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Läsebok. N:o G9. 59
Nottinghamshire, about the year 1160. He was a handsome
O 7
youth, and the best archer in the county, and regularly bore
away the prizes at all the archery meetings, for he was able
to strike a deer five hundred yards off. His uncle had been
persuaded by the monks of Fountain Abbey to leave all his
property to the church, and thus poor Robin had to shift for
himself. He took refuge in Sherwood Forest, where he met
with several other youths who had been driven into the woods
by the oppression of the Norman nobles. The outlaws formed
themselves into a band and made Robin their leader. Robin
Hood and his men wore coats of Lincoln-green, with a
scarlet cap, and each man was armed with a dagger, a sword, a
bow. and a quiver slung on his back; while the captain
always had a bugle-horn with him, to summon his followers
about him. They led a merry life in the green woods, and
have become the subject of many a popular ballad.
One day, when Robin Hood set out alone, in hopes of
meeting with some adventure, he reached a brook over which
a narrow plank was laid to serve for a bridge; and just as
he was going to cross it, a tall and handsome stranger
appeared on the other side, and as neither seemed disposed to
give way, they met in the middle of the bridge. »Go back»,
cried the stranger to Robin Hood, »or it will be the worse
for you».
But Robin Hood laughed at the idea of his giving way
to anybody, and proposed they should each take an oak
branch, and fight it out, and that, whoever could manage to
throw the other into the brook should win the day.
Accordingly they set to in right earnest, and after thrashing each
other well, the stranger gave Robin Hood a blow on his head,
which effectually pitched him into the water- When Robin
Hood had waded back to the bank, he put his bugle to his
lips, and blew several blasts, till the forest rang again, and
his followers came leaping from all directions to see what
their captain wanted. When he told them how he had been
served by the stranger, they would fain have ducked him;
but Robin Hood, who admired his bravery, proposed to him
to join their band.
»Here’s my hand on it», cried the stranger, delighted at
J ’ cJ ’ o
the proposal; »though my name is Jolin Little, you shall find
I can do great things».
But Will Stukelv, one of Robin’s merry-men, insisted
upon it that he must be re-christened; so a feast was held,
a barrel of ale broached, and the newcomer’s name was
changed from John Little to Little John, which nick-name, seeing
that he was near seven feet high, was a perpetual subject
for laughter.
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