Robin Hood and His Merry Men

Many, many years ago, there lived in England a brave fellow whose name was Robin Hood.

In the 11th century England was conquered by the Normans, and the native population suffered very much from their new masters. Many of them had to run into the forests; Robin Hood was one of those men.

There are many legends and songs about Robin Hood. The legends say that he and his three hundred men lived in Sherwood Forest, not far from the town of Nottingham. His men were dressed in green and were very skillful at shooting with a bow and arrows.

Robin Hood and his merry men attacked and robbed the rich and helped the poor as much as they could.

More than once the Sheriff of Nottingham tried to catch Robin and his merry men, but in vain. Robin always fooled his enemies.

Once Robin played a trick on one of the Sheriff’s men whom he met in the forest. The man had the order to arrest Robin Hood. But he did not know with whom he was talking.

“Help me to find Robin,” he asked Robin Hood, “and I shall give you half the money that I'll get for his head.”

“All right,” said Robin, “let’s go to Nottingham. We shall find Robin Hood there. I know him, and I’ll help you to catch him.”

When they came to the town, Robin gave the man so much ale, that he fell asleep. After that Robin walked off, and the man had to pay the bill.

Some time after, Robin and his friends came to Nottingham to take part in a tournament held there by the Sheriff. The prize of the tournament, an arrow of gold, was for the best shooting. Robin who was dressed like a beggar, won the prize.

The next evening as the Sheriff was going to go to bed, an arrow suddenly whistled through the open window of his bedroom and sank into the door. A letter was tied to the arrow.

The Sheriff read: "Thank you for the golden arrow. It was a good prize for my shooting. Robin Hood."

One day Robin stopped a butcher who was carrying meat to Nottingham to sell it at the market. He changed clothes with him and went to Nottingham. He sold the meat at a very low price. People were astonished. The Sheriff heard about this strange young butcher.

“I shall get money out of such a fool,” thought the Sheriff, who was a miser. He came to the market, found ‘that very foolish young butcher’, and asked him:

“Have you a big farm?”

“Yes,” said Robin, smiling to himself, “and much cattle.”

“Do not speak so loud,” said the Sheriff, “but tell me how much money you want for your land and cattle?”

Robin said a very low price.

Early next morning the Sheriff and ‘that very foolish young butcher’ rode out of the town. When they were riding near Sherwood Forest, the Sheriff said:

“A bad man lives here. Do you think we shall meet him? Robin Hood is his name.”

“Oh, I am sure we shall not!” answered Robin laughing.

Just then a hundred good, fat deer passed in front of them.

“Here is my cattle,” laughed Robin. “What do you think of them? Are they not good?”

Now the Sheriff began to think that something was wrong, and soon he realized that Robin again played a good trick on him.

Yes, you may be sure that the Sheriff rode back to Nottingham late that night without a farm, or cattle, or his money.

One day when Robin Hood was walking in the forest, he met a young man who looked very unhappy. His name was Dale.

“What’s the matter with you?” asked Robin. “Why do you look so unhappy?”

“I love a beautiful girl, and she loves me too,” answered Dale, “but her father is a miser, and he wants to marry his daughter to a rich merchant, who is old enough to be her grandfather.”

“When will the marriage take place?” asked Robin.

“Tomorrow,” answered Dale helplessly.

“Cheer up!” said Robin, “We’ll do something about it.”

The next day Robin arrived at the church, and just in the middle of the ceremony Robin stopped the Bishop of Hereford, who was reading the service, and blowing his horn, he called his merry men. Dale was among them.

“This bridegroom is too old,” said Robin. Then he said to the bride:

“Lady, look around. Perhaps you’ll find someone younger?”

Of course she chose Dale, and Robin made the Bishop marry them.

Since then the Bishop and Robin became great enemies. The Bishop tried to capture Robin many times, but in vain.

One bright summer day the Bishop and a group of soldiers were carrying money to a monastery through Sherwood Forest. The Bishop hoped to capture Robin on his way and bring him to the Sheriff of Nottingham.

At that time Robin was walking in the forest alone, listening to the birds’ singing. Before he realized that his enemies were in the forest, the Bishop’s soldiers saw him and made for him. Robin ran as fast as he could till he reached the old house of a poor woman. He changed clothes with her and said:

“If you remain still and let the Bishop capture you, I promise that nobody will do you any harm.”

The poor woman was very glad that she could help Robin Hood against the cruel Bishop.

So Robin walked out of the house dressed like a woman, and the soldiers paid no attention to him. They went into the house, captured the old woman in Robin’s clothes, and carried her away.

But soon they met Robin Hood and all his merry men, who freed the old woman and told the Bishop to give them all the money he had with him.

“It belongs to the Monastery,” said the Bishop.

“No,” answered Robin, “it belongs to the poor, from whom you have taken it, and to whom it will now return.”

Finally we shall tell you how Robin Hood died.

When he felt that he was dying, he asked his best friend, Little John, to give him his bow and arrow. When Little John gave him his bow and arrow, Robin with great difficulty went up to the window.

“I shall shoot once more,” he said, “and where the arrow falls, there let me be buried.”

As Robin was very weak, his arrow fell quite near the window. But Little John did not want to displease Robin.

“A good shot! A good shot!” cried Little John, with his eyes full of tears.

“Was it a good shot? Was it really a good shot?” these were the last words of Robin Hood, who was buried just where his arrow had fallen for the last time.