They [dyde] them to the tresure-hous,
As fast as they myght gone;
The lockes, that were of good stele,
They brake them everychone.
They toke away the sylver vessell,125
And all that they myght get,
Peces, masars, and spones
Wolde they non forgete.
Also they toke the good pence,
Thre hondred pounde and three,130
And dyde them strayt to Robyn Hode,
Under the grene wode tre.
"God the save, my dere maystèr,
And Cryst the save and se;"
And than sayd Robyn to Lytell Johan,135
"Welcome myght thou be;
"And also be that fayre yemàn
Thou bryngest there with the.
What tydynges fro Notyngham?
Lytell Johan, tell thou me."140
"Well the greteth the proude sheryfe,
And sende the here by me
His coke and his sylver vessell,
And thre hondred pounde and thre."
"I make myn avow to god," sayd Robyn,145
"And to the trenytè,
It was never by his good wyll
This good is come to me."
Lytell Johan hym there bethought
On a shrewed [wyle];150
Fyve myle in the forest he ran,
Hym happed at his wyll.
Than he met the proud sheryf,
Huntynge with hounde and horne;
Lytell Johan coud his curteysye,155
And kneled hym beforne.
"God the save, my dere maystèr,
And Cryst the save and se;"
"Raynolde Grenelefe," sayd the sheryfe,
"Where hast thou nowe be?"160