“‘Good morrow, my fine fellow,’ quoth Robin Hood as he passed by. ‘What may’st thou have in that basket there?’
“‘What’s that to thee,’ replied the butcher: ‘thou’lt not buy it I’ll warrant me.’
“‘Nay, now, my good friend, be civil,’ returned the outlaw, rising from the grass, and patting the man’s horse upon the neck. ‘What value settest thou upon this beast of thine, and the basket, altogether?’
“‘Well! an thou mean’st to buy,’ answered the butcher, still doubting, ‘thou shalt have the whole lot for four silver marks.’
“‘Throw that greasy frock of thine into the bargain,’ said Robin, ‘and here’s thy money:’ at the same time he took some silver pieces from a leathern pouch that hung from his girdle, and held them to the butcher. With great joy at having made so good a bargain, the man instantly dismounted, and giving his horse’s reins to his new owner, he quickly stripped off his outer garment. The bold outlaw as quickly encased himself in it, and, mounting the horse, took the basket from the butcher, and galloped off to Nottingham.
“When he reached the town, Robin Hood made his way to the part where the meat was sold; and having put up his horse at an inn, he uncovered his basket, and began to sell its contents. He knew very little and cared very little about the price that was usually paid for meat, and the ladies in the market quickly discovered that he gave about five times as much for a penny as any other butcher. His stall was soon surrounded, and his brethren in the trade were left without a customer. At first they could not imagine what could be the reason of so strange an occurrence; but when one of them learned that the new butcher had actually sold a whole leg of pork for a shilling, a general council was held, and it was unanimously agreed that he must either be mad, or some prodigal son who had run away with his father’s property: but they were all determined to learn something certain about him.
“When the market was over, one of them stepped up to Robin Hood. ‘Come, brother,’ said he to him, ‘we are all of one trade, come and dine with us to-day.’
“‘Right willingly that will I,’ replied the outlaw; ‘and a jolly dinner will we have. ’Tis my first day among ye, and by my faith it shall be a merry one.’ They were soon seated at the board, at the head of which presided the sheriff of Nottingham, while ‘mine host’ sat at the other end. Robin Hood, being a new comer, said grace, and they commenced a most fearful attack upon divers smoking flanks of beef, and many a goodly haunch of venison. The jovial outlaw did his duty with the rest, and when at last the dishes were allowed to be taken away, ‘Fill us more wine,’ he cried, ‘let’s be merry, my brethren; drink till ye can drink no more; I’ll pay the reckoning.’
“‘This is a mad blade,’ said the sheriff to his next neighbour; ‘we must find out who he is.’—‘Hast thou, friend,’ he continued aloud, addressing Robin Hood, ‘hast thou any horned beasts to dispose of?’
“‘Aye, good master sheriff, that have I,’ answered Robin, ‘some two or three hundreds, and a hundred acres of as good free land too as thou’st ever seen.’