Приключения Робин Гуда
The Shooting Match at Nottingham Town
ThenwhentheSheriffandhisdamehadsatdown,hebadehisheraldwinduponhissilverhorn;whothereuponsoundedthreeblaststhatcameechoingcheerilybackfromthegraywallsofNottingham.Thenthearcherssteppedforthtotheirplaces,whileallthefolksshoutedwithamightyvoice,eachmancallinguponhisfavoriteyeoman."RedCap!"criedsome;"Cruikshank!"criedothers;"HeyforWilliamo’Leslie!"shoutedothersyetagain;whileladieswavedsilkenscarfstourgeeachyeomantodohisbest.
Thentheheraldstoodforthandloudlyproclaimedtherulesofthegameasfollows:
"Shooteachmanfromyonmark,whichissevenscoreyardsandtenfromthetarget.Onearrowshootetheachmanfirst,andfromallthearchersshallthetenthatshooteththefairestshaftsbechosenfortoshootagain.Twoarrowsshootetheachmanoftheseten,thenshallthethreethatshootthefairestshaftsbechosenfortoshootagain.Threearrowsshootetheachmanofthosethree,andtohimthatshooteththefairestshaftsshalltheprizebegiven."
ThentheSheriffleanedforward,lookingkeenlyamongthepressofarcherstofindwhetherRobinHoodwasamongthem;butnoonewastherecladinLincolngreen,suchaswaswornbyRobinandhisband."Nevertheless,"saidtheSherifftohimself,"hemaystillbethere,andImisshimamongthecrowdofothermen.Butletmeseewhenbuttenmenshoot,forIwothewillbeamongtheten,orIknowhimnot."
Andnowthearchersshot,eachmaninturn,andthegoodfolkneversawsucharcheryaswasdonethatday.Sixarrowswerewithintheclout,fourwithintheblack,andonlytwosmotetheouterring;sothatwhenthelastarrowspedandstruckthetarget,allthepeopleshoutedaloud,foritwasnobleshooting.
