Robin's Progress to Nottingham. Being an Account of his Adventures with the Fifteen Foresters.

Robin Hood was now about fifteen years old; in person tall and stout, and of a good countenance; in courage and strength few equalled him. One day he determined to take a journey to Nottingham, hearing that the king had appointed a shooting match in that town, to be disputed by the best archers. When he came thither he happened to fall into company with fifteen stout foresters, who sat drinking and laughing together. "What news, what news?" said bold Robin Hood, "that you drink and talk so merrily." The foresters who despised him on account of his youth, answered roughly, "We are come to win the king's prize, which we are resolved to carry off, in spite of all opposition, and will not be questioned by boys." "I have as good a bow as the best," said Robin Hood, "and will contest the prize with you." "We hold thee and thy bow in scorn," said they; "shall a stripling like thee bear a bow before the king's archers, that is not able to draw the string?" "I'll lay a bet of twenty crowns," said Robin, "that I win the king's prize, and hit the mark at a hundred yards distance."

"Doubt not I'll make the wager good,
Or ne'er believe bold Robin Hood."

The mark was a running hart, let loose for the purpose; and when the other bowmen had tried their skill, Robin took his bow, and his well-made arrows, and taking good aim, fairly hit the mark, at a hundred yards distance, the multitude shouted, and hailed the young victor with joy. "The prize is mine," said Robin Hood, "I claim it; the wager, too, is mine, give it me." "The prize is none of thine," said the fifteen foresters, "and the wager shall be none of thine. Take up thy bow, insolent boy, and begone, or we will break thy bones." Robin Hood, full of rage, cried out, "You said I was no archer, but you have found me one, and you now deny me my reward."

He then took up his bow and departed, but having learnt which way the foresters must take at their return home, he repaired to the place where he had left his merry men, and, consulting together, they resolved to lie in ambush in the road. After a while they saw the foresters approaching, shouting and singing, because they had brought off the king's prize; but when Robin Hood and his men presented themselves in battle array, their mirth was quickly changed into terror and amazement. At first they made a show of resistance, but finding the number of their adversaries to be more than treble their own, they threw down their arms and begged for mercy. "You said I was no archer," cried Robin Hood; "now say so again, and let him that chooses it fly for his life, and see if my arrows can overtake him." "We beg for mercy," cried the foresters; "lo! here is the prize that you won, and the wager of twenty crowns." "Well," said Robin, "as you submit quietly, I will grant you your lives, but you shall not escape without some reward for your deeds." He and his men then stripped them of their clothes, leaving them no covering but their trousers, and having cut off their hair and their ears, daubed their faces with a mixture of yellow and red; afterwards they bound their hands, and tied a large pair of antlers on each of their heads, and in this most ridiculous state drove them back into the town, telling them if they offered to return they should not escape with their lives. As soon as they entered the streets the whole place was in an uproar, and, what with the barking of a hundred dogs, the squalling of women, and hooting of boys and men, there was such a hubbub as never before had been known in the town of Nottingham.