"The sooner he loses it all, the better for us. We will never be able to sell anything as long as he comes here giving away beef at twopence a pound."
"It is perfectly ridiculous," said one old man, who seemed to be the chief butcher. "These fifty years have I come and gone to Nottingham market, and I have never seen the like of it—never. He is ruining the trade, that's what he is doing."
They stood at their stalls sulky and cross, while all their customers crowded round Robin.
Shouts of laughter came from his corner, for he was not only selling beef and mutton, but making jokes about it all the time.
"I tell you what," said the old butcher, "it is no use standing here doing nothing. We had better go and talk to him, and find out, if we can, who he is. We must ask him to come and have dinner with us and the Sheriff in the town hall to-day." For on market days the butchers used to have dinner all together in the town hall, after market was over, and the sheriff used to come and have dinner with them.
"So, the butchers stepped up to jolly Robin,
Acquainted with him for to be;
Come, butcher, one said, we be all of one trade,
Come, will you go dine with me?"
"Thank you," said Robin, "I should like nothing better. I have had a busy morning and am very hungry and thirsty."