Calico Classics Illustrated: Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
1 How Robin Hood Came to be an Outlaw In Merry England it was the time when old good King Henry the Second ruled the land There lived within the green of Sherwood Forest a famous outlaw named Robin Hood One hundred and forty men roamed with Robin through the greenwood Robin and the band were outlaws Yet they were beloved by the country people for no one ever came to jolly Robin for help and went away with an empty fi st When Robin was a youth of eighteen the Sheriff of Nottingham proclaimed a shooting match and offered a prize of a barrel of ale to 4
the winner Robin took his good stout bow and his arrows and started off to Nottingham Robin whistled as he trudged along thinking of Maid Marian and her bright eyes He came upon some foresters seated beneath a great oak tree Each man was clad in Lincoln green One of them called out to Robin Hulloa where are you going little lad with your one penny bow and cheap shafts Robin grew angry for no youth likes to be taunted with his few years My bow and arrows are as good as shine I go to the shooting match at Nottingham to shoot with other stout young men Well boasted fair infant one said Another cried He will be taking ale with his milk next Said Robin Hark yonder I see a herd of deer I’ll bet you twenty marks that I cause the best male among them to die Done cried he who had spoken fi rst 5
Robin took his bow and strung it right skillfully Then he nocked a broad arrow raised the bow and drew the grey good feather to his ear The arrow sped down the glade as a hawk skims in a northern wind High leaped the noblest deer of the herd only to fall dead Ha How do you like that shot good fellow The wager is mine and it was 300 pounds cried Robin Nay Know you not that you have killed the King’s deer By the laws of our King Harry your ears should be shaven close to your head The fi rst man who had spoken sprang to his feet Ay and I’ll hurry you along He sent an arrow whistling after Robin The arrow fl ew within three inches of his head Then Robin quickly sent an arrow back in return The shaft fl ew straight The archer fell forward with a cry His arrows rattled around him from out of his quiver Before the others could gather their wits Robin Hood was gone into the depths of the greenwood 6
