ROBIN HOOD.
THE reign of king Richard the First was very
different from the times we now live in. The
roads were very bad, and were beset with rob-
bers; and there were a great number of large
forests and parks in the country well stocked
with deer. At that time lived the famous Robin
Hood ; he was born in the village of Locksley,
in Nottinghamshire, and his father was very-
skilful in the use of the cross-bow. His mother
had a brother named Gamewell, of Great Game
well-hall, near Maxwell, in the same county, but
at the distance of twenty miles from the house
of Robin Hood's father.
When Robin Hood was about thirteen years
old, his mother said one day to his. father, "Let
Robin and me ride this morning to Gamewell- hall,
A
3- Itobin Hood.
to taste my brother's good cheer." Her husband
answered, "Do so, my dear; let Robin Hood
take my grey horse, and the best bridle and sad-
dle; the sun is rising, so pray make haste, for
to-morrow will be Christmas- day/* The good
wife then made no moie ado, but put on her
holiday petticoat and gown, which were green.
Robin got his basket-hilt sword and dagger, and
his new suit of clothes; and so rode with his
mother behind him till he carne to Gamewell-
hall.
Squire Gamewell made them welcome twenty
times, and the next day six tables were set out
in the hall for dinner; and when the company
was come, the squire said to them, "You are
ail welcome, but not a man here shall taste my
ale till he has sung a Christmas carol." They
now all clapped their hands, and shouted and
sang till the hall and the parlour rung again.
-\!>er dinner the chaplain said grace, and the
Rolin Hood. ;>
squire once again bid his friends be merry. "If
snows and it blows out of doors (said he) but
we are snug here; let us have more ale, and lay
some logs upon the fire/' He then called for
Little John, " for said he Little John is a fine
lad at gambols, and all sorts of tricks, and it \viil
do your hearts good to see him." When Little
John came, he was indeed as clever as the squiro
had said ; but Robin Hood got up, and played
all the very same tricks, and better still. Tho
squire was quite glad to see this, and he said,
"Cousin Robin, you shall go no more home,
but shall stay and li\e with me; you shall have my
estate when I die, and till then you shall be the
comfort of my age." Robin Hood agreed to
this, if his uncle would but give him Little John
to be his servant.
One time when Robin Hood was gone to
spend a week with his father and mother, squire
Gamewell was taken ill. In those days the pco-
4 Eolin Hood.
pie of this country were of the Roman Catholic
religion : there was a convent of priests near
Gamewell-hall, called Fountain-Abbey ; and the
squire sent for one of the priests or monks to
come and read prayers by his bed-side. Foun-
tain-Abbey was a very fine building; it had a
large mansion in the centre, and a capital wing
^i the right side; but there was no wing on
the left, so that the building was not complete.
Now the monk who came to Gamewell-hall was
very sorry about this, and wished very much to
have a left wing to his abbey : so he made the
squire believe that he could not die like a good
man, unless he gave the whole of his estate to
Fountain-Abbey. The squire was very ill, and
hardly knew what he did ; he forgot Robin Hood,
and all that he had said he would do for him ;
and signed a paper that the monk brought him,
to give away his estate. As soon as Robin Hood
heard that his uncle wa$ very ill, he made haste
Rolin Hood. 5
borne; but the squire was dead a quarter of an
hour before Robin came. The monks now
turned Robin Hood out of the hall; and as his
father was poor, Robin was thus sent out into
the world to seek his fortune.
Robin Hood did not know'what to do; he
had been used to live like a rich man, and did
not know how to work, for he had learned no
trade. He now got together a number of young
men, who had been brought up like himself, and
were just as poor; and they- went to live what
they called a merry life, in Sherwood Forest,
near Nottingham. Here there was plenty cf
deer, and Robin Hood and his company were
very excellent marksmen at shooting them with
the cross-bow; but they wanted something be-
sides meat to eat, so they at once turned robbers.
After this no man could travel alone through
Sherwood Forest without being stripped of his
money. Robin Hood and his -company too did
$ Rolin Hood.
not confine themselves to Sherwood Forest, but
sometimes went to plunder other parts of Eng-
land. His gang soon grew to above a hundred in
number, and they were sme of ihe tallest, finest,
and boldest men in the kingdom. Robin Hood
dressed them in an uniform; he himself always
\vore scarlet; and each of his men had a green
coat, a pair of breeches, and cap.
Though Robin Hood was a robber, which, to
be sure, is a very bad thing, yet he behaved in
such a manner as to have the good word and
good wishes of almost all the poor people in
those parts. He never loved to rob any body but
people that were very rich, and that had not the
spirit to make good use of their riches. As he
had lost his estate by the cunning of a popish
priest, he had a great dislike to the whole set;
and the popish priests at that time behaved in
uich a manner that hardly any body liked them;
so that Robin Hood was not thought the worse
Robin Hood. 3
of for his usage of them. When he met with
poor men in his rambles, instead of taking any
thing from them, he gave them money of his
own. He never let any woman be either rob-
bed or hurt, and in cases of hardship, he always
took the part of the weak and the injured
against the strong; so that it was truely said,
" that of all thieves he was the gentlest and most
o
generous thief."
Robin Hood was f^ncf of doing odd nnd
strange things, and he loved a joke quite as well
as he loved a good booty. One day as he strol-
led in the Forest by himself, he saw a jolly
butcher riding upon a fine mare with panniers
on each side filled with meat. "Good morrow,
good fellow," said Robin; "whither are you
going so early ?" Said the other, "1 am a but-
cher, and am going to Nottingham market to
sell my meat." "I never learned any trade,"
said Robin, <( l think I should like to be a but-
S Rolin Hood.
cher. What shall I give you for your mare and
your panniers, and all that is in them ? " " They
are not dear at four marks/' said the butcher,
"and I will not sell them for less." Robin made
no words, but counted out the money; and
then made the butcher give him his blue linen
coat and his apron, in exchange for Robin
Hood's fine uniform of scarlet.
When Robin Hood had dressed himself in this
manner, he rode straight to Nottingham. The
sheriffof Nottingham, was master of the market,
and Robin Hood hired a stall there. But we may
very well suppose that he did not know much a-
bout his trade, and indeed as long as he had any
meat to sell, no other butcher could sell a single
joint; for Robin Hood sold more meat for a
penny than the others could do for five. " To
be sure/" said they, " this is some young fellow
that has sold his father's land." The butchers then
?ent up to Robin Hood : " Come, brother/' said
Robin Hood bitt'gaiiiine; ^vvith. the !Notting-
Jiain Butcher.
see fiujc o
Rolirt Hood. 9
one of them, " we are all of one trade, will you
go and dine with us?" ' I should be a shabby
fellow," said Robin, "if I was ashamed of my
calling ; so I will go with you." The sheriff was
the tavern-keeper, and sat at the head of the
table; and after dinner Hobin Hood would in-
sist upon paying the bill. The sheriff was a cun-
ning old miser, and when he saw how madly Robin
Hood behaved, he thought he would not miss such
a chance of turning a penny. " Good fellow,"
said the sheriff, ha^t thou anv horned beasts to
sell to me ?" ' Thar I have, good master sheriff/'
said Robin Hood il I have a hundred or two, if
you will please to
hundred pounds in gold, and away he went with
Robin Hood.
The road they took led through the forest of
Sherwood ; and as they rode along, the sheriff
cried out, " God preserve us this day from a man
B
10 Robin Hood:
they call Robin Hood !" But when they came a
little further,, there chanced to come out of the
thicket a hundred good fat deer, skipping very
near them. " How do you like my horned beasts,
master sheriff?" said Robin Hood. "These are
the cattle I told you of." "To tell you the truth,"
replied the sheriff, "I wish I were away, for I do
not like your company." Then Robin Hood put
his bugle horn to his mouth, and blowed three
times; when suddenly there came out of the
wood, Little John and Robin Hood's hundred
men, clothed in green, and running all in a row.
"What is your will, master?" then said little
John. "I have brought hither the sheriff of
Nottingham,*' said Robin Hood, "this day to dine
with me." "He is welcome," siid Little John,
" I hope he will pay us well for his dinner."
Robin Hood now made the sheriffsit down under
'a tree; and after they had all eaten artd drunk
;h, he peaed the sheriff's bag, and told
Robin Hood telling out the Sheriffs nionev.
Robin Hood. il
tiut his three hundred pounds. He then seated
the sheriff on his paifrev again, and led him out
of the forest. " Remember me kindly to \our
wife," said Robin Hood, and so went laughing
away
As Robin Hood was walking one day in the
Forest, he took notice of a hnnd>ome young man,
dressed in very fine clothes, frisking over the
plain, and singing When Robin Hood passed
the same spot the next morning, he saw this same
young man come drooping along : his fine dress
was laid aside, his hair was loose about his should-
ers, and at c\ery step he sighed deeply, saying,
" Alas! and well-a-day !" Robin Hood sent one
of his company to bring the \oung man to him.
" What, is the distress," said Robin Hood, "that
hangs so heavy on your heart ? Why were you
so merry yesterday, and why are you so syd to-
day ?" The young man now pulled out his purse,
ff Look at this ring," said he, "I bo.ught it ycs-
teixlay; I v.'as to have married a young tnaiciea
Hood.
whom I have courted for seven long years, and
this morning she is gone fo church to be mar-
ried to another." " Do you think she loves you ?"
said Robin Hood ? * She has. told me so " said
AlIen-a-Daie. fo that what his name, "a hundred
times." * Then she is not worth caring about,"
said Robin Hood, "for changing in her love."
"She does not love him," replied Alien-a-Dale.
"Why do you think so?" aid Robin Flood.
"He is a poor, crippled, old fellow," said AJ Jen-
a-Dale, " and quite unfit for such a young and
lovely lass." "Then why does she marry him?'*
said Robin Hood. "Because the o'd knight is
rich," replied \llen ; "and her father and mother
insist upon it, and have scolded and stormed at
her till she is as gentle as a lamb." "Where is
the wedding to take place?" said Robin Hood,
"Ar our parish," replied Allen, " only five miles
from this place; and the bishop of Hereford, who
is the knight's brother, is to read the service "
Robin Hood said no more, but put off his
RoUn Hood. ...If
icarlet suit, and dressed himself like a harper,
with a harp in his hand. He told twenty-four
of his company to follow at a little distance;
and then went alone into the church, and found
the bishop putting on his robes. "What do
you want here ?" said the bishop "I am a har-
per," said Robin Hood ; " the best in four coun-
ties round ; I heard there was to be a wedding,
and I am come to offer my service." " Y.ou are
welcome," said the bishop; "I shall be glad to
hear your music." Soon after this the bride and
bridegroom came in. The old knight hobbled
along, and was hardly able to walk up to the
altar ; and after him came a maiden as fair as the
day, and blushing Jike the summer s morning.
" This is not a fit match, "said Robin Hood, "and
I cannot agree to its taking place; but since we
are come to the church, the bride shall choose
for herself/' Then Robin Hood put his horn to
bi mouth, and blew into it; when straight four-
H Rolin Hood.
and-twenty archers were seen leaping along the
church- yard path, and came in at the porch. The
first man was Allen-a-Dale, to give Robin Hood
his bow.
Robin Hood now turned to the fair maiden,
and said, " Now, my love, you are free; tell me
whom you will have for your husband. Will you
have this feeble and gouty old knight, or will
you haVe one of the bold young fellows you see
now before you ?" " Alas !" said the young maid,
and dropped her eyes on the ground as she
spoke, ''young Allen-a-Dale has courted me for
seven long years, and he is the man I would
choose " " Then," said Robin Hood, "you and
Allen bhall be married before we leave thi* place."
"That shall not be/' said the bishop; "the law
of the land requires that they should be three
times a^Ved in the church, and a marriage cannot
be huddled up in this way." " That we will try,"
said Robin Hood; and he then pulled off the
Robin Hood. 15
bishop's gown 'and put it upon Little John. "In-
deed," said Robin Hood, "you make a grave
parson." When Little John took the book into
his hand the people began to laugh ; and he
asked them se\ T eft times in the church, lest three
times should not be enough. Robin Hood gave
away the maiden: the bishop slunk out of the
church ; and his brother, the old knight, hobbled*
after as well as he could. The whole company
had a dinner upon two fat bucks in Sherwood
Forest, and from this day Allen-a-Dale was a
friend to Robin Hood as long as he lived.
In the time of Robin Hood, the bishops were
under the orders of the pope of Rome; and they
were great officers and even soldiers. Robin
Hood lived in the see of the bishop of Hereford.
Now Robin had a great dislike to the popish
cleroy because one of them had cheated him of
his uncle's estate; and the bishop of Hereford'
had quite as much dislike to Robin, because of
16 Robin Hood.
the trick Robin had played him in the marriage
of Allen-a-Dale, and because he did not think it
right that such a robber should live in his see.
The bishop therefore made several journeys into
the Forest of Sherwood, to take Robin prisoner,
and bring him to the gallows.
One time, when Robin was walking alone in
the Forest of Sherwood, he heard the trampling
of horses; and looking round, he saw his old
enemy the bishop of Hereford, with six servants.
The bishop was very near Robin Hood, before
JSobin looked round and saw him ; and he had
iwthing to trust to but the swiftness of his heels,
tp save him from danger.
As Robin ran along, he chanced to come up
to a cottage where an old woman lived ail by
herself; so he rushed in, and begged her to save
his life " Who are you?" said the old woman,
"and what can I do for you ?" 6i I am an out-
law," replied hje ? u aiui rny name is Robin Hood j
liobin Hood ilymii; for shelter from the
Bishop of Hereford.
Robin Hood making: the Bishop of Here
ford dance.
Robin Hood. IT
nd yonder is the bishop of Hereford, with all
bis men, who wants to bring me to the gallows."
" If thou be Robin Hood," said the old woman,
"as I think thou art, I would as soon lose my
own life, as not do all in my power to save thee.
Many a time have Little John and thou done me
a kindness, and brought me venison ; and no
longer ago than last Saturday night thou gave
me a pair of new shoes, and this green kirtle."
"Then, "said Robin Hood, "give me thv green
kirtle, and thv close-eared cap, and pur into my
hands thy distaff and spindle, and do thou take
my scarlet mantle and my quiver and bow."
As soon as they had made this change, Robin
Hood, left the house, and went to the place
where all his company were to be found. He
looked behind him a hundred times for the bi-
shop, who had no thoughtsof finding him in this
disguise One of the robbers, who was a spiteful
fellow, as Robin Hood came near them 3 cried
IS itobin Hood.
out, c; A witch, a witch, I will let fly an arrow
at her." " Hold thy hand," said Robin Hood,
** and j-hootnotthy arrows so keen, for lam Robin
Hood, thy master." Then he went up to Little
John, and said, "Come kilj a good fat deer, for
the bishop of Hereford is to dine wilh me to-
day "
While this was going on, the bishop came to
the old woman's house ; and seeing a man, as he
thought, with a mantle of scarlet, and a quiver
and a bow in his hand, he shook his head, and
said, "I am afraid you are one of Robin Hood's
gang. If you have not a mind to be hanged
yourself, show me where that traitor is, and set
him before" me." The old woman agreed to
this. " Go with me/' said she to the bishop,
"and I think I can bring you to the man you
want" 1 The bishop then mounted her upon a
milk white steed, and him>el! rode upon a dap-
ple grey; and for joy that lie should get Robin
Robin Hood. It-
Hood, he went laughing all the way. But as
as they were riding along the forest, the bishop
saw a hundred brave bowmen, drawn up toge-
ther under a tree. "Oh ! who is yonder/' said
the bishop, "ranging within the wood?" '-Why,
said the old woman* "I think it is a man they
call Robin Hood." "Why, who art thou ?" said
the bishop ; "for to tell thee the truth,! thought
thou hadst been Robin Hood himself." "Oh!
my lord, "said she, "I am only an old woman.*
By this time Robin Hood and his company
came up to the bishop; and Robin Hood, ta-
king him by his hand, said, "My lord, you must
dine with me to-day, under mv bower in merry
Barnsdale. I cannot feast you like a bishop, but
I can give you venison, ale, and wine, and I
hope -you will be content,'* After dinner Robin
Hood made the music to strike up, and would
insist upon the bishop's dancing a hornpipe in
his boots, and the bishop was forced to submit,
fO Robin Hood.
The day was now far spent, and the bishop beg*
ged leave to go away. "You have treated me
very nobly," said he to Robin Kood, "and I
suppose I must pay for it Tell me how much."
"Lend me your purse, master," said Little John,
rt and I will settle it for you." He then spread
the bishop's cloak upon the ground and open-
ing his bag he counted five hundred pounds
out of it ** Now/' said Robin Hood, *' we thank
you for your romp inv ; and to show you that we
know how ro be polite, we will see you part of
the way home " They then led the bishop and
his servants quite through the wood, till they
brought him to the high road : then Robin
Hood s gang gave three cheers; and told him to
remember, that though he had come meaning
to hang them all. they had done him no harm.
One day in summer time, when the leaves grew
reen, and the flowers were fresh and gay, Robin
Hood and his merry men were all in a humour
Robin Hood. #1
t play. Some would Ifap, some would run,
some shot at a mark, and some wrestled with
each other on the green. Robin Hood was
haughty and proud, and said, " Now, my good
fellows, do \ou think there is a man in the world
that could wrestle or p'av the quarter-srufTwith
me, or kill a doe or buck so sure as me ?"
While Robin Hood was boasting in this man-
ner, Will Scarlet stepped out from the rrst Will
Scarlet was a little of kin to Robin Flood, and
thought he had a> good a right himself to be
captain of the gang. Besides he was rather
spitt-fu': he was just going to shoot an arrow at
R< bin Hood, when he saw him dressed like an
eld woman, "H you wish to meet with your
match." sakl Scarlet, '*! can tell you where you
can find him. There is a friar in Fountain
Abbev " Now Fountain Abbey was the con-
vent thut rnd been built with the money that
Robin Hood's uncle Gameweir* estate had beea
2 EnUn Hood.
sold for, and perhaps Will Scarlft chose to
throw it in tiobin's teeth (or that reason. "I had
as soon von had talked of the gallows," said
Bobin Hood. "No. matter for that," said Will
Scarlet ; 'there is a Iriar in Fountain Abbey,
,that can draw a strong bow against any man in
the wor!d ; he can handle a quarter-staff too ; and
will beat you and all your yeomen, set them in
a row."
. Robin Hood was a man of a bold spirit, and
eould not rest till he had seen this friar; so he
slung his bow across his shoulder, and took his
quarter-staff in his hand, and away he went to
Fountain Dale He had not gone far, before he
saw a tall brawny friar walking by the water side;
and Robin Hood thought thismubt be the man,
the moment he saw him.
Robin Hood got off his horse, and tied him
to a thorn. " Carry me over this water, thou
brawny friar," said he, " or thou hast sot an hour
Robin Hood asking the fair maiden whom
she Avill nave for a husband.
Robin Hood. 23
longer to live " The friar did not grumble ; bu$
stooped, and took Kobin upon his back. The
water was deep, and the passage was long and
not easy; and neirher of these rivals spoke a
single word, till they came to the. oiher side.
Jiobin fhen leaped lightly off the friar's back,
and seemed soing away. ' Stop, "said the friar,
"carry me over this water thou fine fellow, or it
will breed thee pain" kobin took the friar
upon his back; and neither of the two spoke
a single word, til! they came to the other side.
The , friar then leaped ligruly off hobin's back,
while Robin said tp him again: "Carry me over
the water, thou brawny friar, or it shall breed
thee pain " .The friar once more took Robin
upon his back;, but this time he did not carry
him over, for as soon as he had got to the mid-
dle stream, he threw him into the water. "And
now choose, my fine fallow," said he, "whether
thou wilt sink or swim." Robin swam to the
f * Robin Hood.
hor* ; and when the friar was come to thesamt
p'ace, Hobin said to him, "I see by this trial
that thou art wonhy to be my match." *obin
challenged him in wrestling, in .^hooting, and
at the quarter staff; but Robin couid not beat
the friar, nor the friar beat Robin in any of
the*e. '! wi>h from my soul," said Robin,
"you would quit this lazy life, and come and
be one of us ; we range the forest merry and free,
and are as happy a>. the day is long." "I with
from my soul," said the friar, "thou wouldst
leave thy rambling and wicked life, and come
aid live in our convent. Thy thefts will bring
thee to a bad end, but ! shall live out my days
quiet and respected.' fcnbin couid not per-
suade the friar, and the friar cou^d not persuade
Robin; so they shook hand, and parted.
Kobin Hood knew \ery well that his way of
Ufe was against the laws; and that if he were
once caught, it \vauld go very haid with him.
The Friar throwing- Robin into the River.
Robin Hood. S5
He had now been in this way, for several years;
and began to wish that he could change his
way cf living for a quiet dwelling in the vil-
lage where he was born. While he had thoughts
of this sort, one time when he took many rich
prizes he resolved to make a present to the
queen. The name oFthe queen was Eleanor;
she was the mother of King Richard the First,
who had great power in .her son's reign.
Queen Eleanor was very much pleased ^vith
Robin Hood's present, and said to herself; "If I
live one year to an end, I will be a friend to thee,
and all thy men/*
Soon after this King Richard made a grand
match in his court, of Vjl the bow-men of his
guards and his army. Queen Eleanor thought
this a good time to do what she had in her mind;
so she called her favourite page, whose name
1 O '
was Richard Partington, and gave him his errand.
The page set out straight to Sherwood Forest;
^G RoUn Hood.
and when he came to Robin Hood, he saicl:
* f Queen Eleanor greets you well; she bids you
post to London, where there is to be a match at
the cross-bow, and she has chosen you and your
men to be her champions."
On the day of this great match, the king's
bowmen, who were thought the best archers in
all England, were ranged on one side. After a
time, the queen's champions came in, and were
ranged on the other side; they were all strangers,
and no man in the court knew any of them.
King Richard then declared what the prize was
that should be bestowed upon the conquerors,
and the lords of the court began to make bets
upon the venture. The bets were three to one
in favour of the king's men "Is there no knight
of the privy council/' said Queen Eleanor, "who
will venture his money on my side? Come
hither to me. Sir Robert Lee, thou art a knight
f high descent/' Sir Robert Lee begged the
Rolin Hood 27
queen to excuse him from such a trial. " Come
hither to me, thou Bishop of Hereford," said
Queen Eleanor, " for thou art a noble priest."
Now this bishop was Robin Hood's old foe "By
my silver mitre," said the bishop, "I will not
beta penny/' "If thou wilt not bet on the
queen's side," said Robin Hood, " what wilt thou
bet on the king's?" "On the king's side/' said
4he bishop, "I will venture all the money in my
purse." " Throw thy purse on the ground, "said
Kobin Hood, ''and let us see what it contains/'
It was an hundred pounds. Robin Hood took a
bag of the same value from his side, and threw
it upon the green.
When the match was just going to begin.
Queen Eleanor fell upon her knees to the king
her son. "A boon, a boon/' said she. "I must
ask a boon of thee before the trial begins."
" What is it ? " said King Richard. " Why," re-
plied the queen, "That you will not be angry
28 Robin Hood.
vith any of those that are of my party ; and
that they shall be free to stay in our court all
the days of the match, and shall then have forty
days to retire when they like." The king agreed
to this. When the keepers of the course were
marking out the distance from which they should
shoot at the butt, their captain cried out, like a
bold boaster as he was, " Measure no mark for
us, we will shoot at the sun and the moon."
But he was mistaken ; for Robin Hood and his
party cleft with their arrows every wand and
stick that was set up, and won all the money.
Says the Bishop of Hereford, " I know very well
now who these fellows are; they are Robin Hood
and his gang." The king replied, "If 1 had
known that, I would not have granted them leave
to depart; but I cannot break my word. ' Say-
ing this, King Richard ordered a noble feast for
Robin Hood and his yeomanry; and then
them away with honour.
Robin Hood. 29
King Richard often thought upon what he had
seen of Robin Hood and his fellows. He was
very fond of archery; he had heard many
generous actions that were told about them,
and he admired their gallant spirit and manners.
Thought he, ;< If I could but make these men
my faithful subjects, what a pride they would be
to my court ! " The king at last fixed upon a
plan by which he might see Robin Hood once
more.
He called twelve lords of his court, and told
his plan to them ; and then he and his lords all
dressed themselves like so many monks, and
away they rode to Sherwood Forest. Robin
Hood saw them at a distance, as they were com-
ing; and resolved to rob them. The king was
taller than the rest, and Robin Hood judged that
he was the abbot ; so he took the king's horse by
the bridle, and said, "Abbot, I bid you stand : it
- was a priest that first worked my ruin, and I have
3t) Robin Hood.
sworn to spare none of his fellows." "But we
are going on a messuage from the king," said
Richard. Robin Hood then let go the bridle ;
and said, "God save the king ! and confound ail
his foes !" "Thoucursest thyself," said Richard,
"for thou art a robber, an outlaw, and a traitor."
"If you were not his servant," said the other,
"I should say, You lye; for I never yet hurt
man that was honest and true, but only those
who give their minds to live upon other peo-
ple's earnings. I never hurt the farmer who
tills the ground; I protect women and children,
and the poor for twenty miles round are the
belter for me/'
Robin Hood then asked the strangers to dine
with him. " You would not be used so," said
he, "if you were not the king's servants: yet,
for King Richard's sake, if you had as much
money as ever I told, I would not deprive you
of a penny." Then Robin Hood put his horn
Robin Hood. 3\
to his mouth, and blew a shrill blast, when a
hundred and ten of his company came marching
all in a row. The king thought, this is a fine
sight; these men of Robin Hood's obey their
captain letter than his people did him.
After dinner, the king said to Robin, ''What
would you give, my brave fellow, if I could get
your pardon from your king ? Would you set
your mind firmly in every thing to be a true
and useful subject ? "
This was the very thing that Robin wanted;
it was the wish that had haunted his thoughts
o
night and day ; it was with the hope of this, that
he made the rich present to Queen Eleanor.
"My friend," said Robin, "I am tired of the
lawless life that I lead; I never loved it. Other
men may praise my bold adventures and gener-
ous actions; but I hate my way of living, and
every thing that belongs to it. King Richard is
a noble prince, and a gallant soldier; and if he
would take me into his favour, he should never
32 RoUn Hood.
have reason to repent it, but should find me the
most faithful and loving of all his subjects."
"I am King Richard," said the stranger; and
when he had said this, Robin and all his com-
pany fell upon their knees before him.
"Stand up, my brave fellows," said the king;
"you have been robbers, and you ought not to
have been such. The greatest miser in my
kingdom ought not to be treated with force, but
to be persuaded to dispose of his money pro-
perly. But you are brave fellows; you say that
you are well inclined, and you have power and
skill to do me service. I freely grant to every
one of you my pardon. Not one of you shall
be called to account for any thing that is past ;
only take care that you behave yourselves in
such a manner in future^ -that I never may have
reason to repent the kindness that I now treat
yon with.
THE END.
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