the merry adventures of robin hood-第14部分

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〃Stand　back；　Sheriff！〃　cried　Little　John；　and　even　as　he　spoke；　a　bugle　horn　sounded　shrilly　and　a　clothyard　shaft　whistled　within　an　inch　of　the　Sheriff's　head。　　Then　came　a　swaying　hither　and　thither；　and　oaths；　cries；　and　groans；　and　clashing　of　steel；　and　swords　flashed　in　the　setting　sun；　and　a　score　of　arrows　whistled　through　the　air。　And　some　cried；　〃Help；　help！〃　and　some；　〃A　rescue；　a　rescue！〃

〃Treason！〃　cried　the　Sheriff　in　a　loud　voice。　　〃Bear　back！　Bear　back！　　Else　we　be　all　dead　men！〃　　Thereupon　he　reined　his　horse　backward　through　the　thickest　of　the　crowd。

Now　Robin　Hood　and　his　band　might　have　slain　half　of　the　Sheriff's　men　had　they　desired　to　do　so；　but　they　let　them　push　out　of　the　press　and　get　them　gone；　only　sending　a　bunch　of　arrows　after　them　to　hurry　them　in　their　flight。

〃Oh　stay！〃　shouted　Will　Stutely　after　the　Sheriff。　　〃Thou　wilt　never　catch　bold　Robin　Hood　if　thou　dost　not　stand　to　meet　him　face　to　face。〃　But　the　Sheriff；　bowing　along　his　horse's　back；　made　no　answer　but　only　spurred　the　faster。

Then　Will　Stutely　turned　to　Little　John　and　looked　him　in　the　face　till　the　tears　ran　down　from　his　eyes　and　he　wept　aloud；　and　kissing　his　friend's　cheeks；　〃O　Little　John！〃　quoth　he；　〃mine　own　true　friend；　and　he　that　I　love　better　than　man　or　woman　in　all　the　world　beside！　Little　did　I　reckon　to　see　thy　face　this　day；　or　to　meet　thee　this　side　Paradise。〃　　Little　John　could　make　no　answer；　but　wept　also。

Then　Robin　Hood　gathered　his　band　together　in　a　close　rank；　with　Will　Stutely　in　the　midst；　and　thus　they　moved　slowly　away　toward　Sherwood；　and　were　gone；　as　a　storm　cloud　moves　away　from　the　spot　where　a　tempest　has　swept　the　land。　But　they　left　ten　of　the　Sheriff's　men　lying　along　the　ground　wounded　some　more；　some　lessyet　no　one　knew　who　smote　them　down。

Thus　the　Sheriff　of　Nottingham　tried　thrice　to　take　Robin　Hood　and　failed　each　time；　and　the　last　time　he　was　frightened；　for　he　felt　how　near　he　had　come　to　losing　his　life；　so　he　said；　〃These　men　fear　neither　God　nor　man；　nor　king　nor　king's　officers。　I　would　sooner　lose　mine　office　than　my　life；　so　I　will　trouble　them　no　more。〃　　So　he　kept　close　within　his　castle　for　many　a　day　and　dared　not　show　his　face　outside　of　his　own　household；　and　all　the　time　he　was　gloomy　and　would　speak　to　no　one；　for　he　was　ashamed　of　what　had　happened　that　day。



Robin　Hood　Turns　Butcher

NOW　AFTER　all　these　things　had　happened；　and　it　became　known　to　Robin　Hood　how　the　Sheriff　had　tried　three　times　to　make　him　captive；　he　said　to　himself；　〃If　I　have　the　chance；　I　will　make　our　worshipful　Sheriff　pay　right　well　for　that　which　he　hath　done　to　me。　　Maybe　I　may　bring　him　some　time　into　Sherwood　Forest　and　have　him　to　a　right　merry　feast　with　us。〃　For　when　Robin　Hood　caught　a　baron　or　a　squire；　or　a　fat　abbot　or　bishop；　he　brought　them　to　the　greenwood　tree　and　feasted　them　before　he　lightened　their　purses。

But　in　the　meantime　Robin　Hood　and　his　band　lived　quietly　in　Sherwood　Forest；　without　showing　their　faces　abroad；　for　Robin　knew　that　it　would　not　be　wise　for　him　to　be　seen　in　the　neighborhood　of　Nottingham；　those　in　authority　being　very　wroth　with　him。　　But　though　they　did　not　go　abroad；　they　lived　a　merry　life　within　the　woodlands；　spending　the　days　in　shooting　at　garlands　hung　upon　a　willow　wand　at　the　end　of　the　glade；　the　leafy　aisles　ringing　with　merry　jests　and　laughter：　for　whoever　missed　the　garland　was　given　a　sound　buffet；　which；　if　delivered　by　Little　John；　never　failed　to　topple　over　the　unfortunate　yeoman。　Then　they　had　bouts　of　wrestling　and　of　cudgel　play；　so　that　every　day　they　gained　in　skill　and　strength。

Thus　they　dwelled　for　nearly　a　year；　and　in　that　time　Robin　Hood　often　turned　over　in　his　mind　many　means　of　making　an　even　score　with　the　Sheriff。　　At　last　he　began　to　fret　at　his　confinement；　so　one　day　he　took　up　his　stout　cudgel　and　set　forth　to　seek　adventure；　strolling　blithely　along　until　he　came　to　the　edge　of　Sherwood。　　There；　as　he　rambled　along　the　sunlit　road；　he　met　a　lusty　young　butcher　driving　a　fine　mare　and　riding　in　a　stout　new　cart；　all　hung　about　with　meat。　Merrily　whistled　the　Butcher　as　he　jogged　along；　for　he　was　going　to　the　market；　and　the　day　was　fresh　and　sweet；　making　his　heart　blithe　within　him。

〃Good　morrow　to　thee；　jolly　fellow；〃　quoth　Robin；　〃thou　seemest　happy　this　merry　morn。〃

〃Ay；　that　am　I；〃　quoth　the　jolly　Butcher；　〃and　why　should　I　not　be　so？　Am　I　not　hale　in　wind　and　limb？　　Have　I　not　the　bonniest　lass　in　all　Nottinghamshire？　　And　lastly；　am　I　not　to　be　married　to　her　on　Thursday　next　in　sweet　Locksley　Town？〃

〃Ha；〃　said　Robin；　〃comest　thou　from　Locksley　Town？　　Well　do　I　know　that　fair　place　for　miles　about；　and　well　do　I　know　each　hedgerow　and　gentle　pebbly　stream；　and　even　all　the　bright　little　fishes　therein；　for　there　I　was　born　and　bred。　　Now；　where　goest　thou　with　thy　meat；　my　fair　friend？〃

〃I　go　to　the　market　at　Nottingham　Town　to　sell　my　beef　and　my　mutton；〃　answered　the　Butcher。　　〃But　who　art　thou　that　comest　from　Locksley　Town？〃

〃A　yeoman　am　I；　and　men　do　call　me　Robin　Hood。〃

〃Now；　by　Our　Lady's　grace；〃　cried　the　Butcher；　〃well　do　I　know　thy　name；　and　many　a　time　have　I　heard　thy　deeds　both　sung　and　spoken　of。　But　Heaven　forbid　that　thou　shouldst　take　aught　of　me！　An　honest　man　am　I；　and　have　wronged　neither　man　nor　maid；　so　trouble　me　not；　good　master；　as　I　have　never　troubled　thee。〃

〃Nay；　Heaven　forbid；　indeed；〃　quoth　Robin；　〃that　I　should　take　from　such　as　thee；　jolly　fellow！　　Not　so　much　as　one　farthing　would　I　take　from　thee；　for　I　love　a　fair　Saxon　face　like　thine　right　well　more　especially　when　it　cometh　from　Locksley　Town；　and　most　especially　when　the　man　that　owneth　it　is　to　marry　a　bonny　lass　on　Thursday　next。　But　come；　tell　me　for　what　price　thou　wilt　sell　me　all　of　thy　meat　and　thy　horse　and　cart。〃

〃At　four　marks　do　I　value　meat；　cart；　and　mare；〃　quoth　the　Butcher；　〃but　if　I　do　not　sell　all　my　meat　I　will　not　have　four　marks　in　value。〃

Then　Robin　Hood　plucked　the　purse　from　his　girdle；　and　quoth　he；　〃Here　in　this　purse　are　six　marks。　　Now；　I　would　fain　be　a　butcher　for　the　day　and　sell　my　meat　in　Nottingham　Town。　　Wilt　thou　close　a　bargain　with　me　and　take　six　marks　for　thine　outfit？〃

〃Now　may　the　blessings　of　all　the　saints　fall　on　thine　honest　head！〃　cried　the　Butcher　right　joyfully；　as　he　leaped　down　from　his　cart　and　took　the　purse　that　Robin　held　out　to　him。

〃Nay；〃　quoth　Robin；　laughing　loudly；　〃many　do　like　me　and　wish　me　well；　but　few　call　me　honest。　　Now　get　thee　gone　back　to　thy　lass；　and　give　her　a　sweet　kiss　from　me。〃　　So　saying；　he　donned　the　Butcher's　apron；　and；　climbing　into　the　cart；　he　took　the　reins　in　his　hand　and　drove　off　through　the　forest　to　Nottingham　Town。

When　he　came　to　Nottingham；　he　entered　that　part　of　the　market　where　butchers　stood；　and　took　up　his　inn＇2＇　in　the　best　place

he　could　find。　　Next；　he　opened　his　stall　and　spread　his　meat　upon　the　bench；　then；　taking　his　cleaver　and　steel　and　clattering　them　together；　he　trolled　aloud　in　merry　tones：

＇2＇　Stand　for　selling。

　〃Now　come；　ye　lasses；　and　eke　ye　dames；　　　　　　And　buy　your　meat　from　me；　　For　three　pennyworths　of　meat　I　sell　　　　　　For　t