from me. Glad am I to see Robin Hood-but what's that?" the bishop cried. “Who are those men, and who is their leader? And who are you?" he demanded of the merry little old

woman.

Now the little woman had been taught to order herself lowly and reverently to all her betters, so before she answered the bishop she slipped down from the tall white horse and made a deep curtsey to the great man.

"If you please, sir," said she, "I think it's Robin Hood and his men." "And who are you?" he demanded again.

"Oh, I'm nobody but a little old woman that lives in a cottage alone and spins," and then she sang in a lightsome little chirrup of a voice:

"Monday I wash and Tuesday I iron, Wednesday I cook and I mend; Thursday I brew and Friday I sweep,

And baking day brings the end."

I fear that the bishop did not hear the little song, for the arrows were flying thick and fast. The little old woman slipped behind a big tree, and there she danced her

"Hey down, down, an a down!"

to her heart's content, while the fighting went on.

It was not long before the great bishop was Robin's prisoner, and ere he could. go free, he had to open his strong leather wallet and count out more gold than the moon had shone on in the forest for many and many a night. He laid down. the goldpieces one by one, and at every piece he gave a groan that seemed to come from the very bottom of his boots.

"That's for all the world like the cry I heard from the little black pond to the westward," said Little John. "It

was n't like bird and it was n't like beast, and now I know what it was; it was the soul of a stingy man, and he had to count over and over the money that he ought to have given away when he was alive."

As for the merry little old woman, she was a prisoner too, and such a time as she had! First there was a bigger feast than she had ever dreamed of before, and every man of Robin's followers was bound that she should eat the bit that he thought was nicest. They made her a little throne of soft green moss, and on it they laid their hunting cloaks. They built a shelter of fresh boughs over her head, and then they sang songs to her. They set up great torches all round about the glade. They wrestled and they vaulted and they climbed. They played every game that could be played by torchlight, and it was all to please the kind little woman who had saved the life of their master.

The merry little woman sat and clapped her hands at all their feats, and she laughed until she cried. Then she wiped her eyes and sang them her one little song.

The men shouted and cheered, and cheered and shouted, and the woods echoed so long and so loud that one would have thought they, too, were trying to shout.

By and by the company all set out together to carry the little old woman to her cottage. She was put upon their very best and safest horse, and Robin Hood would have none lead it but himself. After the horse came a long line of good bowmen and true. One carried a new cloak of the finest wool. Another bore a whole armful of silken kerchiefs to make up for the one that Robin had

worn away. There were "shoon and hosen," and there was cloth of scarlet and of blue, and there were soft, warm blankets for her bed. There were so many things that when they were all piled up in the little cottage, there was no chance for one tenth of the men to get into the room. Those that were outside pushed up to the window and stretched their heads in at the door: and they tried their best to pile up the great heap of things so she could have room to go to bed that night and to cook her breakfast in the morning.

"And to-morrow's sweeping day," cried Robin. "Thursday I brew and Friday I sweep,' and how'll she sweep if she has no floor?"

"We'll have to make her a floor," declared Friar Tuck.

"So we will," said Robin.

"There's

a good man not far away who can work in wood, and he shall come in the morning and build her another room.”

"Oh, oh!" cried the merry little old woman with delight, "I never thought I should have a house with two rooms; but I'll always care for this room the most, for there's just where Master Robin stood when he came in at the door, and there's where he sat when he was spinning the flax. But, Master Robin, Master Robin, did any one ever see such a thread as you've left on the spool!" It was so funny that the merry little old woman really could n't help jumping up and dancing.

"Hey down, down, an a down!"

And then the brave men and true all said good-night and went back to the forest.

414

All attempts to prove the historical existence of Robin Hood have been unsuccessful.

His story has come down to us in a group of old folk ballads, about forty in number, dating from about the beginning of the fifteenth century. One of these old ballads is given below. They were sung to a recurrent melody, which was as much a part of them as the words of the story. Other ballads in the group that are likely to be very interesting to children are "Robin Hood and Little John," "Robin Hood and Maid Marian," "Robin Hood Rescuing the Three Squires," "Robin Hood's Death and Burial." The best source for these ballads is Child's English and Scottish Popular Ballads (ed. Sargent and Kittredge). Tennyson dramatized the Robin Hood story in The Foresters, as did Alfred Noyes in Sherwood. Reginald De Koven made a very successful comic opera out of it, while Thomas Love Peacock's Maid Marian is an interesting novelization of the theme.

ALLEN-A-DALE

Come listen to me, you gallants so free,

All you that love mirth for to hear, And I will tell you of a bold outlaw, That lived in Nottinghamshire.

As Robin Hood in the forest stood,

All under the greenwood tree, There was he ware of a brave young man, As fine as fine might be.

The youngster was clothed in scarlet red, In scarlet fine and gay,

And he did frisk it over the plain,

And chanted a roundelay.

As Robin Hood next morning stood,
Amongst the leaves so gay,
There did he spy the same young man

Come drooping along the way.

The scarlet he wore the day before,
It was clean cast away;
And every step he fetched a sigh,
"Alack! and well-a-day!"

Then stepped forth brave Little John.

"How many miles is it to thy truelove? Come tell me without any guile:"

And Nick, the miller's son,

"Stand off! stand off!" the young man said;

"What is your will with me?"

"You must come before our master straight,

Under yon greenwood tree."

And when he came bold Robin before, Robin asked him courteously,

"O hast thou any money to spare For my merry men and me?”

the young man,

"It is but five little mile."

Then Robin he hasted over the plain,
He did neither stint nor lin,
Until he came unto the church

Where Allen should keep his wedding.

"What dost thou here?" the bishop he said,

"I prithee now tell to me"

"I am a bold harper," quoth Robin Hood, "And the best in the north country."

"But five shillings and a ring;

And that I have kept this seven long

years,

To have it at my wedding.

"Yesterday I should have married a maid,

But she is now from me ta'en, And chose.. to be an old knight's delight, Whereby my poor heart is slain."

"What is thy name?" then said Robin Hood;

"Come tell me without any fail." "By the faith of my body," then said the young man,

"My name it is Allen-a-Dale."

"What wilt thou give me," said Robin Hood,

"In ready gold or fee,

To help thee to thy truelove again,
And deliver her unto thee?"

"I have no money," then quoth the

young man,

"No ready gold nor fee,

But I will swear upon a book Thy true servant for to be."

said,

"That music best pleaseth me."

"You shall have no music," quoth Robin Hood,

"Till the bride and bridegroom I see."

With that came in a wealthy knight,
Which was both grave and old,
And after him a finikin lass,

Did shine like glistering gold.

"This is no fit match," quoth bold Robin Hood,

"That you do seem to make here; For since we are come unto the church, The bride she shall choose her own dear."

Then Robin Hood put his horn to his mouth,

And blew blasts two or three;

When four and twenty bowmen bold.
Came leaping over the lea.

And when they came into the churchyard,

Marching all in a row,

The first man was Allen-a-Dale,

To give bold Robin his bow.

And you shall be married at this same time,

Before we depart away."

"That shall not be," the bishop he said,

"For thy word shall not stand;

They shall be three times asked in the church,

As the law is of our land."

Robin Hood pulled off the bishop's coat,

And put it upon Little John;

"By the faith of my body," then Robin said,

"This cloth doth make thee a man."

The people began for to laugh; He asked them seven times in the church, Lest three times should not be enough.

"Who gives me this maid?" then said Little John;

Quoth Robin, “That do I,

And he that doth take her from Allen-aDale

Full dearly he shall her buy."

And thus having ended this merry wedding,

The bride looked as fresh as a queen, And so they returned to the merry greenwood,

Amongst the leaves so green.