Приключения Робин Гуда
Robin Hood Shoots Before Queen Eleanor
"Welldone,Gilbert!"quothRobinHood,smitinghimupontheshoulder."Imakemyvow,thouartoneofthebestarchersthatevermineeyesbeheld.Thoushouldstbeafreeandmerryrangerlikeus,lad,forthouartbetterfittedforthegreenwoodthanforthecobblestonesandgraywallsofLondonTown."Sosaying,hetookhisplace,anddrewafair,roundarrowfromhisquiver,whichheturnedoverandovererehefittedittohisbowstring.
ThentheKingmutteredinhisbeard,"Now,blessedSaintHubert,ifthouwiltbutjogthatrogue’selbowsoastomakehimsmiteeventhesecondring,Iwillgiveeightscorewaxencandlesthreefingers’-breadthinthicknesstothychapelnighMatching."ButitmaybeSaintHubert’searswerestuffedwithtow,forheseemednottoheartheKing’sprayerthisday.
Havinggottenthreeshaftstohisliking,merryRobinlookedcarefullytohisbowstringereheshot."Yea,"quothhetoGilbert,whostoodnighhimtowatchhisshooting,"thoushouldstpayusavisitatmerrySherwood."Herehedrewthebowstringtohisear."InLondon"—hereheloosedhisshaft—"thoucanstfindnoughttoshootatbutrooksanddaws;thereonecantickletheribsofthenobleststagsinEngland."Soheshotevenwhilehetalked,yettheshaftlodgednotmorethanhalfaninchfromtheverycenter.
"Bymysoul!"criedGilbert."Artthouthedevilinblue,toshootinthatwise?"
"Nay,"quothRobin,laughing,"notquitesoillasthat,Itrust.
