The Adventures of Robin Hood

By Howard Pyle

Set out to a time in medieval England, rampant with violent clashes between the king and the clergy, where the wealthy abuse their power to discriminate against the poor. Out of such a system rooted in famine and poverty rises Robin Hood: a messiah for the poor. He helps restore justice, by taking from the rich and giving to the poor. Prepare to witness an exciting journey with Robin Hood and his band of merry men, where every chapter is a new adventure.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wonder House Books
• Release date: Jul 25, 2020
• ISBN: 9789390183227

Howard Pyle

Howard Pyle (1853-1911) was a celebrated artist, author, and teacher -- and a primary figure in the history of children's literature. Not only did he guide and inspire such artistic talents as N. C. Wyeth, Maxfield Parrish, and Jessie Willcox Smith, but he was also a master storyteller in his own right. The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, Pepper & Salt, and The Wonder Clock are among the many stories and folktales that he wrote and illustrated.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Robin Hood becomes an Outlaw

Once, when Robin was a bold and well-built boy of eighteen, the Sheriff of Nottingham announced a shooting match, the prize of which was a glass of ale for the winner. It was springtime and the countryside was dotted with green hedges, daisies and cuckoo buds. Primroses filled the meadows and the air was filled with the sweet singing of birds. Robin, of course, had decided to take part in the competition and so, he walked through Sherwood Forest with a happy heart, whistling and thinking of Marian, a girl he liked.

As he passed the forest, he came upon a group of fifteen men sitting under a huge oak tree, making merry, eating a meat pie and drinking ale. They were all wearing the Lincoln green color. One of them spotted Robin walking past and called out to him. He asked Robin where he was going with his cheap and small bow and arrows.

Robin was angry on being laughed at and said to the man, ‘My bow and arrows are as good as yours. I’m going to the shooting match which is taking place in Nottingham town.’

The man laughed even more and said mockingly to Robin, ‘What? You, a little boy, want to compete with grown men. You will hardly be able to draw one string of a two-stone bow!’

Robin grew angry at this and said, ‘Fine! Here are twenty marks. I can see a herd of deer standing at a distance of more than sixty rods. I challenge you that I will hit the fastest among them.’

‘All right. Here are twenty marks. I wager you will be unable to hit even one deer.’

Robin immediately readied himself, and stringing the bow, he raised it to his ear.

The next moment, his arrow sped through the forest and killed the deer that had jumped the highest.

‘Ha!’ cried Robin. ‘How do you like my shot? I think I’ve won the wager which is three hundred pounds.’

All the forest men were filled with rage. The one who had spoken first and lost the bet was the angriest of them all and refused to part with his money. He was furious at having lost the bet against a mere boy. He yelled at Robin and asked him to go away. He also said that Robin had killed the King’s deer and by the law of the King, he should be punished. Another one of them cried out to catch him, while yet another said that he was too young and should be allowed to go free.

Robin Hood was enraged, but he decided to let the matter rest and walked away. Now, all would have been well had the first speaker left him alone, but the man was young, angry and humiliated. He suddenly sprang up and, snatching Robin’s bow, he said, ‘Yes, this will make you hurry alright.’ Saying that, he shot an arrow at Robin.

The arrow whistled close to Robin’s head, missing him by a few inches. This was the last straw as far as Robin was concerned. He immediately returned this shot with one of his own, saying, ‘You said I was no archer. Well, what do you say of this?’

The arrow hit the man and he fell face forward on the ground. Before his friends could react, Robin ran deep inside the forest. Some of the men followed him, but not with much eagerness as they had realized what a good marksman Robin was and didn’t want to anger him. Finally they all gathered and carried their dead friend back to Nottingham.

In the meantime, Robin ran hard and fast. All the joy he had been feeling until then was gone. He was feeling awful at having killed another man.

He cried to himself, ‘Oh, why did that man have to challenge me! Why did I ever pass him! I wish I had never laid my finger on the bow! Oh, I acted in such a hurry and here I am repenting in leisure! Now I cannot undo the terrible thing I have done. I cannot cry over spilt milk.’

That is how Robin Hood came to live in the forest, which would become his home for many years. His happy-go-lucky days spent in innocent fun in Locksley Town had come to an end. He was outlawed not just because he had killed a man but also because he had killed the King’s deer. Two hundred pounds was the reward set for his head, for whoever brought him to the King’s court.

The Sheriff of Nottingham proclaimed that he himself would bring Robin Hood to justice, not just because he wanted the two hundred pounds but also because the forester whom Robin had killed was related to him.

Meanwhile, Robin and his band of merry men lived happily without a care in the Sherwood Forest near Nottingham town. They passed their days playing archery contests and other games. However, when the time came, they always helped out those in need in their own unique way.

Chapter 2

Little John

Robin Hood had spent a whole year in Sherwood Forest and nobody had been able to catch him. Instead, he was joined by a group of outlawed men just like him. These men had been exiled out of their villages and communities for some reason or the other. Some of them had shot at a deer during winter when they had been hungry and no food was available. They had been caught hunting by the foresters. Some of them had been deprived of their inheritance so that their land could be seized and kept as the King’s property in Sherwood Forest, while others had been cheated by some wealthy nobleman or the other. Whatever their reason, they had all been wrongfully turned out of the community and had come to Sherwood and Robin to escape coercion and harassment.

Over the years, almost a hundred yeomen had come to live in the forest. They chose Robin as their leader. They vowed that just as some powerful person had tricked them, they too would rob those very men. They would take all the money that had been squeezed out from the poor through taxes, land rents or unjust fines and return it to them. They vowed to help all those in trouble, but never to harm a child or a woman.

One day as Robin set out in search of adventure, he asked his friends to wait in the forest. He told them to come to him only if he used the signal, which was three hoots of the bugle. Robin walked through the leafy, lush green forest and met many people walking by whom he greeted respectfully and they returned his greetings.

He took a road which skirted a stream and had a log bridge on it. As he neared the bridge, he saw a tall stranger with a wooden staff, advancing towards him from the other side of the bridge.

Robin said, ‘Now, stand back and let the better man, that is me, cross the bridge.’

Instead of letting him go, the stranger replied, ‘No, let me, the better man, cross first.’

‘We shall find that out soon. Till then, stand where you are, otherwise you will find my arrow near your ribs.’

‘If you dare to touch your bow, I will hit you so hard your skin will be black and blue all over.’

Thus, their argument went on, wherein the stranger called Robin a coward and challenged him to come closer to him. While the stranger waited for him, Robin quickly went on the side, cut a branch of oak, and made it into a staff. While doing so, he stole a glance at his opponent and saw that the man was much taller and broader than him.

‘Nevertheless, I will defeat him without a problem,’ thought Robin to himself. ‘We will fight until one of us falls into the stream by the deluge of the other’s blows.’

Never had a better fight been fought than the one among these two. Both of them were excellent fighters and both parties gave blow after deft blow. Finally, the stranger gave Robin such a blow that he fell into the stream. The stranger roared with laughter, taunting Robin.

Instead of being angry, Robin was impressed with the stranger’s courage and skills. He drew himself out of the water and blew his horn to call his friends. The stranger also acknowledged Robin’s bravery and strength.

Soon, Robin’s yeomen filled up the area, headed by Will Stutely. They were amazed to see Robin all wet and asked if he was all right.

‘I’m fine, but this strong man here managed to not just throw me into the stream but also bashed me up before that!’

‘Then, he must get a taste of his own medicine!’ cried Will, leaping with all his mates upon the stranger. The stranger was ready and was striking left and right with his staff. Although he was outnumbered, he didn’t go down without taking a few of them with him.

Robin, laughing, said to his friends, ‘No, no, stop! He is a good man and no harm should come to him. Now, stranger, would you like to join our group? You will be my right-hand man, apart from being paid forty marks and three green suits every year. You shall share all our joys and the good food we all have together!’

The stranger replied, ‘I’m not sure. You are not that great with a staff and so not fit to be a leader of your yeomen. But, if you can beat me in archery, I will then consider joining you.’

‘Fine,’ said Robin. ‘Nobody has contested me this way. But I accept your challenge. Stutely, set the mark eighty yards away and let’s see this man shoot.’

Taking his position, the stranger shot at the mark and his arrow struck at the very center of the mark! Even Robin’s yeomen were impressed.

It was Robin’s turn and he took his position. With the greatest skill, Robin shot his arrow, which splintered the stranger’s arrow into pieces. His friends leapt up in joy, clapping at their leader’s superb performance.

The stranger was enthralled as well. He had never seen anything like this before!

He cried out, ‘What a shot that was! This is the first time in my life that I am witnessing this miracle! The celebrated archer, Adam Bell, was a superb shot, but even he could not have achieved this feat! From now onwards, I will truly be your man.’

Robin was pleased and said, ‘It is my gain, to have a man like you in my group. What is your name, good man?’

‘From where I come, people call me John Little,’ replied the stranger.

The irony of the man’s name and his