here was no money in his valise, and
Little John forthwith emptied it of four hundred pounds. Thus was the
abbot's perjury but of one minute's duration; for though his speech
was false in the utterance, yet was it no sooner uttered than it became
true, and we should have been participes criminis to have suffered the
holy abbot to depart in falsehood: whereas he came to us a false priest,
and we sent him away a true man. Marry, we turned his cloak to further
account, and thereby hangs a tale that may be either said or sung; for
in truth I am minstrel here as well as chaplain; I pray for good success
to our just and necessary warfare, and sing thanks-giving odes when our
foresters bring in booty:

Bold Robin has robed him in ghostly attire,
And forth he is gone like a holy friar,
Singing, hey down, ho down, down, derry down:
And of two grey friars he soon was aware,
Regaling themselves with dainty fare,
All on the fallen leaves so brown.

"Good morrow, good brothers," said bold Robin
Hood,
"And what make you in the good greenwood,
Singing hey down, ho down, down, derry down!
Now give me, I pray you, wine and food;
For none can I find in the good greenwood,
All on the fallen leaves so brown."

"Good brother," they said, "we would give you full fain,
But we have no more than enough for twain,
Singing, hey down, ho down, down, derry down."
"Then give me some money," said bold Robin Hood,
"For none can I find in the good greenwood,
All on the fallen leaves so brown."

"No money have we, good brother," said they:
"Then," said he, "we three for money will pray:
Singing, hey down, ho down, down, derry down:
And whatever shall come at the end of our prayer,
We three holy friars will piously share,
All on the fallen leaves so brown."

"We will not pray with thee, good brother, God wot:
For truly, good brother, thou pleasest us not,
Singing hey down, ho down, down, derry down:"
Then up they both started from Robin to run,
But down on their knees Robin pulled them each one,
All on the fallen leaves so brown.

The grey friars prayed with a doleful face,
But bold Robin prayed with a right merry grace,
Singing, hey down, ho down, down, derry down:
And when they had prayed, their portmanteau he took,
And from it a hundred good angels he shook,
All on the fallen leaves so brown.

"The saints," said bold Robin, "have hearkened our prayer,