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and that thief at large in the woods."
Then merry Robin looked up and down, as if to see that there was no
one nigh, and then, coming close to the Corn Engrosser, he stood on
tiptoe and spake in his ear, "Thinkest thou in sooth that I am a beggar,
as I seem to be? Look upon me. There is not a grain of dirt upon
my hands or my face or my body. Didst thou ever see a beggar so?
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I tell thee I am as honest a man as thou art. Look, friend."
Here he took the purse of money from his breast and showed to
the dazzled eyes of the Corn Engrosser the bright golden pieces.
"Friend, these rags serve but to hide an honest rich man from the eyes
of Robin Hood."
"Put up thy money, lad," cried the other quickly. "Art thou a fool,
to trust to beggar's rags to shield thee from Robin Hood? If he caught thee,
he would strip thee to the skin, for he hates a lusty beggar as he doth
a fat priest or those of my kind."
"Is it indeed so?" quoth Robin. "Had I known this,
mayhap I had not come hereabouts in this garb.
But I must go forward now, as much depends upon my journeying.
Where goest thou, friend?"
"I go to Grantham," said the Corn Engrosser, "but I shall lodge
tonight at Newark, if I can get so far upon my way."
"Why, I myself am on the way to Newark," quoth merry Robin,
"so that, as two honest men are better than one in roads beset
by such a fellow as this Robin Hood, I will jog along with thee,
if thou hast no dislike to my company."
"Why, as thou art an honest fellow and a rich fellow,"
said the Corn Engrosser, "I mind not thy company; but, in sooth,
I have no great fondness for beggars."
"Then forward," quoth Robin, "for the day wanes and it will be dark
ere we reach Newark." So off they went, the lean horse hobbling
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along as before, and Robin running beside, albeit he was so quaking
with laughter within him that he could hardly stand; yet he dared
not laugh aloud, lest the Corn Engrosser should suspect something.
So they traveled along till they reached a hill just on the outskirts
of Sherwood. Here the lean man checked his lean horse into a walk,
for the road was steep, and he wished to save his nag's strength,
having far to go ere he reached Newark. Then he turned in his saddle
and spake to Robin again, for the first time since they had left the cross.
"Here is thy greatest danger, friend," said he, "for here we are
nighest to that vile thief Robin Hood, and the place where he dwells.
Beyond this we come again to the open honest country, and so are more
safe in our journeying."
"Alas!" quoth Robin, "I would that I had as little money by me as thou hast,
for this day I fear that Robin Hood will get every groat of my wealth."
Then the other looked at Robin and winked cunningly. Quoth he,
"I tell thee, friend, that I have nigh as much by me as thou hast,
but it is hidden so that never a knave in Sherwood could find it."
"Thou dost surely jest," quoth Robin. "How could one hide so much
as two hundred pounds upon his person?"
"Now, as thou art so honest a fellow, and, withal, so much younger than I am,
I will tell thee that which I have told to no man in all the world before,
and thus thou mayst learn never again to do such a foolish thing as to trust
to beggar's garb to guard thee against Robin Hood. Seest thou these clogs
upon my feet?"
"Yea," quoth Robin, laughing, "truly, they are large enough for any
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man to see, even were his sight as foggy as that of Peter Patter,
who never could see when it was time to go to work."
"Peace, friend," said the Corn Engrosser, "for this is no matter for jesting.
The soles of these clogs are not what they seem to be, for each one is
a sweet little box; and by twisting the second nail from the toe, the upper
of the shoe and part of the sole lifts up like a lid, and in the spaces
within
are fourscore and ten bright golden pounds in each shoe, all wrapped in hair,
to keep them from clinking and so telling tales of themselves."
When the Corn Engrosser had told this, Robin broke into a roar
of laughter and, laying his hands upon the bridle rein,
stopped the sad-looking nag. "Stay, good friend," quoth he, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]