Robin Hood and his merry men

Front matter

RETOLD BY

SARA HAWKS STERLING

V I B ^

Contents

I. The Birth of Robin 13

II. How Robin Fled to Sherwood . . 23

III. How the Earl of Huntingdon Became

II How Robin Fled To Sherwood

Robin Hood he was a tall young man ,

And fifteen winters old,

And Robin Hood he was a proper young man, Of courage stout and bold.

II

HOW ROBIN FLED TO SHERWOOD

The Earl of Huntingdon was true to his word. The child of his only daughter was brought up with every device of gentle breeding, and was made his heir. Little Robert had a happy life. He was taught by good Father Francis in the duties of his religion and a little book-learning; very little, because it was considered neither manly nor noble to be too well versed in such matters. His fathers Squires instructed him in the use of the sword ; and some of the retainers in handling the good old English weapons of the quarterstaff and the bow and arrows. Y Occasionally, wandering minstrels came to the castle, and little Robert, stretched at his grandfather’s feet before the great open fire, would listen eagerly to the noble tales of King Arthur and his Knights of the Table Round. Best of all things in his life, however, he loved to wander in Sherwood Forest, and to hear the whiz of the arrow as it cleft the air.

The Earl took great pride in his accomplishments, and in the child himself; for he was a handsome boy, with his father’s sturdy build and much 25 of his mother’s beauty. He was told very little about his parents when he was old enough to wonder and to question. When it was said that both of them were dead, it was probably the truth. There were many wars waging in the world at that time, and a strong fellow like Will would have been welcome in any army. His fate was never known.

Little Robert was well beloved by the people both of the castle and of the courtyard. Not only was this because he was the grandson of the Earl, nor even because his father and mother had been general favorites. There was something about the lad himself that drew all hearts to him. He bore himself in the same fashion to high and low. He was as much interested in the poor hinds of cottage and hut as in the lords and ladies of high degree who sometimes came to the castle. He had been christened Robert; but Robin was the name by which he came to be called affectionately both by gentle and simple. Even the Earl used it, and the real one seemed likely to be forgotten altogether.

Robin was only thirteen when the Earl died, and the child, under guardianship, succeeded to his grandfather’s vast estates. He mourned the old man’s death bitterly; for the Earl, stern to others, had been gentle to him; but when the first shock of the loss was over, the young Earl could not but find life still a happy thing, with his great castle filled with devoted retainers/ the joys of the chase in Sherwood Forest, and the daily pleasures of prac- 26 tice with the sword and the homelier quarterstaff. He was just fourteen when the Earl of Fitz waiter, who had been a close friend of Robin’s grandfather, came, accompanied by his wife and daughter, to visit the young heir of his old friend. Marian Fitzwalter was about two years younger than Robin, a gallant little lass, straight and slim as a handsome boy, and almost as devoted to the chase as the lad himself. They immediately became great friends. A happy fortnight passed for the two young people, spent in wandering through Sherwood together, and in trying their skill with the bow and arrow. Then they parted sorrowfully, not to meet again for several years.

It was just a twelvemonth later that Robin’s whole life changed.

On his fifteenth birthday, a beautiful day in June, Robin left the castle unattended, and went walking gayly on his way to Nottingham, the town near by. It was in his mind to dine at the public inn at ^Nottingham, a thing he loved well to do, for he was fond of meeting people of every kind and condition. As he strode briskly through the forest, carolling a gay song, his bow slung across his back, his quiver of arrows by his side, he was a goodly sight to see. Muscular he was, and tall of a height beyond the ordinary. His eyes were frank and fearless, and his face was burnt from much exposure to wind and weather. Altogether he appeared as fine a specimen of sturdy English boyhood as might 27 have been found throughout the length and breadth of the land that day.

As he approached the Saracen’s Head, the inn at Nottingham, he saw a little group of the King’s foresters seated around the table in the yard. They had been drinking rather heavily, judging from their appearance and from the many overturned, empty tankards near by. On the approach of the young Earl, they greeted him civilly enough ; but with somewhat sour expressions. It was well known even then that Robin was no friend to the King’s foresters. Often had his generous heart been touched by the want and anguish of the poor; and he could see no reason, with such herds of deer filling the vast forests, why one of the King’s subjects should suffer hunger. It was the duty of the foresters to guard the royal game.

He nodded graciously in answer to their greeting, and seating himself at one of the tables, called for ale.

“ What news, good men? ” he asked idly.

“ What news? Wouldst thou fain know? ” said one of the men, in rather a surly fashion. “ Well, I will tell thee. Our King hath provided a shooting match.”

Robin’s face flushed with delight.

“ That is good news indeed! ” he cried brightly. “I’m ready with my bow!” and he touched his beloved weapon caressingly where it lay on the bench beside him.

The forester who had spoken of the match gave a short scornful laugh.

“Thou!” he said contemptuously. “A boy so young as thou draw a bow before our King ! Thou art not able to draw one string! ”

This was a trying taunt to a boy of fifteen who rather prided himself, and justly so, on his skill in archery. He opened his lips to retort sharply; but his good breeding prevailed. It was not for a gentleman to squabble with a servant. After an instant’s pause, he said calmly:

“ I’ll wager twenty marks that, Our Lady willing, I’ll hit a mark at a hundred rods; nay, more — I’ll kill a hart as well.”

The foresters exchanged meaning glances with one another. There was a moment’s silence after Robin’s challenge. Then one of the men said with apparent coolness:

“Well, well, we shall see! Come, young sir, show us whether thine actions tally with thy words.”

“That will I gladly!” quoth Robin; and with that he started up and seized his bow. “ Will one of ye place the target, or shall I? ”

“ Let it be yon beech tree,” said one of the foresters.

Robin laughed contemptuously.

“Too easy! ” he said. “ ’Twere mere child’s play! Nay, I’ll show ye my mark, and if it like ye not, ye may choose another.”

He walked towards a young willow tree that stood near the doorway of the inn, broke off a branch, peeled it with rapid, accustomed fingers, and stuck it into the ground. When the slender quivering target stood in its place, Robin ran gayly back and seized his bow.

“Now, as I promised, a hundred rods away!” he cried, and took his place.

“ Are ye all satisfied with my mark? ” he asked, and even as he spoke, aimed with apparent carelessness.

Straight flew the arrow and the willow wand was cleft in twain.

There was a low murmur of involuntary admiration at the boy’s skill, and Robin stood smiling with pardonable pride. The next moment he turned and gazed in the direction of the forest.

“ Now, dearest Lady and Virgin,” he prayed, “ send me, I beseech thee, a hart, that I may show these scoffing hinds what I can do ! ”

It was a very boyish prayer, and perhaps for that reason was answered. Scarcely had the murmured words left his lips than Robin gave a shout of joy. A hart emerged from the forest, and began to run swiftly across the open space beyond, as if bewildered. Robin again raised his bow. The next moment, the hart gave a great leap into the air, and fell dead.

Robin turned to the foresters, smiling with boyish delight.

“ Some of you go pick it up! ” he said, with a lordly wave of his hand. Then he chuckled in frank youthful conceit. “ How say you? ” he said. “ Is not the wager mine — ay, even if it were for a thousand pounds? ”

“ Nay,” said one of the foresters sharply. “ The wager is none of thine. Knowest thou not the penalty for slaying one of the King’s deer? Get thee hence in haste, thou young braggart, lest we baste thy sides for thee ! ”

Robin turned pale with dismay. The penalty for slaying one of the King’s deer was death or mutilation. He knew the law well, for he had seen many sad instances of its enforcement among the poor hinds about his own castle. He had shot the hart almost instinctively, never pausing to think whose it was. Moreover, he realized that the whole thing had been a trap, and that he was in the midst of enemies. He saw not a single friendly face in the group that surrounded him.

He picked up his bow and his quiver and turning, began to walk slowly away from the inn. As he reached the gate, there was a sudden guffaw of scornful laughter.

“ Ho! ho ! 99 roared the forester who had caused most of the trouble, “ I thought the youngster would be cowed! No archer is he, despite his lucky shots ! ”

Robin stopped short, his face flushing with rage. He wheeled towards them.

“No archer, am I? ” he called out, his heart hot with anger, his clear young voice shaking with fury. “No archer, am I? Say so again! ” and once more with apparent carelessness of aim, flew the unerring arrow.

The next instant, the boy gave a cry of horror, and turned, fleeing with stumbling steps towards the forest. It was an age when human life was held cheap; but Robin had never before killed a man. He groaned as he ran, and covered his eyes with his hands as if to shut out the sight he had seen of the forester reeling and sinking to his death with Robin’s arrow in his heart.

Robin had killed one of the King’s deer, and he had slain a King’s forester. Despite his noble birth and his wide lands, he was an outlaw by his own act. Henceforth, if captured, he was subject to maiming or death. With strangling sobs, he ran blindly towards the place he loved best, and reached at length the friendly shades of the forest. There finally he paused under the great oak tree where his grandfather had so often told him he had been born.

“ Ah, woe worth the day! ” he cried aloud, clutching his head in his hands in anguish, as he threw himself down on the soft moss. “ Would now that here where I was born I might also die! ”

Robin fled towards the forest.

Ill

HOW THE EARL OF HUNTINGDON BECAME ROBIN HOOD

Hearken, good yeomen,

Comely, courteous and good,

One of the best that ever bore arms, His name was Robin Hood.

Ill

HOW THE EARL OF HUNTINGDON BECAME ROBIN HOOD

Robin was young, but he was no coward. After his first outburst of tempestuous sobs when he found himself safe in the forest, he calmed down with a mighty effort, and sat upright, his chin propped in his hands, his brow knitted with thought. His bow lay beside him on the moss, his quiver still hung by his side. He sat there for a while, wondering what was best to do. Should he go home? His retainers would rally to his defence, he was certain, but at the risk of their own lives and freedom. Had he the right to demand the sacrifice? Now that he was an outlaw, should he return to the castle?

Presently a cautious rustling sound in a clump of trees near by startled him. His hand instinctively clutched at his bow. The next instant, he sprang upright, feeling for an arrow. A man’s head appeared from among the bushes; and then a tall fellow whom he had never seen before had come from the trees towards him. Seeing Robin’s defensive attitude, the stranger shook his head and smiled, stretching out his hands to show that he held no weapon. At this Robin lowered his bow, and stood 35 waiting. The man was dressed in shabby forest green.

“ Fear not, young sir! ” he exclaimed in a gruff but kindly voice. “ I do not seek your harm, but your good! ”

Somewhat reassured, Robin looked at him questioningly.

The man came forward and sat down at Robin’s feet.

“Will you not sit here beside me, and listen to what I have to say? ” he asked deferentially. “ I would tell you that which I think you would find it well to hear.”

Robin dropped down on the moss beside him.

The stranger glanced cautiously about him ; then leaned forward, and spoke in a low whisper.

“ News travels fast in the forest,” he said. “ Fear not! I know why you are here.’*

Despite his utmost efforts, tears rose to Robin’s eyes. The stranger put his huge paw on the lad’s hand with a gesture that was almost a caress.

“ It is no shame to kill what should be shared by all,” he said; “ nay, nor even to have slain one who stands for such tyranny. I have come to you, lad, as a messenger.”

Robin looked at him in dismay. A messenger! From whom? Was he from the King? Had he come to lead Robin captive to mutilation or death?

“Nay, fear not!” repeated the man, perhaps reading Robin’s thoughts in his wide eyes and 36 heightened color. “ I am a messenger from some good comrades who invite you to become one of them. They are all men who have suffered from tyranny and injustice, even as you; men who like you are liable to punishment if captured. We live here in the forest, and we have often seen you although you have not seen us.”

Robin looked at him wonderingly.

“ Here in the forest! ” he repeated. “ Methought I knew all that is and all that lives in Sherwood.”

The man shook his head and laughed.

“ I will show you that you are wrong,” he said. “ Come with me.”

“Ay, I will come,” said Robin, rising. “Will you tell me your name? ”

“ My name,” answered the stranger, “ is Will Stutely.”

“ Will Stutely,” repeated Robin. “ Oh, ay, I

have heard of thee! I have heard ■” He bit

his lips sharply and paused.

“ If you have heard of me, you have heard a sad story,” said Will simply. “My mother was a widow, and her farm was confiscated by my Lord, the Bishop of Hereford, because it happened to lie on the edge of his lands where he wanted an extra bit of ground. I stood up against the Lord Bishop’s men, and I slew three of them, so was forced to flee. My mother died of fear and grief. I came here to the forest, and met those whom you shall shortly meet.”

Robin put his hand on the man’s shoulder as they walked along together.

“ Ay, that is what I heard,” he said simply. “ Thou hast suffered much.”

It was nearly sunset now, and in the less thickly wooded parts of the forest, the dying day filled the greenwood with rosy light. Presently Will and Robin smelt the appetizing odor of broiling venison; and Robin realized that he had eaten nothing since morning and that he was ravenous. A moment, and they came into an open glade, with a fire roaring in the midst, around which sat or stood about a score of men, dressed like Will Stutely, in shabby forest green.

When they saw Will and Robin, they gave a shout of joy, and some ran forward to greet them.

“ Welcome, young Robin,” they cried, “ welcome to Sherwood ! ”

“ One of you give him to eat without delay,” said Will Stutely. “ He must be famished. After we have dined, we can talk together.”

Obediently, they led Robin to a rudely set table on the greensward, and presently the venison was served, with plenty of good bread and ale. Then the fire was allowed to die down, and the men sat or lay about on the mossy ground, and told Robin why they had brought him to this meeting. One after another told the story of why he was now an outlaw; and in no case was the reason one of terrible crime or awful sin. They were tales of brave at- 38 tempts to resist oppression from proud Churchmen or haughty knight; of valiant rising against injustice in law and man. Robin’s generous young heart, always kindly and quick to protect the poor and the downtrodden, burned hot within him as he listened. He resolved that he would give the rest of his life to avenge their wrongs and those of others like them. Then his high mood sank. He remembered that he too was outlaw now, even as they.

After a time, there was a pause, and all eyes turned to Will Stutely.

Will said quietly:

“ Thou seest, lad, what we are; outlaws, yet not truly criminal. One brought us word of what happened to thee this day, and we thought — We need a leader. Wilt fill that place to us? Thou art the youngest here; but also thou art the only one of gentle blood and breeding. Natheless, thou art, like us, outlaw. Now that thy castle is thine no more, wilt be one of us here in the greenwood? ”

Robin looked around him at the score of kindly, weather-beaten faces, all turned towards him now in trust and hope. Again his heart rose in generous ardor; and this time also with joy and pride.

“ Ay,” he answered, his face flushing, “ I will be your leader, since you so desire, young as I am ; but hark ye, men! ” and he sprang to his feet, his face alight. “ Remember, having been oppressed ourselves, we must aid those in like pass. Nay, more! Ye must hold all women sacred, for the 39 sake ” — he bared his head revereptly — “ for the sake of Our dear Lady, whom for my mother’s sake as well as for her own, I love. Outlawed we are through misfortune, but criminal we must never be! If ye consent to these conditions, I will do what you desire.”

Then there arose a mighty shout which made the darkening forest ring again; and Robin’s health was drunk in good English ale, and since he was beginning a new life, it was proposed that he should choose a new name. So Robin shortened his title of Huntingdon into Hood, and henceforth he said he would be Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest.

Great was the anxiety at the castle when the dearly beloved young Earl did not return in the late afternoon, at the time he had expected. Greater still was the lamentation, the dismay, when tidings came of what had happened, and when the Sheriff of Nottingham rode up to the gates of the castle, and declared that Robert, Earl of Huntingdon, was outlaw in the King’s name, and that his domains were now the property of the crown. Within a few days, the castle was deserted save for a few of the Sheriff’s officers, who lingered to see whether by any chance the young Earl might be concealed in some secret room therein, or whether he might wander back from without. Neither event happened, however, and after a time even the Sheriff’s officers departed, and the castle was left in empty desolation 40 until the King’s pleasure should be known in regard to it.

Some of Robin’s retainers heard where he was, and joined him in the forest. Others went to Nottingham, yet others to London. The band in Sherwood Forest grew larger day by day. Not all that joined it were outlaw. Some were men who realized the injustice of the Crown and of the Church as they were at that time, and who chose to be among the ranks of the oppressed rather than of the oppressing,

Robin grew tall and strong in the healthful outdoor life. His skill with the bow became greater than ever; and despite his youth, his men rendered him both obedience and love. That inborn personal charm of his attracted to him nearly everyone with whom he came in contact. The Sheriff of Nottingham raged and stormed in vain. It was perfectly well known that Robin was in the forest, but it seemed impossible to capture him. The Sheriff’s officers were afraid of Robin’s archers ; and the King in London seemed very far away in those days. The poor loved Robin and his men; for they held to the compact that Robin had proposed. Many a starving widow was provided with food, many a poor, pretty maid with a dowry taken from the coffers of some proud Bishop or overbearing Earl. The Church was corrupt in those days, and often a priest or Abbot unworthy of his sacred calling. Robin distinguished between the 41

Church and its officers. He was very devout, and never failed to be present at a service on Sundays and holy days, despite the fact that he risked capture and death in doing so. The good clergymen who realized their sacred duties and who lived lives of simple piety came to love Robin as much as did their people; for they realized that he meant nothing but kindness to those who deserved it.

At last five years had passed, and Robin’s score of followers had increased to five times that number. He had a special signal by which he always summoned his men when he needed their presence — a triple winding of his horn. They loved him well, and it was on the whole a happy life. Sometimes, however, in the forest, especially when the moonlight silvered the leaves and turned Sherwood into a magic land, Robin thought of sweet Marian, the Earl of Fitzwalter’s daughter, and wondered whether she ever thought of him, and whether he would ever see her again in all the beauty of what he was sure would be her lovely young womanhood. He had heard that she was now in London, and lady-in-waiting to the Queen. What right had he even to think of her — the outlaw, Robin of Sherwood?

IV How Robin Hood Met Little John

When Robin Hood was about tiventy years old , He happened to meet Little John,

A jolly , brisk blade, right fit for the trade,

For he was a lusty young man.

iy

HOW ROBIN HOOD MET LITTLE JOHN

Robin Hood was about twenty years old when he first met his best friend, Little John.

“ We have had no sport these fourteen long days,” said Robin to his men one morning. “ Tarry here, for I will go alone in search of adventure ; but look you listen for my call, for I will blow my horn if I become hard-pressed.”

He shook hands with those nearest him as was his custom, and strode forward through the greenwood, whistling merrily, and swinging his bow as he went. On he walked, rejoicing in the beauty of the May morning, and at last on the outskirts of the forest, he came to a little brook, spanned by a very low and narrow bridge. As Robin neared the bridge, he saw that a stranger was crossing it towards him. An immense fellow he was. Robin was nearly six feet tall at this time; but the other man was more than a foot greater in height. His limbs were large and muscular, and he carried a huge quarterstaff.

Nothing daunted, however, Robin strode for- 45 ward, and the two men met in the centre of the bridge. They stood a moment in silence, eyeing each other; and then Robin spoke.

“ Let me pass, stranger! ” he said. “ If thou dost not, I’ll show thee right Nottingham play!” and he fingered his bow suggestively, and drew an arrow from his quiver, a broad one with a goose wing.

The stranger gave a roar of laughter.

“ Ha, young one! ” he said. “ I’ll liquor thy hide if thou oiferest but to touch the string! ”

Robin was accustomed to much deference, and he was conscious of his own skill. He grew crimson with rage.

“ Thou dost prate like an ass!” he said calmly. “ If I were but to bend my bow, I could send an arrow through thy proud heart before thou couldst strike one blow! ”

“ Coward!” the stranger cried contemptuously. “ There thou standest, well armed with a long bow, to shoot at my heart, while I have naught but this staff in my hand.”

Robin looked at him thoughtfully.

“ I scorn the name of coward,” he answered presently. “ Perchance thou art right. Wherefore I will e’en lay by my long bow, and take a staff to try the truth of thy manhood.”

So saying, he stepped to a thicket near by, and chose a ground-oak staff. Then he came back upon the bridge, and again faced the stranger.

“ See my staff! ” he said. “ It is tough and lusty.

Now play we here on the bridge. Whoever shall fall in, the other shall win the battle.”

“ With all my whole heart! ” replied the stranger. “ I scorn to give out even in the very least.”

So they fell to without more words, and began to flourish their staves about. First Robin gave the stranger such a bang that it made his very bones ring.

“ Thou must he repaid! ” cried the stranger then. “ I’ll give you as good as you bring ! So long as I am able to handle my staff, I scorn to die in your debt!”

Then heartily each went to it, and so fast and furious followed their blows, it seemed as if they were threshing corn.

At last the stranger gave Robin so hard a crack on the crown that blood came. The sight of his own blood enraged Robin, and his blows became even more fierce. So thick and fast did he lay on indeed that the stranger began to smoke with his exertions as if he were on fire. He gave Robin a mighty blow at last which tumbled him into the brook. Then the stranger stood back, his hands on his hips, and roared with laughter.

“ I prithee, good fellow, and where art thou now? ” he cried merrily.

Robin could not forbear laughing also, though somewhat ruefully, for he was a good sportsman, and knew how to take defeat.

“ Good faith! ” he answered, sputtering a little, 47 for a good deal of the water of the brook had gotten into his mouth and eyes. “ I’m e’en in the flood, and floating along with the tide ! ”

Then he shook the water out of his hair, and rubbed it out of his eyes, and presently made his way to the bank, and pulled himself up by a thornbush.

The stranger still stood on the bridge, gazing down at him.

“ I needs must acknowledge thou art a brave soul ! ” said Robin, looking back at him admiringly. “ I’ll no longer contend with thee! I needs must acknowledge, too, that thou hast won the day, and so our battle is ended.”

With that he blew a loud triple blast on his bugle.

Presently through the trees came running great numbers of men, all clad in Lincoln green, but no longer so shabby as they had been when Robin had become their leader. They came up swiftly and surrounded him.

“ Oh, what is the matter? ” quoth Will Stutely. “ You are wet to the skin, good master! ”

“ No matter!” said Robin, laughing. He pointed to the tall stranger on the bridge. “ Yon man in fighting tumbled me into the brook,” he said with a chuckle at his own plight.

“Then indeed he shall not escape scot free!” cried Will, and two or three of the men made for the stranger with the evident intention of serving 48 him as he had served their master. Robin, however, stayed them with a look.

“ Nay/’ he said, “ forbear! He’s a stout fellow.” Then he spoke courteously to the stranger: “ Be not afraid, good friend! No one shall harm thee! These bowmen wait upon me, and there are five times as many as are here. Wilt thou be one of us? If so, thou shalt straightway have my livery, and all other accoutrements that befit a brave man. Speak up, thou jolly blade, and never fear! I’ll teach you the use of the bow, and to shoot at the fallow deer.”