e a huge green caterpillar.

Robin laughed as much as any one. At last he said, "Now, Will, don't
you think that is enough?"

"Not a bit," said Will. "You wouldn't let us duck him in the river
when we had him there so we have brought the river to him."

At last all the buckets were empty, and the christening was over. Then
all the men stood round in a ring and gave three cheers for Little
John, Robin's new man.

"Then Robin he took the sweet pretty babe,
And clothed him from top to toe
In garments of green, most gay to be seen,
And gave him a curious longbow."

After that they sang, danced and played the whole afternoon. Then when
the sun sank and the long, cool shadows fell across the grass they all
said "good night" and went off into their caves to sleep.

From that day Little John always lived with Robin. They became very,
very great friends and Little John was next to Robin in command of the
men.

"And so ever after as long as he lived,
Although he was proper and tall,
Yet, nevertheless, the truth to express,
Still Little John they did him call."

III

ROBIN HOOD AND THE BUTCHER

The Sheriff of Nottingham hated Robin and would have been very glad if
any one had killed him.

The Sheriff was a very unkind man. He treated the poor Saxons very
badly. He often took away all their money, and their houses and left
them to starve. Sometimes, for a very little fault, he would cut off
their ears or fingers. The poor people used to go into the wood, and
Robin would give them food and money. Sometimes they went home again,
but very often they stayed with him, and became his men.

The Sheriff knew this, so he hated Robin all the more, and he was
never so happy as when he had caught one of Robin's men and locked him
up in prison.

But try how he might, he could not catch Robin. All the same Robin
used to go to Nottingham very often, but he was always so well
disguised that the Sheriff never knew him. So he always escaped.

The Sheriff was too much afraid of him to go into the forest to try
to take him. He knew his men were no match for Robin's. Robin's men
served him and fought for him because they loved him. The Sheriff's
men only served him because they feared him.

One day Robin was walking through the forest when he met a butcher.

This butcher was riding gaily along to the market at Nottingham. He
was dressed in a blue linen coat, with leather belt. On either side