ing of a summer's day was fresh and bright, and the birds sang
sweetly in a great tumult of sound. So loud was their singing that it
awakened Robin Hood where he lay sleeping, so that he stirred, and
turned, and arose. Up rose Little John also, and all the merry men;
then, after they had broken their fast, they set forth hither and
thither upon the doings of the day.

Robin Hood and Little John walked down a forest path where all around
the leaves danced and twinkled as the breeze trembled through them and
the sunlight came flickering down. Quoth Robin Hood, "I make my vow,
Little John, my blood tickles my veins as it flows through them this gay
morn. What sayst thou to our seeking adventures, each one upon his own
account?"

"With all my heart," said Little John. "We have had more than one
pleasant doing in that way, good master. Here are two paths; take thou
the one to the right hand, and I will take the one to the left, and then
let us each walk straight ahead till he tumble into some merry doing or
other."

"I like thy plan," quoth Robin, "therefore we will part here. But look
thee, Little John, keep thyself out of mischief, for I would not have
ill befall thee for all the world."

"Marry, come up," quoth Little John, "how thou talkest! Methinks thou
art wont to get thyself into tighter coils than I am like to do."

At this Robin Hood laughed. "Why, in sooth, Little John," said he,
"thou hast a blundering hard-headed way that seemeth to bring thee right
side uppermost in all thy troubles; but let us see who cometh out best
this day." So saying, he clapped his palm to Little John's and each
departed upon his way, the trees quickly shutting the one from the
other's sight.

Robin Hood strolled onward till he came to where a broad woodland road
stretched before him. Overhead the branches of the trees laced together
in flickering foliage, all golden where it grew thin to the sunlight;
beneath his feet the ground was soft and moist from the sheltering
shade. Here in this pleasant spot the sharpest adventure that ever
befell Robin Hood came upon him; for, as he walked down the woodland
path thinking of nought but the songs of the birds, he came of a sudden
to where a man was seated upon the mossy roots beneath the shade of a
broad-spreading oak tree. Robin Hood saw that the stranger had not
caught sight of him, so he stopped and stood quite still, looking at the
other a long time before he came forward. And the