Page 300 - the-merry-adventures-of-robin-hood

with the sport that he had seen; ‘and I tell thee, that not only
are they the best archers in all merry England, but in all the
wide world beside.’
‘But what wouldst thou say,’ quoth Queen Eleanor, ‘if I
were to find three archers to match the best three yeomen
of all thy guard?’
‘I would say thou hast done what I could not do,’ said
the King, laughing, ‘for I tell thee there lives not in all the
world three archers to match Tepus and Gilbert and Clifton
of Buckinghamshire.’
‘Now,’ said the Queen, ‘I know of three yeomen, and in
truth I have seen them not long since, that I would not fear
to match against any three that thou canst choose from
among all thy fortyscore archers; and, moreover, I will
match them here this very day. But I will only match them
with thy archers providing that thou wilt grant a free par-
don to all that may come in my behalf.’
At this, the King laughed loud and long. ‘Truly,’ said he,
‘thou art taking up with strange matters for a queen. If thou
wilt bring those three fellows that thou speakest of, I will
promise faithfully to give them free pardon for forty days,
to come or to go wheresoever they please, nor will I harm a
hair of their heads in all that time. Moreover, if these that
thou bringest shoot better than my yeomen, man for man,
they shall have the prizes for themselves according to their
shooting. But as thou hast so taken up of a sudden with
sports of this kind, hast thou a mind for a wager?’
‘Why, in sooth,’ said Queen Eleanor, laughing, ‘I know
nought of such matters, but if thou hast a mind to do some-