it! Oh, I cannot tell them.
I'll wait--perhaps the great King will come home,
If not--Oh, hark, a wandering minstrel's voice?

OBERON

Who is drawing hither? Listen, fairies, listen!

[_Song heard approaching thro' the wood._]

Knight on the narrow way,
Where wouldst thou ride?
"Onward," I heard him say,
"Love, to thy side!"

"Nay," sang a bird above;
"Stay, for I see
Death in the mask of love,
Waiting for thee."

[_The song breaks off. Enter a MINSTREL, leading a great white
steed. He pauses, confronted by the fairy host. The
moonlight dazzles him._]

SHADOW-OF-A-LEAF

Minstrel, art thou, too, free of fairyland?
Where wouldst thou ride? What is thy name?

MINSTREL

My name
Is Blondel.

SHADOW-OF-A-LEAF

Blondel!

THE FAIRIES

Blondel!

MINSTREL

And I ride
Through all the world to seek and find my King!

[_He passes through the fairy host and goes into the woods on the
further side of the glade, continuing his song, which
dies away in the distance._]

[_Song._]
"Death? What is death?" he cried.
"I must ride on,
On to my true love's side,
Up to her throne!"

[_Curtain._]

ACT III

SCENE I. _May-day. An open place (near NOTTINGHAM). A crowd of rustics
and townsfolk assembling to see the execution of WILL SCARLET._

FIRST RUSTIC

A sad may-day! Where yonder gallows glowers,
We should have raised the may-pole.

SECOND RUSTIC

Ay, no songs,
No kisses in the ring, no country dances
To-day; no lads and lasses on the green,
Crowning their queen of may.

[_Enter ROBIN HOOD, disguised as an old beggar, with a green
patch on one eye._]

ROBIN

Is this the place,
Masters, where they're a-goin' to hang Will Scarlet?

FIRST RUSTIC

Ay, father, more's the pity.

ROBIN

Eh! Don't ye think
There may be scuffling, masters? There's a many
That seems to like him well, here, roundabouts.