e able to do it
quite as well. I'll teach you. Shall I?"

"I should like you to," said Robin, shaking his head; "but I can't
stop here. I must go home to my father."

"Oh! must you?" said Little John. "Go home to your father and
mother, eh?"

Robin shook his head.

"No," he said; "my mother's dead, and I live sometimes with father
and sometimes with aunt. I am going home to father now, as soon as
you show me the way. When are you going to show me?"

Little John screwed up his face till it was full of wrinkles.
"Ah," he said, "I don't know. You must ask the captain."

"Who is the captain?" said the boy.

"Eh? Why, Robin Hood, of course. But I wouldn't ask him just yet."

"Why not?"

"Eh? Why not? Because it might be awkward. You see, it's a long
way, and you couldn't go by yourself."

"Well, you could show me," said young Robin. "You would, wouldn't
you?"

"I would if I could," said Little John; "but I'm afraid I couldn't."

"Oh! you could, I'm sure," said young Robin. "You're so big."

"Oh! yes, I'm big enough," said Little John, laughing; "but if I
were to take you home your father would not let me come back again;
and besides, the captain would not let me go for fear that I should
be killed."

"Killed?" said the boy, staring at his big companion.

"Why, who would kill you?"

"Your father, perhaps."

"What, for being kind to me?"

"I can't explain all these things to you, mite. Here's someone
coming. Let's ask him. Hi! Captain! Young squire wants me to
take him home."

Robin Hood, who had just caught sight of the pair and come up,
smiled and shook his head.

"Not yet, little one," he said. "I can't spare big Little John.
Why, aren't you happy here in the merry greenwood under the trees?
I thought you liked us."

"So I do," said young Robin, "and I should like to stay ever so
long and watch the deer and the birds, and learn to shoot with my
bow and arrows."

"That's right. Well said, little one," cried Robin Hood, patting
the boy on the head.

"But I'm afraid that my father will be very cross if I don't try to
go home."

"Then try and make yourself happy, my boy," said Robin Hood, "for
you have tried hard to go home, and you cannot go."

"Why?" said young Robin.

"For a dozen reasons," said the outlaw, smiling. "Here are some:
you could not find your way; you would starve to death in the
forest; you might meet people who would behave worse to you than
the youn