The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood

ot told our King of Robin Hood, I would not have gotten myself into such a coil; but now I must either take him captive or have wrath visited upon my

t 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 meetet

one to find the bold outlaw, or at least one of his band. For seven days and nights they hunted through the forest glades, but never

I shun blood and battle, and fain would I not deal sorrow to womenfolk and wives because good stout yeomen lose their lives. Once I slew a man, and never do I wish to slay a man again, for it is bitter for the soul to t

think that we are cowards, and folk will scoff throughout the countryside, saying that we fear to

that time; but early in the morning of the eighth day Robin Hood called the band together and said, "Now who will go and

oked 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 y

that he should have been chosen from among them all. "Now thanks, good master," quoth he

, until he came to the verge of the forest, and so to the highway. He saw two bands of the Sheriff's men, yet he turned neither to the right nor the left, but only drew his cowl the cl

m or molesting him, though he liked not the cloth. "For," said he to himself, "it is a hard heart that kicks the lame dog from off the sill." As Stutely sat thus, there came a great house cat and rubbed against his knee, raising his robe a palm's-breadth high. Stutely pushed his robe quickly down again, but the constable who commanded the Sheriffs men saw what had passed, and saw also fair Lincoln green benea

, for he said to himself, "Maybe th

"Whither goest thou, holy fri

answered Will Stutely, speaking gruff

ln green beneath their robes? Ha! By my faith, I take thee to be some lusty thief, and perhaps one of Robin Hood'

ght. Then he would have escaped, 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 Stutel

suddenly he saw two of his stout yeomen come running down the forest path, and betwixt them ran bux

en," cried they, when they

brought such doleful new

nd I fear he is wounded sore, for one smote him main shrewdly i' the crown. They have bound him and ta

; "or, if he be, full many a one shall gnaw the so

loudly, and presently his good yeomen came running through the

doth it behoove us to take bow and brand in hand to bring him off again; for I wot that we ought to risk life and limb f

y crafty; so the band separated into parties of twos and threes, which were all to meet again in a tangled dell that l

it doth behoove us to be cunning and wary if we would bri

close beside the gray castle wall of Nottingham Town. When Robin saw that no other wayfarer was within sight, he called young David of Doncaster, who was a shrewd man for his years, and said to

ow, holy father, and canst thou tell me when Will Stutely will be hanged upon the gallows tree

oads meet; for there the Sheriff sweareth he shall die as a warning to all outlaws in Nottinghamshire. But yet, I say again, Alas! For, though Robin Hood and his band may be outlaws, yet he taketh only from the rich and the strong and the dishonest man, while there is not a poor widow nor a peasant with many children, nigh to Sherwood, but has barley flour enough all the year long through him. I

I wot right well they will strive to bring him forth from his peril. But fare thee well,

is no country hind that hath come to see a good man die. Well, well, perchance Robin Hood is not so

t the Palmer had said to him, Robin called

oner and his guards as ye can, when they come outside the walls. Strike no man without need, for I would fain avoid bloodshed, but if ye do strike, s

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e 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 a halter about 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 u

, "and wounded man though I be, I will fight thee

d looking right grimly upon Will Stutely, "thou shalt have no swor

thy men with no weapon but only my naked fists. I crav

hrive thyself, thou vile knave, for I mean that thou shalt hang this day, and that where th

ou shalt pay dearly for this day's work! He doth scorn thee, and so do all brave hearts. Knowest thou not that thou and thy name are

t him? Now I will make a jest of thee and a sorry jest withal, for I will quarter thee limb fr

ying in the bright air, there came a great fullness 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 of the town. But when he looked up again he felt his heart leap within him and then stand still for pure joy, for

for the crowd pressed around on all sides. "What mean

etween the men- at-arms so as to reach the cart, and Stu

ne of the men-at-arms whom Lit

htway smote the man a buffet beside his head that felled him as a b

ith thee if thou must die, for I could never have better company." Then with one stroke he cut

rlet I know right well is a sturdy rebel! T

irrups smote with might and main, but Little John ducked quickly under

orshipful sword." Thereupon he twitched the weapon deftly from out the Sheriff's hand, "Here, Stutely," he c

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and he spurred his horse upon the two who now stood back to back, forg

inch of the Sheriff's head. Then came a swaying hither and thither, and oaths, cries, and groans, and clashing of steel, and swords fl

! Bear back! Else we be all dead men!" Thereupon he rein

hey desired to do so, but they let them push out of the press and get them g

d Robin Hood if thou dost not stand to meet him face to face." But the Sherif

his friend's cheeks, "O Little John!" quoth he, "mine own true friend, and he that I love better than man or woman in all the world be

ay toward Sherwood, and were gone, as a storm cloud moves away from the spot where a tempest has swept the land. But they

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