The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
beasts that the Sheriff wished to buy, he was still sore about the
matter and could not bear to hear Robin Hood's name spoken in his
presence.
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 country. 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
hesitated a long time before he issued proclamation of the Fair, fearing
lest Robin Hood and his band might come to it. At first he had a great
part of a mind not to proclaim the Fair, but second thought told him
that men would laugh at him and say among themselves that he was afraid
of Robin Hood, so he put that thought by. At last he fixed in his mind
that he would offer such a prize as they would not care to shoot for. At
such times it had been the custom to offer a half score of marks or a
tun of ale, so this year he 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! I would have loved nothing
better than to have had another bout at merry Nottingham Town, but if I
should win this prize nought would it pleasure or profit me."
Then up spoke Little John: "Nay, but hearken, good master," said he,
"only today Will Stutely, young David of Doncaster, and I were at the
Sign of the Blue Boar, and there we heard all the news of this merry
Fair, and also that the Sheriff hath offered this prize, that we of
Sherwood might not care to come to the Fair; so, good master, if thou
wilt, I would fain go and strive to win even this poor thing among the
stout yeomen who will shoot at Nottingham Town."
"Nay, Little John," quoth Robin, "thou art a sound stout fellow, yet
thou lackest the cunning that good Stutely hath, and I would not have
harm befall thee for all Nottinghamshire. Nevertheless, if thou wilt
go, take some disguise lest there be those there who may know thee."
"So be it, good master," quoth Little John, "yet 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."
"It is much against my will," said Robin Hood, "ne'ertheless, if thou
dost wish it, get thee gone, but bear thyself seemingly, Little John,
for thou art mine own right-hand man and I could ill bear to have harm
befall thee."
So Little John clad himself all in scarlet and started off to the Fair
at Nottingham Town.
Right merry were these Fair days at Nottingham, 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 dancing 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 quarterstaff.
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.
First of all he went to the booth where stout ale was sold and, standing
aloft on a bench, he called to all that were near to come and drink with
him. "Hey, sweet lads!" cried he "who will drink ale with a stout
yeoman? Come, all! Come, all! Let us be merry, for the day is sweet
and the ale is tingling. Come hither, good yeoman, and thou, and thou;
for not a farthing shall one of you pay. Nay, turn hither, thou lusty
beggar, and thou jolly tinker, for all shall be merry with me."
Thus he shouted, and all crowded around, laughing, while the brown ale
flowed; and they called Little John a brave fellow, each swearing that
he loved him as his own brother; for when one has entertainment with
nothing to pay, one loves the man that gives it to one.
Then 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 everyone 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! Or else
the 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; is not thy lass fair enough for thee to take cudgel in hand for
her sake? In truth, I believe that Nottingham men do turn to bone and
sinew, for neither heart nor courage have they! Now, thou great lout,
wilt thou not twirl staff for Nottingham?"
"Ay," quoth Little John, "had I but mine own good staff here, it would
pleasure me hugely to crack thy knave's pate, thou saucy braggart! I wot
it would be well for thee an thy cock's comb were cut!" Thus he spoke,
slowly at first, for he was slow to move; but his wrath gathered headway
like a great stone rolling down a hill, so that at the end he was full
of anger.
Then Eric o' Lincoln laughed aloud. "Well spoken for one who fears to
meet me fairly, man to man," said he. "Saucy art thou thine own self,
and if thou puttest foot upon these boards, I will make thy saucy tongue
rattle within thy teeth!"
"Now," quoth Little John, "is there never a man here that will lend me a
good stout staff till I try the mettle of yon fellow?" At this, half a
score reached him their staves, and he took the stoutest and heaviest of
them all. Then, looking up and down the cudgel, he said, "Now, I have
in my hand but a splint of wood--a barley straw, as it were--yet I trow
it will have to serve me, so here goeth." 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 measured 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 quarterstaff that e'er Nottingham
Town beheld. At first Eric o' Lincoln thought that he would gain an
easy advantage, 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 beneath 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; and 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; 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 at first Eric strove to
be wary, as he had been before; but, growing mad at finding himself 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 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 each 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 hands 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 center. "Hey
for the tall archer!" 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.
Then the Sheriff stepped down from the raised seat and came to where the
archers stood, while all doffed 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 erewhile."
"Mayhap it may be so," quoth Little John, "for often have I seen Your
Worship." And, 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