Prince John (lowering his, and whispering to his
It is not he his face- tho' very

men).

like

No, no! we have certain news he died in prison.
Make at him, all of you, a traitor coming

In Richard's name it is not he

(The men stand amazed.)

Friar Tuck (going back to the bush). Robin, shall

we not move?

Robin. It is the King

Who bears all down.

Let him alone awhile.

He loves the chivalry of his single arm.

Wait till he blow the horn.

Friar Tuck (coming back). If thou be king, Be not a fool! Why blowest thou not the horn? King Richard. I that have turn'd their Moslem crescent pale

I blow the horn against this rascal rout!

(Friar Tuck plucks the horn from him and blows. Richard dashes alone against the Sheriff and John's men, and is almost borne down, when Robin and his men rush in and rescue him.)

King Richard (to Robin Hood). Thou hast saved my head at the peril of thine own.

Prince John. A horse! a horse! I must away at

once ;

I cannot meet his eyes. I go to Nottingham.
Sheriff, thou wilt find me at Nottingham.

[Exit.

Sheriff. If anywhere, I shall find thee in hell. What! go to slay his brother, and make me

The monkey that should roast his chestnuts for him! King Richard. I fear to ask who left us even

now.

Robin. I grieve to say it was thy father's son. Shall I not after him and bring him back?

King Richard. No, let him be. Sheriff of Nottingham. (Sheriff kneels.)

I have been away from England all these years,
Heading the holy war against the Moslem,
While thou and others in our kingless realms
Were fighting underhand unholy wars
Against your lawful king.

Sheriff. My liege, Prince John

King Richard. Say thou no word against my brother John.

Sheriff. Why then, my liege, I have no word to

say.

King Richard (to Robin). My good friend Robin, Earl of Huntingdon,

For Earl thou art again, hast thou no fetters

For those of thine own band who would betray thee? Robin. I have; but these were never worn as yet, I never found one traitor in my band.

Our forest games are ended, our free life,
And we must hence to the King's court. I trust
We shall return to the wood. Meanwhile, farewell
Old friends, old patriarch oaks. A thousand winters
Will strip you bare as death, a thousand summers
Robe you life-green again. You seem, as it were,

Immortal, and we mortal.

How few Junes

Will heat our pulses quicker! How few frosts
Will chill the hearts that beat for Robin Hood!
Marian. And yet I think these oaks at dawn and

even,

Or in the balmy breathings of the night,
Will whisper evermore of Robin Hood.
We leave but happy memories to the forest.
We dealt in the wild justice of the woods.

All those poor serfs whom we have served will bless

us,

All those pale mouths which we have fed will praise

All widows we have holpen pray for us,

Our Lady's blessed shrines throughout the land
Be all the richer for us. You, good friar,
You Much, you Scarlet, you dear Little John,
Your names will cling like ivy to the wood.
And here perhaps a hundred years away
Some hunter in day-dreams or half asleep
Will hear our arrows whizzing overhead,
And catch the winding of a phantom horn.

Robin. And surely these old oaks will murmur thee

Marian along with Robin. I am most happy

Art thou not mine? — and happy that our King
Is here again, never I trust to roam
So far again, but dwell among his own.
Strike up a stave, my masters, all is well.

Song while they dance a Country Dance.

Now the king is home again, and nevermore to roam

again,

Now the king is home again, the king will have his

own again,

Home again, home again, and each will have his own again,

All the birds in merry Sherwood sing and sing him home again.

HOW ROBIN HOOD RESCUED THE

WIDOW'S THREE SONS

ROBIN HOOD and his followers were bandits and outlaws, but the people loved them because they defied the hateful forest laws and made light of the sheriff. The king's officers were responsible for the maintenance of order, but in these lawless times they often used their power for their own advantage, imposing heavy fines and penalties on the poor and extorting bribes from the rich. The following is one of the oldest and rudest of the many Robin Hood ballads.

There are twelve months in all the year,
As I hear many say,

But the merriest month in all the year

Is the merry month of May.

Now Robin Hood is to Nottingham gone,

With a link a down and a day,

And there he met a silly old woman,

Was weeping on the way.

"What news? what news, thou silly old woman?

What news hast thou for me?"

Said she, "There's my three sons in Nottingham town To-day condemned to die."

"O, have they parishes burnt?" he said, "Or have they ministers slain?

Or have they robbed any virgin?

66

Or other men's wives have ta'en?"

'They have no parishes burnt, good sir,

Nor yet have ministers slain,

Nor have they robbed any virgin,

Nor other men's wives have ta'en."

"O, what have they done?" said Robin Hood, "I pray thee tell to me."

"It's for slaying of the king's fallow-deer, Bearing their long bows with thee."

"Dost thou not mind, old woman," he said,
"How thou madest me sup and dine?
By the truth of my body," quoth bold Robin Hood,
"You could not tell it in better time."

Now Robin Hood is to Nottingham gone,
With a link a down and a day,

And there he met with a silly1 old palmer,
Was walking along the highway.

"What news? what news, thou silly old man?
What news, I do thee pray?"

Said he, "Three squires in Nottingham town
Are condemned to die this day."

"Come change thy apparel with me, old man,
Come change thy apparel for mine;

Here is forty shillings in good silver,
Go drink it in beer or wine."

1 simple.