The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
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, laughing, "ye have the tallest
priests in Nottinghamshire 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 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 Scarlet 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 nought 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, and the wine passed freely. 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 Nottingham beside
him.
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, and the
Bishop of Hereford, who was present, gnawed his nether lip. Quoth the
Sheriff, "I can tell Your Majesty but little concerning the doings of
those naughty fellows, saving that they are the boldest lawbreakers 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. "May it please Your
Majesty," said he, "when I was away in Palestine I heard ofttimes 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 adventure of this
outlaw."
Then the King laughingly bade him tell his tale, whereupon he told how
Robin Hood had aided Sir Richard of the Lea with money that he had
borrowed from the Bishop of Hereford. Again and again the King and
those present roared with laughter, while the poor Bishop 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
while 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 dwelled upon Robin Hood. "Now," quoth he, "I would freely
give a hundred pounds to meet this roguish fellow, Robin Hood, and to
see somewhat of his doings in Sherwood Forest."
Then up spake Sir Hubert of Gingham, laughing: "If 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 will engage to cause you not only
to meet this fellow, but to feast with him in Sherwood."
"Marry, Sir Hubert," quoth the King, "this pleaseth me well. But how
wilt thou cause me to meet Robin Hood?"
"Why, thus," said Sir Hubert, "let Your Majesty and us here present put
on the robes of seven of the Order of Black Friars, and let Your Majesty
hang a purse of one hundred pounds beneath your gown; then let us
undertake to ride from here to Mansfield Town tomorrow, and, without I
am much mistaken, we will both meet with Robin Hood and dine with him
before the day be passed."
"I like thy plan, Sir Hubert," quoth the King merrily, "and tomorrow we
will try it and see whether there be virtue in it."
So it happened that when early the next morning the Sheriff came to
where his liege lord was abiding, to pay his duty to him, the King told
him what they had talked of the night before, and what merry adventure
they were set upon undertaking that morning. But when the Sheriff heard
this he smote his forehead with his fist. "Alas!" said he, "what evil
counsel is this that hath been given thee! O my gracious lord and King,
you know not what you do! This villain that you thus go to seek hath no
reverence either for king or king's laws."
"But did I not hear aright when I was told that this Robin Hood hath
shed no blood since he was outlawed, saving only that of that vile Guy
of Gisbourne, for whose death all honest men should thank him?"
"Yea, Your Majesty," said the Sheriff, "you have heard aright.
Nevertheless--"
"Then," quoth the King, breaking in on the Sheriffs speech, "what have I
to fear in meeting him, having done him no harm? Truly, there is no
danger in this. But mayhap thou wilt go with us, Sir Sheriff."
"Nay," quoth the Sheriff hastily, "Heaven forbid!"
But now seven habits such as Black Friars wear were brought, and the
King and those about him having clad themselves therein, and His Majesty
having hung a purse with a hundred golden pounds in it beneath his
robes, they all went forth and mounted the mules that had been brought
to the door for them. Then the King bade the Sheriff be silent as to
their doings, and so they set forth upon their way. Onward they
traveled, laughing and jesting, until they passed through the open
country; 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 traveled in the forest for several miles without meeting
anyone such as they sought, until they had come to that part of the road
that lay nearest to Newstead Abbey.
"By the holy Saint Martin," quoth the King, "I would that I had a better
head for remembering 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 somewhat to quench my thirst
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 to not give
fitting answer to so fair a bargain. We keep an inn hereabouts, and for
fifty pounds we will not only give thee a good draught of wine, but will
give 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 shrill whistle.
Then straightway the bushes and branches on either side of the road
swayed and crackled, and threescore broad-shouldered yeomen 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 goodwife would never feel it with the
tip of her finger. As for my name, it is Robin Hood, and thou mayst have
heard it before."
"Now out upon thee!" 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 holy 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 offerest
freely so much for a poor draught of wine. Show me thy purse, reverend
brother, or I may perchance have to strip thy robes from thee to search
for it myself."
"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 faces toward the depths of the
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 Sherwood
glade, if such might be his luck, for many with fat purses must travel
the roads at this time, when such great doings were going 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, Robin. Methinks King Richard himself would be
glad of such a bodyguard."
"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 our King; but we yeomen love him
right loyally for the sake of his brave doings which are so like our
own."
But now Friar Tuck came bustling up. "Gi' ye good den, brothers," said
he. "I am right glad to welcome some of my cloth in this naughty place.
Truly, methinks these rogues of outlaws would stand but an ill chance
were it not for the prayers of Holy Tuck, who laboreth so hard for their
well-being." Here he winked one eye slyly and stuck his tongue into his
cheek.
"Who art thou, mad priest?" said the King in a serious voice, albeit he
smiled beneath his cowl.
At this Friar Tuck looked all around with a slow gaze. "Look you now,"