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to waken the other, and looking about the room he espied
the friar’s clothes lying upon a bench near the wall. First he
looked at the clothes, with his head on one side, and then
he looked at the friar and slowly winked one eye. Quoth he,
‘Good Brother What-e’er-thy-name-may-be, as thou hast
borrowed my bed so freely I’ll e’en borrow thy clothes in
return.’ So saying, he straightway donned the holy man’s
garb, but kindly left the cobbler’s clothes in the place of it.
Then he went forth into the freshness of the morning, and
the stableman that was up and about the stables opened his
eyes as though he saw a green mouse before him, for such
men as the friars of Emmet were not wont to be early ris-
ers; but the man bottled his thoughts, and only asked Robin
whether he wanted his mule brought from the stable.
‘Yea, my son,’ quoth Robin—albeit he knew nought of the
mule—‘and bring it forth quickly, I prythee, for I am late
and must be jogging.’ So presently the stableman brought
forth the mule, and Robin mounted it and went on his way
rejoicing.
As for the holy friar, when he arose he was in as pretty a
stew as any man in all the world, for his rich, soft robes were
gone, likewise his purse with ten golden pounds in it, and
nought was left but patched clothes and a leathern apron.
He raged and swore like any layman, but as his swearing
mended nothing and the landlord could not aid him, and
as, moreover, he was forced to be at Emmet Priory that very
morning upon matters of business, he was fain either to don
the cobbler’s clothes or travel the road in nakedness. So he
put on the clothes, and, still raging and swearing vengeance

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood