ng gown.

The king laughed loud and long.

"A merry fellow you are," said he, "and you shall be the Abbot of
Canterbury in your master's place."

"O king! that cannot be," said the shepherd; "for I can neither read
nor write."

"Very well, then," said the king, "I will give you something else to
pay you for this merry joke. I will give you four pieces of silver
every week as long as you live. And when you get home, you may tell
the old abbot that you have brought him a free pardon from King
John."

A STORY OF ROBIN HOOD.

In the rude days of King Rich-ard and King John there were many great
woods in England. The most famous of these was Sher-wood forest, where
the king often went to hunt deer. In this forest there lived a band of
daring men called out-laws.

They had done something that was against the laws of the land, and had
been forced to hide themselves in the woods to save their lives. There
they spent their time in roaming about among the trees, in hunting the
king's deer, and in robbing rich trav-el-ers that came that way.

There were nearly a hundred of these outlaws, and their leader was a
bold fellow called Robin Hood. They were dressed in suits of green,
and armed with bows and arrows; and sometimes they carried long wooden
lances and broad-swords, which they knew how to handle well. When-ever
they had taken anything, it was brought and laid at the feet of Robin
Hood, whom they called their king. He then di-vid-ed it fairly among
them, giving to each man his just share.

Robin never allowed his men to harm any-body but the rich men who
lived in great houses and did no work. He was always kind to the poor,
and he often sent help to them; and for that reason the common people
looked upon him as their friend.

Long after he was dead, men liked to talk about his deeds. Some
praised him, and some blamed him. He was, indeed, a rude, lawless
fellow; but at that time, people did not think of right and wrong as
they do now.

A great many songs were made up about Robin Hood, and these songs were
sung in the cot-ta-ges and huts all over the land for hundreds of
years after-ward.

Here is a little story that is told in one of those songs:--

Robin Hood was standing one day under a green tree by the road-side.
While he was lis-ten-ing to the birds among the leaves, he saw a young
man passing by. This young man was dressed in a fine suit of bright
red cloth; and, as he tripped gayly along the roa