"The price of my flesh," the butcher replied, "I soon will tell unto thee; With my bonny mare, and they are not dear, Four marks thou must give unto me."

"Four marks I will give thee," said jolly Robin, "Four marks shall be thy fee; The money come count, and let me mount, For a butcher I fain would be."

Now Robin he is to Nottingham gone, His butcher's trade to begin; With good intent to the Sheriff he went, And there he took up his inn.

When other butchers did open their meat, Bold Robin got gold and fee, For he sold more meat for one penny Than others did sell for three.

Which made the butchers of Nottingham To study as they did stand, Saying, "Surely he is some prodigal That has sold his father's land."

"This is a mad blade," the butchers still said; Said the Sheriff, "He is some prodigal, That some land has sold for silver and gold, And now he doth mean to spend all.

"Hast thou any horn-beasts," the Sheriff asked, "Good fellow, to sell to me?"

"Yes, that I have, good Master Sheriff, I have hundreds, two or three.

"And a hundred acres of good free land, If you please it to see: And I'll make you as good a.s.surance of it, As ever my father made me."

The Sheriff he saddled his good palfrey, And with three hundred pounds of gold, Away he went with bold Robin Hood, His horned beasts to behold.

Away then the Sheriff and Robin did ride, To the forest of merry Sherwood; Then the Sheriff did say, "G.o.d keep us this day From a man they call Robin Hood."

But when a little farther they came, Bold Robin he chanced to spy A hundred head of good red deer, Come tripping the Sheriff full nigh.

"How like you my horn-beasts, good Master Sheriff?

They be fat and fair to see"; "I tell thee, good fellow, I would I were gone, For I like not thy company."

Then Robin set his horn to his mouth, And blew but blasts three; Then quickly anon there came Little John, And all his company.

"What is your will?" then said Little John, "Good master, come tell unto me"; "I have brought hither the Sheriff of Nottingham This day to dine with thee,"

Then Robin took his cloak from his back And laid it upon the ground; And out of the Sheriff's portmanteau He took three hundred pound.

He then led the Sheriff through the wood, And set him on his dapple grey; "Commend Robin Hood to your wife at home,"

He said, and went laughing away.

Now Robin Hood had no liking for a company of idle men about him, and sent off Little John and Will Scarlett to the great road known as Watling Street, with orders to hide among the trees and wait till some adventure might come to them; and if they took captive earl or baron, abbot or knight, he was to be brought unharmed back to Robin Hood.

But all along Watling Street the road was bare; white and hard it lay in the sun, without the tiniest cloud of dust to show that a rich company might be coming: east and west the land lay still.

At length, just where a side path turned into the broad highway, there rode a knight, and a sorrier man than he never sat a horse on summer day. One foot only was in the stirrup, the other hung carelessly by his side; his head was bowed, the reins dropped loose, and his horse went on as he would. At so sad a sight the hearts of the outlaws were filled with pity, and Little John fell on his knees and bade the knight welcome in the name of his master.

"Who is your master?" asked the knight.

"Robin Hood," answered Little John.

"I have heard much good of him," replied the knight, "and will go with you gladly."

Then they all set off together, tears running down the knight's cheeks as he rode, but he said nothing, neither was anything said to him. And in this wise they came to Robin Hood.

"Welcome, Sir Knight," cried he, "and thrice welcome, for I waited to break my fast till you or some other had come to me."

"G.o.d save you, good Robin," answered the knight, and after they had washed themselves in the stream they sat down to dine off bread, with flesh of the King's deer, and swans and pheasants. "Such a dinner have I not had for three weeks and more," said the knight.

"And if I ever come again this way, good Robin, I will give you as fine a dinner as you have given me."

"I thank you," replied Robin, "my dinner is always welcome; still, I am none so greedy but I can wait for it. But before you go, pay me, I pray you, for the food which you have had. It was never the custom for a yeoman to pay for a knight."

"My bag is empty," said the knight, "save for ten shillings only."

"Go, Little John, and look in his wallet," said Robin, "and, Sir Knight, if in truth you have no more, not one penny will I take; nay, I will give you all that you shall need."

So Little John spread out the knight's mantle, and opened the bag, and therein lay ten shillings and naught besides.

"What tidings, Little John?" cried his master.

"Sir, the knight speaks truly," said Little John.

"Then tell me, Sir Knight, whether it is your own ill doings which have brought you to this sorry pa.s.s."

"For an hundred years my fathers have dwelt in the forest," answered the knight, "and four hundred pounds might they spend yearly. But within two years misfortune has befallen me, and my wife and children also."

"How did this evil come to pa.s.s?" asked Robin.

"Through my own folly," answered the knight, "and because of my great love I bore my son, who would never be guided of my counsel, and slew, ere he was twenty years old, a knight of Lancaster and his squire. For their deaths I had to pay a large sum, which I could not raise without giving my lands in pledge to the rich Abbot of St.

Mary's. If I cannot bring him the money by a certain day they will be lost to me for ever."

"What is the sum?" asked Robin. "Tell me truly."

"It is four hundred pounds," said the knight.

"And what will you do if you lose your lands?" asked Robin again.

"Hide myself over the sea," said the knight, "and bid farewell to my friends and country. There is no better way open to me."

At this tears fell from his eyes, and he turned him to depart. "Good day, my friend," he said to Robin, "I cannot pay you what I should--"

But Robin held him fast. "Where are your friends?" asked he.

"Sir, they have all forsaken me since I became poor, and they turn away their heads if we meet upon the road, though when I was rich they were ever in my castle."

When Little John and Will Scarlett and the rest heard this they wept for very shame and fury.

"Little John," said Robin, "go to my treasure chest, and bring me thence four hundred pounds. And be sure you count it truly."

So Little John went, and Will Scarlett, and they brought back the money.

"Sir," said Little John, when Robin had counted it and found it no more and no less, "look at his clothes, how thin they are! You have stores of garments, green and scarlet, in your coffers-no merchant in England can boast the like. I will measure some out with my bow."

And thus he did.

"Master," spoke Little John again, "there is still something else.

You must give him a horse, that he may go as beseems his quality to the Abbey."