Page 118 - the-merry-adventures-of-robin-hood

‘And so thought I, also,’ cried Robin Hood, bursting out
of the thicket and shouting with laughter till the tears ran
down his cheeks. ‘O man, man!’ said he, as well as he could
for his mirth, ‘a didst go over like a bottle knocked from a
wall. I did see the whole merry bout, and never did I think
to see thee yield thyself so, hand and foot, to any man in all
merry England. I was seeking thee, to chide thee for leaving
my bidding undone; but thou hast been paid all I owed thee,
full measure, pressed down and overflowing, by this good
fellow. Marry, ‘a did reach out his arm full length while
thou stood gaping at him, and, with a pretty rap, tumbled
thee over as never have I seen one tumbled before.’ So spoke
bold Robin, and all the time Little John sat upon the ground,
looking as though he had sour curds in his mouth. ‘What
may be thy name, good fellow?’ said Robin, next, turning
to the Tanner.
‘Men do call me Arthur a Bland,’ spoke up the Tanner
boldly, ‘and now what may be thy name?’
‘Ha, Arthur a Bland!’ quoth Robin, ‘I have heard thy
name before, good fellow. Thou didst break the crown of a
friend of mine at the fair at Ely last October. The folk there
call him Jock o’ Nottingham; we call him Will Scathelock.
This poor fellow whom thou hast so belabored is counted
the best hand at the quarterstaff in all merry England. His
name is Little John, and mine Robin Hood.’
‘How!’ cried the Tanner, ‘art thou indeed the great Rob-
in Hood, and is this the famous Little John? Marry, had I
known who thou art, I would never have been so bold as to
lift my hand against thee. Let me help thee to thy feet, good

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