and winking and blinking at the bright stars that danced before
his eyes, the yeomen roared with mirth till the forest rang.
As for King Richard, he laughed till the tears ran down his cheeks.
Thus the band shot, each in turn, some getting off scot free,
and some
winning a
buffet that always sent them to the grass. And now,
last of all, Robin took his place, and all was hushed as he shot.
The first shaft he shot split a piece from the stake on which the
garland was hung; the second lodged within an inch of the other.
"By my halidom," said King Richard to himself, "I would give
a thousand pounds for this fellow to be one of my guard!"
And now, for the third time Robin shot; but, alas for him!
The arrow was ill-
feathered, and, wavering to one side, it smote
an inch outside the garland.
At this a great roar went up, those of the yeomen who sat upon
the grass rolling over and over and shouting with
laughter,
for never before had they seen their master so miss his mark;
but Robin flung his bow upon the ground with vexation.
"Now, out upon it!" cried he. "That shaft had an ill
feather to it,
for I felt it as it left my fingers. Give me a clean arrow,
and I will engage to split the wand with it."
At these words the yeomen laughed louder than ever.
"Nay, good uncle," said Will Scarlet in his soft, sweet voice,
"thou hast had thy fair chance and hast missed thine aim out and out.
I swear the arrow was as good as any that hath been loosed this day.
Come
hither; I owe thee somewhat, and would fain pay it."
"Go, good master," roared Friar Tuck, "and may my
blessing go with thee.
Thou hast bestowed these love taps of Will Scarlet's with great freedom.
It were pity an thou gottest not thine own share."
"It may not be," said merry Robin. "I am king here, and no subject
may raise hand against the king. But even our great King Richard
may yield to the holy Pope without shame, and even take a tap from him
by way of
penance;
therefore I will yield myself to this holy friar,
who seemeth to be one in authority, and will take my
punishment from him."
Thus
saying, he turned to the King, "I prythee, brother, wilt thou take
my punishing into thy holy hands?"
"With all my heart," quoth merry King Richard, rising from
where he was sitting. "I owe thee somewhat for having
lifted a heavy weight of fifty pounds from my purse.
So make room for him on the green, lads."
"An thou makest me tumble," quoth Robin, "I will
freely give
thee back thy fifty pounds; but I tell thee, brother, if thou
makest me not feel grass all along my back, I will take every
farthing thou hast for thy boastful speech."
"So be it," said the King, "I am
willing to
venture it." Thereupon he rolled
up his
sleeve and showed an arm that made the yeomen stare. But Robin,
with his feet wide apart, stood
firmly planted,
waiting the other, smiling.
Then the King swung back his arm, and, balancing himself a moment,
he delivered a
buffet at Robin that fell like a
thunderbolt. Down went Robin
headlong upon the grass, for the stroke would have felled a stone wall.
Then how the yeomen shouted with
laughter till their sides ached,
for never had they seen such a
buffet given in all their lives.
As for Robin, he
presently sat up and looked all around him, as though
he had dropped from a cloud and had lit in a place he had never seen before.
After a while, still gazing about him at his laughing yeomen, he put
his fingertips
softly to his ear and felt all around it tenderly.
"Will Scarlet," said he, "count this fellow out his fifty pounds;
I want nothing more either of his money or of him. A murrain seize
him and his
buffeting! I would that I had taken my dues from thee,
for I
verily believe he hath deafened mine ear from ever
hearing again."
Then, while gusts of
laughter still broke from the band, Will Scarlet counted
out the fifty pounds, and the King dropped it back into his purse again.
"I give thee thanks, fellow," said he, "and if ever thou shouldst wish
for another box of the ear to match the one thou hast, come to me and I
will fit thee with it for
nought."
So spake the merry King; but, even as he ended, there came suddenly
the sound of many voices, and out from the
covert burst Little John
and
threescore men, with Sir Richard of the Lea in the midst.
Across the glade they came
running, and, as they came, Sir Richard
shouted to Robin: "Make haste, dear friend, gather thy band
together and come with me! King Richard left Nottingham Town
this very morning, and cometh to seek thee in the woodlands.
I know not how he cometh, for it was but a rumor of this
that reached me;
nevertheless, I know that it is the truth.
Therefore
hasten with all thy men, and come to Castle Lea,
for there thou mayst lie
hidden till thy present danger passeth.
Who are these strangers that thou hast with thee?"
"Why," quoth merry Robin, rising from the grass, "these are
certain gentle guests that came with us from the highroad over
by Newstead Abbey. I know not their names, but I have become
right well
acquaint with this lusty rogue's palm this morning.
Marry, the pleasure of this
acquaintance hath dost me a deaf
ear and fifty pounds to boot!"
Sir Richard looked
keenly at the tall friar, who,
drawing himself
up to his full
height, looked fixedly back at the
knight.
Then of a sudden Sir Richard's cheeks grew pale, for he knew
who it was that he looked upon. Quickly he leaped from off his
horse's back and flung himself upon his knees before the other.
At this, the King,
seeing that Sir Richard knew him, threw back
his cowl, and all the yeomen saw his face and knew him also,
for there was not one of them but had been in the crowd
in the good town of Nottingham, and had seen him riding side
by side with the Sheriff. Down they fell upon their knees,
nor could they say a word. Then the King looked all around
right
grimly, and, last of all, his glance came back and rested
again upon Sir Richard of the Lea.
"How is this, Sir Richard?" said he
sternly. "How darest
thou step between me and these fellows? And how darest thou
offer thy
knightly" target="_blank" title="a.&ad.骑士般的(地)">
knightly Castle of the Lea for a
refuge to them?
Wilt thou make it a hiding place for the most renowned
outlaws in England?"
Then Sir Richard of the Lea raised his eyes to the King's face.
"Far be it from me," said he, "to do aught that could bring Your Majesty's
anger upon me. Yet, sooner would I face Your Majesty's wrath than suffer
aught of harm that I could stay to fall upon Robin Hood and his band;
for to them I owe life, honor, everything. Should I, then, desert him
in his hour of need?"
Ere the
knight had done
speaking, one of the mock friars that
stood near the King came forward and knelt beside Sir Richard,
and throwing back his cowl showed the face of young Sir Henry
of the Lea. Then Sir Henry grasped his father's hand and said,
"Here kneels one who hath served thee well, King Richard, and,
as thou knowest, hath stepped between thee and death in Palestine;
yet do I abide by my dear father, and here I say also, that I
would
freely give shelter to this noble
outlaw, Robin Hood,
even though it brought thy wrath upon me, for my father's honor
and my father's
welfare are as dear to me as mine own."
King Richard looked from one to the other of the kneeling
knights,
and at last the frown faded from his brow and a smile
twitched at the corners of his lips. "Marry, Sir Richard,"
quoth the King, "thou art a bold-spoken
knight, and thy
freedom of speech weigheth not heavily against thee with me.
This young son of thine taketh after his sire both in boldness
of speech and of deed, for, as he sayeth, he stepped one
time betwixt me and death;
wherefore I would
pardon thee
for his sake even if thou hadst done more than thou hast.
Rise all of you, for ye shall suffer no harm through me this day,
for it were pity that a merry time should end in a manner
as to mar its joyousness."
Then all arose and the King beckoned Robin Hood to come to him.
"How now," quoth he, "is thine ear still too deaf to hear me speak?"
"Mine ears would be deafened in death ere they would cease to hear
Your Majesty's voice," said Robin. "As for the blow that Your Majesty
struck me, I would say that though my sins are haply many,
methinks they
have been paid up in full t
hereby."
"Thinkest thou so?" said the King with somewhat of sternness
in his voice. "Now I tell thee that but for three things, to wit,
my mercifulness, my love for a stout woodsman, and the loyalty
thou hast avowed for me, thine ears, mayhap, might have been more
tightly closed than ever a
buffet from me could have shut them.
Talk not
lightly of thy sins, good Robin. But come, look up.
Thy danger is past, for
hereby I give thee and all thy band
free
pardon. But, in sooth, I cannot let you roam the forest as ye
have done in the past;
therefore I will take thee at thy word,
when thou didst say thou wouldst give thy service to me,
and thou shalt go back to London with me. We will take that bold
knave Little John also, and
likewise thy cousin, Will Scarlet,
and thy
minstrel, Allan a Dale. As for the rest of thy band,
we will take their names and have them duly recorded as royal rangers;
for
methinks it were wiser to have them changed to law-abiding
caretakers of our deer in Sherwood than to leave them to run
at large as
outlawed slayers thereof. But now get a feast ready;
I would see how ye live in the woodlands."
So Robin bade his men make ready a grand feast. Straightway great fires
were kindled and burned
brightly, at which savory things roasted sweetly.
While this was going forward, the King bade Robin call Allan a Dale,
for he would hear him sing. So word was passed for Allan, and
presentlyhe came, bringing his harp.
"Marry," said King Richard, "if thy singing match thy looks it
is fair enough. Prythee, strike up a ditty and let us have a taste
of thy skill."
Then Allan touched his harp
lightly, and all words were hushed
while he sang thus:
" `_Oh, where has thou been, my daughter?
Oh, where hast thou been this day
Daughter, my daughter?'
`Oh, I have been to the river's side,
Where the waters lie all gray and wide,
And the gray sky broods o'er the leaden tide,
And the
shrill wind sighs a straining.'
" `What sawest thou there, my daughter?
What sawest thou there this day,
Daughter, my daughter?'
`Oh, I saw a boat come drifting nigh,
Where the quivering rushes hiss and sigh,
And the water soughs as it gurgles by,
And the
shrill wind sighs a straining.'
" `What sailed in the boat, my daughter?
What sailed in the boat this day,
Daughter, my daughter?'
`Oh, there was one all clad in white,
And about his face hung a pallid light,
And his eyes gleamed sharp like the stars at night,
And the
shrill wind sighed a straining.'
" `And what said he, my daughter?
What said he to thee this day,
Daughter, my daughter?'
`Oh, said he
nought, but did he this:
Thrice on my lips did he press a kiss,
And my heartstrings shrunk with an awful bliss,
And the
shrill wind sighed a straining,.'
" `Why growest thou so cold, my daughter?
Why growest thou so cold and white,
Daughter, my daughter?'
Oh, never a word the daughter said,
But she sat all straight with a drooping head,
For her heart was stilled and her face was dead:
And the
shrill wind sighed a straining_."
All listened in silence; and when Allan a Dale had done King Richard
heaved a sigh. "By the
breath of my body, Allan," quoth he,
"thou hast such a
wondrous sweet voice that it
strangely moves my heart.
But what
doleful ditty is this for the lips of a stout
yeoman?