Page 247 - the-merry-adventures-of-robin-hood

For his heart is all full of delight.
For the May bloometh fair,
And there’s little of care,
And plenty to eat in the Maytime rare.
When the flowers all die,
Then off he will fly,
To keep himself warm
In some jolly old barn
Where the snow and the wind neither chill him nor harm.

‘And such is the life of the strolling friar,
With aplenty to eat and to drink;
For the goodwife will keep him a seat by the fire,
And the pretty girls smile at his wink.
Then he lustily trolls
As he onward strolls,
A rollicking song for the saving of souls.
When the wind doth blow,
With the coming of snow,
There’s a place by the fire
For the fatherly friar,
And a crab in the bowl for his heart’s desire.’

Thus Friar Tuck sang in a rich and mellow voice, roll-
ing his head from side to side in time with the music, and
when he had done, all clapped their hands and shouted with
laughter, for the song fitted him well.
‘In very sooth,’ quoth Little John, ‘it is a goodly song, and,

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood