ROBIN HOOD AND THE STRANGER
Come listen awhile, you gentlemen all,
With a hey down, down, a down, down,
That are this bower within,
For a story of gallant bold Robin Hood,
I purpose now to begin.
"What time of day?" quoth Robin Hood then;
Quoth Little John, "Tis in the prime."
"Why then we will to the green-wood gang,
[Footnote: Gang is the Scotch word for go.]
For we have no vittles to dine."
As Robin Hood walkt the forest along,
It was in the mid of the day,
There he was met of a deft* young man,
As ever walkt on the way.
* [Footnote: Deft means neatly dressed, well looking.]
His doublet was of silk, he said,
His stockings like scarlet shone,
And as he walkt on along the way,
To Robin Hood then unknown.
A herd of deer was in the bend, All feeding before his face; "Now the best of you Ile have to my dinner, And that in a little space." *[Footnote: At the time the old ballads were first written down, spelling had not become settled. The contraction I'll was often spelled as it sounds.]
[Illustration: THE STRANGER OVERTHROWS ROBIN HOOD]
Now the stranger he made no mickle* adoe,
But he bends a right good bow,
And the best buck in the herd he slew,
Forty good yards him froe.
[Footnote: Froe means from. Such changes in order as occur in this
line are frequent in the old ballads.]
*[Footnote: Mickle is an old English and Scotch word meaning much, or
great.]
"Well shot, well shot," quod Robin Hood then,
"That shot it was shot in time;
And if thou wilt accept of the place,
Thou shalt be a bold yeoman of mine."
"Go play the chiven,"* the stranger said;
"Make haste and quickly go,
Or with my fist, be sure of this,
He give thee buffets sto'."
[Footnote: Buffets sto' means store of buffets.]
*[Footnote: It is uncertain what the word chiven means. The likeliest
explanation is that it means coward.]
"Thou had'st not best buffet me," quod Robin Hood,
"For though I seem forlorn,
Yet I can have those that will take my part,
If I but blow my horn."
"Thou wast not best wind thy horn," the stranger said,
"Beest thou never so much in haste,
For I can draw out a good broad sword,
And quickly cut the blast."
Then Robin Hood bent a very good bow
To shoot, and that he would fain;
The stranger he bent a very good bow,
To shoot at bold Robin again.
"O hold thy hand, hold thy hand," quod Robin Hood,
"To shoot it would be in vain;
For if we should shoot the one at the other,
The one of us may be slain.
"But let's take our swords and our broad bucklers,
And gang under yonder tree."
"As I hope to be sav'd," the stranger said,
"One foot I will not flee."
Then Robin lent the stranger a blow
'Most scar'd him out of his wit:
"Thou never felt blow," the stranger he said,
"Thou shalt be better quit."
The stranger he drew out a good broad sword,
And hit Robin on the crown,
That from every haire of bold Robin's head,
The blood ran trickling down.
"God a mercy, good fellow!" quod Robin Hood then,
"And for this that thou hast done,
Tell me, good fellow, what thou art,
Tell me where thou doest wone."
The stranger then answered bold Robin Hood,
"He tell thee where I did dwell;
In Maxwel town I was bred and born,
My name is young Gamwel.
"For killing of my own father's steward.
I am forc'd to this English wood,
And for to seek an uncle of mine;
Some call him Robin Hood."
"But are thou a cousin* of Robin Hood then?
The sooner we should have done."
"As I hope to be sav'd," the stranger then said,
"I am his own sister's son."
*[Footnote: Cousin had formerly a broader meaning than it has to-day.
Here it means, as the last line of the stanza shows, nephew.]
But lord! what kissing and courting was there,
When these two cousins did greet!
And they went all that summer's day,
And Little John did (not) meet.
But when they met with Little John,
He unto them did say,
"O master, pray where have you been,
You have tarried so long away?"
"I met with a stranger," quod Robin Hood,
"Full sore he hath beaten me."
"Then He have a bout with him," quod Little John,
"And try if he can beat me."
"Oh no, oh no," quoth Robin Hood then,
"Little John, it may not be so;
For he is my own dear sister's son,
And cousins I have no mo'."
[Footnote: Mo is used instead of more, for the sake of rhyme.]
"But he shall be a bold yeoman of mine,
My chief man next to thee;
And I Robin Hood, and thou Little John,
And Scalock he shall be."
[Footnote: Scalock, or Scathlock, means scarlet. The name is given to
the stranger because of his scarlet stockings.]