Приключения Робин Гуда
Robin Hood Turns Butcher
"Hownow,brothers,"criedRobin,"bemerry!nay,nevercountoveryourfarthings,forbythisandbythatIwillpaythisshotmyself,e’enthoughitcosttwohundredpounds.Soletnomandrawuphislip,northrusthisforefingerintohispurse,forIswearthatneitherbutchernorSheriffshallpayonepennyforthisfeast."
"Nowthouartarightmerrysoul,"quoththeSheriff,"andIwotthoumusthavemanyaheadofhornedbeastsandmanyanacreofland,thatthoudostspendthymoneysofreely."
"Ay,thathaveI,"quothRobin,laughingloudlyagain,"fivehundredandmorehornedbeastshaveIandmybrothers,andnoneofthemhavewebeenabletosell,elseImightnothaveturnedbutcher.Asformyland,IhaveneveraskedmystewardhowmanyacresIhave."
AtthistheSheriff’seyestwinkled,andhechuckledtohimself."Nay,goodyouth,"quothhe,"ifthoucanstnotsellthycattle,itmaybeIwillfindamanthatwillliftthemfromthyhands;perhapsthatmanmaybemyself,forIloveamerryyouthandwouldhelpsuchaonealongthepathoflife.Nowhowmuchdostthouwantforthyhornedcattle?"
"Well,"quothRobin,"theyareworthatleastfivehundredpounds."
"Nay,"answeredtheSheriffslowly,andasifhewerethinkingwithinhimself,"welldoIlovethee,andfainwouldIhelptheealong,butfivehundredpoundsinmoneyisagoodroundsum;besidesIhaveitnotbyme."
