ter that he dwelt in Nottingham, the
King could hear nothing of Robin, who seemed to have vanished into the
earth with his merry men, though one by one the deer were vanishing too!

At last one day a forester came to the King, and told him that if he
would see Robin he must come with him and take five of his best
Knights. The King eagerly sprang up to do his bidding, and the six men
clad in monks' clothes mounted their palfreys and rode down to the
Abbey, the King wearing an Abbot's broad hat over his crown, and
singing as he passed through the green wood.

Suddenly at the turn of a path Robin and his archers appeared before
them.

"By your leave, Sir Abbot," said Robin, seizing the King's bridle, "you
will stay a while with us. Know that we are yeomen, who live upon the
King's deer, and other food have we none. Now you have abbeys and
churches, and gold in plenty; therefore give us some of it, in the name
of holy charity."

"I have no more than forty pounds with me," answered the King, "but
sorry I am it is not a hundred, for you should have had it all."

So Robin took the forty pounds, and gave half to his men, and then told
the King he might go on his way. "I thank you," said the King, "but I
would have you know that our liege lord has bid me bear you his seal,
and pray you to come to Nottingham."

At this message Robin bent his knee.

"I love no man in all the world
So well as I do my King";

he cried, "and Sir Abbot, for thy tidings, which fill my heart with
joy, to-day thou shalt dine with me, for love of my King". Then he led
the King into an open place, and Robin took a horn and blew it loud,
and at its blast seven score of young men came speedily to do his will.

"They are quicker to do his bidding than my men are to do mine," said
the King to himself.

Speedily the foresters set out the dinner, venison, and white bread,
and the good red wine, and Robin and Little John served the King.
"Make good cheer," said Robin, "Abbot, for charity, and then you shall
see what sort of life we lead, that so you may tell our King."

When he had finished eating, the archers took their bows, and hung
rose-garlands up with a string, and every man was to shoot through the
garland. If he failed, he should have a buffet on the head from Robin.

Good bowmen as they were, few managed to stand the test. Little John
and Will Scarlett, and Much, all shot wide of the mark, and at length
no one was left in but Ro