The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood | Page 8

throat of the messenger, so that his heart was
glad when he saw before him the Sign of the Blue Boar Inn, when
somewhat more than half his journey was done. The inn looked fair to
his eyes, and the shade of the oak trees that stood around it seemed cool
and pleasant, so he alighted from his horse to rest himself for a time,
calling for a pot of ale to refresh his thirsty throat.
There he saw a party of right jovial fellows seated beneath the
spreading oak that shaded the greensward in front of the door. There
was a tinker, two barefoot friars, and a party of six of the King's
foresters all clad in Lincoln green, and all of them were quaffing
humming ale and singing merry ballads of the good old times. Loud
laughed the foresters, as jests were bandied about between the singing,
and louder laughed the friars, for they were lusty men with beards that
curled like the wool of black rams; but loudest of all laughed the Tinker,
and he sang more sweetly than any of the rest. His bag and his hammer
hung upon a twig of the oak tree, and near by leaned his good stout
cudgel, as thick as his wrist and knotted at the end.
"Come," cried one of the foresters to the tired messenger, "come join us
for this shot. Ho, landlord! Bring a fresh pot of ale for each man.
The messenger was glad enough to sit down along with the others who

were there, for his limbs were weary and the ale was good.
"Now what news bearest thou so fast?" quoth one, "and whither ridest
thou today?"
The messenger was a chatty soul and loved a bit of gossip dearly;
besides, the pot of ale warmed his heart; so that, settling himself in an
easy corner of the inn bench, while the host leaned upon the doorway
and the hostess stood with her hands beneath her apron, he unfolded his
budget of news with great comfort. He told all from the very first: how
Robin Hood had slain the forester, and how he had hidden in the
greenwood to escape the law; how that he lived therein, all against the
law, God wot, slaying His Majesty's deer and levying toll on fat abbot,
knight, and esquire, so that none dare travel even on broad Watling
Street or the Fosse Way for fear
of him; how that the Sheriff had a mind to serve the King's warrant
upon this same rogue, though little would he mind warrant of either
king or sheriff, for he was far from being a law-abiding man. Then he
told how none could be found in all Nottingham Town to serve this
warrant, for fear of cracked pates and broken bones, and how that he,
the messenger, was now upon his way to Lincoln Town to find of what
mettle the Lincoln men might be.
"Now come I, forsooth, from good Banbury Town," said the jolly
Tinker, "and no one nigh Nottingham--nor Sherwood either, an that be
the mark-- can hold cudgel with my grip. Why, lads, did I not meet that
mad wag Simon of Ely, even at the famous fair at Hertford Town, and
beat him in the ring at that place before Sir Robert of Leslie and his
lady? This same Robin Hood, of whom, I wot, I never heard before, is a
right merry blade, but gin he be strong, am not I stronger? And gin he
be sly, am not I slyer? Now by the bright eyes of Nan o' the Mill, and
by mine own name and that's Wat o' the Crabstaff, and by mine own
mother's son, and that's myself, will I, even I, Wat o' the Crabstaff,
meet this same sturdy rogue, and gin he mind not the seal of our
glorious sovereign King Harry, and the warrant of the good Sheriff of
Nottinghamshire, I will so bruise, beat, and bemaul his pate that he
shall never move finger or toe again! Hear ye that, bully boys?"

"Now art thou the man for my farthing," cried the messenger. "And
back thou goest with me to Nottingham Town."
"Nay," quoth the Tinker, shaking his head slowly from side to side.
"Go I with no man gin it be not with mine own free will."
"Nay, nay," said the messenger, "no man is there in Nottinghamshire
could make thee go against thy will, thou brave fellow."
"Ay, that be I brave," said the Tinker.
"Ay, marry," said the messenger, "thou art a brave lad; but our good
Sheriff hath offered fourscore angels of bright gold to whosoever shall
serve the warrant upon Robin Hood; though little good will it do."
"Then I will go with thee, lad.