Page 85 - the-merry-adventures-of-robin-hood

Lincoln call a cudgel player.’
At this, one would nudge another with his elbow, saying,
‘Go thou, Ned!’ or ‘Go thou, Thomas!’ but no lad cared to
gain a cracked crown for nothing.
Presently Eric saw where Little John stood among the
others, a head and shoulders above them all, and he called
to him loudly, ‘Halloa, thou long-legged fellow in scarlet!
Broad are thy shoulders and thick thy head; is not thy lass
fair enough for thee to take cudgel in hand for her sake? In
truth, I believe that Nottingham men do turn to bone and
sinew, for neither heart nor courage have they! Now, thou
great lout, wilt thou not twirl staff for Nottingham?’
‘Ay,’ quoth Little John, ‘had I but mine own good staff
here, it would pleasure me hugely to crack thy knave’s pate,
thou saucy braggart! I wot it would be well for thee an thy
cock’s comb were cut!’ Thus he spoke, slowly at first, for he
was slow to move; but his wrath gathered headway like a
great stone rolling down a hill, so that at the end he was full
of anger.
Then Eric o’ Lincoln laughed aloud. ‘Well spoken for one
who fears to meet me fairly, man to man,’ said he. ‘Saucy
art thou thine own self, and if thou puttest foot upon these
boards, I will make thy saucy tongue rattle within thy
teeth!’
‘Now,’ quoth Little John, ‘is there never a man here that
will lend me a good stout staff till I try the mettle of yon fel-
low?’ At this, half a score reached him their staves, and he
took the stoutest and heaviest of them all. Then, looking up
and down the cudgel, he said, ‘Now, I have in my hand but

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood