"But love then those that honest be,
And help them in necessity.
Doe thus, and all the world shall know
The pranks of Robin Goodfellow."
On reading this document, Robin was much delighted, and began at once to try his power. As he was tired, he wished himself a horse, and found himself leaping and curvetting as nimbly as though he had just come out of the best of stables. Then he tried being a dog, then a tree, and at last he was quite satisfied that he could do or be anything he pleased.
After this his pranks were worse than ever, but he obeyed his father's instructions, and harmed only vicious and idle and cross-grained people.
One day in crossing a field he met a rude fellow, to whom he said: "Friend, what is a clock?"—the style then of asking the time.
But the other chose to reply, churlishly, "I owe thee not so much service, but because thou shalt think thyself beholden to me, know that it is the same time of the day as it was yesterday at this time."
Then Robin resolved to amuse himself with this man, who was going further on to catch a horse that was at grass; and he turned himself into a bird to watch him. The horse was wild, and ran away over hedge and ditch, and the man after him as well, as he could. Presently Robin thought of taking the shape of the horse, and came near enough to let the churl get on his back. Then he stumbled, and hurled his rider to the ground. Robin allowed him to mount again, but only to throw him off in the middle of a large pond. Then, in the shape of a fish, he swam ashore, and laughed maliciously, "Ho, ho, hoh," leaving the poor man half drowned. It is to be hoped that this lesson in manners did the clown good.
Robin had more amiable moments; and often at night he would visit farmers' houses and help the maids to break hemp, to bolt, to dress flax, to spin, and do other work, for he was "excellent in everything."
Night was his favorite time for jokes, and he would sometimes walk abroad with a broom on his shoulder, and cry, "Chimney-sweep!" But when any one called him, he ran away laughing, "Ho, ho, hoh." Sometimes he would pretend to be a beggar in distress, and beg most pitifully; but when they came to give him alms, he would cheat them in the same way. Then again he would sing at a door after the fashion of wandering minstrels, and when people came to pay him, there was nothing left of his song but "Ho, ho, hoh."
King Oberon sometimes called his son to Fairy-land on nightly visits. He was summoned, to dance in the fairies' ring, by a shrill, sweet pipe, blown by little Tom Thumb, the order having been given,
"Whene'er you heare my piper blow,
From thy bed see thou goe."