Page 90 - the-merry-adventures-of-robin-hood

How Little John Lived

at the Sheriff’s

HUS LITTLE JOHN entered into the Sheriff’s service
Tand found the life he led there easy enough, for the
Sheriff made him his right-hand man and held him in great
favor. He sat nigh the Sheriff at meat, and he ran beside his
horse when he went a-hunting; so that, what with hunting
and hawking a little, and eating rich dishes and drinking
good sack, and sleeping until late hours in the morning, he
grew as fat as a stall-fed ox. Thus things floated easily along
with the tide, until one day when the Sheriff went a-hunt-
ing, there happened that which broke the smooth surface
of things.
This morning the Sheriff and many of his men set forth
to meet certain lords, to go a-hunting. He looked all about
him for his good man, Reynold Greenleaf, but, not find-
ing him, was vexed, for he wished to show Little John’s skill
to his noble friends. As for Little John, he lay abed, snor-
ing lustily, till the sun was high in the heavens. At last he
opened his eyes and looked about him but did not move
to arise. Brightly shone the sun in at the window, and all
the air was sweet with the scent of woodbine that hung in
sprays about the wall without, for the cold winter was past
and spring was come again, and Little John lay still, think-