Robin Hood by Walter Scott

Part I

After Duke William conquered England he took away lands and houses, money and cattle from the Anglo-Saxons and gave them to the Normans. Many poor Anglo-Saxons became the serfs of the Normans. Two different peoples lived in England at that time: each spoke its own language, and each hated the other. This went on for a very long time.

Robin Hood was a legendary hero of those times. He was well known and loved by the poor people of England. He was tall, strong and handsome, and his songs were heard everywhere. He was brave too and there was no better archer in that part of the country. He was also kind and never hurt the weak or the poor. One day the Normans came with many soldiers to Robin’s house. There was a terrible fight in which Robin’s father was killed. The Normans took everything from the house and burnt it down. Only Robin was saved, because he fought so bravely that no soldier could go near him, kill him or take him prisoner. But when Robin saw that his father was dead and that his house was burnt down he stopped fighting and ran away to the great forest of Sherwood. Many other Saxons, who were oppressed by the Normans, soon learned that Robin was in Sherwood Forest. A great number of poor men joined him. In a short time there were very many men in the forest who wanted to take revenge upon the oppressors. They made Robin Hood their leader. The poor people loved Robin and his men whom they called the Merry Men. Robin became known as Robin of Sherwood Forest or Robin Hood. We do not know how he got the name Hood. Some people say that he was called Hood because he and his men wore green hoods. He became known not only in England, but in many other countries as Robin Hood. And now we know him also as Robin Hood.

Part II

Robin Hood and his men fought against monks and Norman barons who oppressed the people. Robin Hood took money from the oppressors and gave it to the poor people. The sheriffs tried to arrest him but could not do it. At last the sheriff of Northampton decided to organize a shooting contest where he could arrest Robin Hood. He knew that Robin Hood could shoot very well. The prize was a golden arrow.

Robin Hood called his men and asked them whether they had to take part in the contest. They decided that the risk was great but they had to go.

The day of the contest was fine and clear. The town was decorated with flags and the field for the contest was full of people. The sheriff looked everywhere for Robin Hood and his men but did not see them. He knew that they were always dressed in green. The contest was won by a man dressed in red who had come from a village with a company of young men. He received the Golden Arrow and left the town. Nobody thought that it was Robin Hood. When leaving the town Robin Hood shot an arrow into the sheriff’s open window. There was a paper at the end of the arrow with the following words: “Robin Hood thanks the sheriff for the Golden Arrow.”

Part III

The sheriff of Nottingham hated Robin Hood even more. He was happy when he could catch one of Robin’s men and put him into prison. But he could not catch Robin. Robin Hood went to Nottingham very often but he was always dressed in different clothes and the sheriff could not recognize him. So Robin was never caught. One day he was walking through the forest and met a butcher. This butcher was riding to the market at Nottingham. He was dressed in a blue coat. On each side of his grey horse hung a basket full of meat. Robin came out from behind the trees and stopped him.

“What have you, my good friend?” he asked.

“Meat,” answered the man. “Fine meat for Nottingham Market. Do you want to buy some?”

“Yes, I do,” said Robin. “I’ll buy it all from you, and your horse, too. How much do you want? I want to be a butcher and go to Nottingham Market.” So the butcher sold his horse and all the meat to Robin. Then Robin changed clothes with him. He put on the butcher’s blue clothes and the butcher went away in Robin’s green suit.

Robin Hood went to Nottingham Market and sold the meat very cheap. The butchers in Nottingham were angry with Robin Hood for selling the meat so cheap. They wanted to know where he came from. They invited Robin to a dinner with the sheriff of Nottingham. On the way to the town-hall an old butcher began to ask Robin questions.

“Haven’t you ever been here before?” he asked.

“Haven’t I?” answered Robin.

“Haven’t I ever seen you before?”

“Haven’t you?”

“Are you new in the business? Well, I think so,” said the old butcher, getting very angry.

“Do you?” said Robin laughing.

Soon they came to the town-hall and the butchers learned nothing about Robin Hood. At dinner the sheriff heard about the new butcher who sold meat so cheap.

The sheriff wanted to buy cattle cheap too. So he asked Robin Hood if he had any cattle to sell. Robin offered the sheriff to see his cattle in the field the next morning.

That night the sheriff took out three hundred pounds of his gold and put it in three bags. In the morning the sheriff got on his horse, and with three hundred pounds in gold went with Robin Hood to see the cattle. When the sheriff saw that they were on the road to Sherwood Forest he was frightened and wanted to go back to Nottingham. But Robin laughed only and they went on. When they came into the forest Robin saw about a hundred deer among the trees.

“Look there!” he cried. “How do you like my cattle?”

The sheriff was more frightened and wanted to go back, but Robin Hood invited him to dine with his Merry Men. That was just what Robin Hood always did. He gave those men, who took money from poor people, a very fine dinner, and then he made them pay very much money for it. The sheriff understood that he was in the hands of Robin Hood. After dinner Robin Hood asked the sheriff to pay for the dinner.

“I am a poor man,” said the sheriff, “I have no money.”

“No money! What have you in your bags, then?” asked Robin.

“Only stones, nothing but stones,” answered the frightened sheriff.

Robin’s men opened the bags and put the three hundred pounds of gold on the ground. “Sheriff,” said Robin, “I shall take all this money and give it to the poor. You have taken much more than that.” Then Robin told his men to bring the sheriff’s horse. The sheriff got on his horse, and Robin led him through the forest. Then he said goodbye to the sheriff and went away laughing. So the sheriff paid three hundred pounds in gold for a dinner with Robin Hood.

Part IV

When Robin Hood lived in his father’s house, he often met a girl. Her name was Marian. She lived with her father not far from Robin’s house. They walked in the forest and sometimes went hunting together. They liked each other very much and one day Robin asked Marian to marry him. But just at that time the Normans came and killed Robin’s father, burnt down his house and took away everything he had. Robin did not see Marian for a long time. He wrote a letter, where he told her about his father and their home. “I shall always love you,” he wrote, “but the life in the forest is not for you, so I shall never see you again, goodbye!”

Marian was very sad when she read Robin’s letter. She cried all day long. At last, she decided to go to Sherwood Forest and look for Robin.

It was a long way to Sherwood Forest and Marian was afraid to travel so far alone. She dressed herself like a knight and went off to look for Robin. One day Robin dressed himself as a Norman knight and went to Nottingham. On his way through the forest he met another knight. “What’s your name and where are you going?” They could not see each other’s faces because their heads and faces were covered by their visors. Marian (for it was she) was afraid to answer. “Ah,” said Robin, “you do not want to answer. Then fight.” Robin was taller and stronger than Marian, but she fought bravely. Marian got a wound in one arm, Robin got a wound in his cheek. Robin felt sorry for the young knight who was fighting so well. “Stop! Stop!” cried he. “You will be one of my men.” Robin forgot that he was dressed like a Norman knight and spoke in his language and in his voice. When Marian heard Robin’s voice she dropped her sword and took off the visor. Her face was pale but she smiled.

They were happy to see each other. Robin washed and bandaged Marian’s wound. She did the same for him. All the time they were laughing and talking. She told Robin how unhappy she was, and how she put on a knight’s clothes and came to look for him. “My dearest,” he said when she finished her story, “I do not know how I shall live in the forest when you go away.”

“But I shall not go away. I am going to stay with you,” she said.

“You must not. This life is not for you.”

“Oh, Robin, do not say that! The sun does not shine and the birds do not sing when I am not with you. Let me stay.” So Robin let her stay. They were married in the forest and the Merry Men made a good dinner and were happy to greet Robin’s wife.

Robin and Marian lived in Sherwood Forest for a long time and were very happy.