Page 325 - the-merry-adventures-of-robin-hood

‘Halloa, good friend,’ quoth Robin, from beneath the
hedge, when the other had gotten nigh enough, ‘whither
away so merrily this bright day?’
Hearing himself so called upon, the Cobbler stopped,
and, seeing a well-clad stranger in blue, he spoke to him in
seemly wise. ‘Give ye good den, fair sir, and I would say that
I come from Kirk Langly, where I ha’ sold my shoon and got
three shillings sixpence ha’penny for them in as sweet mon-
ey as ever thou sawest, and honestly earned too, I would ha’
thee know. But an I may be so bold, thou pretty fellow, what
dost thou there beneath the hedge?’
‘Marry,’ quoth merry Robin, ‘I sit beneath the hedge here
to drop salt on the tails of golden birds; but in sooth thou
art the first chick of any worth I ha’ seen this blessed day.’
At these words the Cobbler’s eyes opened big and wide,
and his mouth grew round with wonder, like a knothole in
a board fence. ‘slack-a-day,’ quoth he, ‘look ye, now! I ha’
never seen those same golden birds. And dost thou in sooth
find them in these hedges, good fellow? Prythee, tell me, are
there many of them? I would fain find them mine own self.’
‘Ay, truly,’ quoth Robin, ‘they are as thick here as fresh
herring in Cannock Chase.’
‘Look ye, now!’ said the Cobbler, all drowned in wonder.
‘And dost thou in sooth catch them by dropping salt on their
pretty tails?’
‘Yea,’ quoth Robin, ‘but this salt is of an odd kind, let me
tell thee, for it can only be gotten by boiling down a quart
of moonbeams in a wooden platter, and then one hath but
a pinch. But tell me, now, thou witty man, what hast thou

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood