As soon as they had made this change, Robin Hood left the house, and went to the place where all his company were to be found. He looked behind him a hundred times for the bishop, who had no thoughts of finding him in this disguise. One of the robbers, who was a spiteful fellow, as Robin Hood came near them, cried out, “A witch! a witch! I will let fly an arrow at her.” “Hold thy hand,” said Robin Hood, “and shoot not thy arrows so keen, for I am Robin Hood, thy master.” Then he went up to Little John, and said, “Come, kill a good fat deer, for the Bishop of Hereford is to dine with me to-day.”
While this was going on, the bishop came to the old woman’s house; and seeing a man, as he thought, with a mantle of scarlet, and a quiver and a bow in his hand, he shook his head, and said, “I am afraid you are one of Robin Hood’s gang. If you have not a mind to be hanged yourself, shew me where that traitor is, and set him before me.” The old woman agreed to this. “Go with me,” said she to the bishop, “and I think I can bring you to the man you want.” The bishop then mounted her upon a milk-white steed, and himself rode upon a dapple-grey; and, for joy that he should get Robin Hood, he went laughing all the way. But, as they were riding along the forest, the bishop saw a hundred brave bowmen, drawn up together under a tree. “Oh! who is yonder,” said the bishop, “ranging within the wood?” “Why,” said the old woman, “I think it is a man they call Robin Hood.” “Why, who art thou?” said the bishop; “for, to tell thee the truth, I thought thou hadst been Robin Hood himself.” “Oh! my lord,” said she, “I am only an old woman.”
By this time, Robin Hood and his company came up to the bishop; and Robin Hood, taking him by his hand, said, “My lord, you must dine with me to-day under my bower in merry Barnsdale. I cannot feast you like a bishop, but I can give you venison, ale, and wine; and I hope you will be content.” After dinner, Robin Hood made the music to strike up, and would insist upon the bishop’s dancing a hornpipe in his boots; and the bishop was forced to submit. The day was now far spent, and the bishop begged leave to go away. “You have treated me very nobly,” said he to Robin Hood, “and I suppose I must pay for it. Tell me how much.” “Lend me your purse, master,” said Little John, “and I will settle it for you.” He then spread the bishop’s cloak upon the ground, and opening his bag, he counted five hundred pounds out of it. “Now,” said Robin Hood, “we thank you for your company; and, to shew you that we know how to be polite, we will see you part of the way home.” They then led the bishop and his servants quite through the wood, till they brought him to the high road: then Robin Hood’s gang gave three cheers, and told him to remember that, though he had come meaning to hang them all, they had done him no harm.
One day, in summer-time, when the leaves grew green, and the flowers were fresh and gay, Robin Hood and his merry men were all in a humour to play. Some would leap, some would run, some shot at a mark, and some wrestled with each other on the green. Robin Hood was haughty and proud, and said, “Now, my good fellows, do you think there is a man in the world that could wrestle or play the quarter-staff with me, or kill a doe or buck so sure as me?”
While Robin Hood was boasting in this manner, Will Scarlet stepped out from the rest. Will Scarlet was a little a-kin to Robin Hood, and thought he had as good a right himself to be captain of the gang. Besides, he was rather spiteful: he was just going to shoot an arrow at Robin Hood when he saw him dressed like an old woman. “If you wish to meet with your match,” said Scarlet, “I can tell you where you can find him. There is a friar in Fountain Abbey.” Now Fountain Abbey was the convent that had been built with the money that Robin Hood’s uncle Gamewell’s estate had been sold for, and perhaps Will Scarlet chose to throw it in Robin’s teeth for that reason. “I had as soon you had talked of the gallows,” said Robin Hood. “No matter for that,” said Will Scarlet; “there is a friar in Fountain Abbey that can draw a strong bow against any man in the world: he can handle a quarter-staff too; and will beat you and all your yeomen, set them in a row.”
Robin Hood was a man of a bold spirit, and could not rest till he had seen this friar; so he slung his bow across his shoulder, and took his quarter-staff in his hand, and away he went to Fountain Dale. He had not gone far, before he saw a tall brawny friar walking by the waterside: and Robin Hood thought this must be the man the moment he saw him.
Robin Hood got off his horse, and tied him to a thorn. “Carry me over this water, thou brawny friar,” said he, “or thou hast not an hour
Robin Hood asking the fair maiden whom she will have for a husband.
see [page 14].