Page 259 - the-merry-adventures-of-robin-hood

canter. So they galloped for a mile and more, and Little
John ran betwixt them as lightly as a stag and never turned
a hair with the running. At last the fat Brother drew his
horse’s rein with a groan, for he could stand the shaking no
longer. ‘Alas,’ said Little John, with not so much as a catch
in his breath, ‘I did sadly fear that the roughness of this
pace would shake thy poor old fat paunch.’
To this the fat Friar said never a word, but he stared
straight before him, and he gnawed his nether lip. And now
they traveled forward more quietly, Little John in the mid-
dle of the road whistling merrily to himself, and the two
friars in the footpath on either side saying never a word.
Then presently they met three merry minstrels, all clad
in red, who stared amain to see a Gray Friar with such short
robes walking in the middle of the road, and two brothers.
with heads bowed with shame, riding upon richly capari-
soned cobs on the footpaths. When they had come near to
the minstrels, Little John waved his staff like an usher clear-
ing the way. ‘Make way!’ he cried in a loud voice. ‘Make
way! make way! For here we go, we three!’ Then how the
minstrels stared, and how they laughed! But the fat Friar
shook as with an ague, and the lean Friar bowed his head
over his horse’s neck.
Then next they met two noble knights in rich array, with
hawk on wrist, and likewise two fair ladies clad in silks and
velvets, all a-riding on noble steeds. These all made room,
staring, as Little John and the two friars came along the
road. To them Little John bowed humbly. ‘Give you greet-
ings, lords and ladies,’ said he. ‘But here we go, we three.’

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood