Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow

Ritson's Robin Hood, ii. 175. From an Aldermary-Churchyard Garland. Perhaps by the same feeble and vulgar hand as the preceding, and, like that, founded on the Lytell Geste.

When as the sheriff of Nottingham
Was come with mickle grief,
He talk'd no good of Robin Hood,
That strong and sturdy thief.
Fal la dal de.

So unto London road he past,
His losses to unfold
To king Richàrd, who did regard
The tale that he had told.

"Why," quoth the king, "what shall I do?
Art thou not sheriff for me"
The law is in force, to take thy course
Of them that injure thee.

"Go get thee gone, and by thyself
Devise some tricking game
For to enthral yon rebels all;
Go take thy course with them."

So away the sheriff he return'd,
And by the way he thought
Of th' words of the king, and how the thing
To pass might well be brought.

For within his mind he imagined,
That when such matches were,
Those outlaws stout, without all doubt,
Would be the bowmen there.

So an arrow with a golden head
And shaft of silver-white,
Who won the day should bear away
For his own proper right.

Tidings came to bold Robin Hood,
Under the green-wood tree:
"Come prepare you then, my merry men,
We'll go yon sport to see."

With that stept forth a brave young man,
David of Doncastèr:
"Master," said he, "be rul'd by me,
From the green-wood we'll not stir.

"To tell the truth, I'm well inform'd
Yon match it is a wile;
The sheriff, i-wiss, devises this
Us archers to beguile."

"Thou smells of a coward," said Robin Hood,
"Thy words do not please me;
Come on't what will, I'll try my skill,
At yon brave archery."

O then bespoke brave Little John,
"Come let us thither gang;
Come, listen to me, how it shall be
That we need not be ken'd.

"Our mantles, all of Lincoln-green,
Behind us we will leave;
We'll dress us all so several,
They shall not us perceive.

"One shall wear white, another red,
One yellow, another blue;
Thus in disguise, to the exercise
We'll gang, whate'er ensue."

Forth from the green-wood they are gone,
With hearts all firm and stout,
Resolving [then] with the sheriffs men
To have a hearty bout.

So themselves they mixèd with the rest,
To prevent all suspicion;
For if they should together hold
They thought it no discretion.

So the sheriff looked round about,
Amongst eight hundred men,
But could not see the sight that he
Had long suspected then.

Some said, "If Robin Hood was here,
And all his men to boot,
Sure none of them could pass these men,
So bravely they do shoot."

"Ay," quoth the sheriff, and scratch'd his head,
"I thought he would have been here;
I thought he would, but tho' he's bold,
He durst not now appear."

O that word griev'd Robin Hood to the heart;
He vexèd in his blood;
Ere long, thought he, thou shalt well see
That here was Robin Hood.

Some cried "Blue jacket!" another cried "Brown!"
And a third cried "Brave Yellow!"
But the fourth man said, "Yon man in red
In this place has no fellow."

For that was Robin Hood himself,
For he was cloath'd in red;
At every shot the prize he got,
For he was both sure and dead.

So the arrow with the golden head
And shaft of silver-white,
Brave Robin Hood won, and bore with him
For his own proper right.

These outlaws there, that very day,
To shun all kinds of doubt,
By three or four, no less nor more,
As they went in came out;

Until they all assembled were
Under the green-wood shade,
Where they report, in pleasant sport,
What brave pastime they made.

Says Robin Hood, "All my care is,
How that yon sheriff may
Know certainly that it was I
That bore his arrow away."

Says Little John, "My counsel good
Did take effect before,
So therefore now, if you'll allow,
I will advise once more."

"Speak on, speak on," said Robin Hood,
"Thy wit's both quick and sound,
I know no man among us can
For wit like thee be found."

"This I advise," said Little John;
"That a letter shall be penn'd,
And when it is done, to Nottingham
You to the sheriff shall send."

"That is well advised," said Robin Hood,
"But how must it be sent?"
"Pugh! when you please, 'tis done with ease;
Master, be you content.

"I'll stick it on my arrows head,
And shoot it into the town;
The mark will show where it must go,
Whenever it lights down."

The project it was well perform'd;
The sheriff that letter had,
Which when he read, he scratch'd his head,
And rav'd like one that's mad.

So we'll leave him chafing in his grease,
Which will do him no good;
Now, my friends, attend, and hear the end
Of honest Robin Hood.

, on the day. Ritson.

111, 112. Wanting in Ritson; supplied by Gutch, from a York edition.

131, 132. These lines, like the last two of the preceding ballad, refer to Robin Hood and the Valiant Knight.