Приключения Робин Гуда
King Richard Comes to Sherwood Forest
"BytheholySaintMartin,"quoththeKing,"IwouldthatIhadabetterheadforrememberingthingsofgreatneed.Herehavewecomeawayandbroughtneversomuchasadropofanythingtodrinkwithus.NowIwouldgivehalfahundredpoundsforsomewhattoquenchmythirstwithal."
NosoonerhadtheKingsospoken,thanoutfromthecovertattheroadsidesteppedatallfellowwithyellowbeardandhairandapairofmerryblueeyes."Truly,holybrother,"saidhe,layinghishandupontheKing’sbridlerein,"itwereanunchristianthingtonotgivefittinganswertosofairabargain.Wekeepaninnhereabouts,andforfiftypoundswewillnotonlygivetheeagooddraughtofwine,butwillgivetheeasnobleafeastaseverthoudidstticklethygulletwithal."Sosaying,heputhisfingerstohislipsandblewashrillwhistle.Thenstraightwaythebushesandbranchesoneithersideoftheroadswayedandcrackled,andthreescorebroad-shoulderedyeomeninLincolngreenburstoutofthecovert.
"Hownow,fellow,"quoththeKing,"whoartthou,thounaughtyrogue?Hastthounoregardforsuchholymenasweare?"
"Notawhit,"quothmerryRobinHood,forthefellowwashe,"forinsoothalltheholinessbelongingtorichfriars,suchasyeare,onecoulddropintoathimbleandthegoodwifewouldneverfeelitwiththetipofherfinger.Asformyname,itisRobinHood,andthoumaysthavehearditbefore."
"Nowoutuponthee!"quothKingRichard.