if thou dost not stand to meet him face 
 to face." But the Sheriff, bowing along his 
 horse's back, made no answer but only spurred 
 the faster. 
 
 Then Will Stutely turned to Little John and 
 looked him in the face till the tears ran down 
 from his eyes and he wept aloud, and kissing 
 bis friend's cheeks, " O Little John ! " quoth he, 
 " mine own true friend, and he that I love befc 
 ter than man or woman in all the world beside 3 
 
How Robin Hood Turned Butcher 37 
 
 Little did I reckon to see thy face this day, or 
 to meet thee this side Paradise." And Little 
 John could make no answer, but wept also. 
 
 Thus the Sheriff of Nottingham tried twice 
 to take Robin Hood and failed each time ; and 
 the last time he was frightened, for he felt how 
 near he had come to losing his life ; so he said : 
 " These men fear neither God nor man, nor 
 King, nor king's officers. I would sooner lose 
 mine office than my life, so I will trouble them 
 no more." So he kept close within his castle 
 for many a day and dared not show his face 
 outside of his own household, and all the time 
 he was gloomy and would speak to no one, for 
 he was ashamed of what had happened that day. 
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 
 HOW ROBIN HOOD TURNED BUTCHER 
 
 Now after all these things had happened, and 
 it became known to Robin Hood how the 
 Sheriff had twice tried to make him captive, 
 he said to himself : " If I have the chance, I 
 will make our worshipful Sheriff pay right well 
 for that which he hath done to me. Maybe I 
 may bring him some time into Sherwood For- 
 
38 How Robin Hood Turned Butcher 
 
 est, and have him to a right merry feast with 
 us." For when Robin Hood caught a baron or 
 a squire, or a fat abbot or bishop, he brought 
 them to the greenwood-tree and feasted them 
 before he lightened their purses. 
 
 But in the meantime Robin Hood and his 
 band lived quietly in Sherwood Forest, Without 
 showing their faces abroad, for Robin knew 
 that it would not be wise for him to be seen 
 in the neighborhood of Nottingham, those in 
 authority being very wroth with him. But 
 though they did not go abroad, they lived a 
 merry life within the woodlands, spending the 
 days in shooting at garlands hung upon a wit 
 low wand at the end of the glade, the leafy 
 aisles ringing with merry jests and laughters 
 for whoever missed the garland was given a 
 sound buffet, which, if delivered by Little John, 
 never failed to topple over the unfortunate 
 yeoman. Then they had bouts of wrestling 
 and of cudgel play, so that every day they 
 gained in skill and strength. 
 
 Thus they dwelt for nearly a year, and at 
 last Robin Hood began to fret at his confine- 
 ment ; so one day he took up his stout cudgel 
 and set forth to seek adventure, strolling 
 blithely along until he came to the edge of 
 Sherwood. There, as he rambled along the 
 
How Robin Hood Turned Butcher 39 
 
 sunlit road, he met a lusty young butcher 
 driving a fine mare, and riding in a stout new 
 cart, all hung about with meat. Merrily 
 whistled the butcher as he jogged along, for 
 he was going to the market, and the day was 
 fresh and sweet, making his heart blithe with, 
 in him. 
 
 " Good-morrow to thee, jolly fellow," quoth 
 Robin ; " now, where goest thou with thy 
 meat, my fair friend ? " 
 
 * I go to the market at Nottingham Town to 
 sell my beef and my mutton," answered the 
 butcher. " But who art thou that comest 
 irora Locksley Town ? " 
 
 P" A yeoman am I, good friend, and men do 
 call ane Robin Hood." 
 
 « Now, by Our Lady's grace," cried the 
 butcher, " well do I know thy name, and many 
 a time have I heard thy deeds both sung and 
 spoken of. But Heaven forbid that thou 
 shouldst take ought of me! An honest man 
 am I, and have wronged neither man nor maid ; 
 so trouble me not, good master, as I have never 
 troubled thee." 
 
 " Nay, Heaven forbid, indeed," quoth Robin, 
 " not so much as one farthing would I take 
 from thee, for I love a fair Saxon face like 
 thine." 
 
40 How Robin Hood Turned Butcher 
 
 Then he plucked the purse from his girdle, 
 and quoth he, " I would fain be a butcher for 
 the day and sell my meat in Nottingham Town, 
 wilt thou close a bargain with me and take six 
 marks for thine outfit ? " 
 
 " Now may the blessings of all the saints fall 
 on thine honest head ! " cried the butcher 
 right joyfully, as he leaped down from his cart 
 ^nd took the purse that Robin held out to him. 
 
 " Nay," quoth Robin, laughing loudly, " many 
 do like me and wish me well, but few call me 
 honest." So saying, he donned the butcher's 
 apron, and, climbing into the cart, he took the 
 reins in his hand, and drove off through the 
 forest to Nottingham Town. 
 
 When he came to Nottingham, he entered 
 that part of the market where butchers stood, 
 and took up his inn* in the best place he could 
 find. Next, he opened his stall and spread his 
 meat upon the bench, then, taking his cleaver 
 and steel and clattering them together, he 
 trolled aloud, in merry tones : — 
 
 " Now come, ye lasses, and eke, ye datnetr 
 And buy your meat from me ,• 
 For three pennyworths of meat , 
 For the charge of one penny.' 
 
 * Stand for selling. 
 
How Robin Hood Turned Butcner ^.i 
 
 Thus he sang blithely, while all who stood 
 near listened amazedly ; then he clattered the 
 steel and cleaver still more loudly, shouting 
 lustily, " Now, who'll buy ? who'll buy ? Four 
 fixed prices have I. Three pennyworths of 
 meat I sell to the Lord Sheriff for sixpence, 
 for I want not his custom ; stout aldermen I 
 charge threepence, for it doth not matter to me 
 whether they buy or not ; to buxom dames I 
 sell three pennyworths of meat for one penny, 
 for I like their custom well ; but to the bonny 
 lass that hath a liking for a good tight butcher 
 I charge naught but one fair kiss, for I like her 
 custom best of all." 
 
 Then all began to stare and wonder, and 
 crowd around, laughing, for he sold his meat se 
 fast that no butcher that stood near him could 
 sell anything. 
 
 Then they began to talk among themselves, 
 and some said, " This must be some prodigal 
 who hath sold his father's land, and would fain 
 live merrily while the money lasts." 
 
 Then some of the butchers came to him 
 to make his acquaintance. " Come, brother," 
 quoth one who was the head of them all, " we 
 be all of one trade, so wilt thou go dine with 
 us? For this v-^ay the Sheriff hath asked all 
 the Butcher Guild to feast with him at the 
 
42 How Robin Hood Turned Butcher 
 
 Guild Hall. There will be stout fare, and that 
 thou likest, or I much mistake thee." 
 
 " Now, beshrew his heart," quoth jolly 
 Robin, "that would deny a butcher. And, 
 moreover, I will go dine with you all, ray sweet 
 lads, and that as fast as I can hie." Where- 
 upon, having sold all his meat, he closed his 
 stall, and went with them to the great Guild 
 Hall. 
 
 There the Sheriff had already come in state, 
 and with him many butchers. When Robin 
 and those that were with him came in, all 
 laughing at some merry jest he had been tell- 
 ing them, those that were near the Sheriff 
 whispered to him, " Yon is a right mad blade, 
 for he hath sold more meat for one penny this 
 day than we could sell for three, and to what- 
 soever merry lass gave him a kiss he gave meat 
 for naught." And others said, " He is some 
 prodigal ihat hath sold his land for silver and 
 gold, and meaneth to spend all right merrily." 
 
 Then the Sheriff called Robin to him, not 
 knowing him in his butcher's dress, and made 
 him sit close to him on his right hand ; for he 
 loved a rich young prodigal — especially when 
 he thought that he might lighten that prodi- 
 gal's pockets into his own most worshipful 
 purse. So he made much of Robin, and 
 
How Robin Hood Turned Butcher 43 
 
 laughed and talked with him more than with 
 any of the others. 
 
 At last the dinner was ready to be served 
 and then Robin stood up and said : 
 
 " How now, brothers, be merry ! nay, never 
 count over your farthings, for by this g,nd by 
 that I will pay this shot myself, e'en though it 
 cost two hundred pounds. So let no man draw 
 up his lip, nor thrust his forefinger into his 
 purse, for I swear that neither butcher nor 
 Sheriff shall pay one penny for this feast." 
 
 "Now thou art a right merry soul," quoth 
 the Sheriff, " and I wot thou must have many a 
 head of horned beasts and many an acre of 
 land, that thou dost spend thy money so 
 freely." 
 
 " Ay, that have I," quoth Robin, laughing 
 loudly again, " five hundred and more horned 
 beasts have I and my brothers, and none of 
 them have we been able to sell, else I might not 
 have turned butcher. As for my land, I have 
 never asked my steward how many acres I 
 have." 
 
 At this the Sheriff's eyes twinkled, and he 
 chuckled to himself. " Nay, good youth," 
 quoth he, " if thou canst not sell thy cattle it 
 may be I will find a man that will lift them from 
 thy hands ; perhaps that man may be myself. 
 
44 How Robin Hood Turned Butcher 
 
 for I love a merry youth and would help such 
 a one along the path of life. Now how much 
 dost thou want for thy horned cattle ? " 
 
 " Well," quoth Robin, " they are worth at 
 Jeast five hundred pounds." 
 
 " Nay," answered the Sheriff, slowly, and as 
 if he were thinking within himself, " well do I 
 love thee, and fain would I help thee along, but 
 five hundred pounds in money is a good round 
 sum ; beside I have it not by me. Yet I will 
 give thee three hundred pounds for them all, 
 and that in good hard silver and gold." 
 
 " Now thou old Jew ! " quoth Robin ; " well 
 thou knowest that so many horned cattle are 
 worth seven hundred pounds and more, and 
 even that is but small for them, and yet thou, 
 with thy gray hairs and one foot in the grave, 
 wouldst trade upon the folly of a wild youth." 
 
 At this the Sheriff looked grimly at Robin. 
 "Nay," quoth Robin, "look not on me as 
 though thou hadst sour beer in thy mouth, 
 man. I will take thine offer, for I and my 
 brothers do need the money. We lead a merry 
 life, and no one leads a merry life for a farthing, 
 so I will close the bargain with thee. But 
 mind that thou bringest a good three hundred 
 pounds with thee, for I trust not one that 
 driveth so shrewd a bargain." 
 
How Robin Hood Turned Butcher 45 
 
 The afternoon had come when the Sheriff 
 mounted his horse and joined Robin Hood, 
 who stood outside the gateway of the paved 
 court waiting for him, for he had sold his horse 
 and cart to a trader for two marks. Then they 
 set forth upon their way, the Sherifi riding 
 upon his horse and Robin running beside him. 
 Thus they left Nottingham Town and jour- 
 neyed onward till they came within the forest 
 shades, and the deeper they went the more 
 quiet grew the Sheriff. For he began to be- 
 think him that this was, maybe, a neighborhood 
 where the outlaw, Robin Hood, frequented and 
 well he knew what might happen to him if he 
 fell into the hands of that bold yeoman. So he 
 grew more and more quiet and peered this way 
 and that into, the thickets as they rode deeper 
 and deeper into the shadows of the forest. At 
 last they came to where the road took a sudden 
 bend, and before them a herd of dun deer went 
 tripping across the path. Then Robin Hood 
 came close to the Sheriff, and pointing his finger 
 he said : " These are my horned beasts, good 
 Master Sheriff. How dost thou like them? 
 Are they not fat and fair to see ? " 
 
 At this the Sheriff drew rein quickly. " Now 
 fellow," quoth he, " I would I were well out of 
 this forest, for I like not thy company. Go thou 
 
46 How Robin Hood Turned Butcher 
 
 thine own path, good friend, and let me but go 
 mine." 
 
 But Robin only laughed and caught the 
 Sheriff's bridle rein. " Nay," cried he, "stay 
 a while, for I would thou shouldst see my 
 brothers who own these fair horned beasts 
 with me." So saying he clapped his bugle to 
 his mouth and winded three merry notes, and 
 presently up the path came leaping fivescore 
 good stout yeomen with Little John at their 
 head. 
 
 " What wouldst thou have, good master ? " 
 quoth Little John. 
 
 " Why," answered Robin, " dost thou not see 
 that I have brought goodly company to feast 
 with us to-day ? Fye, for shame ! do you not 
 see our good and worshipful master, the Sheriff 
 of Nottingham? Take thou his bridle, Little 
 John, for he has honored us to-day by coming 
 to feast with us." 
 
 Then all doffed their hats humbly, without 
 smiling, or seeming to be in jest, whilst Little 
 John took the bridle rein and led the palfrey 
 into the heart of the forest, all marching in 
 order, with Robin Hood walking beside the 
 Sheriff, hat in hand. 
 
 All this time the Sheriff said never a word, 
 but only looked about him like one suddenly 
 
How Robin Hood Turned Butcher 47 
 
 awakened from sleep ; but when he found him- 
 self going within the very depth of Sherwood 
 his heart sank within him, for he thought, 
 " Surely my three hundred pounds will be 
 taken from me, even if they take not my life 
 itself, for I have plotted against their lives 
 more than once." But all seemed humble and 
 meek and not a word was said of danger, 
 either to life or money. 
 
 So at last they came to that part of Sher- 
 wood Forest where a noble oak spread its 
 branches wide, and beneath it was a seat all 
 made of moss, on which Robin sat down, plac- 
 ing the Sherifi at his right hand. " Now busk 
 ye, my merry men all," quoth he, " and bring 
 forth the best we have, for his worship, the 
 Sheriff, hath feasted me in Nottingham Guild- 
 Hall to-day, and I would not have him go back ■ 
 empty." 
 
 All this time nothing had been said of the 
 Sheriff's money, so presently he began to pluck 
 up heart; "For," said he to himself, "maybe 
 Robin Hood hath forgotten all about it." 
 
 Then, whilst beyond in the forest bright 
 fires crackled and savory smells of sweetly 
 roasting venison and fat capons filled the glade, 
 and brown pasties warmed beside the blaze, 
 did Robin Hood entertain, the Sheriff right 
 
48 How Robin Hood Turned Butcher 
 
 royally. First, several couples stood forth at 
 quarterstaff, and so shrewd were they at the 
 game, and so quickly did they give stroke and 
 parry, that the Sheriff, who loved to watch all 
 lusty sports of the kind, clapped his hands, for- 
 getting where he was, and crying aloud, " Well 
 struck ! well struck ! " 
 
 Then the best archers of the band set up a 
 fair garland of flowers at eightscore paces dis- 
 tance, and shot at it with the cunningest arch- 
 ery practice. But the Sheriff grew grave, for 
 he did not like this so well, the famous meeting 
 at the butts in Nottingham Town being still 
 green in his memory, and the golden arrow 
 that had been won there hanging close behind 
 him. Then, when Robin saw what was in 
 the Sheriff's mind, he stopped the sport, and 
 called forth some of his band, who sang merry 
 ballads, while others made music upon the 
 harp. 
 
 When this was done, several yeomen came 
 forward and spread cloths upon the green 
 grass, and placed a royal feast. Then all sat 
 down and feasted and drank merrily together 
 until the sun was low and the half-moon glim- 
 mered with a pale light betwixt the leaves ot 
 the trees overhead. 
 
 Then the Sheriff arose and said, " I thank 
 
How Robin Hood Turned Butcher 49 
 
 you all, good yeomen, for the merry entertain- 
 ment ye have given me this day. Right cour. 
 teously have ye used me, showing therein that 
 ye have much respect for our glorious King 
 and his deputy in brave Nottinghamshire. 
 But the shadows grow long, and I must away 
 before darkness comes, lest I lose myself within 
 the forest." 
 
 Then Robin Hood and all his merry men 
 arose also, and Robin said to the Sheriff, " If 
 thou must go, worshipful sir, go thou must ; but 
 thou hast forgotten one thing." 
 
 " Nay, I forgot naught," said the Sheriff ; yet 
 all the same his heart sank within him. 
 
 " But I say thou hast forgot something,' 
 quoth Robin. " We keep a merry inn here in 
 the greenwood, but whoever becometh our 
 guest must pay his reckoning." 
 
 Then the Sheriff laughed, but the laugh was 
 hollow. " Well, jolly boys," quoth he, " we 
 have had a merry time together to-day, and 
 even if ye had not asked me, I would have given 
 you a score of pounds for the sweet entertain- 
 ment I have had." 
 
 " Nay," quoth Robin seriously, " it would ill 
 beseem us to treat your worship so meanly. 
 By my faith. Sir Sheriff, I would be ashamed 
 to show my face if I did not reckon the King's 
 
50 How Robin Hood Turned Butcher 
 
 deputy at three hundred pounds. Is it not so, 
 Tny merry men all ? " 
 
 Then " Ay ! " cried all, in a loud voice. 
 
 " Three hundred pounds!" roared the Sheriff. 
 «' Think ye that your beggarly feast was worth 
 4;hree pounds, let alone three hundred ? " 
 
 " Nay," quoth Robin, gravely. " Speak not 
 so roundly, your worship. I do love thee for 
 the sweet feast thou has given me this day in 
 merry Nottingham Town ; but there be those 
 here who love thee not so much. If thou wilt 
 look down the cloth thou wilt see Will Stutely, 
 in whose eyes thou hast no great favor ; then 
 two other stout fellows are there here that thou 
 knowest not, that were wounded in a brawl nigh 
 Nottingham Town, some time ago — thou wot- 
 test when ; one of them was sore hurt in one 
 arm, yet he hath got the use of it again. Good 
 Sheriff, be advised by me; pay thy score with- 
 out more ado, or maybe it may fare ill with 
 thee.'*/ 
 
 As he spoke the Sheriff's ruddy cheeks grew 
 pale, and he said nothing more but looked upon 
 the ground and gnawed his nether lip. Then 
 slowly he drew forth his fat purse and threw it 
 upon the cloth in front of him. 
 
 " Now take the purse, Little John," quoth 
 Robin Hood, " and see that the reckoning be 
 
How Robin Hood Turned Butcher 51 
 
 right. We would not doubt our Sheriff, but he 
 might not like it if he should find he had not 
 paid his full score." 
 
 Then Little John counted the money, and 
 found that the bag held three hundred pounds 
 in silver and gold. But to the Sheriff it seemed 
 as if every clink of the bright money was a drop 
 of blood from his veins ; and when he saw it all 
 counted out in a heap of silver and gold, filling 
 a wooden platter, he turned away and silently 
 mounted his horse. 
 
 " Never have we had so worshipful a guest 
 before ! " quoth Robin ; " and, as the day waxeth 
 late, I will send one of my young men to guide 
 thee out of the forest depths." 
 
 " Nay, Heaven forbid ! " cried the Sheriff, 
 hastily. " I can find mine own way, good fel- 
 low, without aid." 
 
 '\Then I will put thee on the right track mine 
 own self," quoth Robin ; and, taking the Sheriff's 
 horse by the bridle rein, he led him into the 
 main forest path ; then, before he let him go, 
 he said, " Now, fare thee well, good Sheriff, and 
 when next thou thinkest to despoil some poor 
 prodigal, remember thy feast in Sherwood 
 Forest. ' Ne'er buy a horse, good friend, with- 
 out first looking into its mouth,' as our good 
 gaffer Swanthold says. And so, once more, fare 
 
52 How Little John Went to the Fair 
 
 thee well." Then he clapped his hand to the 
 horse's back and off went nag and Sheriff 
 through the forest glades. 
 
 Then bitterly the Sheriff rued the day that 
 first he meddled with Robin Hood, for all men 
 laughed at him and many ballads were sung by 
 folk throughout the country, of how the Sheriff 
 went to shear and came home shorn to the very 
 quick. For thus men sometimes overreach 
 Qiemselves through greed and guile. 
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 HOW UTTLE JOHN WENT TO THE FAIR AT 
 
 NOTTINGHAM TOWN 
 
 Now we will tell the merry adventures that 
 befell Little John at the shooting-match at Not- 
 tingham, and how he overcame Eric o' Lincoln 
 in the famous bout at quarterstaff in that town ; 
 also how he entered the Sheriff's service, and 
 of his merry encounter with the Sheriff's cook. 
 So listen to what follows. 
 
 I Spring had gone since the Sheriff's feast in 
 Sherwood, and summer also, and the mellow 
 month of October had come. All the air was 
 cool and fresh; the harvests were gathered 
 
at Nottingham Town 53 
 
 home, the young birds were full fledged, the 
 hops were plucked, and apples were ripe. 
 
 With October had come the time for holding 
 the great Fair which was celebrated every five 
 years at Nottingham Town, to which folk came 
 from far and near throughout the countryi^ At 
 such times archery was always the main sport 
 of the day, for the Nottinghamshire yeomen 
 were the best hand at the longbow in all Merry 
 England ; but this year the Sheriff proclaimed 
 that a prize of two fat steers should be given to 
 the best bowman. 
 
 When Robin Hood heard what had been 
 proclaimed he was vexed, and said, " Now 
 beshrew this Sheriff that he should offer such 
 a prize that none but shepherd hinds will care 
 to shoot for it!" 
 
 Then up spoke Little John : " Nay, but 
 hearken, good master," said he, " I would fain 
 go and strive to win even this poor thing among 
 the stout yeomen who will shoot at Nottingham 
 Town. All the disguise that I wish is a good 
 suit of scarlet instead of this of Lincoln green. 
 I will draw the cowl of my jacket about my 
 head so that it will hide my brown hair and 
 beard, and then, I trust, no one will know me." 
 
 So Little John clad himself all in scarlet, and 
 started off to the Fair at Nottingham Town. 
 
54 How Little John Went to the Fair 
 
 Right merry were these Fair days at Not- 
 tingham, when the green before the great town 
 gate was dotted with booths standing in rows, 
 with tents of many-colored canvas, hung about 
 with streamers and garlands of flowers, and the 
 folk came from all the countryside, both gentle 
 and common. In some booths there was danc- 
 ing to merry music, in others flowed ale and 
 beer, and in others yet again sweet cakes and 
 barley sugar were sold ; and sport was going 
 outside the booths also, where some minstrel 
 sang ballads of the olden time, playing a second 
 upon the harp, or where the wrestlers struggled 
 with one another within the sawdust ring ; but 
 the people gathered most of all around a raised 
 platform where stout fellows played at quarter- 
 staff. 
 
 So Little John came to the Fair. All scarlet 
 were his hose and jerkin, and scarlet was his 
 cowled cap, with a scarlet feather stuck in the 
 side of it. Over his shoulders was slung a stout 
 bow of yew, and across his back hung a quiver 
 of good round arrows. Many turned to look 
 after such a stout, tall fellow, for his shoulders 
 were broader by a palm's breadth than any that 
 were there, and he stood a head taller than all 
 the other men. The lasses, also, looked at him 
 askance, thinking they had never seen a lustier 
 youth. 
 
at Nottingham Town 55 
 
 First of all Little John went to the dancing 
 booth, where three men made sweet music with 
 bagpipes. Here he laid aside his bow and his 
 quiver, and joined in the sport, dancing so long 
 that none could stand against him. A score of 
 lasses came, one after another, and strove to 
 dance him down, but could not do so ; for Little 
 John leaped so high, snapping his fingers the 
 while and shouted so loud, that every lass vowed, 
 that she had never seen so sweet a lad in all her 
 life before,_^ 
 
 Then, after he had danced a long time, he 
 strolled to the platform where they were at 
 cudgel-play, for he loved a bout at quarterstaff 
 as he loved meat and drink ; and here befell an 
 adventure that was sung in ballads throughout 
 the mid-country for many a day. 
 
 One fellow there was that cracked crowns of 
 every one who threw cap into the ring. This 
 was Eric o' Lincoln, of great renown, whose 
 name had been sung in ballads throughout the 
 countryside. When Little John reached the 
 stand he found none fighting, but only bold Eric 
 walking up and down the platform, swinging 
 his staff and shouting lustily : " Now, who will 
 come and strike a stroke for the lass he loves 
 the best, with a good Lincolnshire yeoman? 
 How now, lads ? step up ! step up I or else the 
 
56 How Little John Went to the Fair 
 
 lasses' eyes are not bright hereabouts, or the 
 blood of Nottingham youth is sluggish and 
 cold. Lincoln against Nottingham, say I ! for 
 no one hath put foot upon the boards this 
 day such as we of Lincoln call a cudgel- 
 player." 
 
 At this, one would nudge another with his 
 elbow, saying, " Go thou, Ned ! " or " Go thou, 
 Thomas ! " but no lad cared to gain a cracked 
 crown for nothing. 
 
 Presently Eric saw where Little John stood 
 among the others, a head and shoulders above 
 them all, and he called to him loudly, " Halloa, 
 thou long-legged fellow in scarlet ! Broad are 
 thy shoulders and thick thy head ; now, thou 
 great lout, wilt thou not twirl staff for Not- 
 tingham ? " 
 
 " Ay," quoth Little John, " it would pleasure 
 me hugely to crack thy knave's pate, thou 
 saucy braggart! Now, is there never a man 
 here that will lend me a good stout staff till I 
 try the mettle oi yon fellow ? " At this, half a 
 score reached him their staves, and he took the 
 stoutest and heaviest of them all. Thereupon 
 he cast the cudgel upon the stand, and, leaping 
 lightly after it, snatched it up in his hand 
 again. 
 
 Then each man stood in his place and meas- 
 
at Nottingham Town 57 
 
 ured the other with fell looks until he that 
 directed the sport cried, " Play ! " At this they 
 stepped forth, each grasping his staff tightly in 
 the middle. Then those that stood around saw 
 the stoutest game of quarterstafE that e'er Not- 
 tingham Town beheld. At first Eric o' Lin- 
 coln thought that he would gain an easy ad- 
 vantage, so he came forth as if he would say, 
 " Watch, good people, how that I carve you 
 this cockerel right speedily ; " but he presently 
 found it to be no such speedy matter. Right 
 deftly he struck, and with great skill of fence, 
 but he had found his match in Little John. 
 Once, twice, thrice he struck, and three times 
 Little John turned the blows to the left hand 
 and to the right. Then quickly and with a 
 dainty backhanded blow he rapped Eric be- 
 neath his guard so shrewdly that it made his 
 head ring again. Then Eric stepped back to 
 gather his wits, while a great shout went up 
 and all were glad that Nottingham had cracked 
 Lincoln's crown ; ai^d thus ended the first bout 
 of the game. 
 
 Then presently the director of the sport 
 cried, " Play ! " and they came together again ; 
 but now Eric played warily, for he found his 
 man was of right good mettle, and also he had 
 no sweet memory of the blow that he had got ; 
 
58 How Little John Went to the Fair 
 
 so this bout neither Little John nor the Lincoln 
 man caught a stroke within his guard ; then, 
 after a while, they parted again, and this made 
 the second bout. 
 
 Then for the third time they came together, 
 and zS first Eric strove to be wary, as he had 
 been before; but, growing mad at finding him- 
 self so foiled, he lost his wits, and began to rain 
 blows so fiercely and so fast that they rattled 
 like hail on penthouse roof ; but, in spite of all, 
 he did not reach within Little John's guard. 
 Then at last Little John saw his chance and 
 seized it right cleverly. Once more, with a 
 quick blow, he rapped Eric beside the head, 
 and ere he could regain himself. Little John 
 slipped his right hand down to his left, and, 
 with a swinging blow, smote the other so 
 sorely upon the crown that down he fell as 
 though he would never move again. 
 
 Then the people shouted so loud that folk 
 came running from all about to see what was 
 the ado ; while Little John leaped down from 
 the stand and gave the staff back to him that 
 had lent it to him. And thus ended the famous 
 bout between Little John and Eric o' Lincoln 
 of great renown. 
 
 But now the time had come when those who 
 were to shoot with the longbow were to take 
 
CITTLE JOHN OVERCOMES ERIC O' LINCOLN. 
 
at Nottingham Town 6i 
 
 their places, so the people began flocking to 
 the butts where the shooting was to be. Near 
 the target, in a good place, sat the Sheriff, 
 upon a raised dais, with many gentlefolk around 
 him. When the archers had taken their places. 
 the herald came forward and proclaimed the 
 rules of .the game, and how eaich should shoot 
 three shots, and to him that should shoot the 
 best the prize of two fat steers was to belong. 
 A score of brave shots were gathered there, 
 and among them some of the keenest hand'i at 
 the longbow in Lincoln and Nottinghamshire ; 
 and among them Little John stood taller than 
 all the rest. " Who is yon stranger clad all in 
 scarlet?" said some; and others answered, " It 
 is he that hath but now so soundly cracked the 
 crown of Eric o' Lincoln." Thus the people 
 talked among themselves, until at last it reached 
 even the Sheriff's ears. 
 
 And now each man stepped forward and 
 shot in turn ; but though each shot well, Little 
 John was the best of all, for three times he 
 struck the clout, and once only the length of a 
 barleycorn from the centre. " Hey for the tail 
 archer 1" shouted the crowd; and some among 
 them shouted, " Hey for Reynold Greenleaf ! " 
 for this was the name that Little John had 
 called himself that day. 
 
62 How Little John Went to the Fair 
 
 Then the Sheritt stepped down from the 
 raised seat and came to where the archers 
 stood, while all dofied their caps that saw him 
 coming. He looked keenly at Little John, but 
 did not know him, though he said, after a 
 while, " How now, good fellow, methinks there 
 is that about thy face that I have seen ere- 
 while." 
 
 " Mayhap it may be so," quoth Little John, 
 '« for often have I seen your worship ; " and, as 
 as he spoke, he looked steadily into the 
 Sheriff's eyes, so that the latter did not suspect 
 who he was. 
 
 "A brave blade art thou, good friend," said 
 the Sheriff, " and I hear that thou hast well up- 
 held the skill of Nottinghamshire against that 
 of Lincoln this day. What may be thy name, 
 good fellow ? " 
 
 " Men do call me Reynold Greenleaf, your 
 worship," said Little John ; and the old ballad 
 that tells of this, adds, " So, in truth, was he a 
 green leaf, but of what manner of tree the 
 Sheriff wotted not." 
 
 " Now, Reynold Greenleaf," quoth the 
 Sheriff, " thou art the fairest hand at the long- 
 bow that mine eyes ever beheld, next to that 
 false knave, Robin Hood, from whose wiles 
 Heaven f orfend me ! Wilt thou join my serv* 
 
at Nottingham Town 63 
 
 ice, good fellow? Thou shalt be paid rig'ht 
 well, for three suits of clothes shalt thou have 
 a year, with good food ; and, beside this, I will 
 pay thee forty marks each Michaelmastide." * 
 
 " Then here stand I a free man, and right 
 gladly will I enter thy household," said Little 
 John ; for he thought he might find some 
 merry jest, should he enter the Sheriff's service. 
 
 " Fairly hast thou won the fat steers," said 
 the Sheriff, " for, I wot, thou shootest as fair a 
 shaft as Robin Hood himself." 
 
 " Then," said Little John, " for joy of having 
 gotten myself into thy service, I will give the 
 fat steers to all these good folk, to feast withal." 
 At this arose a great shout, many casting their 
 caps aloft, for joy of the gift. _ 
 
 Then some built great fire's and roasted the 
 steers, and all made themselves merry; and, 
 when they had eaten and drunk as much as 
 they could, and when the day faded and the 
 great moon arose, all red and round, over the 
 spires and towers of Nottingham Town, they 
 joined hands and danced around the fires, to 
 the music of bagpipes and harps. But long 
 before this merrymaking had begun, the Sheriff 
 and his new servant, Reynold Greenleaf, were 
 in the Castle of Nottingham. 
 
64 How Little John 
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 
 HOW LITTLE JOHN LEFT THE SHERIFF'S 
 SERVICE 
 
 Thus little John entered into the Sheriff's 
 service, and found the life he led there easy 
 enough, for the Sheriff made him his right- 
 hand man, and held him in great favor. He 
 sat nigh the Sheriff at meat, and he ran beside 
 his horse when he went a-hunting; so that, 
 what with hunting and hawking a little, and 
 eating rich dishes and sleeping until late hours 
 in the morning, he grew as fat as a stall-fed ox. 
 
 One morning the Sheriff and many of his 
 men set forth to meet certain lords, to go a- 
 hunting. As for Little John, he lay abed, snor- 
 ing lustily, till the sun was high in the heavens. 
 
 When he came down-stairs he saw the Stew- 
 ard standing near the pantry door, — a great, 
 fat man, with a huge bundle of keys hanging to 
 his girdle. Then Little John said, " Ho, Mas- 
 ter Steward, a hungry man am I, for naught 
 have I had for all this blessed morn. There- 
 fore, give me to eat." 
 
 Then the Steward looked grimly at him and 
 rattled the keys in his girdle. "So, Mastei* 
 Reynold Greenleaf, thou art an hungered, art 
 
Left the Sheriff's Service 65 
 
 thou?" quoth he. "But, fair youth, if thou 
 livest long enough, thou wilt find that he who 
 getteth overmuch sleep for an idle head goeth 
 with an empty stomach. For what sayeth the 
 old saw. Master Greenleaf ? is it not * The late 
 fowl findeth but ill faring? ' " 
 
 " Now, thou great purse of fat ! ** cried Little 
 John, "I ask thee not for fool's wisdom, but 
 for bread and meat. Who art thou, that thou 
 shouldst deny me to eat?" So saying, he 
 strode to the pantry and tried to open the 
 door ; but found it locked, whereat the Stew- 
 ard laughed and rattled his keys again. Then 
 the wrath of Little John boiled over, and, lifting 
 his clenched fist, he smote the pantry door, 
 bursting out three panels, and making so large 
 an opening that he could easily stoop and walk 
 through it. 
 
 When the Steward saw what was done, he 
 waxed mad with rage ; and, as Little John 
 stooped to look within the pantry, he seized 
 him from behind by the nape of the neck, 
 pinching him sorely and smiting him over the 
 head with his keys till the yeoman's ears rang 
 again. At this Little John turned upon the 
 Steward and smote him such a buffet that the 
 fat man fell to the floor and lay there as though 
 he would never move again. " There," quoth 
 
66 How Little John 
 
 Little John, " think well of that stroke and 
 never keep a good breakfast from a hungry 
 man again." 
 
 So saying, he crept into the pantry and 
 looked about him to see if he could find some- 
 thing to appease his hunger. He saw a great 
 venison pasty and two roasted capons, beside 
 which was a platter of plover's eggs — a swee^ 
 sight to a hungry man. These he took down 
 from the shelves and placed upon a sideboard, 
 and prepared to make himself merry. 
 
 Now the Cook, in the kitchen across the 
 courtyard, heard the loud talking between 
 Little John and the Steward, and also the blow 
 that Little John struck the other, so he came 
 running across the court and up the stairway 
 to where the Steward's pantry was, bearing in 
 his hands the spit with the roast still upon it. 
 Meanwhile the Steward had gathered his wits 
 about him and risen to his feet, so that when 
 the Cook came to the Steward's pantry he saw 
 him glowering through the broken door at 
 Little John, who was making ready for a good 
 repast. When the Steward saw the Cook, he 
 came to him, and putting one arm over his 
 shoulder, " Alas, sweet friend ! " quoth he, — 
 for the Cook was a tall, stout man, — "seest 
 thon what that vile knave, Reynold Greenleaf, 
 
Left the Sheriff's Service 6y 
 
 hath done ? He hath broken in upon our mas- 
 ter's goods, and hath smitten me a buffet upon 
 the ear, so that I thought I was dead. Good 
 Cook, I love thee well; also I have ten shil- 
 lings that I mean to give as a gift to thee. But 
 hatest thou not to see a vile upstart like this 
 Reynold Greenleaf taking it upon him so 
 bravely ? " 
 
 " Ay, marry, that do I," quoth the Cook 
 boldly, for he liked the Steward because of his 
 talk of the ten shillings. " Get thee gone 
 straightway to thy room, and I will bring out 
 this knave by his ears." So saying, he laid 
 aside his spit and drew the sword that hung 
 by his side ; whereupon the Steward left as 
 quickly as he could, for he hated the sight of 
 naked steel. 
 
 Then the Cook walked straightway to the 
 broken pantry door, through which he saw 
 Little John tucking a napkin beneath his chin, 
 and preparing to make himself merry. 
 
 " Why, how now, Reynold Greenleaf?" said 
 the Cook ; " thou art no better than a thief, I 
 wot. Come thou straight forth, man, or I will 
 carve thee as I would carve a sucking pig." 
 
 " Nay, good Cook, bear thou thyself more 
 seemingly, or else I will come forth to thy dole. 
 At most times I am as a yearling lamb, but 
 
68 How Little John 
 
 when one cometh between me and my meat, I 
 am a raging lion, as it were." 
 
 " Lion or no lion," quoth the valorous Cook, 
 " come thou straight forth, else thou art a cow- 
 ard heart as well as a knavish thief." 
 
 " Ha ! " cried Little John, " coward's name 
 have I never had ; so, look to thyself, good 
 Cook, for I come forth straight, the roaring 
 lion I did speak of but now." 
 
 Then he, too, drew his sword and came out 
 of the pantry; then, putting themselves into 
 position, they came slowly together, with grim 
 and angry looks ; but suddenly Little John 
 lowered his point. " Hold, good Cook ! " said 
 he. " Now, I bethink me it were ill of us to 
 fight with good victuals standing so nigh, and 
 such a feast as would befit two stout fellows 
 such as we are. Marry, good friend, I think 
 we should enjoy this fair feast ere we fight. 
 What sayest thou, jolly Cook ? " 
 
 At this speech the Cook looked up and 
 down, scratching his head in doubt, for he 
 loved good feasting. At last he drew a long 
 breath, and said to Little John, " Well, good 
 friend, I like thy plan right well ; so, pretty 
 boy, say I, let us feast, with all my heart, for 
 one of us may sup in Paradise before night- 
 fall." 
 
Left tne Sheriff's Service 69 
 
 So each thrust his sword back into the scab- 
 bard, and entered the pantry ; then, after they 
 had seated themselves, Little John drew his 
 dagger and thrust it into the pie. " A hungry 
 man must be fed," quoth he, " so, sweet chuck, 
 I help myself without leave." But the Cook 
 did not lag far behind, for straightway his 
 hands also were deeply thrust within the 
 goodly pasty. After this, neither of them 
 spoke further, but used their teeth to better 
 purpose. But though neither spoke, they 
 looked at one another, each thinking within 
 himself that he had never seen a more lusty 
 fellow than the one across the board. 
 
 At last, after a long time had passed, the 
 Cook drew a full, deep breath, as though of 
 much regret, and wiped his hands upon the 
 napkin, for he could eat no more. Little John, 
 also, had enough, for he pushed the pasty 
 aside, as though he would say, " I want thee 
 by me no more, good friend." 
 
 " And now. Master Reynold Greenleaf," said 
 the Cook, " the day draweth on, and I have my 
 cooking to do ere our master cometh home ; so 
 let us e'en go and settle this brave fight we 
 have in hand." 
 
 " Ay, marry," quoth Little John, " and that 
 right speedily. Never have I been more lag- 
 
yo How Little John 
 
 gard in fighting than in eating. So come thou 
 straight forth into the passage-way, where 
 there is good room to swing a sword, and I 
 will try to serve thee." 
 
 Then they both stepped forth into the broad 
 passage that led to the Steward's pantry, where 
 each man drew his sword again, and without 
 more ado fell upon the other as though he 
 would hew his fellow limb from limb. Then 
 their swords clashed upon one another with 
 great din, and sparks flew from each blow in 
 showers. So they fought up and down the 
 hall for an hour and more, neither striking the 
 other a blow, though they strove their best to 
 do so ; for both were skilful at the fence ; so 
 nothing came of all their labor. Ever and 
 anon they rested, panting ; then, after getting 
 their wind, at it they would go again more 
 fiercely than ever. At last Little John cried 
 aloud, " Hold, good Cook I " whereupon each 
 rested upon his sword, panting. 
 
 " Now will I make' my vow," quoth Little 
 John, " thou art the very best swordsman that 
 ever mine eyes beheld. Truly, I had thought 
 to carve thee ere now." 
 
 " And I had thought to do the same by thee," 
 quoth the Cook ; " but I have missed the mark 
 somehow." 
 
Left the Sheriff's Service 71 
 
 " Now I have been thinking within myself," 
 quoth Little John, " what we are fighting for; 
 but albeit I do not rightly know." 
 
 " Why, no more do I," said the Cook. " I 
 bear no love for that pursy Steward, but I 
 thought that we had engaged to fight with one 
 another, and that it must be done." 
 
 " Now," quoth Little John, " it doth seem to 
 me that instead of striving to cut one another's 
 throats, it were better for us to be boon com- 
 panions. What sayest thou, jolly Cook, wilt 
 thou go with me to Sherwood Forest and join 
 with Robin Hood's band? Thou shalt live 
 a merry life within the woodlands, and seven, 
 score good companions shalt thou have, one of 
 whom is mine own self. Thou shalt have two 
 suits of Lincoln green each year, and forty 
 marks in pay." 
 
 " Now, thou art a man after mine own heart!" 
 cried the Cook right heartily ; " and, as thou 
 speakest of it, that is the very service for me. 
 I will go with thee, and that right gladly. Give 
 me thy palm, sweet fellow, and I will be thine 
 own companion from henceforth. What may 
 be thy name, lad?" 
 
 " Men do call me Little John, good fellow." 
 " How ? And art thou indeed Little John, 
 and Robin Hood's own right-hand man ? Many 
 
72 How Little John 
 
 a time and oft have I heard of thee, but never 
 did I hope to set eyes upon thee. And thou 
 art indeed the famous Little John ! " And the 
 Cook seemed lost in amazement, and looked 
 upon his companion with open eyes. 
 
 " I am Little John, indeed, and I will bring 
 to Robin Hood this day a right stout fellow to 
 join his merry band. But ere we go, good 
 friend, it seemeth to me to be a vast pity that, 
 as we have had so much of the good Sheriff's 
 food, we should not also carry off some of his 
 silver plate to Robin Hood, as a present from 
 his worship." 
 
 "Ay, marry is it," said the Cook. And so 
 they began hunting about, and took as much 
 silver as they could lay hands upon, clapping 
 it into a bag, and when they had filled the sack 
 they set forth to Sherwood Forest. 
 
 The Sherifi of Nottingham and a gay com- 
 pany were hunting near the forest. Suddenly 
 Little John appeared before them and doffed 
 his cap and bent his knee. " God save thee, 
 good master," quoth he. 
 
 "Why, Reynold Greenleaf!" cried the 
 Sheriff, " whence comest thou and where hast 
 thou been?" 
 
 " I have been in the forest," answered Little 
 
Left the Sheriff's Service '^^ 
 
 John, speaking amazedly, " and there I saw a 
 sight such as ne'er before man's eyes beheld I 
 Yonder I saw a young hart all of green from 
 top to toe, and about him was a herd of three- 
 score deer, and they, too, were all of green from 
 head to foot. Yet I dared not shoot, good 
 master, for fear lest they should slay me." 
 
 " Why, how now, Reynold Greenleaf," cried 
 the Sheriff; "art thou dreaming, or art thou 
 mad, that thou dost bring me such a tale?" 
 
 " Nay, I am not dreaming nor am I mad," said 
 Little John ; " and if thou wilt come with me, I 
 will show thee this fair sight, for I have seen it 
 with mine own eyes. But thou must come 
 alone, good master, lest the others frighten 
 them and they make away." 
 
 So the party all rode forward, and Little John 
 le.d them downward into the forest. 
 
 " Now, good master," quoth he at last, " we 
 are nigh where I saw this herd." 
 
 Then the Sheriff descended from his horse 
 and bade them wait for him until he should 
 return; and Little John led him forward 
 through a close copse until suddenly they came 
 to a great open glade, at the end of which 
 Robin Hood sat beneath the shade of the great 
 oak tree, with his merry men all about him. 
 " See, good master Sheriff," quoth Little John, 
 
74 How Little John 
 
 "yonder is the hart of which I spake to 
 thee." 
 
 At this the Sherifi turned to Little John, and 
 said bitterly, " Long ago I thought I remem- 
 bered thy face, but now I know thee. Woe 
 betide thee, Little John, for thou hast betrayed 
 me this day." 
 
 Then Little John laughed aloud. " Good 
 Master Sheriff," said he, " thou dost indeed 
 know me, and I am Little John." 
 
 In the meantime Robin Hood had come to 
 them. " Now welcome. Master Sheriff," he 
 said. " Hast thou come to take another feast 
 with me ? " 
 
 " Nay, Heaven forbid ! " said the Sheriff, in 
 tones of deep earnest. " I care for no feast and 
 have no hunger to-day." 
 
 " I am grieved that thou wilt not feast with 
 me. Master Sheriff," quoth Robin, " for thou 
 couldst have victuals to thy liking, for there 
 stands thy Cook." 
 
 Then he led the Sheriff, will-he-nill-he, to the 
 seat he knew so well beneath the greenwood 
 tree. 
 
 " Ho, lads ! " cried Robin, " fill our good 
 friend, the Sheriff, a drink of refreshment and 
 fetch it hither, for he is faint and weary." 
 
 Then one of the band brought the Sheriff a 
 
Left the Sheriff's Service 75 
 
 cup, bowing low as he handed it to him ; but the 
 Sheriff could not touch it, for he saw that it 
 was one of his o'wn silver flagons, served on 
 one of his own silver plates. 
 
 " How now," quoth Robin, " dost thou not 
 like our new silver service ? We have gotten 
 a bag of it this day." So saying, he held up 
 the sack of silver that Little John and the Cook 
 had brought with them. 
 
 Then the Sheriff's heart was bitter within 
 him ; but, not daring to say anything, he only 
 gazed upon the ground. Robin looked keenly 
 at him for a time before he spoke again ; then 
 said he, " Now, Master Sheriff, the last time 
 thou earnest to Sherwood Forest thou didst 
 come seeking to despoil a poor spendthrift, and 
 thou wert despoiled thine own self ; but now 
 thou comest seeking to do no harm, nor do I 
 know that thou hast despoiled any man. I take 
 my tithes from lordly squires, to help those 
 that they despoil and to raise up those that they 
 bow down ; but I know not that thou hast 
 tenants of thine own whom thou hast wronged 
 in any way. Therefore, take thou thine own 
 again ; nor will I dispossess thee to-day of so 
 much as one farthing. Come with me, and I 
 will lead thee from the forest back to thine own 
 party again." 
 
76 How Little John Left the Sheriff 
 
 Then, slinging the bag upon his shoulder, he 
 turned away, the Sheriff following him, all too 
 perplexed in mind to speak. So they went for- 
 ward until they came to within a furlong of 
 the spot where the Sheriff's companions were 
 waiting for him. Then Robin Hood gave the 
 sack of silver to the Sheriff. " Take thou thine 
 own again," he said, " and, hearken to me, good 
 Sheriff, take thou a piece of advice with it. 
 Try thy servants well ere thou dost engage 
 them again so readily." Then, turning, he left 
 the other standing bewildered, with the sack in 
 his hands. 
 
 The company that waited for the Sheriff were 
 all amazed to see him come out of the forest 
 bearing a heavy sack upon his shoulders ; but 
 though they questioned him, he answered never 
 a word, acting like one who walks in a dream. 
 Without a word, he placed the bag across his 
 nag's back, and then, mounting, rode away, all 
 following him ; but all the time there was a 
 great turmoil of thoughts within his head, 
 tumbling one over the other. And thus ends 
 the merry tale of Little John and how he entered 
 the Sheriff's service. 
 
How Little John Fought the Tanner "jy 
 CHAPTER VII 
 
 HOW LITTLE JOHN FOUGHT THE TANNER OF 
 BLYTH 
 
 One fine day, not long after Little John had 
 left abiding with the Sheriff and had come 
 back to the merry greenwood, Robin Hood 
 and a few chosen fellows of his band lay upon 
 the soft sward beneath the greenwood tree 
 where they dwelt. The day was warm and 
 sultry, so that whilst most of the band were 
 scattered through the forest upon this mission 
 and upon that, these few stout fellows lay lazily 
 beneath the shade of the tree, in the soft after- 
 noon, passing jests among themselves and tell- 
 ing merry stories, with laughter and mirth. 
 
 All the air was laden with the bitter fra- 
 grance of the May, and all the bosky shades 
 of the woodlands beyond rang with the sweet 
 song of birds, — the throstle-cock, the cuckoo, 
 and the wood-pigeon, — and with the song of 
 birds mingled the cool sound of the gurgling 
 brook that leaped out of the forest shades, and 
 ran fretting amid its rough, gray stones across 
 the sunlit open glade before the trysting-tree. 
 And a fair sight was that halfscore of tall, stout 
 yeomen, all clad in Lincoln green, lying be- 
 
78 How Little John Fought 
 
 neath the broad-spreading branches of the 
 great oak tree, amid the quivering leaves of 
 which the sunlight shivered and fell in dancing 
 patches upon the grass. 
 
 Suddenly Robin Hood smote his knee. 
 
 " By Saint Dunstan," quoth he, " I had nigh 
 forgot that quarter-day cometh on apace, and 
 yet no cloth of Lincoln green in all our store. 
 It must be looked to, and that in quick season. 
 Come, busk thee, Little John ! stir those lazy 
 bones of thine, for thou must get thee straight- 
 way to our good gossip, the draper, Hugh 
 Longshanks of Ancaster. Bid him send us 
 straightway twentyscore yards of fair cloth of 
 Lincoln green. Bide thou here till I bring 
 thee money to pay our good Hugh. I warrant 
 he hath no better customers in all Nottingham- 
 shire than we." So saying, Robin left them 
 and entered the forest. 
 
 Not far from the trysting-tree was a great 
 rock in which a chamber had been hewn, the 
 entrance being barred by a massive oaken door 
 two palms' breadth in thickness, studded about 
 with spikes, and fastened with a great padlock. 
 This was the treasure-house of the band, and 
 thither Robin Hood went, and, unlocking the 
 door, entered the chamber, from which he 
 brought forth a bag of gold, which he gave to 
 
the Tanner of Blyth 79 
 
 Little John, to pay Hugh Longshanks withal, 
 for the cloth of Lincoln green. 
 
 Then up got Little John, and, taking the bag 
 of gold, which he thrust into his bosom, he 
 strapped a girdle about his loins, took a stout 
 pike-staff full seven feet long in his hand, and 
 set forth upon his journey, Robin Hood going 
 with him a part of the way for company's sake. 
 
 So they strode whistling along the leafy forest 
 path that led to Fosse Way, where, with a shake 
 of the hand, the two parted company, Little 
 John jogging upon his way and Robin Hood 
 turning aside for a little rest and a bit of gossip 
 at the Blue Boar Inn. 
 
 Now, in the good town of Blyth there lived 
 a stout tanner, celebrated far and near for feats 
 of strength and many tough bouts at wrestling 
 and the quarterstaff. For five years he had 
 held the midcountry champion belt for wres- 
 tling, till the great Adam o' Lincoln cast him 
 in the ring and broke one of his ribs ; but at 
 quarterstaff he had never yet met his match in 
 all the country about. Beside all this, he dearly 
 loved the longbow, and a sly jaunt in the for- 
 est when the moon was full and the dun deer 
 in season ; so that the King's rangers kept a 
 shrewd eye upon him and his doings, for 
 Arthur a Bland's house was apt to have a 
 
8o How Little John Fought 
 
 plenty of meat in it that was more like venison 
 than the law allowed. 
 
 Now Arthur had been to Nottingham Town 
 to sell a halfscore of tanned cowhides. At the 
 dawn of the day he started homeward for 
 Blyth. His way led, all in the dewy morn, 
 past the verge of Sherwood Forest, where the 
 birds were welcoming the lovely day with a 
 great and merry jubilee. Across the tanner's 
 shoulders was slung his stout quarterstaff, ever 
 near enough to him to be gripped quickly, and 
 on his head was a cap of doubled cowhide, so 
 tough that it could hardly be cloven even by a 
 broadsword. 
 
 "Now," quoth Arthur a Bland to himself, 
 when he had come to that part of the road that 
 cut through a corner of the forest, " no doubt 
 at this time of year the dun deer are coming 
 from the forest depths nigher to the open 
 meadow lands. Mayhap I may chance to catch 
 a sight of the dainty brown darlings thus early 
 in the morn." For there was nothing he loved 
 better than to look upon a tripping herd of 
 deer, even when he could not tickle their ribs 
 with a clothyard shaft. Accordingly, quitting 
 the path, he went peeping this way and that 
 through the underbrush, spying now here and 
 now there, with all the wiles of a master of 
 
the Tanner of Blyth 8i 
 
 woodcraft, and of one who had more than once 
 donned a doublet of Lincoln green. 
 
 Now as Little John stepped blithely along, 
 thinking of nothing but of such things as the 
 sweetness of the hawthorn buds that bedecked 
 the hedgerows, or the crab-trees that stood 
 here and there all covered with fair pink blos- 
 soms, or gazing upward at the lark, that, 
 springing from the dewy grass, hung aloft on 
 quivering wings in the yellow sunlight, pour- 
 ing forth its song that fell like a falling star 
 from the sky, his luck led him away from the 
 highway, not far from the spot where Arthur a 
 Bland was peeping this way and that through 
 the leaves of the thickets. Hearing a rustling 
 of the branches, Little John stopped, and pres- 
 ently caught sight of the brown cowhide cap 
 of the Tanner moving amongst the bushes. 
 
 " I do much wonder," quoth Little John to 
 himself, " what yon knave is after, that he 
 should go thus peeping and peering about. I' 
 verily believe that yon scurvy varlet is no better 
 than a thief, and cometh here after our own 
 and the good King's dun deer." For by much 
 roving in the forest. Little John had come to 
 look upon all the deer in Sherwood as belong- 
 ing to Robin Hood and his band as much as to 
 good King Harry. " Nay," quoth he again. 
 
82 How Little John Fought 
 
 after a time, " this matter must e'en be looked 
 into." So, quitting the high-road, he also 
 entered the thickets, and began spying around 
 after stout Arthur a Bland. 
 
 So for a long time they both of them went 
 hunting about, Little John after the Tanner, 
 and the Tanner after the deer. At last Little 
 John trod upon a stick, which snapped under 
 his feet, whereupon, hearing the noise, the 
 Tanner turned quickly and caught sight of the 
 yeoman. Seeing that the Tanner had spied him 
 out. Little John put a bold face upon the matter, 
 
 " Hilloa," quoth he, " what art thou doing 
 here, thou naughty fellow ? Who art thou that 
 comest ranging Sherwood's paths? In very 
 sooth thou hast an evil cast of countenance, and 
 I do think, truly, that thou art no better than g, 
 thief, and comest after our good King's deer." 
 
 " Nay," quoth the Tanner boldly, foi", though 
 taken by surprise, he was not a man to be 
 frightened by big words, — " thou liest in thy 
 teeth, I am no thief, but an honest craftsman. 
 As for my countenance, it is what it is ; and, fof 
 the matter of that, thine own is none too pretty, 
 thou saucy fellow," 
 
 " Ha I " quoth Little John, in a great loud 
 voice, " wouldst thou give me back-talk? Now 
 I have a great part of a mind to crack thy pate 
 
the Tanner of Blyth 83 
 
 for thee. I would have thee know, fellow, that 
 I am, as it were, one of the King's foresters. 
 Leastwise," muttered he to himself, " I and my 
 friends do take good care of our good sov- 
 ereign's deer." 
 
 " I care not who thou art," answered the bold 
 Tanner, " and unless thou hast many more of 
 thy kind by thee, thou canst never make Arthur 
 a Bland cry ' A mercy.' " 
 
 " Is it so ? " cried Little John, in a rage. 
 " Now, by my faith, thou saucy rogue, thy 
 tongue hath led thee into a pit thou wilt have 
 a sorry time getting out of ; for I will give thee 
 such a drubbing as ne'er hast thou had in all 
 thy life before. Take thy staff in thy hand, 
 fellow, for I will not smite an unarmed man." 
 
 " Marry come up with a murrain ! " cried the 
 Tanner, for he, too, had talked himself into a 
 fume. " Big words ne'er killed so much as a 
 mouse. Who art thou that talkest so freely of 
 cracking the head of Arthur a Bland ? If I do 
 not tan thy hide this day as ne'er I tanned a 
 calf's hide in all my life before, split my staff 
 into skewers for lamb's flesh and call me no 
 more brave man! Now look to thyself, fel- 
 low ! " 
 
 " Stay ! " said Little John ; " let us first meas- 
 ure our cudgels. I do reckon my staff longer 
 
84 How Little John Fought 
 
 than thine, and I would not take vantage of 
 thee by even so much as an inch." 
 
 " Nay, I pass not for length," answered the 
 Tanner. " My staff is long enough to knock 
 down a calf ; so look to thyself, fellow, I say 
 again." 
 
 So, without more ado, each gripped his staff 
 in the middle, and, with fell and angry looks, 
 they came slowly together. 
 
 At about this time Robin Hood was retura 
 ing homeward again from the Blue Boar. As 
 he jogged along the leafy road he heard, of a 
 sudden, loud and angry voices, as of men in a 
 rage, passing fell words back and forth from 
 one to the other. At this, Robin Hood stopped 
 and listened. " Surely," quoth he to himself, 
 " that is Little John's voice, and he is talking 
 in anger also. Methinks the other is strange 
 to my ears. Now Heaven forfend that my good 
 trusty Little John should have fallen into the 
 hands of the King's rangers. I must see to this 
 matter, and that quickly." 
 
 So, cautiously, he made his way through the 
 thickets whence the voices came, and, pushing 
 aside the leaves, peeped into the little open 
 space where the two men, staff in hand, were 
 coming slowly together. " Ha ! " quoth Robin 
 
the Tanner of Blyth 85 
 
 to himself, " here is merry sport afoot, and no 
 harm to anybody ! " So saying, and being him- 
 self yet unseen, he crept privily beneath a 
 spreading bush and stretched himself at length 
 upon the ground, that he might not only see the 
 better, but that he might enjoy the merry sight 
 at his ease. 
 
 As you may have seen two dogs that think to 
 fight, walking slowly round and round each 
 other, neither cur wishing to begin the combat, 
 so those two stout yeomen moved slowly 
 around, each watching for a chance to take the 
 other unaware, and so get in the first blow. At 
 last Little John struck like a flash, and, " rap," 
 the Tanner met the blow and turned it aside, 
 and then smote back at Little John, who also 
 turned the blow ; and so this mighty battle 
 began. Then up and down and back and forth 
 they trod, the blows falling so thick and fast 
 that, at a distance, one would have thought 
 that half a score of men were fighting. Thus 
 they fought for nigh half an hour, until the 
 ground was all ploughed up with the digging 
 of their heels, and their breathing grew labored 
 like the ox in the furrow. But Little John 
 suffered the most, for he had become unused to 
 such stiff labor, and his joints were not as sup- 
 ple as they had been before he went to dwell 
 with the Sheriff. 
 
86 How Little John Fought 
 
 All this time Robin Hood lay beneath the 
 bush, rejoicing at such a comely bout of quar- 
 terstaff. " By my faith ! " quoth he to himself, 
 " never had I thought to see Little John so 
 evenly matched in all my life. Belike, though, 
 he would have overcome yon stout fellow 
 before this, had he been in his former trim." 
 
 At last Little John saw his chance, and, 
 throwing all the strength he felt going from 
 him into one blow that might have felled an ox, 
 he struck at the Tanner with might and main. 
 And now did the Tanner's cowhide cap stand 
 him in good stead, and but for it he might 
 never have held his staff in hand again. As it 
 was, the blow he caught beside the head was 
 so shrewd that it sent him staggering across the 
 little glade, so that, if Little John had had his old 
 quickness to follow up his vantage, it would 
 have been ill for stout Arthur. But he regained 
 himself quickly, and, at arm's length, struck 
 back a blow at Little John, and this time the 
 stroke reached its mark, and down went Little 
 John at full length, his cudgel flying from his 
 hand as he fell. Then, raising his staff, stout 
 Arthur dealt him another blow upon the 
 ribs. 
 
 " Hold ! " roared Little John. « Wouldst thou 
 strike a man when he is down ? " 
 
the Tanner of Blyth 87 
 
 " Ay, marry, would I," quoth the Tanner, 
 giving him another thwack with his staff. 
 
 " Stop ! " roared Little John. " Help ! hold, 
 I say ! I yield me ! I yield me, I say, good 
 fellow ! " 
 
 " Hast thou had enough ?" asked the Tanner, 
 grimly, holding his staff aloft. 
 
 " Ay, marry, and more than enough." 
 
 " And thou dost own that I am the better 
 man of the two ? " 
 
 " Yea, truly, and a murrain seize thee ! " said 
 Little John, the first aloud and the last to his 
 beard. 
 
 " Then thou mayest go thy ways ; and thank 
 thy patron saint that I am a merciful man," said 
 the Tanner. 
 
 " A plague o' such mercy as thine ! " said 
 Little John, sitting up and feeling his ribs where 
 the Tanner had cudgelled him. " I make my 
 vow, my ribs feel as though every one of them 
 were broken in twain. I tell thee, good fellow, 
 I did think there was never a man in all Not- 
 tinghamshire could do to me what thou hast 
 done this day." 
 
 " And so thought I, also," cried Robin Hood, 
 bursting out of the thicket and shouting with 
 laughter till the tears ran down his cheeks. 
 " O man, man ! " said he, as well as he could 
 
88 How Little John Fought 
 
 for his mirth, " 'a did go over like a little bottle 
 knocked from a wall. I did see the whole 
 merry bout, and never did I think to see thee 
 yield thyself so, hand and foot, to any man in 
 all merry England. Marry, 'a did reach out 
 his arm full length whilst thou stood gaping at 
 him, and, with a pretty rap, tumbled thee over 
 as never have I seen one tumbled before," So 
 spoke bold Robin, and all the time Little John 
 sat upon the ground, looking as though he had 
 sour curds in his mouth. " What may be thy 
 name, good fellow ? " said Robin, next, turning 
 to the Tanner. 
 
 " Men do call me Arthur a Bland," spoke up 
 the Tanner, boldly ; " and now what may be 
 thy name? " 
 
 "Ha, Arthur a Bland!" quoth Robin, "I 
 have heard thy name before, good fellow. 
 Thou didst break the crown of a friend of 
 mine at the fair at Ely last October. The folk 
 there call him Jock o' Nottingham ; we call him 
 Will Scathelock. This poor fellow whom thou 
 hast so belabored is counted the best hand at 
 the quarterstaff in all merry England. His 
 name is Little John, and mine Robin Hood." 
 
 " How !" cried the Tanner, " art thou indeed 
 the great Robin Hood, and is this the famous 
 Little John ? Marry, had I known who thou 
 
the Tanner of Blyth 89 
 
 art, I would never have been so bold as to lift 
 my hand against thee. Let me help thee to 
 thy feet, good Master Little John, and let me 
 brush the dust from off thy coat." 
 
 " Nay," quoth Little John, testily, at the same 
 time rising carefully, as though his bones had 
 been made of glass, " I can help myself, good 
 fellow, without thy aid ; and, let me tell thee, 
 had it not been for that vile cowskin cap of 
 thine, it would have been ill for thee this day." 
 
 At this Robin laughed again, and, turning to 
 the Tanner, he said, " Wilt thou join my band, 
 good Arthur? for I make my vow thou art 
 one of the stoutest men that ever mine eyes 
 beheld." 
 
 "Will I join thy band?" cried the Tanner, 
 joyfully; "ay, marry, will I! Hey for a merry 
 life ! " cried he, leaping aloft and snapping his 
 fingers, " and hey for the life I love ! Away 
 with tanbark and filthy vats and foul cowhides! 
 I will follow thee to the ends of the earth, 
 good master, and not a herd of dun deer in all 
 the forest but shall know the sound of the 
 twang of my bowstring." 
 
 Thereupon, leaving the thickets, they took 
 once more to the highway, and departed upon 
 their business. 
 
go How Robin Hood 
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 
 HOW ROBIN HOOD FELL IN WITH WILL 
 SCARLET 
 
 After they had travelled some distance, the 
 day being warm and the road dusty, Robin 
 Hood waxed thirsty; so, there being a foun- 
 tain of water as cold as ice, just behind the 
 hedgerow, they crossed the stile and came to 
 where the water bubbled up from beneath a 
 mossy stone. Here, kneeling and making cups 
 of the palms of their hands, they drank their 
 fill, and then, the spot being cool and shady, 
 they stretched their limbs and rested them for 
 a space. 
 
 In front of them, over beyond the hedge, the 
 dusty road stretched away across the plain; 
 behind them the meadow lands and bright 
 green fields of tender young corn lay broadly 
 in the sun, and overhead spread the shade of 
 the cool, rustling leaves of the beechen tree. 
 Pleasantly to their nostrils came the tender 
 fragrance of the purple violets and wild thyme 
 that grew within the dewy moisture of the 
 edge of the little fountain, and pleasantly came 
 the soft gurgle of the water; all else was sunny 
 silence, broken only now and then by' the crow 
 
Fell in with Will Scarlet 91 
 
 of a distant cock, borne up to them on the 
 wings of the soft and gentle breeze, or the 
 drowsy drone of the humble-bee burrowing in 
 the clover blossoms that grew in the sun, or the 
 voice of the busy housewife in the nearest 
 farmhouse. All was so pleasant and so full of 
 the gentle Joy of the bright Maytime, that for 
 a long time neither of the three cared to speak, 
 but each lay on his back, gazing up through 
 the trembling leaves of the trees to the bright 
 sky overhead. At last, Robin, whose thoughts 
 were not quite so busy wool-gathering as those 
 of the others, and who had been gazing around 
 him now and then, broke the silence. 
 
 " Heyday ! " quoth he, "yon is a gayly-feath*- 
 ered bird, I take my vow." 
 
 The others looked and saw a young man 
 walking slowly down the highway. Gay was 
 he, indeed, as Robin had said, and a fine figure 
 he cut, for his doublet was of scarlet silk and 
 his hosen also ; a handsome sword hung by ' 
 his side, the embossed leathern scabbard being 
 picked out with fine threads of gold ; his cap 
 was of scarlet velvet, and a broad feather hung 
 down behind and back of one ear. His hair 
 was long and yellow and curled upon his 
 shoulders, and in his hand he bore an early 
 rose, which he smelt at daintily now and then. 
 
$2 How Robin Hood 
 
 " By my life ! " quoth Robin Hood, laugh- 
 ing, " saw ye e'er such a pretty, mincing 
 fellow?" 
 
 " Truly, his clothes have overmuch prettiness 
 for ray taste," quoth Arthur a Bland ; " but, 
 ne'ertheless, his shoulders are broad and his 
 loins are narrow and seest thou, good master, 
 how that his arms hang from his body ? They 
 dangle not down like spindles, but hang stiff 
 and bend at the elbow. I take my vow, there 
 be no bread and milk limbs in those fine 
 clothes, but stiff joints and tough thews." 
 
 " Methinks thou art right, friend Arthur," 
 said Little John. " I do verily think that yon 
 is no such rose-leaf and whipped-cream gallant 
 as he would have one take him to be. Besides, 
 I wonder who he may be. Methinks yon fel- 
 low's hair is over light for Norman locks. He 
 may be a good man and true for aught we 
 know." 
 
 "Nay," said Robin, "my head against a 
 leaden farthing, he is a Norman fop. When- 
 ever saw ye Saxon mince along like that, as 
 though he feared to muddy the toes -of his 
 shoes ? At least, I will go forth and stop him, 
 and see whether his purse be free of foul 
 money. If I am wrong, then he may go for- 
 ward upon his journey without the loss of so 
 
MERRY ROBIN STOPS A STRANGER IN SCARLET. 
 
Fell in with Will Scarlet 95 
 
 much as a groat; but if I am right, I will pluck 
 him as close as ever a goose was plucked fc . 
 live feathers in midsummer. Thou sayst he is 
 a sturdy fellow, Little John. Lie thou here 
 and watch till I show thee how woodland life 
 toughens a man, as easy living, such as thine 
 of late with the Sheriff, drags him down. So, 
 lie ye both here, I say, till I show you how I 
 drub this fellow." So saying, Robin Hood 
 stepped forth from the shade of the beech tree, 
 crossed the stile, and stood in the middle of the 
 road, in the stranger's path. 
 
 Meantime the stranger, who had been walk- 
 ing so slowly that all this talk was held before 
 he came opposite the place where they were, 
 neither quickened his pace nor seemed to see 
 that such a man as Robin Hood was in the 
 world. So Robin stood in the middle of the 
 road, waiting while the other walked slowly 
 forward, smelling his rose, and looking this 
 way and that, and everywhere except at 
 Robin. 
 
 " Hold!" cried Robin, when at last.the other 
 had come close to him. " Hold I stand where 
 thou art!" 
 
 "Wherefore should I hold, good fellow?" 
 said the stranger in soft and gentle voice: 
 "and wherefore should I stand where I am' 
 
96 How Robin Hood 
 
 Ne'ertheless, as thou dost desire that I should 
 stay, I will abide for a short time, that I may 
 hear what thou mayst have to say to me." 
 
 "Then," quoth Robin, "as thou dost so fairly 
 do as I tell thee, and dost give me such soft 
 speech, I will also treat thee with all due cour- 
 tesy. I would have thee know, fair friend, that 
 I am, as it were, a sort of tax gatherer and levy 
 a certain toll, which I use for purposes best 
 known to myself. Therefore, sweet chuck, I 
 would have thee deliver to me thy purse, that I 
 may look into it, and judge, to the best of my 
 poor powers, whether thou hast more wealth 
 about thee than our law allows." 
 
 All this time the youth had been sniffing at 
 the rose that he held betwixt his thumb and 
 finger. "Nay," said he with a gentle smile, 
 when Robin Hood had done, " I do love to hear 
 thee talk, thou pretty fellow, and if, haply, thou 
 art not yet done, finish, I beseech thee. I have 
 yet some little time to stay." 
 
 " I have said all," quoth Robin; "and now, if 
 thou wilt give me thy purse, I will let thee go 
 thy way without let or hindrance so soon as I 
 shall see what it may hold. I will take none 
 from thee if thou hast but little." 
 
 "Alas! it doth grieve me much," said the 
 other, "that I cannot do as thou dost wish. I 
 
Fell in with Will Scarlet 97 
 
 have nothing to give thee. Let me go my way, 
 I prythee. I have done thee no harm." 
 
 "Nay, thou goest not," quoth Robin, "till 
 thou hast shown me thy purse." 
 
 " Good friend," said the other, gently, " I 
 have business elsewhere. I have given thee 
 much time and have heard thee patiently. 
 Prythee, let me now depart in peace." 
 
 " I have spoken to thee, friend," said Robin, 
 sternly, " and I now tell thee again, that thou 
 goest not one step forward till thou hast done 
 as I bid thee." So saying, he raised his quar- 
 terstaff above his head in a threatening way. 
 
 " Alas ! " said the stranger, sadly, " it doth 
 grieve me that this thing must be. I fear much 
 that I must slay thee, thou poor fellow ! " So 
 saying, he drew his sword. 
 
 " Put by thy weapon," quoth Robin; " I 
 would take no vantage of thee. Thy sword 
 cannot stand against an oaken staff such as 
 mine. I could snap it like a barley straw. 
 Yonder is a good oaken thicket by the road- 
 side; take thee a cudgel thence and defend 
 thyself fairly, if thou hast a taste for a sound 
 drubbing." 
 
 First the stranger measured Robin with his 
 eye, and then he measured the oaken staff. 
 "Thou art right, good fellow," said he, pres- 
 
g8 How Robin Hood 
 
 ently ; " truly, my sword is no match for that 
 cudgel of thine. Bide thee a while till I get 
 me a stafE." So saying, he threw aside the rose 
 that he had been holding all this time, thrust his 
 sword back into the scabbard, and, with a more 
 hasty step than he had yet used, stepped to the 
 roadside where grew the little clump of ground 
 oaks Robin had spoken of. Choosing among 
 them, he presently found a sapling to his lik- 
 ing. He did not cut it, but, rolling up his 
 sleeves a little way, he laid hold of it, placed 
 his heel against the ground, and, with one 
 mighty pull, plucked the young tree up by the 
 roots from out the very earth. Then he came 
 back, trimming away the roots and tender 
 stems with his sword as quietly as if he had 
 done naught to speak of. 
 
 Little John and the Tanner had been watch- 
 ing all that passed, but when they saw the 
 stranger drag the sapling up from the earth, 
 and heard the rending and snapping of its roots, 
 the Tanner pursed his lips together, drawing 
 his breath between them in a long inward 
 whistle. 
 
 "By the breath of my body I" said Little 
 John, as soon as he could gather his wits from 
 their wonder, " sawest thou that, Arthur ? Mar- 
 ry, I think our poor master will stand but an ill 
 
Fell in with Will Scarlet 99 
 
 chance with yon fellow. By Our Lady, he 
 plucked up yon green tree as it were a barley 
 straw." 
 
 Whatever Robin Hood thought, he stood his 
 ground, and now he and the stranger in scarlet 
 stood face to face. 
 
 Well did Robin Hood hold his own that day 
 as a midcountry yeoman. This way and that 
 they fought, and back and forth, Robin's skill 
 against the stranger's strength. The dust of 
 the highway rose up around them like a cloud, 
 so that at times Little John and the Tanner 
 could see nothing, but only hear the rattle of 
 the staves against one another. Thrice Robin 
 Hood struck the stranger ; once upon the arm 
 and twice upon the ribs, and yet had he warded 
 all the other's blows, only one of which, had it 
 met its mark, would have laid stout Robin 
 lower in the dust than he had ever gone before. 
 At last the. stranger struck Robin's cudgel so 
 fairly in the middle that he could hardly hold 
 his staff in his hand ; again he struck, and 
 Robin bent beneath the blow ; a third time 
 he struck, and now not only fairly beat 
 down Robin's guard, but gave him such a rap, 
 also, that down he tumbled into the dusty 
 road. 
 
 " Hold ! " cried Robin Hood, when he saw 
 
lOO How Robin Hood 
 
 the stranger raising his stafif once more. "1 
 yield me ! " 
 
 " Hold ! " cried Little John, bursting from his 
 cover, with the Tanner at his heels. " Hold ! 
 give over, I say ! " 
 
 "Nay," answered the stranger, quietly, "if 
 there be two more of you, and each as stout as 
 this good fellow, I am like to have my hands 
 full. Nevertheless, come on, and I will strive 
 my best to serve you all." 
 
 " Stop ! " cried Robin Hood, " we will fight 
 no more. I take my vow, this is an ill day for 
 thee and me. Little John. I do verily believe 
 that my wrist, and eke my arm, are palsied by 
 the jar of the blow that this stranger struck me." 
 
 Then Little John turned to Robin Hood. 
 " Why, how now, good master," said he ; 
 "alas! thou art in an ill plight. Marry, thy 
 jerkin is all befouled with the dust of the road. 
 Let me help thee to arise." 
 
 " A plague on thy aid ! " cried Robin, angrily. 
 " I can get to my feet without thy help, good 
 fellow." 
 
 " Nay, but let me at least dust thy coat for 
 thee. I fear thy poor bones are mightily sore," 
 quoth Little John, soberly, but with a sly twin- 
 kle in his eyes. 
 
 " Give over, I say ! " quoth Robin in a fume. 
 
Fell in with Will Scarlet loi 
 
 "My coat hath been dusted enough already, 
 without aid of thine." Then, turning to the 
 stranger, he said, " What may be thy name, 
 good fellow ? " 
 
 " My name is Gamwell," answered the other. 
 
 " Ha! " cried Robin, "is it even so? I have 
 near kin of that name. Whence earnest thou, 
 fair friend ? " 
 
 " From Maxfield Town I come," answered 
 the stranger. " There was I born and bred, 
 and thence I come to seek my mother's young 
 brother, whom men call Robin Hood. So, if 
 perchance thou mayst direct me " 
 
 "Ha! Will Gamwell!" cried Robin, placing 
 both hands upon the other's shoulders and 
 holding him off at arm's length. " Surely, it 
 can be none other ! I might have known thee 
 by that pretty maiden air of thine, — that dainty, 
 finicking manner of gait. Dost thou not know 
 me, lad ? Look upon me well." 
 
 " Now, by the breath of my body ! " cried 
 the other, " I do believe from my heart that 
 thou art mine own Uncle Robin. Nay, certain 
 it is so ! " and each flung his arms around the 
 other, kissing him upon the cheek. 
 
 "But tell me," said Robin Hood, "how 
 cam est thou to leave Sir Edward and thy 
 mother?" 
 
I02 How Robin Hood 
 
 " Alas ! " answered young Gamwell, " it is an 
 ill story, uncle, that I have to tell thee. My 
 father's steward, who came to us after old Giles 
 Crookleg died, was ever a saucy varlet, and I 
 icnow not why my father kept him, saving that 
 he did oversee with great judgment. It used 
 to gall me to hear him speak up so boldly to 
 my father, who, thou knowest, was ever a pa- 
 tient man to those about him, and slow to anger 
 and harsh words. Well, one day — and an ill 
 day it was for that saucy fellow^he sought to 
 berate my father, I standing by. I could stand 
 it no longer, good uncle, so, stepping forth, I 
 gave him a box o' the ear, and — wouldst thou 
 believe it ? — the fellow straightway died o't. I 
 think they said I broke his neck, or something 
 o' the like. So off they packed me to seek thee ^ 
 and escape the law. I was on my way when 
 thou sawest me, and here I am." 
 
 "Well, by the faith of my heart," quotb 
 Robin Hood, " for any one escaping the law 
 thou wast taking it the most easily that ever I 
 beheld in all my life. Whenever did any one in 
 all the world see one who had slain a man, and 
 was escaping because of it, tripping along the 
 highway like a dainty court damsel, sniffing at 
 a rose the while? But indeed I am right glad 
 to see thee. Will, and thou wilt add great 
 
Fell in with Will Scarlet 103 
 
 honor and credit to my band of merry fellows. 
 But thou must change thy name, for warrants 
 will be out presently against thee ; so, because 
 of thy gay clothes, thou shalt henceforth and 
 for aye be called Will Scarlet." 
 
 " Will Scarlet," quoth Little John, stepping 
 forward and reaching out his great palm, 
 which the other took, " Will Scarlet, the name 
 fitteth thee well. Right glad am I to welcome 
 thee amongst us. I am called Little John ; and 
 this is a new member who has just joined us, a 
 stout tanner named Arthur a Bland. Thou art 
 like to achieve fame. Will, let me tell thee, for 
 there will be many a merry ballad sung about 
 the country, and many a merry story told in 
 Sherwood of how Robin Hood taught Little 
 John and Arthur a Bland the proper way to 
 use the quarterstaff ; likewise, as it were, how 
 our good master bit ofi so large a piece of cake 
 that he choked on it." 
 
 " Come," cried Robin, biting his nether lip, 
 while the others could not forbear laughing. 
 " We will go no farther to-day, but will return 
 to Sherwood, and thou shalt go to Ancaster 
 another time. Little John." 
 
 So said Robin, for now that his own bones 
 were sore, he felt as though a long journey 
 would be an ill thing for them. So, turning 
 
I04 The Merry Adventure 
 
 their backs, they retraced their steps whence 
 they came. 
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 
 THE MERRY ADVENTURE WITH MIDGE THE 
 MILLER 
 
 When the four yeomen had travelled for a 
 long time toward Sherwood again, high noon- 
 tide being past, they began to wax hungry. 
 Quoth Robin Hood, "I would that I had 
 somewhat to eat. Methinks a good loaf of 
 white bread, with a piece of snow-white cheese, 
 were a feast for a king." 
 
 " Since thou speakest of it," said Will Scar- 
 let, " methinks it would not be amiss myself. 
 There is that within me crieth out, 'Victuals, 
 good friend, victuals ! ' " 
 
 " I know a house near by," said Arthur a 
 Bland, " and, had I but the money, I would 
 bring ye that ye speak of ; to wit, a sweet loaf 
 of bread, and a fair cheese." 
 
 " For the matter of that, thou knowest I have 
 money by me, good master," quoth Little John. 
 
 "Why, so thou hast. Little John," said 
 Robin. " How much money will it take, good 
 Arthur, to buy us meat and drink ? " 
 
with Midge the Miller 105 
 
 " I think that six broad pennies will buy food 
 enow for a dozen men," said the Tanner. 
 
 " Then give him six pennies, Little John," 
 quoth Robin, " for methinks food for three 
 men will about fit my need. Now get thee 
 gone, Arthur, with the money, and bring the 
 food here, for there is a sweet shade in that 
 thicket yonder, beside the road, and there will 
 we eat our meal." 
 
 So Little John gave Arthur the money, and 
 the others stepped to the thicket, there to 
 await the return of the Tanner. 
 
 After a time he came back, bearing with 
 him a great brown loaf of bread and a fair, 
 round cheese. Then Will Scarlet took his 
 sword and divided the loaf and the cheese 
 into four fair portions, and each man helped 
 himself. 
 
 After this no man spake more, but each 
 munched away at his bread and cheese lus- 
 tily. 
 
 At last Will Scarlet looked at a small piece 
 of bread he still held in his hand, and quoth he, 
 " Methinks I will give this to the sparrows." 
 So, throwing it from him, he brushed the 
 crumbs from his jerkin. 
 
 " I, too," quoth Robin, " have had enough, I 
 think." As for Little John and the Tanner, 
 
lo6 The Merry Adventure 
 
 they had by this time eaten every crumb of 
 their bread and cheese. 
 
 " But, tell, me," said Robin, " who may yon 
 fellow be coming along the road? Look, 
 Little John, I pray, and see if thou knowest 
 him." 
 
 Little John looked whither Robin Hood 
 pointed. " Truly," quoth he, after a time, " I 
 think yon fellow is a certain young miller I 
 have seen now and then around the edge of 
 Sherwood. 
 
 " Now thou speakest of him," quoth Robin 
 Hood, " methinks I myself have seen him now 
 and then. Hath he not a mill over beyond 
 Nottingham Town, nigh to the Salisbury 
 road ? " 
 
 " Thou art right ; that is the man," said 
 Little John. 
 
 " A good stout fellow," quoth Robin. " I 
 saw him crack Ned o' Bradford's crown about 
 a fortnight since, and never saw I hair lifted 
 more neatly in all my life before." 
 
 By this time the young miller had come so 
 near that they could see him clearly. His 
 clothes were dusted with flour, and over his 
 back he carried a great sack of meal, bending 
 so as to bring the whole weight upon his shoul- 
 ders, and across the sack was a thick quarter- 
 
with Midge the Miller xofj 
 
 staff. His limbs were stout and strong, and he 
 strode along the dusty road right sturdily with 
 the heavy sack across his shoulders. His 
 cheeks were ruddy as a winter hip, his hair 
 was flaxen in color, and on his chin was a 
 downy growth of flaxen beard. 
 
 " A good honest fellow," quoth Robin Hood, 
 " and such an one as is a credit to English yeo- 
 manrie. Now let us have a merry jest with 
 him. We will forth as though we were com- 
 mon thieves and pretend to rob him of his 
 honest gains. Then will we take him into the 
 forest and give him a feast such as he never 
 had in all his life before. Thereafter we will 
 send him home with crowns in his purse for 
 every penny he hath. What say ye, lads ? " 
 
 " Truly, it is a merry thought," said Will 
 Scarlet. 
 
 " It is well planned," quoth Little John, " but 
 all the saints preserve us from any more drub- 
 bings this day ! Marry, my poor bones ache so 
 that I "— 
 
 " Prythee peace. Little John," quoth Robin. 
 " Thy foolish tongue will get us both well 
 laughed at ye,t should these adventures get 
 talked abroad." 
 
 " My foolish tongue, forsooth," growled 
 Little John to Arthur a Bland. " I would it 
 
io8 The Merry Adventure 
 
 could keep our master from getting us into 
 another coil this day." 
 
 But now the Miller, plodding along the 
 road, had come opposite to where the yeomen 
 lay hidden, whereupon all four of them ran at 
 him and surrounded him. 
 
 " Hold, friend ! " cried Robin to the Miller; 
 whereupon he turned slowly, with the weight 
 of the bag upon his shoulder, and looked at 
 each in turn all bewildered, for though a, good 
 stout man his wits did not skip like roasting 
 chestnuts. 
 
 " Who bids me stay ? " said the Miller in a 
 voice deep and gruff, like the growl of a great 
 dog. 
 
 " Marry that do I," quoth Robin ; " and let 
 me tell thee, friend, thou hadst best mind my 
 bidding." 
 
 " And who art thou, good friend ? " said the 
 Miller, throwing the great sack of meal from 
 his shoulder to the ground ; " and who are 
 those with thee ? " 
 
 " We be four good Christian men," quoth 
 Robin, "and would fain help thee by carry- 
 ing part of thy heavy load for thee." 
 
 " I give you all thanks," said the Miller, 
 " but my bag is none that heavy that I cannot 
 carry it e'en by myself." 
 
with Midge the Miller 109 
 
 " Nay, thou dost mistake," quoth Robin, " I 
 meant that thou mightest perhaps have some 
 heavy farthings or pence about thee, not to 
 speak of silver and gold. Our good Gaffer 
 Swanthold sayeth that gold is an over heavy 
 burden for a two-legged ass to carry ; so we 
 would e'en lift some of this load from thee." 
 
 " Alas ! " cried the Miller ; " what would ye 
 do to me ? I have not about me so much as a 
 clipped groat. Do me no harm, I pray you, 
 but let me depart in peace. Moreover, let me 
 tell you that ye are upon Robin Hood's 
 ground, and should he find you seeking to rob 
 an honest craftsman, he will clip your ears to 
 your heads and scourge you even to the walls 
 of Nottingham." 
 
 " In truth I fear Robin Hood no more than I 
 do myself," quoth jolly Robin. " Thou must 
 this day. give up to me every penny thou hast 
 about thee. Nay, if thou dost budge an inch I 
 will rattle this staff about thine ears." 
 
 " Nay, smite me not ! " cried the Miller, 
 throwing up his elbow as though he feared the 
 blow. " Thou mayst search me if thou wilt, 
 but thou wilt find nothing upon me, pouch, 
 pocket, or skin." 
 
 " Is it so ? " quoth Robin Hood, looking 
 keenly upon him. " Now I believe that what 
 
no The Merry Adventure 
 
 thou tellest is no true tale. If I am not much 
 mistook thou hast somewhat in the bottom ot 
 that fat sack of meal. Good Arthur, empty' 
 the bag upon the ground ; I warrant thou wilt 
 find a shilling or two in the flour." 
 
 "Alas!" cried the Miller, falling upon his 
 knees, "spoil not all my good meal! It can 
 better you not, and will ruin me. Spare it, and 
 I will give up the money in the bottom of the 
 bag." 
 
 " Ha ! " quoth Robin, nudging Will Scarlet, 
 " Is it so? And have I found where thy money 
 lies? Marry, I have a wondrous nose for the 
 blessed image of good King Harry. I thought 
 that I smelt gold and silver beneath the barley 
 meal. Bring it straight forth. Miller." 
 
 Then slowly the Miller arose to his feet, and 
 slowly and unwillingly he untied the mouth of 
 the bag, and slowly thrust his hands into the 
 meal and began fumbling about with his arms 
 buried to the elbows in the barley flour. The 
 others gathered round him, their heads to- 
 gether, looking and wondering what he would 
 bring forth. 
 
 So they stood, all with their heads close 
 together, gazing down into the sack. But 
 while he pretended to be searching for the 
 money, the Miller gathered two great handfuls 
 
with Midge the Miller lii 
 
 of meal, " Ha," quoth he, " here they are, the 
 beauties." Then, as the others leaned still 
 more forward to see what he had, he suddenly 
 cast the meal into their faces, filling their eyes 
 and noses and mouths with the flour, blinding 
 and half choking them. Arthur a Bland was 
 worse off than any, for his mouth was open, 
 agape with wonder of what was to come, so 
 that a great cloud of flour flew down his throat, 
 setting him a-coughing till he could scarcely 
 stand. 
 
 Then, while all four stumbled about, roaring 
 with the smart of the meal in their eyeballs, 
 and while they rubbed their eyes till the tears 
 made great channels on their faces through the 
 meal, the Miller seized another handful of flour 
 and another and another, throwing it in their 
 faces, so that even had they had a glimmering 
 of light before they were now as blind as ever 
 a beggar in Nottinghamshire, while their hair 
 and beards and clothes were as white as snow. 
 
 Then catching up his great crab staff, the 
 Miller began laying about him as though he 
 were clean gone mad. This way and that 
 skipped the four, like peas on a drumhead, but 
 they could neither see to defend themselves 
 nor to run away. Thwack ! thwack ! went the 
 Miller's cudgel across their backs, and at every 
 
112 The Merry Adventure 
 
 blow great white clouds of flour rose in the air 
 from their jackets and went drifting down the 
 breeze. 
 
 " Stop !" roared Robin at last. " Give over, 
 good friend, I am Robin Hood!" 
 
 "Thou liest, thou knave," cried the Miller, 
 giving him a rap on the ribs that sent up a 
 great cloud of flour like a puff of smoke. 
 " Stout Robin never robbed an honest trades- 
 man. Ha! thou wouldst have my money, 
 wouldst thou?" And he gave him another 
 blow. " Nay, thou art not getting thy share, 
 thou long-legged knave. Share and share 
 alike." And he smote Little John across the 
 shoulders so that he sent him skipping half 
 across the road. " Nay, fear not, it is thy turn 
 now, black beard." And he gave the Tanner a 
 crack that made him roar for all his coughing. 
 " How now, red coat, let me brush the dust 
 from thee!" cried he, smiting Will Scarlet. 
 And so he gave them merry words and blows 
 until they could scarcely stand, and whenever 
 he saw one like to clear his eyes he threw 
 more flour in his face. 
 
 At last Robin Hood found his horn, and 
 clapping it to his lips blew three loud blasts 
 upon it. 
 
 Now it chanced that Will Stutely and a 
 
with Midge the Miller 113 
 
 party of Robin's men were in the glade not far 
 from where this merry sport was going for- 
 ward. Hearing the hubbub of voices, and 
 blows that sounded like the noise of a flail in 
 the barn in winter time, they stopped, listen- 
 ing, and wondering what was toward. Quoth 
 Will Stutely, " Now if I mistake not there is 
 some stout battle with cudgels going forward 
 not far hence. I would fain see this pretty 
 sight." So saying, he and the whole party 
 turned their steps whence the noise came. 
 When they had come near where all the tumult 
 sounded they heard the three blasts of Robin's 
 bugle horn. 
 
 " Quick ! " cried young David of Doncaster. 
 " Our master is in sore need ! " So, without 
 stopping a moment, they dashed forward with 
 might and main and burst forth from the 
 covert into the high-road. 
 
 But what a sight was that which they saw. 
 The road was all white with meal, and five 
 men stood there also white with meal from top 
 to toe, for much of the barley flour had fallen 
 back upon the Miller. 
 
 " What is thy need, master ? " cried Will 
 Stutely. " And what doth all this mean ? " 
 
 " Why," quoth Robin in a mighty passion, 
 * yon traitor fellow hath come as nigh slaying 
 
114 The Merry Adventure 
 
 me as e'er a man in all the world. Hadst thou 
 not come quickly, good Stutely, thy master 
 had been dead." 
 
 Hereupon, whilst he and the three others 
 rubbed the meal from their eyes, and Will 
 Stutely and his men brushed their clothes 
 clean, he told them all ; how that he had meant 
 to pass a jest upon the Miller, which same had 
 turned so grievously upon them. 
 
 "Quick, men, seize the vile Miller!" cried 
 Stutely, who was nigh choking with laughter 
 as were the rest; whereupon several ran upon 
 the stout fellow, and seizing him bound his 
 arms behind his back with bowstrings. 
 
 " Ha ! " cried Robin, when they brought the 
 trembling Miller to him. " Thou wouldst mur- 
 der me, wouldst thou? By my faith" — Here 
 he stopped and stood glaring upon the Miller 
 with a grim look. But Robin's anger could 
 not hold, so first his eyes twinkled, and then in 
 spite of all he broke into a laugh. 
 
 Now when they saw their master laugh, the 
 yeomen who stood around could contain them- 
 selves no longer, and a mighty shout of laughter 
 went up from all. Many could not stand, 
 but rolled upon the ground from pure merri- 
 ment. 
 
 " What is thy name, good fellow ? " said 
 
with Midge the Miller 115 
 
 Robin at last to the Miller, who stood gaping 
 and as though he were in a maze. 
 
 " Alas, sir, I am Midge, the Miller's son," said 
 he in a frightened voice. 
 
 " I make my vow," quoth merry Robin, 
 smiting him upon the shoulder, " thou art the 
 mightiest Midge that e'er mine eyes beheld. 
 Now wilt thou leave thy dusty mill and come 
 and join my band ? By my faith, thou art too 
 stout a man to spend thy days betwixt the hop- 
 per and the till." 
 
 " Then truly, if thou dost forgive me for the 
 blows I struck, not knowing who thou wast, I 
 will join with thee right merrily," said the 
 Miller. 
 
 " Then have I gained this day," quoth Robin, 
 • the three stoutest yeomen in all Nottingham- 
 shire. We will get us away to the greenwood 
 tree, and there hold a merry feast in honor of 
 our new friends, though I warrant it will be 
 many a day before I am again the man I was." 
 So saying, he turned and led the way, the rest 
 following, and so they entered the forest once 
 more and were lost to sight. 
 
 So that night all was ablaze with crackling 
 fires in the woodlands, for though Robin and 
 those others spoken of, only excepting Midge, 
 the Miller's son, had many a sore bump and 
 
Ii6 How Robin Hood Met Friar Tuck 
 
 bruise here and there on their bodies, they were 
 still not so sore in the joints that they could not 
 enjoy a jolly feast given all in welcome to the 
 new members of the band. Thus with songs 
 and jesting and laughter that echoed through 
 the deeper and more silent nooks of the forest, 
 the night passed quickly along, as such merry 
 times are wont to do, until at last each pian 
 sought his couch and silence fell on all things 
 and all things seemed to sleep. 
 
 Thus came about three merry adventures in 
 one day, the one stepping upon the heels of 
 another. 
 
 But Little John's tongue was ever one that 
 was not easy of guidance, so that, inch by inch, 
 the whole story of his fight with the Tanner 
 and Robin's fight with Will Scarlet leaked out. 
 And so I have told it that you may laugh at 
 the merry tale along with me. 
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 HOW ROBIN HOOD MET FRIAR TUCK 
 
 The stout yeomen of Sherwood Forest were 
 ever early risers of a morn, more especially 
 when the summer time had come, for then in 
 the freshness of the dawn the dew was always 
 
How Robin Hood Met Friar Tuck 117 
 
 the brightest, and the song of the small birds 
 the sweetest. 
 
 Quoth Robin, " Now will I go to seek some 
 adventure this merry day." 
 
 Then straightway he donned a fine steel coat 
 of chain mail, over which he put on a light 
 jacket of Lincoln green. Upon his head he 
 clapped a steel cap, and this he covered by one 
 ot soft white leather, in which stood a nodding 
 cocks plume. By his side he hung a good 
 broadsword of tempered steel, the bluish blade 
 marked all over with strange figures of dragons, 
 winged women, and what not. A gallant sight 
 was Robin so arrayed, I wot, the glint of steel 
 showing here and there as the sunlight caught 
 brightly the links ot polished mail that showed 
 beneath his green coat. 
 
 So, having arrayed himself, he set forth upon 
 his way, till high noontide was passed, when at 
 last he came to the banks of a wide, glassy, and 
 lily-padded stream. Here a broad beaten path 
 stretched along beside the banks, on which path 
 labored the horses that tugged at the slow 
 moving barges, laden with barley-meal or what 
 not, from the countryside to the many-towered 
 town. At a certain place where this road took 
 a sudden bend Robin stopped suddenly, for he 
 thought that he heard voices. He stood still 
 
1 1 8 How Robin Hood Met Friar Tuck 
 
 and listened, and presently heard words passed 
 back and forth betwixt what seemed to be two 
 men, and yet the two voices were wondrously 
 alike. The sound came from over behind the 
 bank, that here was steep and high, dropping 
 from the edge of the road a half a score oi feet 
 to the sedgy verge of the river. 
 
 " 'T is strange," muttered Robin to himself 
 after a space, when the voices had ceased their 
 talking ; " surely there be two people that spoke 
 the one to the other, and yet methinks their 
 voices are mightily alike. I make my vow that 
 never have I heard the like in all my life before. 
 Truly, if this twain are to be judged by their 
 voices no two peas were ever more alike. I 
 will look into this matter." So saying, he came 
 softly to the river bank, and laying him down 
 upon the grass peered over the edge and down 
 below. 
 
 All was cool and shady beneath the bank. A 
 stout osier grew, not straight upward, but lean- 
 ing across the water, shadowing the spot with 
 its soft foliage. All around grew a mass of 
 feathery ferns such as hide and nestle in cool 
 places, and up to Robin's nostrils came the 
 tender odor of the wild thyme, that loves the 
 moist verges of running. streams. Here, with 
 his broad back against the rugged trunk of the 
 
How Robin Hood Met Friar Tuck 119 
 
 willow tree, and half hidden by the soft ferns 
 around him, sat a stout, brawny fellow, but no 
 other man was there. His head was as round 
 as a ball, and covered with a mat of close- 
 clipped, curly black hair that grew low down 
 on his forehead. But his crown was shorn as 
 smooth as the palm of one's hand, which, 
 together with his loose robe, cowl, and string 
 of beads, showed that which his looks never 
 would have done, that he was a Friar. His 
 cheeks were as red and shining as a winter 
 crab, albeit they were nearly covered over with 
 a close curly black beard, as were his chin and 
 upper lip likewise. His neck was thick like 
 that of a north country bull, and his round 
 head closely set upon shoulders e'en a match for 
 those of Little John himself. Beneath his bushy 
 black brows danced a pair of little gray eyes 
 that could not stand still for very drollery of 
 humor. No man could look into his face and 
 not feel his heartstrings tickled by the merri- 
 ment of their look. By his side lay a steel cap, 
 which he had laid off for the sake of coolness to 
 his crown. His legs were stretched wide apart, 
 and betwixt his knees he held a great pasty 
 compounded of juicy meats of divers kinds 
 made savory with tender young onions, both 
 meat and onions being mingled with a good 
 
K20 How Robin Hood Met Friar Tuck 
 
 rich gravy. In his right fist he held a great 
 piece of brown crust at which he munched 
 sturdily. 
 
 " By my taith," quoth Robin to himself, " I 
 do verily believe that this is the merriest feast 
 the merriest wight, the merriest place, and the 
 merriest sight in all merry England. Me- 
 thought there was another here, but it must 
 have been this holy man talking to him- 
 self." " Hey friend," cried he aloud, " canst 
 thou tell me how to cross this stream to t'othet- 
 side?" 
 
 No sooner did the holy man hear the un- 
 expected sound of a strange voice than he 
 seized his steel cap, clapped it on his head, and 
 springing to his feet cried in a great voice, 
 " What spy have we here ? Come forth, and I 
 will carve thee into as fine pudding-meat as 
 e'er a wife in Yorkshire cooked of a Sunday." 
 Hereupon he drew from beneath his robes 
 a great broadsword full as stout as was 
 Robin's. 
 
 "Nay, nay, friend," quoth Robin laughing. 
 " I am no spy, but an honest yeoman in search 
 of adventure who would fain cross this fair 
 stream." 
 
 " Truly, friend," quoth the other, mollified by 
 Robin's peaceful words. " Far is it from me 
 
How Robin Hood Met Friar Tuck 121 
 
 to stay thee. Yonder is the ford and the river 
 is free to all." 
 
 " Yea, good father," said Robin ; " but thou 
 seest that my clothes are of the finest and I 
 fain would not get them wet. Methinks thy 
 shoulders are stout and broad ; couldst thou 
 not find it in thy heart to carry me across? " 
 
 " Now, by the white hand of the holy Lady 
 of the Fountain ! " burst forth the Friar in a 
 mighty rage; " dost thou, thou poor puny strip- 
 ling, thou kiss-my-lady-la-poppenjay ; thou — 
 thou — What shall I call thee ? Dost thou ask 
 me, the holy Tuck, to carry thee? Now I 
 swear" — Here he paused suddenly, then 
 slowly the anger passed from his face, and his 
 little eyes twinkled once more. " But why 
 should I not?" quoth he, piously: "Did not 
 the holy Saint Christopher ever carry the 
 stranger across the river ? and should I, poor 
 sinner that I am, be ashamed to do likewise? 
 Come with me, stranger, and I will do thy bid- 
 ding in an humble frame of mind." So saying 
 he clambered up the bank, and led the way to 
 the shallow pebbly ford, chuckling to himself 
 the while as though he were enjoying some 
 goodly jest within himself. 
 
 Having come to the ford, he girded up his 
 robes about his loins, tucked his good broad- 
 
122 How Robin Hood Met Friar Tuck 
 
 sword beneath his arm, and stooped his back 
 to take Robin upon it. Suddenly he straight- 
 ened up. " Methinks," quoth he, " thou'U get 
 thy weapon wet. Let me tuck it beneath mine 
 arm along with mine own." 
 
 " Nay, good father," said Robin, " I would 
 not burden thee with aught of mine but my- 
 self." 
 
 " Dost thou think," said the Friar, mildly, 
 "'that the good Saint Christopher would ha' 
 sought his own ease so ? Nay, give me thy 
 tool as I bid thee, for I would carry it as a 
 penance to my pride." 
 
 Upon this, without more ado, Robin Hood 
 unbuckled his sword from his side and handed 
 it to the other, who thrust it with his own be- 
 neath his arm. Then once more the Friar 
 bent his back, and, Robin having mounted 
 upon it, he stepped sturdily into the water, 
 and so strode onward, splashing in the shoal, 
 and breaking all the smooth surface into 
 ever-widening rings. At last he reached the 
 other side and Robin leaped lightly from his 
 back. 
 
 "Many thanks, good father," quoth he. 
 " Thou art indeed a good and holy man. Pry- 
 thee give me my sword and let me away, for I 
 am in haste. 
 
How Robin Hood Met Fr tar Tuck 123 
 
 At this the stout Friar looked upon Robin 
 for a long time, his head on one side, and with 
 a most waggish twist to his face ; then he 
 slowly winked his right eye. " Nay, good 
 youth," said he, gently, " I doubt not that thou 
 art in haste with thine affairs, yet thou dost 
 think nothing of mine. Thine are of a carnal 
 nature ; mine are of a spiritual nature, a holy 
 work, so to speak; moreover, mine affairs do 
 lie upon the other side of this stream. I see 
 that thou art a good young man and, I doubt 
 not, art most reverent to the cloth. I did get 
 wet coming hither, and am sadly afraid that, 
 should I wade the water again, I might get 
 certain cricks and pains i' the joints that would 
 mar my devotions for many a day to come. I 
 know that since I have so humbly done thy 
 bidding thou wilt carry me back again. Thou 
 seest how Saint Godrick, that holy hermit 
 whose natal day this is, hath placed in my 
 hands two swords and in thine never a one. 
 Therefore be persuaded, good youth, and carry 
 me back again." 
 
 Robin Hood looked up and he looked down, 
 biting his nether lip. Quoth he, " Thou cun- 
 ning Friar, thou hast me fair and fast enow. 
 Let me tell thee that no one hath so hood- 
 winked me in all my life before. I might have 
 
124 How Robin Hood Met Friar Tuck 
 
 known from thy looks that thou wert no such 
 holy man as thou didst pretend to be." 
 
 " Nay," interrupted the Friar, " I bid thee 
 speak not so scurrilously neither, lest thou 
 mayst perchance feel the prick of an inch or so 
 of blue steel." 
 
 " Tut, tut," said Robin, " speak not so, Friar ; 
 the loser hath ever the right to use his tongue 
 as he doth list. Give me my sword ; I do 
 promise to carry thee back straightway. Nay, 
 I will not lift the weapon against thee." 
 
 " Marry, come up," quoth the Friar, " I fear 
 thee not, fellow. Here is thy skewer ; and get 
 thyself presently ready, for I would hasten 
 back." 
 
 So Robin took his sword again and buckled 
 it at his side ; then he bent his stout back and 
 took the Friar upon it. 
 
 Now I wot Robin Hood had a heavier load 
 to carry in the Friar than the Friar had in him. 
 Moreover he did not know the ford, so he 
 went stumbling among the stones, now step- 
 ping into a deep hole, and now nearly tripping 
 over a bowlder, while the sweat ran down his 
 face in beads from the hardness of his journey 
 and the heaviness of his load. Meantime, the 
 Friar kept digging his heels into Robin's sides 
 and bidding him hasten, calling him many ill 
 
How Robin Hood Met Friar Tuck 125 
 
 names the while. To all this Robin answered 
 never a word, but, having softly felt around 
 till he found the buckle of the belt that held 
 the Friar's sword, he worked slyly at the 
 fastenings, seeking to loosen them. Thus it 
 came about that, by the time he had reached 
 the other bank with his load, the Friar's sword- 
 belt was loose albeit he knew it not ; so when 
 Robin stood on dry land and the Friar leaped 
 from his back, the yeoman gripped hold of the 
 sword so that blade, sheath, and strap came 
 away from the holy man, leaving him without 
 a weapon. 
 
 " Now then," quoth merry Robin, panting as 
 he spake and wiping the sweat from his brow, 
 " I have thee, fellow. This time that same 
 Saint of whom thou didst speak but now hath 
 delivered two swords into my hand and hath 
 stripped thine away from ' thee. Now if thou 
 dost not carry me back, and that speedily, I 
 swear I will prick thy skin till it is as full of 
 holes as a slashed doublet." 
 
 The good Friar said not a word for a while, 
 but he looked at Robin with a grim look. 
 " Now," said he at last, " I did think that thy 
 wits were of the heavy sort and knew not that 
 thou wert so cunning. Truly, thou hast me 
 UDon the hip. Give me my sword, and I 
 
126 How Robin Hood Met Frtar Tuck 
 
 promise not to draw it against thee save itt 
 self-defense ; also I promise to do thy bidding 
 and take thee upon my back and carry thee." 
 
 So jolly Robin gave him his sword again, 
 which the Friar buckled to his side, and this 
 time looked to it that it was more secure in its 
 fastenings; then tucking up his robes once 
 more, he took Robin Hood upon his back and 
 without a word stepped into the water, and 
 so waded on in silence while Robin sat laugh- 
 ing upon his back. At last they reached the 
 middle of the ford where the water was deepest. 
 Here the Friar stopped for a moment, and 
 then, with a sudden lift of his hand and heave 
 of his shoulders, fairly shot Robin over his 
 head as though he were a sack of grain. 
 
 Down went Robin into the water with a 
 mighty splash. " There," quoth the holy man, 
 calmly turning back again to the shore, " let 
 that cool thy hot spirit, if it may." 
 
 Meantime, after much splashing, Robin had 
 got to his feet and stood gazing about him all 
 bewildered, the water running from him in 
 pretty little rills. At last he shot the water 
 out of his ears and spat some out of his mouth, 
 and, gathering his scattered wits together, saw 
 the stout Friar standing on the bank and laugh- 
 ing. Then, I wot, was Robin Hood a mad man. 
 
How Robin Hood Met Friar Tuck 127 
 
 " Stay, thou villain ! " roared he, " I am after 
 thee straight, and if I do not carve thy brawn 
 for thee this day, may I never lift finger again ! " 
 So saying, he dashed, splashing, to the bank. 
 
 " Thou needest not hasten thyself unduly," 
 quoth the stout Friar. " Fear not ; I will abide 
 here, and if thou dost not cry ' Alack-a-day * 
 ere long time is gone, may I never more peep 
 through the brake at a fallow deer." 
 
 And now Robin, having reached the bank, 
 began, without more ado, to roll up his sleeves 
 above his wrists. The Friar, also, tucked his 
 robes more about him, showing a great, stout 
 arm on which the muscles stood out like humps 
 of an aged tree. Then Robin saw, what he had 
 not wotted of before, that the Friar had also a 
 coat of chain mail beneath his gown. 
 
 " Look to thyself," cried Robin, drawing his 
 good sword. 
 
 " Ay, marry," quoth the Friar, who held his 
 already in his hand. So, without more ado, 
 they came together, and thereupon began a 
 fierce and mighty battle. Right and left, and 
 up and down, and back and forth they fought. 
 The swords flashed in the sun and then met 
 with a clash that sounded far and near. I wot 
 this was no playful bout at quarterstaflF, but a 
 grim and serious fight of real earnest. Thus 
 
128 How Robin Hood Met Friar Tuck 
 
 they strove for an hour or more, pausing every 
 now and then to rest, at Which times each 
 looked at the other with wonder, and thought 
 that never had he seen so stout a fellow ; then 
 once again they would go at it more fiercely 
 than ever. Yet in all this time neither had 
 harmed the other nor caused his blood to flow. 
 At last merry Robin cried, " Hold thy hand, 
 good friend ! " whereupon both lowered their 
 swords. 
 
 " Now," quoth Robin, wiping the sweat from 
 his brow, " thou art the fairest swordsman I 
 have fallen in with for many a long day. What 
 may be thy name, I prythee, good and reverend 
 father?" 
 
 " Why, truly," said the Friar, demurely, 
 " some do call me the curtal Friar of Fountain 
 Dale ; others again call me in jest the Abbot of 
 Fountain Abbey ; others still again call me 
 simple Friar Tuck." 
 
 " I like the last name best," quoth Robin, 
 " for it doth slip more glibly off the tongue. 
 Mine own name, I may tell thee, is Robin 
 Hood." 
 
 " Robin Hood ! " cried the other. " Robin 
 Hood ! Art thou, indeed, that famous yeo- 
 man?" 
 
 " Ay," quoth merry Robin, " that man am I 
 
How Robin Hood Shot 129 
 
 and none other. And now, good father, we 
 have need in the greenwood of just such an 
 holy man as thou art to advise us from evil 
 ways. Wilt thou leave thine hermitage and 
 come with me to Sherwood to join my goodly 
 band ? " 
 
 " Indeed will I," cried the other, " and that 
 right gladly, for such a life fitteth mine incli- 
 nations as the haft fitteth to the blade." 
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 HOW ROBIN HOOD SHOT BEFORE QUEEN 
 ELEANOR 
 
 And now the fame of Robin Hood had spreac 
 far and wide, until at last it reached even to th( 
 ears of good Queen Eleanor in famous London 
 Town. " Fain would I see this bold yeoman," 
 quoth she, " and fain would I behold his skill 
 with the longbow of which we have heard so 
 much." 
 
 Under the greenwood tree, in the cool shade 
 that spread all around upon the sward, with 
 flickering lights here and there, Robin Hood 
 and many of his band lay upon the soft green 
 grass, whilst Allan a Dale, the sweet-singing 
 
130 How Robin Hood 
 
 minstrel of the Dand, sang and played upon his 
 harp. All listened in silence, for young Allan's 
 singing was one of the greatest joys in all the 
 world to them. But as they so listened there 
 came of a sudden a sound of horse's feet, and 
 presently Little John and Will Stutely came 
 forth from the forest path into the open glade, 
 a beautiful young Page, gay with crimson and 
 gold, riding between them upon a milk-white 
 horse. The three came toward where Robin 
 Hood sat, all the band staring with might and 
 main, for never had they seen so gay a sight as 
 this young Page, nor one so richly clad in silks 
 and velvets and gold and jewels. Then Robin 
 Hood arose and stepped forth to meet him, and 
 th? other leaped from his horse, and doffing his 
 ca^ of crimson velvet, met Robin as he came. 
 
 " Now, welcome ! " cried Robin. " Now, 
 welcome, fair youth ; and tell me, I prythee, 
 what bringeth one of so fair a presence and clad 
 in such noble garb to our poor forest of Sher- 
 wood ? " 
 
 Then the youth said: " If I err not, thou art 
 the famous Robin Hood, and these thy stout 
 band of outlawed yeomen. I am Richard 
 Partington and Page to Her Royal Majesty. 
 To thee I bring greeting from our noble 
 Queen Eleanor. Oft hath she heard thee 
 
Shot Before Queen Eleanor 131 
 
 spoken of and thy merry doings hereabouts, 
 and fain would she behold thy face; there- 
 fore she bids me tell thee that if thou wilt 
 presently come to London Town, she will do 
 all in her power to guard thee against harm, 
 and will send thee back safe to Sherwood 
 Forest again. Four days hence, in Finsbury 
 Fields, our good King Henry, of great renown, 
 holdeth a grand shooting-match, and all the 
 most famous archers of merry England will be 
 thereat. Our Queen would fain see thee strive 
 with these, knowing that if thou wilt come 
 thou wilt, with little doubt, carry oS the prize. 
 Therefore she hath sent me with this greeting, 
 and furthermore sends thee, as a sign of great 
 good will, this golden ring from off her own fair 
 thumb, which I give herewith into thy hands." 
 
 Then Robin Hood bowed his head, and tak- 
 ing the ring kissed it right loyally, and then 
 slipped it upon his little finger. Quoth he, 
 " Sooner would I lose my life than this ring ; 
 and ere it departs from me, my hand shall be 
 cold in death or stricken off at the wrist. Fair 
 Sir Page, I will do our Queen's bidding, and 
 will presently J ^e with thee to London ; but, 
 ere we go, I will feast thee here in the wood- 
 lands with the very best we have." 
 
 " It may not be," said the Page ; " we have 
 
132 How Robin Hood 
 
 no time to tarry, therefore get thyself ready 
 straightway ; and if there be any of thy band 
 that thou wouldst take with thee, our Queen 
 bids me say that she will make them right 
 welcome likewise." 
 
 " As thou sayest," quoth Robin, " so it shall 
 be ; therefore I will get me ready presently. I 
 will choose three of my men, only, to go with 
 me, and these three shall be Little John, mine 
 own true right-hand man. Will Scarlet, my 
 cousin, and Allan a Dale, my minstrel. Go, 
 lads, and get ye ready straightway, and we will 
 presently off with all speed that we may. Thou, 
 Will Stutely, shall be the chief of the band while 
 I am gone." 
 
 Then Little John and Will Scarlet and Allan 
 a Dale ran leaping, full of joy, to make them- 
 selves ready, whilst Robin also prepared him- 
 self for the journey. After a while they all 
 four came forth, and a right fair sight they 
 made, for Robin was clad in blue from head to 
 foot, and Little John and Will Scarlet in good 
 Lincoln green, and as for Allan a Dale, he was 
 dressed in scarlet from the crown of his head 
 to the toes of his pointed shoes. Each man 
 wore beneath his cap a little head-covering of 
 burnished steel set with rivets of gold, and 
 underneath his jerkin a coat of linked mail, as 
 
Shot Before Queen Eleanor 133 
 
 fine as carded wool, yet so tough that no arrow 
 could pierce it. Then, seeing all were ready, 
 young Partington mounted his horse again, and 
 the yeomen having shaken hands all around, 
 the five departed upon their way. 
 
 Queen Eleanor sat in her royal bower, 
 through the open casements of which poured 
 the sweet yellow sunshine in great floods of 
 golden light. All about her stood her ladies in 
 waiting chatting in low voices, whilst she her- 
 self sat dreamily where the mild air came softly 
 drifting into the room laden with the fresh 
 perfumes of the sweet red roses that bloomed 
 in the great garden beneath the wall. To her 
 came one who said that her page, Richard 
 Partington, and four stout yeomen, waited her 
 pleasure in the court below. Then Queen 
 Eleanor arose joyously and bade them be 
 straightway shown into her presence. 
 
 Thus Robin Hood and Little John and Will 
 Scarlet and Allan a Dale came before the 
 Queen into her own royal bower. Then 
 Robin kneeled before the Queen with his 
 hands folded upon his breast, saying, in simple 
 phrase, " Here am I, Robin Hood. Thou 
 didst bid me come, and lo, I do thy bidding. 
 I give myself to thee as thy true servant, and 
 
134 How Robin Hood 
 
 will do thy commanding, even if it be to the 
 shedding of the last drop of my life's blood." 
 
 But good Queen Eleanor smiled pleasantly 
 upon him, bidding him to arise ; then she made 
 them all be seated to rest themselves after their 
 long journey. Rich food was brought them 
 and noble wines, and she had her own pages to 
 wait upon the wants of the yeomen. At last, 
 after they had eaten all they could, she began 
 questioning them of their merry adventures. 
 Then they told her all of the lusty doings 
 herein spoken of, and the Queen and the ladies 
 about her laughed again and again at the joyous 
 stories. Then, when they had told all that they 
 could bring to mind, the Queen asked Allan to 
 sing to her, for his fame as a minstrel had 
 reached even to the court at London Town, and 
 Allan did as he was bidden, and the Queen and 
 her ladies listened in silence. 
 
 A gay sight were famous Finsbury Fields on 
 that bright and sunny morning of lusty sum- 
 mer-time. Along the end of the meadow stood 
 the booths for the different bands of archers, 
 for the King's yeomen were divided into com- 
 panies of fourscore men, and each company 
 had a captain over it ; so on the bright green- 
 sward stood ten booths of striped canvas, a 
 
Shot Before Queen Eleanor 135 
 
 booth for each band of the royal archers, and 
 at the peak of each fluttered a flag in the mel- 
 low air, and the flag was the color that be- 
 longed to the captain of each band. From the 
 centre booth hung the yellow flag of Tepus, 
 the famous bow-bearer of the King ; next to it. 
 on one hand, was the blue flag of Gilbert of the 
 White Hand, and on the other the blood-red 
 pennant of stout young Clifton of Bucking- 
 hamshire. The seven other archer captains 
 were also men of great renown ; among them 
 were Egbert of Kent and William of South- 
 ampton ;■ but those first named were most fam- 
 ous of all. The noise of many voices in talk 
 and laughter came from within the booths, and 
 in and out ran the attendants like ants about an 
 ant-hill. On each side of the archery range were 
 rows upon rows of seats reaching high aloft, and 
 in the centre of the north side was a raised dais 
 for the King and Queen, shaded by canvas of 
 gay colors, and hung about with streaming 
 silken pennants of red and blue and green and 
 white. As yet the King and Queen had not 
 come, but all the other benches were full of 
 people, rising head above head high aloft till it 
 made the eye dizzy to look upon them. Eight- 
 score yards distant from the mark from which 
 the archers were to shoot stood ten fair tar- 
 
136 How Robin Hood 
 
 gets, each target marked by a flag of the color 
 belonging to the band that was to shoot there- 
 at. So all was ready and all waited for the 
 coming of the King and Queen. 
 
 At last a great blast of bugles sounded, and 
 into the meadow came riding six trumpeters, 
 with silver trumpets, from which hung velvet 
 banners heavy with rich workings of silver 
 and gold thread. Behind these came stout 
 King Henry upon a dapple-gray stallion, with 
 his Queen beside him upon a milk-white pal- 
 frey. On either side of them walked the yeo- 
 men of the guard, the bright sunlight flashing 
 from the polished blades of the steel halberds 
 they carried. Behind these came the Court in 
 a great crowd, so that presently all the lawn 
 was alive with bright colors, with silk and vel- 
 vet, with waving plumes and gleaming gold, 
 with flashing jewels and sword hilts; a gallant 
 sight on that bright summer day. 
 
 Then all the people arose and shouted, so 
 that their voices sounded like the storm upon 
 the Cornish coast, when the dark waves run 
 upon the shore and leap and break, surging 
 amid the rocks ; so, amid the roaring and the 
 surging of the people, and the waving of scarfs 
 and kerchiefs, the King and Queen came to 
 their place, and, getting down from their 
 
Shot Before Queen Eleanor 137 
 
 horses, mounted the broad stairs that led to 
 the raised platform, and there took their seats 
 on two thrones bedecked with purple silks and 
 cloths of silver and of gold. 
 
 When all was quiet a bugle sounded, and 
 straightway the archers came marching in 
 order from their tents. Fortyscore they were 
 in all, as stalwart a band of yeomen as could be 
 found in all the wide world. So they came in 
 orderly fashion and stood in front of the dais 
 where King Henry and his Queen sat. King 
 Henry looked up and down their ranks right 
 proudly, for his heart warmed within him at 
 the sight of such a gallant band of yeomen. 
 Then he bade his herald. Sir Hugh de Mow- 
 bray, stand forth and proclaim the rules govern- 
 ing the game. -So Sir Hugh stepped to the 
 edge of the platform and spoke in a loud clear 
 voice, so that they could hear him even to the 
 ends of the range, and thus he said : — 
 
 That each man should shoot seven arrows at 
 the target that belonged to his band, and, of the 
 fourscore yeomen of each band, the three that 
 shot the best should be chosen. These three 
 should shoot three arrows apiece, and the one 
 that shot the best should again be chosen. 
 Then each of these should again shoot three 
 arrows apiece, and the one that shot the best 
 
138 How Robin Hood 
 
 should have the first prize, the one that shot 
 the next best should have the second, and the 
 one that shot the next best should have the 
 third prize. Each of the others should have 
 fourscore silver pennies for his shooting. The 
 first prize was to be twoscore and ten golden 
 pounds, a silver bugle horn inlaid with gold, 
 and a quiver with ten white arrows tipped with 
 gold and feathered with white swan's wing 
 therein. The second prize was to be fivescore 
 of the fattest bucks that run on Dallen Lea, to 
 be shot when the yeomen that won them chose. 
 The third prize was to be two tuns of good 
 Rhenish wine. 
 
 So Sir Hugh spoke, and when he had done 
 all the archers waved their bows aloft and 
 shouted. Then each band turned and marched 
 in order back to its place. 
 
 And now the shqoting began, the captains 
 first taking stand a.nd speeding their shafts and 
 then making room for the men who shot, each 
 in turn after them. Two hundred and eighty- 
 score shafts were shot in all, and so deftly were 
 they sped that when the shooting was done 
 each target looked like the back of a hedgehog 
 when the farm dog snuffs at it. A long time 
 was taken in this shooting, and when it was 
 over the judges came forward, looked carefully 
 
Shot Before Queen Eleanor 139 
 
 at the targets, and proclaimed in a loud voice 
 which three had shot the best from the separate 
 bands. Then a great hubbub of voices arose, 
 each man among the crowd that looked on 
 calling for his favorite archer. Then ten fresh 
 targets were brought forward, and every sound 
 was hushed as the archers took their places 
 once more. 
 
 This time the shooting was more speedily 
 done, for only nine shafts were shot by each 
 band. Not an arrow missed the targets, but in 
 that of Gilbert of the White Hand five arrows 
 were in the small white spot that marked the 
 centre ; of these five three were sped by Gilbert. 
 Then the judges came forward again, and look- 
 ing at the targets, called aloud the names of the 
 archer chosen as the best bowman of each band. 
 Of these Gilbert of the White Hand led, for six 
 of the ten arrows he had shot had lodged in 
 the centre ; but stout Tepus and young Clifton 
 trod close upon his heels ; yet the others stood 
 a fair chance for the second or third place. 
 
 And now, amid the roaring of the crowd, 
 those ten stout fellows that were left went back 
 to their tents to rest for a while and change 
 their bowstrings, for naught must fail at this 
 next round, and no hand must tremble or eye 
 grow dim because of weariness. 
 
140 How Robin Hood 
 
 Then whilst the deep buzz and hum of talk- 
 ing sounded all around like the noise of the 
 wind in the leafy forest, Queen Eleanor turned 
 to the King, and quoth she, " Thinkest thou 
 that these young yeomen so chosen are the 
 very best archers in all merry England ? " 
 
 " Yea, truly," said the King, smiling, for he 
 was well pleased with the sport that he had 
 seen ; " and I tell thee, that not only are they 
 the best archers in all merry England, but in 
 all the wide world beside." 
 
 " But what wouldst thou say," quoth Queen 
 Eleanor, "if I were to find three archers to 
 match the best three yeomen of all thy guard?" 
 
 " I would say thou hast done what I could 
 not do," said the King, laughing, "for I tell 
 thee there lives not in all the world three 
 archers to match Tepus and Gilbert and Clifton 
 of Buckinghamshire." 
 
 " Now," said the Queen, " I know of three 
 yeomen, and in truth I have seen them not long 
 since, that I would not fear to match against 
 any three that thou canst choose from among 
 all thy fortyscore archers ; and, moreover, I 
 will match them here this very day. But I will 
 only match them with thy archers providing 
 that thou wilt grant a free pardon to all that 
 may come in my behalf." 
 
Shot Before Queen Eleanor 141 
 
 At this the King laughed loud and long. 
 " Truly," said he, " thou art taking up with 
 strange matters for a queen. If thou wilt bring 
 those three fellows that thou speakest of I will 
 promise faithfully to give them free pardon for 
 forty days, to come or go wheresoever they 
 please, nor will I harm a hair of their heads in all 
 that time. Moreover, if these that thou bringest 
 shoot better than my yeomen, man for man, they 
 shall have the prizes for themselves according 
 to their shooting. But as thou hast so taken 
 up of a sudden with sports of this kind, hast 
 thou a mind for a wager? " 
 
 " Why, in sooth," said Queen Eleanor, laugh- 
 ing, " I know naught of such matters, but if 
 thou hast a mind to do somewhat in that way, 
 I will strive to pleasure thee. What wilt thou 
 wager upon thy men ? " 
 
 Then the merry King laughed again, for he 
 dearly loved a goodly jest; so he said, amidst 
 his laughter, " I will wager thee ten tuns of 
 Rhenish wine, ten tuns of the stoutest ale, and 
 tenscore bows of tempered Spanish yew, with 
 quivers and arrows to match." 
 
 All that stood around smiled at this, for it 
 seemed a merry wager for a king to give to a 
 queen ; but Queen Eleanor bowed her head 
 quietly. " I will take thy wager, "said she, " for 
 
j[4i How Robin Hood 
 
 I know right well where to place those things 
 that thou hast spoken of. Now, who will be on 
 my side in this matter?" And she looked 
 around upon them that stood about ; but no one 
 spake or cared to wager upon the Queen's side 
 against such archers as Tepus and Gilbert and 
 Clifton. Then the Queen spoke again : " Now, 
 who will back me in this wager ? " 
 
 And then as no one ventured she said, " Nay, 
 I need no man's aid in this undertaking; but 
 against thy wine and beer and stout bows of 
 yew I wager this girdle all set with jewels 
 from around my waist ; and surely that is 
 worth more than thine." 
 
 " Now, I take thy wager," quoth the King. 
 " Send for thy archers straightway. But here 
 come forth the others; let them shoot, and 
 then I will match those that win against all the 
 world." 
 
 " So be it," said the Queen. Thereupon, 
 beckoning tp young Richard Partington, she 
 whispered something in his ear, and straight- 
 way the Page bowed and left the place, crossing 
 the meadow to the other side of the range, 
 where he was presently lost in the crowd. At 
 this all that stood around whispered to one 
 another, wondering what it all meant, and 
 what three men the Queen was about to set 
 
Shot Before Queen Eleanor 143 
 
 against those famous archers of the King's 
 guard. 
 
 And now the ten archers of the King's guard 
 took their stand again, and all the great crowd 
 was hushed to the stillness of death. Slowly 
 and carefully each man shot his shafts, and so 
 deep was the silence that you could hear every 
 arrow rap against the target as it struck it. 
 Then, when the last shaft had sped, a great roar 
 went up ; and the shooting, I wot, was well 
 worthy of the sound. Once again Gilbert had 
 lodged three arrows in the white ; Tepus came 
 second with two in the white and one in the 
 black ring aext to it; but stout Clifton had 
 gone down and Hubert of Suffolk had taken 
 the ihird place, for, while both those two good 
 yeomen had lodged two in the white, Clifton 
 had lost one shot upon the fourth ring, and 
 Hubert came in with one in the third. 
 
 All the archers around Gilbert's bootk 
 shouted for joy till their throats were hoarse, 
 tossing their caps aloft, and shaking hands with 
 one another. 
 
 In the midst of all this noise and hubbub five 
 men came walking across the lawn toward the 
 King's pavilion. The first was Richard Part- 
 ington, and was known to most folk there, but 
 the others were strange to everybody. Beside 
 
144 How Robin Hood 
 
 young Partington walked a yeoman clad in 
 blue, and behind came three others, two in Lin- 
 coln green and one in scarlet. This last yeoman 
 carried three stout bows of yew tree, two fan- 
 cifully inlaid with silver ^nd one with gold. 
 Whilst these five men came walking across the 
 meadow, a messenger came running from the 
 King's booth, and summoned Gilbert and Tepus 
 and Hubert to go with him. And now the 
 shouting quickly ceased, for all saw that some- 
 thing unwonted was toward, so the folk stood 
 up in their places and leaned forward to see 
 what was the ado. 
 
 When Partington and the others came before 
 the spot where the King and Queen sat, the 
 four yeoman bent their knees and doffed their 
 caps unto her. 
 
 Then the Queen leaned forward and spake in 
 a clear voice, " Locksley," said she, " I have 
 laid a wager with the King that thou and two 
 of thy men can outshoot any three that he can 
 send against you. Will thou do thy best for 
 my sake ?** 
 
 The King turned to the Queen, and quoth 
 he, " Who are these men that thou hast brought 
 before us ? " 
 
 Now it happened that m the company then 
 present was the Sheriff of Nottingham. When 
 
Shot Before Queen Eleanor 1 45 
 
 he beheld the four yeomen his face turned as 
 pale as wax and then as red as a cherry. Then 
 straightway up he spake, thinking naught 
 either of King or Queen : " Your majesty," 
 quoth he, " yon fellow in blue is a certain out- 
 lawed thief of the midcountry, named Robin 
 Hood ; yon tall, strapping villain goeth by the 
 name of Little John ; the other fellow in green 
 is a certain backsliding gentleman, known as 
 Will Scarlet; the man in red is a rogue of a 
 northern minstrel, named Allan a Dale." 
 
 At this speech the King's brows drew to- 
 gether blackly, and he turned to the Queen. 
 " Is this true ? " said he, sternly. 
 
 " Yea," said the Queen, smiling, " the SherifE 
 should know them well, and he hath told the 
 truth ; but bear in mind that thou hast pledged 
 thy promise for the safety of these good yeo- 
 man for forty days." 
 
 " I will keep my promise," said the King, in 
 a deep voice that showed the anger in his 
 heart ; " but when these forty days are gone let 
 this outlaw look to himself, for mayhap things 
 will not go so smoothly with him as he would 
 like." Then he turned to his archers, who 
 stood near the Sherwood yeomen, listening and 
 wondering at all that passed. Quoth he, " Gil- 
 bert, and thou, Tepus, and thou, Hubert, I have 
 
146 How Robin Hood 
 
 pledged myself that ye shall shoot against these 
 three fellows. If ye outshoot the knaves Iwill fill 
 your caps with silver pennies ; if ye fail ye shall 
 lose your prizes that ye have won so fairly, and 
 they go to them that shoot against you, man to 
 man. Do your best, lads, and if ye win this 
 bout ye shall be glad of it to the last days of 
 your life. Go, now, and get you gone to the 
 butts." 
 
 Then the three archers of the King turned 
 and went back to their booths, and Robin and 
 his men went to their places at the mark from 
 which they were to shoot. Then they strung 
 their bows and made themselves ready, looking 
 over their quivers of arrows, and picking out 
 the roundest and the best feathered. 
 
 Six fresh targets were now set up, one for 
 each man that was to shoot ; whereupon Gil- 
 bert and Tepus and Hubert came straightway 
 forth from the booths. Then Robin Hood and 
 Gilbert of the White Hand tossed a farthing 
 aloft to see who should lead in the shooting, 
 and the lot fell to Gilbert's side ; thereupon he 
 called upon Hubert of Suffolk to lead. 
 
 Hubert took his place, planted his foot firmly, 
 and fitted a fair, smooth arrow ; then, breathing 
 upon his finger-tips, he drew the string slowly 
 and carefully. The arrow sped true, and lodged 
 
Shot Before Queen Eleanor 147 
 
 in the white ; again he shot, and again he hit 
 the clout ; a third shaft he sped, but this time 
 failed of the centre, and but struck the black, 
 yet not more than a finger's breadth from the 
 white. At this a shout went up, for it was the 
 best shooting that Hubert had yet done that 
 day. 
 
 Merry Robin laughed, and quoth he, " Thou 
 wilt have an ill time bettering that round, Will, 
 for it is thy turn next. Brace thy thews, lad, 
 and bring not shame upon Sherwood." 
 
 Then Will Scarlet took his place; but, be- 
 cause of over-caution, he spoiled his target with 
 the very first arrow that he sped, for he hit the 
 next ring to the black, the second from the cen- 
 tre. At this Robin bit his lips. " Lad, lad," 
 quoth he, " hold not the string so long ! Have 
 I not often told thee what GaSer Swanthold 
 sayeth, that ' overcaution spilleth the milk ? ' " 
 To this Will Scarlet took heed, so the next ar- 
 row he shot lodged fairly in the centre ring ; 
 again he shot, and again he smote the centre ; 
 but, for all that, stout Hubert had outshot him, 
 and showed the better target. Then all those 
 that looked on clapped their hands for joy be- 
 cause that Hubert had overcome the stranger. 
 
 Quoth the King, grimly, to the Queen, " If 
 thy archers shoot no better than that, thou art 
 
148 How Robin Hood 
 
 like to lose thy wager, lady." But Queen 
 Eleanor smiled, for she looked for better things 
 from Robin Hood and Little John. 
 
 And now Tepus took his place to shoot. He, 
 also, took over-heed to what he was about, and 
 so he fell into Will Scarlet's error. The first 
 arrow he struck into the centre ring, but the 
 second missed its mark, and smote the black ; 
 the last arrow was tipped with luck, for it smote 
 the very centre of the clout, upon the black 
 spot that marked it. Quoth Robin Hood, 
 " That is the sweetest shot that hath been sped 
 this day ; but, nevertheless, friend Tepus, thy 
 cake is burned, methinks. Little John, it is thy 
 turn next." 
 
 So Little John took his place as bidden, and 
 shot his three arrows quickly. He never 
 lowered his bow arm in all the shooting, but 
 fitted each shaft with his longbow raised ; yet 
 all three of his arrows smote the centre within 
 easy distance of the black. At this no sound of 
 shouting was heard, for, although it was the 
 best shooting that had been done that day, the 
 folk of London Town did not like to see the 
 stout Tepus overcome by a fellow from the 
 countryside, even were he as famous as Little 
 John. 
 
 And now stout Gilbert of the White Hand 
 
Shot Before Queen Eleanor 149 
 
 took his place and shot with the greatest care ; 
 and again, for the third time in one day, he 
 struck all three shafts into the clout. 
 
 " Well done, Gilbert ! " quoth Robin Hood, 
 smiting him upon the shoulder. " I make my 
 vow, thou art one of the best archers that ever 
 mine eyes beheld. Thou shouldst be a free and 
 merry ranger like us, lad, for thou art better 
 fitted for the greenwood than for the cobble- 
 stones and gray walls of London Town." So 
 saying, he took his place, and drew a fair, round 
 arrow from his quiver, which he turned over 
 and over ere he fitted it to his bowstring. 
 
 Then the King muttered in his beard, " Now, 
 blessed Saint Hubert, if thou wilt but jog that 
 rogue's elbow so as to make him smite even the 
 second ring, I will give eightscore waxen can- 
 dles three fingers' breadth in thickness to thy 
 chapel nigh Matching." But it may be Saint 
 Hubert's ears were stuffed with tow, for he 
 seemed not to hear the King's prayer this day. 
 
 Having gotten three shafts to his liking, 
 merry Robin looked carefully to his bowstring 
 ere he shot. " Yea," quoth he to Gilbert, who 
 stood nigh him to watch his shooting, "thou 
 shouldst pay us a visit at merry Sherwood." 
 Here he drew the bowstring to his ear. " In 
 London " — here he loosed his shaft — " thou 
 
150 How Robin Hood 
 
 canst find naught to shoot at but rooks and 
 daws ; there one can tickle the ribs of the 
 noblest stags in England." So he shot even 
 whilst he talked, yet the shaft lodged not more 
 than half an inch from the very centre. 
 
 " By my soul ! " cried Gilbert. "Art thou the 
 devil in blue, to shoot in that wise ? " 
 
 " Nay," quoth Robin, laughing, " not quite 
 so ill as that, I trust." And he took up another 
 shaft and fitted it to the string. Again he shot, 
 and again he smote his arrow close beside the 
 centre ; a third time he loosed his bowstring, 
 and dropped his arrow just betwixt the other 
 two and into the very centre, so that the leathers 
 of all three were ruffled together, seeming from 
 a distance to be one thick shaft. 
 
 And now a low murmur ran all among that 
 great crowd, for never before had London seen 
 such shooting as this ; and never again would 
 it see it after Robin Hood's day had gone. All 
 saw that the King's archers were fairly beaten, 
 and stout Gilbert clapped his palm to Robin's, 
 owning that he could never hope to draw such 
 a bowstring as Robin Hood or Little John. 
 But the King, full of wrath, would not have it 
 60, though he knew in his mind that his men 
 could not stand against those fellows. " N^y ! " 
 cried he, clenching his hands upon the arms of 
 
Shot Before Queen Eleanor 151 
 
 his seat, " Gilbert is not yet beaten ! Did he 
 not strike the clout thrice ? Although I have 
 lost my wager, he hath not yet lost the first 
 prize. They shall shoot again, and still again, 
 till either he or that knave Robin Hood cometh 
 off the best. Go thou. Sir Hugh, and bid thera 
 shoot another round, and another, until one or 
 the other is overcome." Then Sir Hugh, see- 
 ing how wroth the King was, said never a word, 
 but went straightway to do his bidding ; so he 
 came to where Robin Hood and the other 
 stood, and told them what the King had said. 
 
 " With all my heart," quoth merry Robin, " I 
 will shoot from this time till to-morrow day il 
 it can pleasure my most gracious lord and king. 
 Take thy place, Gilbert lad, and shoot." 
 
 So Gilbert took his place once more, but this 
 - time he failed, for, a sudden little wind arising, 
 his shaft missed the centre ring, but by not 
 more than the breadth of a barley straw, 
 
 " Thy eggs are cracked, Gilbert," quoth 
 Robin, laughing; and straightway he loosed a 
 shaft, and once more smote the white circle of 
 the centre. 
 
 Then the King arose from his place, and not 
 a word said he, but he looked around with a 
 baleful look, and it would have been an ill day 
 for any one that he saw with a joyous or a merry 
 
152 How Robin Hood 
 
 look upon his face. Then he and his Queen and 
 all the court left the place, but the King's 
 heart was brimming full of wrath within him. 
 
 After the King had gone, all the yeomen of 
 the archer guard came crowding around Robin, 
 and Little John, and Will, and Allan, to snatch 
 a look at these famous fellows from the mid- 
 country ; and with theni came many that had 
 been onlookers at the sport, for the same pur- 
 pose. Thus it happened presently that the 
 yeomen, to whom Gilbert stood talking, were 
 all surrounded by a crowd of people that formed 
 a ring about them. " Marry," quoth Little 
 John to Will Scarlet, " one would think that 
 these poor fellows had never seen a stout yeo- 
 man ranger in all their lives before, or that we 
 were some curious spectacle, like the Cumber- 
 land Giant, or the Welsh Dwarf, that we saw 
 last month at the fair at Norwich." 
 
 After a while the three judges that had the 
 giving away of the prizes came foward, and the 
 chief of them all spake to Robin and said : "Ac- 
 cording to agreement, the first prize belongeth 
 rightly to thee ; so here I give thee the silver 
 bugle, here the quiver of ten golden arrows, and 
 here a purse of twoscore and ten golden pounds." 
 And as he spake he handed those things to 
 Robin, and then turned to Little John. "To 
 
Shot Before Queen Eleanor 153 
 
 thee," he said, " belongeth the second prize, to 
 wit, fivescore of the finest harts that run on 
 Dallen Lea. Thou mayest shoot them whenso- 
 ever thou dost list." Last of all he turned to 
 stout Hubert. " Thou," said he, " hast held 
 thine own against the yeoman with whom thou 
 didst shoot, and so thou has kept the prize duly 
 thine, to wit, two tuns of good Rhenish wine. 
 These shall be delivered to thee whensoever 
 thou dost list." Then he called upon the other 
 seven of the King's archers who had last shot, 
 and gave them each fourscore silver pennies. 
 Then up spake Robin, and quoth he, " This 
 silver bugle I keep in honor of this shooting- 
 match ; but thou, Gilbert, art the best archer of 
 all the King's guard, and to thee I freely give 
 this purse of gold. Take it, man, and would it 
 were ten times as much, for thou art a right 
 yeoman, good and true. Furthermore, to each 
 of the ten that last shot I give one of these gold- 
 en shafts apiece. Keep them always by you, 
 so that ye may tell your grandchildren, an ye 
 are ever blessed with them, that ye are the very 
 stoutest yeomen in all the wide world." 
 
 At this all shouted aloud, for it pleased them 
 to hear Robin speak so of them. 
 
 Then up spake Little John. "Good friend 
 Tepus," said he, "I want not those harts of 
 
154 How King Richard Came 
 
 Dallen Lea that yon stout judge spoke of but 
 now, for in truth we have enow and more than 
 enow in our own country. Twoscore and ten 
 I give thee for thine own shooting, and five I 
 give to each band for their pleasure." 
 
 At this another great shout went up, and 
 many tossed their caps aloft, and swore among 
 themselves that no better fellows ever walked 
 the sod than Robin Hood and his stout yeo- 
 men. 
 
 Thus ended the famous shooting-match before 
 Queen Eleanor. 
 
 And next I will tell you of how Robin Hood 
 met with King Richard of the Lion's Heart in 
 Sherwood Forest. So listen and ye shall hear. 
 
 CHAPTER XII 
 
 HOW KING RICHARD CAME TO SHERWOOB 
 FOREST 
 
 And now many years had passed. King 
 Henry had died and King Richard of the Lion's 
 Heart had come to the Throne through many 
 adventures as stirring as any that had befallen 
 Robin himself. And now^ all Nottinghamshire 
 was in a mighty stir and tumult, for King Rich- 
 ard was making a royal progress through merry 
 
to Sherwood Forest 155 
 
 England, and every one expected him to come 
 to Nottingham Town in his journeying. 
 
 So all was bustle and hubbub ; a great run- 
 ning hither and thither, a rapping of hammers 
 and a babel of voices sounding everywhere 
 through the place, for the folk were build- 
 ing great arches across the streets, beneath 
 which the King was to pass, and were draping 
 these arches with silken banners and streamers 
 of many colors. Great noise and tumult was 
 going on in the Guild Hall of the town, also, 
 tor here a grand banquet was to be given to 
 the King and the nobles oJ his train, and the 
 best master carpenters were busy building a 
 throne where the King and the Sheriff were to 
 sit at the head of the table, side by side. 
 
 Bright shone the sun down into the stony 
 Streets, which were all alive with a restless sea 
 of people. On either side of the way great 
 crowds of town and country folks stood packed 
 as close together as dried herring in a box, so 
 that the Sheriff's men, halberds in hands, could 
 hardly press them back to leave space for the 
 King's riding. 
 
 " Take care whom thou pushest against ! " 
 tried a great, burly friar to one of these men. 
 " Wouldst thou dig thine elbows into me, sir. 
 /ah ? By 'r Lady of the Fountain, and thou dost 
 
156 How King Richard Came 
 
 not treat me with more deference I will crack 
 thy knave's pate for thee, even though thou be 
 one of the mighty Sheriff's men." 
 
 At this a great shout of laughter arose from 
 a number of tall yeomen in Lincoln green that 
 were scattered through the crowd thereabouts : 
 but one that seemed of more authority than the 
 others nudged the holy man with his elbow, 
 ♦' Peace.Tuck," said he : " didst thou not promise 
 me, ere thou earnest here, that thou wouldst 
 put a check upon thy tongue ? " 
 
 " Ay, marry," grumbled the other, " but a 
 did not think to have a hard-footed knave 
 trample all over my poor toes as though they 
 were no more than so many acorns in the 
 iorest." 
 
 But of a sudden all this bickering ceased, for 
 a clear sound of many bugle horns came wind- 
 ing down the street. Then all the people craned 
 their necks and gazed in the direction whence 
 the sound came, and the crowding and the push- 
 ing and the swaying grew greater than ever. 
 And now a gallant array of men came gleaming 
 into sight, and the cheering of the people ran 
 down the crowd as the fire runs in dry grass. 
 
 Eight and twenty heralds in velvet and cloth 
 of gold came riding forward. Over their heads 
 fluttered a cloud of snow-white feathers, and 
 
to Sherwood Forest 157 
 
 each herald bore in his hand a long silver trum- 
 pet, which he blew musically. From each 
 trumpet hung a heavy banner of velvet and 
 cloth of gold, with the royal arms of England 
 emblazoned thereon. After these came riding 
 fivescore noble knights, two by two, all fully 
 armed, saving that their heads were uncovered. 
 In their hands they bore tall lances, from the 
 tops of which fluttered pennons of many colors 
 and devices. By the side of each knight walked 
 a page clad in rich clothes of silk and velvet, 
 and each page bore in his hands his masters 
 helmet, from which waved long, floating plumes 
 of feathers. Never had Nottingham seen a 
 fairer sight than those fivescore noble knights, 
 from whose armor the sun blazed in dazzling 
 light as they came riding on their great war- 
 horses, with clashing of arms and jingling of 
 chains. Behind the knights came the barons 
 and the nobles of the midcountry, in robes of 
 silk and cloth of gold, with golden chains about 
 their necks and jewels at their girdles. Behind 
 these again came a great array of men-at-arms, 
 with spears and halberds in their hands, and, 
 in the midst of these, two riders side by side. 
 One of the horsemen was the Sheriff of Not- 
 tingham in his robes of office. The other, who 
 was a head taller than the Sheriff, was clad in a 
 
158 How King Richard Came 
 
 rich but simple garb, with a broad, heavy chain 
 about his neck. His hair and beard were like 
 threads of gold, and his eyes were as blue as the 
 summer sky. As he rode along he bowed to 
 the right hand and the left, and a mighty roar 
 of voices followed him as he passed; for this 
 was King Richard, 
 
 Then, above all the tumult and the shouting 
 a great voice was heard roaring, " Heaven, its 
 saints bless thee, our gracious King Richard ! 
 and likewise Our Lady of the Fountain, bless 
 thee ! " Then King Richard, looking toward 
 the spot whence the sound came, saw a tall, 
 burly, strapping priest standing in front of all 
 the crowd with his legs wide apart as he backed 
 against those behind. 
 
 " By my soul, Sheriff," said the King, laugh- 
 ing, " ye have the tallest priests in Nottingham- 
 shire that e'er I saw in all my life. If Heaven 
 never answered prayers because of deafness, 
 methinks I would nevertheless have blessings 
 bestowed upon me, for that man yonder would 
 make the great stone image of Saint Peter rub 
 its ears and hearken unto him. I would that I 
 had an army of such as he." 
 
 To this the Sheriff answered never a word, 
 but all the blood left his cheeks, and he caught 
 at the pommel of his saddle to keep himself 
 
to Sherwood Forest 159 
 
 from falling ; for he also saw the fellow that so 
 shouted, and knew him to be Friar Tuck ; and, 
 moreover, behind Friar Tuck he saw the faces 
 of Robin Hood and Little John and Will Scar- 
 let and Will Stutely and Allan a Dale and others 
 of the band. 
 
 " How now," said the King hastily, " art 
 thou ill, Sheriff, that thou growest so white ?" 
 
 " Nay, your majesty," said the Sheriff, "it 
 was naught but a sudden pain that will soon 
 pass by." Thus he spake, for he was ashamed 
 that the King should know that Robin Hood 
 feared him so little that he thus dared to come 
 within the very gates of Nottingham Town. 
 
 Thus rode the King into Nottingham Town 
 on that bright afternoon in the early fall season ; 
 and none rejoiced more than Robin Hood and 
 his merry men to see him come so royally unto 
 his own. 
 
 Eventide had come; the great feast in the 
 Guild Hall at Nottingham Town was done. 
 A thousand waxen lights gleamed along the 
 board, at which sat lord and noble and knight 
 and squire in goodly array. At the head of the 
 table, upon a throne all hung with cloth of 
 gold, sat King Richard with the Sheriff of Not- 
 tingham beside him. 
 
l6o How King Richard Came 
 
 Quoth the King to the Sheriff, laughing as he 
 spoke, " I have heard much spoken concerning 
 the doings of certain fellows hereabouts, one 
 Robin Hood and his band, who are outlaws and 
 abide in Sherwood Forest. Canst thou not tell 
 me somewhat of them, Sir Sheriff? for I hear 
 that thou hast had dealings with them more 
 than once." 
 
 At these words the Sheriff of Nottingham 
 looked down gloomily, gnawing his nether lip. 
 Quoth he, " I can tell your majesty but little 
 concerning the doings of those naughty fel- 
 lows, saving that they are the boldest law- 
 breakers in all the land." 
 
 Then up spake young Sir Henry of the Lea, 
 a great favorite with the King, under whom he 
 had fought in Palestine, and whose father had 
 once been helped in time of need by merry 
 Robin. " May it please your majesty," said he, 
 " when I was away in Palestine I heard oft- 
 times from my father, and in most cases I 
 heard of this very fellow, Robin Hood. If your 
 majesty would like I will tell you a certain ad- 
 venture of this outlaw." 
 
 Then the King laughingly bade him tell his 
 tale, whereupon he told how the Sheriff had 
 tried to buy the horned beasts of Robin Hood, 
 and how he had paid so dear a price for a 
 
to Sherwood Forest l6l 
 
 merry feast in the greenwood. Again and 
 again the King and those present roared with 
 laughter, whilst the poor Sheriff waxed cherry 
 red in the face with vexation, for the matter 
 was a sore thing with him. When Sir Henry 
 of the Lea was done, others of those present, 
 seeing how the King enjoyed this merry tale, 
 told other tales concerning Robin and his 
 merry men. 
 
 " By the hilt of my sword," said stout King 
 Richard, " this is as bold and merry a knave as 
 ever I heard tell of. Marry, I must take this 
 matter in hand and do what thou couldst not 
 do. Sheriff, to wit, clear the forest of him and 
 his band." 
 
 That night the King sat in the place that was 
 set apart for his lodging whilst in Nottingham 
 Town. With him were young Sir Henry of 
 the Lea and two other knights and three barons 
 of Nottinghamshire ; but the King's mind still 
 dwelt upon Robin Hood. " Now," quoth he, 
 " I would freely give a hundred pounds to meet 
 this roguish fellow, Robin Hood, and to see 
 somewhat ot his doings m Sherwood Forest." 
 
 Then up spake Sir Hubert ot Bingham, laugh, 
 ing : " It your majesty hath such a desire upon 
 you it is not so hard to satisfy. If your majesty 
 is willing to lose one hundred pounds, I \i\:u 
 
1 62 How King Richard Came 
 
 engage to cause you not only to meet this 
 low, but to feast with him in Sherwood." 
 
 " Marry, Sir Hubert," quoth the King, «' 1 
 pleaseth me well. But how wilt thou cause 
 to meet Robin Hood ? " 
 
 " Why, thus," said Sir Hubert ; " let y^ 
 majesty and us here present put on the ro 
 of seven of the Order of Black Friars, and 
 your majesty hang a purse of one hund 
 pounds beneath your gown ; then let us unc 
 take to ride from here to Mansfield Town 
 morrow, and, without I am much mistaken, 
 will both meet with Robin Hood and dine w 
 him before the day be passed." 
 
 " I like thy plan. Sir Hubert," quoth 
 King merrily, " and to-morrow we will trj 
 and see whether there be virtue in it." 
 
 So seven habits such as black friars w 
 were brought, and the King and those ab 
 him having clad themselves therein, and 
 majesty having hung a purse with a hund 
 golden pounds in it beneath his robes, they 
 went forth and mounted the mules that 1 
 been brought to the door for them. Then 
 King bade the Sheriff be silent as to their 
 ings, and so they set forth upon their way. 
 
 Onward they travelled, laughing and lesti 
 until they passed through the open count 
 
to Sherwood Forest 163 
 
 between bare harvest fields whence the harvest 
 had been gathered home ; through scattered 
 glades that began to thicken as they went 
 farther along, till they came within the heavy 
 shade of the forest itself. They travelled in the 
 forest for several miles without meeting any 
 one such as they soughv, until they had come 
 to that part of the road that lay nearest to New- 
 stead Abbey. 
 
 " By the holy Saint Martin," quoth the King, 
 " I would that I had a better head for remem- 
 bering things of great need. Here have we 
 come away and brought never so much as a 
 drop of anything to drink with us. Now I 
 would give half a hundred pounds for some- 
 what to quench my thi-rst withal." 
 
 No sooner had the King so spoken, than out 
 from the covert at the roadside stepped a tall 
 fellow with yellow beard and hair and a pair of 
 merry blue eyes. " Truly, holy brother," said 
 he, laying his hand upon the King's bridle rein, 
 " it were an unchristian thing not to give fit- 
 ting answer to so fair a bargain. We keep an 
 inn hereabouts, and for fifty pounds we will not 
 only give thee wherewithal to quench thy 
 thirst, but will set thee as noble a feast as 
 ever thou didst tickle thy gullet withal." So 
 saying he put his fingers to his lips and blew a 
 
t64 How King Richard Came 
 
 shriU whistle. Then straightway the bushes and 
 oranches on either side of the road swayed and 
 crackled and threescore broad-shouldered yeo. 
 men in Lincoln green burst out of the covert. 
 
 " How now, fellow," quoth the King, " who 
 art thou, thou naughty rogue ? Hast thou no 
 regard for such holy men as we are ? " 
 
 " Not a whit," quoth merry Robin Hood, for 
 the fellow was he ; " for in sooth all the holiness 
 belonging to rich friars, such as ye are, one 
 could drop into a thimble and the good wife 
 would never feel it with the tip of her finger.. 
 As for my name, it is Robin Hood, and thou 
 raayst have heard it before." 
 
 " Now out upon thee I " quoth King Richard. 
 " Thou art a bold and naughty fellow and a 
 lawless one withal, as I have often heard telL 
 Now, prythee, let me, and these brethren of 
 mine, travel forward in peace and quietness." 
 
 " It may not be," said Robin, " for it would 
 look but ill of us to let such goodly men travel 
 onward with empty stomachs. But I doubt 
 not that thou hast a fat purse to pay thy score 
 at our inn since thou ofierest freely so much 
 wherewith to quench thy thirst. Show me thy 
 purse, reverend brother, or I may perchance 
 have to strip thy robes from thee to search for 
 it myself." 
 
to Sherwood Forest 165 
 
 " Nay, use no force," said the King sternly. 
 " Here is my purse, but lay not thy lawless 
 hands upon our person." 
 
 " Hut, tut," quoth merry Robin, " what 
 proud words are these ? Art thou the King of 
 England, to talk so to me? Here, Will, take 
 this purse and see what there is within." 
 
 Will Scarlet took the purse and counted out 
 the money. Then Robin bade him keep fifty 
 pounds for themselves, and put fifty back into 
 the purse. This he handed to the King. 
 " Here, brother," quoth he, " take this half of 
 thy money, and thank Saint Martin, on whom 
 thou didst call before, that thou hast fallen into 
 the hands of such gentle rogues that they will 
 not strip thee bare, as they might do. But 
 wilt thou not put back thy cowl ? for I would 
 fain see thy face." 
 
 " Nay," said the King, drawing back, " I may 
 not put back my cowl, for we seven have 
 vowed that we will not show our faces for four 
 and twenty hours." 
 
 "Then keep them covered in peace," said 
 Robin, " and far be it from me to make you 
 break your vows." 
 
 So he called seven of his yeomen and bade 
 them each one take a mule by the bridle ; then, 
 turning their xaces toward the depths of the 
 
i66 How King Richard Came 
 
 woodlands, they journeyed onward until they 
 came to the open glade and the greenwood 
 tree. 
 
 Little John, with threescore yeomen at his 
 heels, had also gone forth that morning to wait 
 along the roads and bring a rich guest to Sher- 
 wood glade, if such might be his luck, for 
 many with fat purses must travel the roads at 
 this time, when such great doings were go- 
 ing on in Nottinghamshire ; but though Little 
 John and so many others were gone, Friar 
 Tuck and twoscore or more stout yeomen were 
 seated or lying around beneath the great tree, 
 and when Robin and the others came they 
 leaped to their feet to meet him. 
 
 " By my soul," quoth merry King Richard, 
 when he had gotten down from his mule and 
 stood looking about him, "thou hast in very 
 truth a fine lot of young men about thee, Rob- 
 in. Methinks King Richard himself would be 
 glad of such a body-guard." 
 
 " These are not all of my fellows," said Robin, 
 proudly, "for threescore more of them are 
 away on business with my good right-hand 
 man, Little John. But, as for King Richard, 
 I tell thee, brother, there is not a man of us all 
 but would pour out our blood like water for 
 him. Ye churchmen cannot rightly understand 
 
to Sherwood Forest 167 
 
 our jiing ; but we yeomen love him right loy- 
 ally for the sake of his brave doings which are 
 so like our own." 
 
 Presently a great crock was brought, from 
 which refreshment was poured for all the 
 guests and for Robin Hood. Then Robin held 
 his cup aloft. " Stay ! " cried he. " Tarry till 
 I give you a pledge. Here is to good King 
 Richard of great renown, and may all enemies 
 to him be confounded." 
 
 At this the King laughed. " Then," quoth he, 
 " good -fellow, we have paid well for our fare, 
 so canst thou not show us some merry enter- 
 tainment ? I have oft heard that ye are won- 
 drous archers ; wilt thou not show us some- 
 what of your skill ? " 
 
 " With all my heart," said Robin ; " we are 
 always pleased to show our guests all the sport 
 that is to be seen. Ho, lads ! set up a garland 
 at the end of the glade." 
 
 Then the yeomen ran to do their master's 
 bidding. The mark at which they were to 
 shoot was set up at sixscore paces distance. It 
 was a garland of leaves and flowers two spans 
 in width, which same was hung upon a stake 
 in front of a broad tree-trunk. " There," quoth 
 Robin, •' yon is a fair mark, lads. Each of you 
 shoot three arrows thereat ; and if any fellow 
 
1 68 How King Richard Came 
 
 misseth by so much as one arrow, he shall have 
 a buffet of Will Scarlet's fist." 
 
 " Hearken to him ! " quoth Friar Tuck. 
 " Why, master, thou dost bestow buffets from 
 thy strapping nephew as though they were 
 love taps from some bouncing lass. I warrant 
 thou art safe to hit the garland thyself, or thou 
 wouldst not be so free of his cuffing." 
 
 First David of Doncaster shot, and lodged 
 all three of his arrows within the garland. 
 " Well done, David ! " cried Robin, " thou hast 
 saved thine ears from a warming this day." 
 Next Midge, the Miller, shot, and he, also, 
 lodged his arrows in the garland. Then fol- 
 lowed Wat, the Tinker, but alas for him ! for 
 one of his shafts missed the mark by the 
 breadth of two fingers. 
 
 " Come hither, fellow," said Will Scarlet, in 
 his soft, gentle voice ; " I owe thee somewhat 
 that I would pay forthwith." Then Wat, the 
 Tinker, came forward and stood in front of 
 Will Scarlet, screwing up his face and shutting 
 his eyes tightly, as though he already felt his 
 ears ringing with the buffet. Will Scarlet 
 rolled up his sleeve, and, standing on tiptoe to 
 give the greater swing to his arm, he struck 
 with might and main. " Whoof ! " came his 
 palm against the Tinker's head, and down went 
 
to Sherwood Forest 169 
 
 stout Wat to the grass, heels over head, as the 
 wooden image at the fair goes down when the 
 skillful player throws a cudgel at it. Then, as 
 the Tinker sat up upon the grass, rubbing his 
 ear and winking and blinking at the bright stars 
 that danced before his eyes, the yeomen roared 
 with mirth till the forest rang. As for King 
 Richard, he laughed till the tears ran down his 
 cheeks. Thus the band shot, each in turn, 
 some getting off scot free, and some winning 
 a buffet that always sent them to the grass. 
 And now, last of all, Robin took his place, and 
 all was hushed as he shot. The first shaft he 
 shot split a piece from the stake on which the 
 garland was hung ; the second shaft lodged 
 within an inch of the other. " By my hali- 
 dom," said King Richard to himself, " I would 
 give a thousand pounds for this fellow to be 
 one of my guard ! " And now, for the third 
 time Robin shot ; but, alas for him ! the arrow 
 was ill-feathered, and, wavering to one side, it 
 smote an inch outside the garland. 
 
 At this a great roar went up, those of the 
 yeomen who sat upon the grass rolling over 
 and over and shouting with laughter, for never 
 before had they seen their master so miss his 
 mark; but Robin flung his bow upon the 
 ground with vexation. " Now, out upon it J '" 
 
170 How King Richard Came 
 
 cried he. " That shaft had an ill feather to it, 
 for I felt it as it left my fingers. Give me a 
 clean arrow, and I will engage to split the 
 wand with it." 
 
 At these words the yeomen laughed louder 
 than ever. " Nay, good uncle," said Will Scar- 
 let, in his soft, sweet voice, " thou hast had thy 
 fair chance and hast missed thine aim'out and 
 out. I swear the arrow was as good as any 
 that hath been loosed this day. Come hither; 
 I owe thee somewhat, and would fain pay it." 
 
 *' Go, good master," roared Friar Tuck, " and 
 may my blessing go with thee. Thou hast be- 
 stowed these love-taps of Will Scarlet's with 
 great freedom. It were pity an thou gottest 
 not thine own share." 
 
 " It may not be," said merry Robin. " I am 
 king here, and no subject may raise hand 
 against the king. But even our great King 
 Richard may yield to the holy Pope without 
 shame, and even take a tap from him by way 
 of penance ; therefore I will yield myself to this 
 holy friar, who seemeth to be one in authority, 
 and will take my punishment from him." Thus 
 saying, he turned to the King, "I prythee, 
 brother, wilt thou take my punishing into thy 
 holy hands ? " 
 
 "With all my heart," quoth merry King 
 
to Sherwood Forest 171 
 
 Richard, rising from where he was sitting. " I 
 owe thee somewhat for having lifted a heavy 
 weight of fifty pounds from my purse. So 
 make room for him on the green, lads," 
 
 " An thou makest me tumble," quoth Robin, 
 " I will freely give thee back thy fifty pounds ; 
 but I tell thee, brother, if thou makest me not. 
 feel grass all along my back, I will take away 
 every farthing thou hast for thy boastful 
 speech." 
 
 " So be it," said the King, " I am willing to 
 venture it." Thereupon he rolled up his sleeve 
 and showed an arm that made the yeomen stare. 
 But Robin, with his feet wide apart, stood firm- 
 ly planted, waiting the other, smiling. Then 
 the King swung back his arm, and, balancing 
 himself a moment, he delivered a buffet at 
 Robin that fell like a thunderbolt. Down went 
 Robin headlong upon the grass, for the stroke 
 would have felled a stone wall. Then how the 
 yeomen shouted with laughter till their sides 
 ached, for never had they seen such a buffet 
 given in all their lives. As for Robin, he pres- 
 ently sat up and looked all around him, as 
 though he had dropped from a cloud and had 
 lit in a place he had never seen before. After 
 a while, still gazing about him at his laughing 
 yeomen, he put his finger-tips softly to his ear 
 
172 How King Richard Came 
 
 and felt all around it tenderly. " Will Scarlet,' 
 said he, " count this fellow out his fifty pounds ; 
 t want nothing more either of his money or of 
 him. A murrain seize him and his buffeting! 
 I would that I had taken my dues from thee, 
 for I verily believe he hath deafened mine ear 
 from ever hearing again." 
 
 Then, while gusts of laughter still broke from 
 the band, Will Scarlet counted out the fifty 
 pounds, and the King dropped it back into his 
 purse again. " I give thee thanks, fellow," said 
 he, " and if ever thou shouldst wish for another 
 box of the ear to match the one thou hast, come 
 to me and I will fit thee with it for naught." 
 
 So spake the merry King ; but, even as he 
 ended, there came suddenly the sound of many 
 voices, and out from the covert burst Little 
 John and threescore men. Across the glade 
 they came running, and, as they came, Little 
 John shouted to Robin : " Make haste, good 
 master to escape ! King Richard left Notting- 
 ham Town this very morning, and cometh to 
 seek thee in the woodlands. I know not how 
 he cometh, for it was but a rumor of this that 
 reached me ; nevertheless, I know that it is the 
 truth. But tell me, good master, who are these 
 who are with us to-day?" 
 
 " Why," quoth merry Robin, rising from tJw* 
 
to Sherwood Forest 173 
 
 grass, " these are certain gentle guests that 
 came with us from the high-road over by New- 
 stead Abbey. I know not their names, but I 
 have become right well acquaint with this lusty 
 fellow's palm this morning. Marry, the pleas- 
 ure of this acquaintance hath cost me a deaf ear 
 and fifty pounds to boot ! " 
 
 But Little John looked keenly at the tall friar, 
 who, drawing himself up to his full height, 
 looked fixedly back at the yeoman. Then of a 
 sudden Little John grew pale, for he knew who 
 it was that he looked upon. " The King ! " he 
 cried, " The King ! " and quickly he flung him- 
 self upon his knees before the other. At this, 
 the King, seeing that Little John knew him, 
 threw back his cowl, and all the yeomen saw 
 his face and knew hira also. Down they fell 
 upon their knees, nor could they say a word. 
 Then the King looked all around right grimly, 
 and, last of all, his glance came back and rested 
 again upon Robin Hood. 
 
 Then at last his face broke into a smile. 
 "Why, how now, good Robin," quoth he, 
 " methinks we owe thee somewhat for so 
 round a buffet. Rise all of you, for ye shall 
 suffer no harm through me this day, for it were 
 pity that a merry time should end in such a 
 manner as to mar its joyousnes3." , 
 
174 How King Richard Came 
 
 Then all arose and the King beckoned Robin 
 Hood to come to him. " How now," quoth he, 
 " is thine ear still too deaf to hear me speak ? " 
 
 " Mine ears would be deafened in death ere 
 they would cease to hear your majesty's voice," 
 said Robin. " As for the blow that your maj- 
 esty struck me, I would say that though my 
 sins are haply many, methinks they have been 
 paid up in full thereby." 
 
 " Thinkest thou so ? " said the King with 
 somewhat of sternness in his voice. " Now I 
 tell thee that but for three things, to wit, my 
 mercifulness, my love for a stout woodsman, 
 and the loyalty thou hast avowed for me, thine 
 ears, mayhap, might have been more tightly 
 closed than ever a buffet from me could have 
 shut them. Talk not lightly of thy sins, good 
 Robin. But come, look up. Thy danger is 
 past, for hereby I give thee and all thy band 
 free pardon. But, in sooth, I cannot let you 
 roam the forest as ye have done in the past ; 
 therefore I will take thee at thy word, when 
 thou didst say thou wouldst give thy service 
 to me, and thou shalt go back to London with 
 me. We will take that bold knave Little John 
 also, and likewise thy cousin, Will Scarlet, and 
 thy minstrel, Allan a Dale. As for the rest of 
 thy band, we will take their names and have 
 
to Sherwood Forest 175 
 
 them duly recorded as royal rangers ; for me- 
 thinks it were wiser to have them changed to 
 law-abiding caretakers of our deer in Sherwood 
 than to leave them run at large as outlawed 
 slayers thereof. But now get a feast ready, 
 for I would fain see how ye live here in the 
 leafy woodlands." 
 
 The next day the King took leave of Not- 
 tingham Town ; so Robin Hood and Little 
 John and Will Scarlet and Allan a Dale shook 
 hands with all the rest of the band, kissing the 
 cheeks of each man, and swearing that they 
 would often come to Sherwood and see them. 
 Then each mounted his horse and rode away 
 in the train of the King. 
 
 Thus end the merry adventures of Robin 
 Hood ; for, in spite of his promise, it was many 
 a year ere he saw Sherwood again. After a 
 year or two at court Little John came back to 
 Nottinghamshire, where he lived in an orderly 
 way, though within sight of Sherwood, and 
 where he achieved great fame as the champion 
 of all England with the quarterstaff. Will 
 Scarlet after a time came back to his own home, 
 whence he had been driven by his unlucky 
 killing of his father's steward. The rest of the 
 band did their duty as royal rangers right well. 
 
176 Robin Hood Follows the King 
 
 But Robin Hood and Allan a Dale did not 
 conie again to Sherwood so quickly, for thus it 
 was : — 
 
 Robin, through his great fame as an archer, 
 became a favorite with the King, so that he 
 speedily arose in rank to be the chief of all the 
 yeomen. At last the King, seeing how faithful 
 and how loyal he was, created him Earl of 
 Huntingdon; so Robin followed the King to 
 the wars, and found his time so full that he had 
 no chance to come back to Sherwood for even 
 so much as a day. As for Allan a Dale, he fol- 
 lowed Robin Hood and shared in all his ups 
 and downs of life. 
 
 Thus all things have an end, but not such a 
 lucky ending as befell Robin Hood and his 
 band of stout yeomen in famous Sherwood 
 Forest. 
 
 THE END. 
 
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