Lithe and listen, gentle men,
All that now be here,
Of Little John, that was the knight's man,
Good mirth ye shall hear.
It was upon a merry day,
That young men would go shete,
Little John fet his bow anon,
And said he would them meet.
Three times Little John shot about,
And always cleft the wand,
The proud sher-iff of Nottingham
By the marks gan stand.
The sheriff swore a full great oath,
"By him that died on a tree,
This man is the best arch-er
That ever yet saw I me.
Sa-y me now, wight young man,
What is now thy name?
In what country were thou born,
And where is thy wonning wan?"
"In Hold-ernesse I was bore,
I-wis all of my dame,
Men call me Reynold Greenleaf,
Whan I am at hame."
"Say me, Reynold Greenleaf,
Wilt thou dwell with me?
And every year I will thee give
Twent-y mark to thy fee."
"I have a master," said Little John,
"A curteys knight is he,
Ma-y ye get leave of him,
The better may it be."
The sher-iff gat Little John
Twelve months of the knight,
Theref-ore he gave him right anon
A good horse and a wight.
Now is Little John the sheriff's man,
He give us well to speed,
But alw-ay thought Little John
To quite him well his meed.
"Now so God me help," said Little John,
"And by my true lewt-e,
I sh-all be the worst serv-ant to him
That ever yet had he!"
It befell upon a Wednesday,
The sheriff a-hunting was gone,
And Little John lay in his bed,
And was forgot at home.
Therefore he was fast-ing
Till it was past the none.
"Good sir Steward, I pray thee,
Give me to dine," said Little John;
"It is too long for Greenleaf,
Fast-ing so long to be;
Therefore I pray thee, stew-ard,
My dinner give thou me!"
"Shalt thou never eat ne drink," said the stew-ard,
"Till my lord be come to town."
"I make mine avow," said Little John,
"I had liever to crack thy crown!"
The butler was full uncurteys,
There he stood on floor,
He stert to the buttery,
And shut fast the door.
Little John gave the butler such a stroke
His back yede nigh in two,
Though he lived an hundred winter,
The worse he should-e go.
He spurned the door with his foot,
It went up well and fine,
And there he made a large liveray
Both of ale and wine.
"Sith ye will not dine," said Little John,
"I shall give you to drink,
And though ye live an hundred winter,
On Little John ye shall think!"
Little John ate, and Little John drank,
The whil-e that he would.
The sheriff had in his kitchen a cook,
A stout man and a bold.
"I make mine avow to God," said the cook,
"Thou art a shrewd-e hind,
In an household to dwell,
For to ask thus to dine."
And there he lent Little John,
Good strok-es three.
"I make mine avow," said Little John,
"These strok-es liketh well me.
Thou art a bold man and an hardy,
And so thinketh me;
And ere I pass from this place,
Assayed better shalt thou be."
Little John drew a good sword,
The cook took another in hand;
They thought nothing for to flee,
But stiffly for to stand.
There they fought sor-e together,
Two mile way and more,
Might neither other harm don,
The mountenance of an hour.
"I make mine avow," said Little John,
"And by my true lewt-e,
Thou art one of the best swordmen
That ever yet saw I me.
Couldest thou shoot as well in a bow,
To green wood thou shouldest with me,
And two times in the year thy clothing
I-changed should-e be;
And every year of Robin Hood
Twent-y mark to thy fee."
"Put up thy sword," said the cook,
"And fellows will we be."
Then he fet to Little John
The numbles of a doe,
Good bread and full good wine,
They ate and drank thereto.
And when they had drunken well,
Their troths together they plight,
That they would be with Rob-in
That ilke same day at night.
They hied them to the treasure-house,
As fast as they might gone,
The locks that were of good steel
They brake them every one;
They took away the silver vessel,
And all that they might get,
Pi-eces, mas-ars, and spoons,
Would they none forget;
Also they took the good pence,
Three hundred pound and three;
And did them straight to Robin Hood,
Under the green wood tree.
"God thee save, my dear mast-er,
And Christ thee save and see."
And then said Rob-in to Little John,
"Welcome might thou be;
And also be that fair yeom-an
Thou bringest there with thee.
What tiding-es from Nottingham?
Little John, tell thou me."
"Well thee greeteth the proud sher-iff,
And sendeth thee here by me,
His cook and his silv-er vessel,
And three hundred pound and three."
"I make mine avow to God," said Robin,
"And to the Trinit-y,
It was never by his good will,
This good is come to me."
Little John him there bethought,
On a shrewed wile,
Five mile in the for-est he ran,
Him happ-ed at his will;
Then be met the proud sher-iff,
Hunt-ing with hound and horn,
Little John coud his curteysye,
And kneel-ed him beforn:
"God thee save, my dear mast-er,
And Christ thee save and see."
"Raynold Greenleaf," said the sher-iff,
"Where hast thou now be?"
"I have be in this for-est,
A fair sight can I see,
It was one of the fairest sights
That ever yet saw I me;
Yonder I see a right fair hart,
His colour is of green,
Seven score of deer upon an herd,
Be with him all bedene;
His tynde are so sharp, mast-er,
Of sixty and well mo,
That I durst not shoot for drede
Lest they wold me slo."
"I make mine avow to God," said the sheriff,
"That sight would I fain see."
"Busk you thitherward, my dear mast-er,
Anon, and wend with me."
The sheriff rode, and Little John
Of foot he was full smart,
And when they came afore Robin:
"Lo, here is the master hart!"
Still stood the proud sher-iff,
A sorry man was he:
"Wo worth thee, Raynold Greenleaf!
Thou hast now betray-ed me."
"I make mine avow," said Little John,
"Mast-er, ye be to blame,
I was misserved of my dinere,
When I was with you at hame."
Soon he was to supper set,
And served with silver white;
And when the sher-iff see his vess-el,
For sorrow he might not eat.
"Make good cheer," said Robin Hood,
"Sher-iff, for charit-y,
And for the love of Little John;
Thy life is granted to thee."
When they had supp-ed well,
The day was all agone,
Robin commanded Little John
To draw off his hosen and his shone,
His kirtle and his coat a pye,
That was furr-ed well fine,
And take him a green mant-ell,
To lap his body therein.
Robin commanded his wight young men,
Under the green wood tree,
They shall lie in that same sort,
That the sheriff might them see.
All night lay that proud sher-iff
In his breche and in his sherte,
No wonder it was, in green wood,
Though his sides do smerte.
"Make glad cheer," said Robin Hood,
"Sher-iff, for charit-e,
For this is our ord-er i-wis,
Under the green wood tree."
"This is harder order," said the sheriff,
"Than any anker or frere;
For all the gold in merry Engl-and
I would not long dwell here."
"All these twelve months," said Rob-in,
"Thou shalt dwell with me;
I shall thee teach, thou proud sher-iff,
An outlaw for to be."
"Ere I here another night lie," said the sheriff,
"Robin, now I pray thee,
Smite off my head rather to-morn,
And I forgive it thee.
Let me go," then said the sher-iff,
"For saint Charit-e,
And I will be thy best friend
That ever yet had thee."
"Thou shalt swear me an oath," said Robin,
"On my bright brand,
Thou shalt never awayte me scathe,
By water ne by land;
And if thou find any of my men,
By night or by day,
Upon thine oath thou shalt swear,
To help them that thou may."
Now hath the sheriff i-swore his oath,
And home he gan to gone,
He was as full of green wood
As ever was heap of stone.
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