es the club upon his back
And into the wood he's gone,
And there met him the Kempions twelve
Would fain set him upon.
They drew a circle on the ground,
And each one troll'd a song;
I tell to ye for verity
He silenced them all ere long.
First slew he four, then slew he five,
At length he all has slain;
It was the monk of the shaven crown
Would gladly fight again.
It was the monk of the shaven crown
Would seek for another fray,
So out of the wood across the wold
He blythely took his way.
So blythely out of the good green wood
He sped across the hill,
And there met him a hoary Trold
Whose name was Sivord Gill.
"If thou art the monk of the shaven crown
Who scath'd the warrior band,
Thou either from me shalt shamefully flee
Or manfully 'gainst me stand."
"I am the monk of the shaven crown
Who slew the warrior band,
And never from thee will I shamefully flee
But like a man will stand."
The first blow gave the Trold, it fell
Upon the monk's shoulder down,
'Midst of his shoulder broke the skin,
Bebloodied was his gown.
The next blow gave the monk, it struck
The Trold to the verdant sward:
"Now shame befall thee, shaven Monk,
The blows of thy club are hard.
"Now hold thy hand, thou shaven Monk,
And do not strike me more,
And I will give thee silver and gold,
And of coin a plenteous store."
The Monk he ran, the Trold he crept,
Still equal was their height;
Then shewed he him a little house
With doors of gold so bright.
Then shewed he him a little house
With golden doors fifteen;
There got the Monk of silver and gold
All he could wish I ween.
Seven lasts of silver, seven of gold,
To the cloisters he caus'd convey;
He bade them find a monk could wield
A club in as brave a way.
'Twas drawing fast to an evening hour
And the sun went down to rest,
Still fifteen Roman miles the monk
To the cloister had at least.
'Twas tending fast to the evening tide
And the sun to the earth did haste,
Yet he seized the first dish at the supper board
Ere the Abbot could get a taste.
Full fifteen monks he knock'd down when
No pottage he espied,
And up he hung fifteen because
The herrings were not fried.
Then out
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