Did put that arrow by.

Shoot on, shoot on, thou fine fellow,
Shoot as thou hast begun;
If thou shoot here a summer's day,
Thy mark I will not shun.

Robin Hood shot so passing well,
Till his arrows all were gone;
They took their swords and steel bucklers,
They fought with might and main.

From ten o'clock that very day,
Till four i' the afternoon;
Then Robin Hood came on his knees,
Of the friar to beg a boon.

A boon, a boon, thou curtal friar,
I beg it on my knee;
Give me leave to set my horn to my mouth,
And to blow blasts three.

That I will do, said the curtal friar,
Of thy blasts I have no doubt;
I hope thou wilt blow so passing well,
Till both thy eyes drop out.

Robin Hood set his horn to his mouth,
And he blew out blasts three,
Half a hundred yeomen, with their bows bent,
Came ranging over the lea.

Whose men are these, said the friar,
That come so hastily?
These men are mine, said Robin Hood,
Friar, what's that to thee?

A boon, a boon, said the curtal friar,
The like I gave to thee;
Give me leave to put my fist to my mouth,
And whute[130] whutes three.

That I will do, said Robin Hood,
Or else I were to blame;
Three whutes in a friar's fist
Would make me glad and fain.

The friar he set his fist to his mouth,
And he whuted him whutes three;
Half an hundred good ban dogs
Came running over the lea.

Here is for every man a dog,
And I myself for thee:
Nay, by my faith, said Robin Hood,
Friar, that may not be.

Two dogs at once to Robin did go,
The one behind and the other before;
Robin Hood's mantle of Lincoln green
Off from his back they tore.

And whether his men shot east or west,
Or they shot north or south,
The curtal dogs, so taught they were,
They caught the arrows in their mouth.

Take up thy dogs, said Little John,
Friar, at my bidding thee;
Whose man art thou, said the curtal friar,
That comes here to prate to me?

I am Little John, Robin Hood's man,
Friar, I will not lie;
If thou take not up thy dogs anon,
I'll take them up and thee.

Little John had a bow in his hand,
He shot with might and main;
Soon half a score of the friar's dogs
Lay dead u