ROBIN HOOD AND LITTLE JOHN


1.  Scarce sixteen years old was bold Robin Hood,
When first he met Little John,
A steady young blade well fit for his trade,
And he was a handsome young man.

2.  Although he was little, his limbs they were large,
His height about seven feet high;
And wherever he came he straight cut his name,
And quickly he made them all fly.

3.  "I have not been sporting for fourteen long days,
So now abroad I will go,
And if I get beat, and cannot retreat,
My horn I so loudly will blow."

4.  Thus took he the leave of his merry men all,
And bade them a pleasant goodbye,
And down to the brook a journey he took,
And a stranger he chanced for to spy.

5.  These two fellows met on a long narrow bridge,
And neither of them would give way;
The stranger he said, "I will lather your hide;
I will show you fine Nottingham play."

6.  "You speak as a fool," bold Robin replied.
"If I should bend my long bow,
I would shoot a dart then quite through your heart,
Before you could give me one blow."

7.  "You speak as a coward," the stranger replied.
"To bend your long bow as I stand,
To shoot at my breast, as I do protest,
And I but a staff in my hand."

8.  "The name of a coward I do disdain;
Therefore my long bow I'll lay by;
And now for your sake a staff I will take,
And the strength of your manhood I'll try."

9.  Robin stepped down in a thicket of woods,
And chose him a staff of brown oak,
And that being done, he staight back did come,
To the stranger he merrily spoke:

10.  "Oh, here is my staff both steady and stout;
Therefore on this bridge let us play.
Whichever falls in, the other shall win,
And after all that we'll away."

11.  Robin struck the stranger a crack on the crown,
Which caused the red blood to appear.
The stranger enraged, then closely engaged,
And laid on his blows most severe.

12.  "As long as I'm able my staff for to handle,
To die in your debt I would scorn."
And so quick and so fast they laid on each other,
As though they were threshing out corn.

13.  The stranger struck Robin a crack on the crown,
That caused him a terrible flow,
And with the same blow he laid him quite low,
And tumbled him into the brook.

14.  "Oh, where are you now, my good fellow?" he said;
And with a loud laugh he replied,
"It's I, by my faith," bold Robin Hood said
"I am floating away with the tide."

15.  Robin floated down all into the deep,
And drew himself out by a thorn,
And with his last gasp he blew a loud blast,
A blast on his own bugle-horn,

16.  Which caused all the hills and the valleys to ring,
And all his bowmen to appear.
There were threescore and ten, all clothed in green,
That straightway to the master did steer.

17.  "Oh, what is the matter?" said William Stellee,
"Methinks you are wet to the skin."
"No matter," said he, "the lad that you see
By fair fighting has tumbled me in."

18.  "He shall not go free,"  said William Stellee,
While still stood the poor stranger there;
"We'll induct him likewise," bold Robin replies,
"He is a stout fellow, forbear."

19.  "His name is John Little, he is made of good metal,
No doubt he will play his own part."
"He shall not go free," said William Stellee,
"Therefore, his new father I'll be."

20.  "Thou shalt be an archer as well as the best,
And range in the greenwood with us;
Where we'll not want gold nor silver, behold,
While bishops have ought in there purse."