was said to think much of
himself. Therefore the men grudged him his skill, and set upon him
with blows, and would have killed him, had not the Knight, for love of
Robin Hood, taken pity on him, while his followers fought with the
crowd, and would not suffer them to touch the prizes a better man had
won.

When the wrestling was finished the Knight rode on, and there under
the greenwood tree, in the place appointed, he found Robin Hood and
his merry men waiting for him, according to the tryst that they had
fixed last year:

'God save thee, Robin Hood,
And all this company.'
'Welcome be thou, gentle Knight,
And right welcome to me.'

'Hast thou thy land again?' said Robin,
'Truth then tell thou me.'
'Yea, for God,' said the Knight,
'And that thank I God and thee.'

'Have here four hundred pounds,' said the Knight,
'The which you lent to me;
And here are also twenty marks
For your courtesie.'

But Robin would not take the money. A miracle had happened, he said,
and Our Lady had paid it to him, and shame would it be for him to take
it twice over. Then he noticed for the first time the bows and arrows
which the Knight had brought, and asked what they were. 'A poor
present to you,' answered the Knight, and Robin, who would not be
outdone, sent Little John once more to his treasury, and bade him
bring forth four hundred pounds, which was given to the Knight. After
that they parted, in much love, and Robin prayed the Knight if he were
in any strait 'to let him know at the greenwood tree, and while there
was any gold there he should have it.'

HOW LITTLE JOHN BECAME THE

SHERIFF'S SERVANT

Meanwhile the High Sheriff of Nottingham proclaimed a great
shooting-match in a broad open space, and Little John was minded to
try his skill with the rest. He rode through the forest, whistling
gaily to himself, for well he knew that not one of Robin Hood's men
could send an arrow as straight as he, and he felt little fear of
anyone else. When he reached the trysting place he found a large
company assembled, the Sheriff with them, and the rules of the match
were read out: where they were to stand, how far the mark was to be,
and how that three tries should be given to every man.

Some of the shooters shot near the mark, some of them even touched it,
but none but Little John split the slender wand of willow with every
arrow that flew from his bow. And at this sig