Chapter 8. Robin and the Poor Knight

Into Sherwood Forest rode a tall knight. He was on a fine black horse that was well cared for, but looked ragged and shabby.

He was on his way to an abbey near Nottingham. It was a visit that he would have liked to avoid, for he owed the Abbot a great amount of money and he was quite unable to pay his debt. But he was an honest man and he was going to confess that he could not pay.

Little John, bursting through the tress at the sound of the horse’s hooves, hailed the knight and brought him to a stop.

“Welcome, Sir Knight!” called Little John.

Knights were fine sport for Robin and his men, for they were sometimes rich and cruel, and Robin often took some of their wealth from them to give to the poor. Little John was not to know that Sir Richard of Lea, who now stood before him, was neither rich nor cruel.

“Will you come and dine with us?” went on Little John. “Our master will be pleased to meet you!”

“Who is your master?” asked Sir Richard.

“He is Robin Hood!” was the reply.

“I have heard a lot about him”, said the knight. “I shall be pleased to meet him”.

Little John took the reins of the horse in his hand and led the knight through the forest to Robin’s greenwood camp. Robin came forward to meet them as the two approached. Sir Richard of Lea dismounted from his horse as Robin came up to him. Robin looked at his worn clothes, at shabby saddle on the horse’s back, at the knight’s sad expression.

“What ails you, Sir Knight?” asked he.

“Nothing ails me!” said the knight proudly, not wishing to betray his troubles to a stranger.

“Then at least accept a meal from us”, said Robin.

He was puzzled by this knight. Usually well-mounted travelers had money that could be taken for the poor.

A meal was prepared. But when the knight saw such a great feast set before him he turned to Robin.

“I cannot eat”, he said.

“Oh, come!” cried Robin. “You look to me as if that’s just what you could do!”

“You are right”, sighed the knight. “But, you see, I could not possibly pay for such a meal as you have set before me. I wouldn’t eat anything for which I could not pay”.

Robin Hood glanced at Little John and winked. He had heard that tale before!

“Tell me the truth”, said Robin. “How much money have you with you?”

“I have no more than ten shillings,” replied Sir Richard of Lea.

“Then”, said the outlaw, “the meal shall not cost you anything. Sit down and eat”.

When the feast was begun, Robin told Little John to search the bags that were on the knight’s horse and to make sure that the knight had spoken the truth about the amount of money he carried. Little John came back after his search and told his master that there were indeed only ten shillings in the knight’s moneybags.

“Tell me, good sir”, said Robin, turning to Sir Richard, “how is it that you are in this sorry state?”

“This a long story”, replied Sir Richard, and, between mouthfuls of delicious venison, he told Robin his story. “I was once a rich man, but two years ago many of my herds died, much of my wealth was stolen, and, to crown it all, my son pierced a knight’s helmet by accident in a tournament. It was decreed, after the knight had died, that my son should pay a very heavy fine. To save him from prison, I had to borrow the money from an abbot”.

“An abbot, of all people!” laughed Robin.

“I promised him”, Sir Richard went on, “that if I did not pay it back before a certain day I would hand over to him all my lands. That day is tomorrow. I cannot pay, and I am going to the Abbot to hand over my lands”.

“But why can’t you borrow the money?” asked Robin, after a pause.

The knight looked straight at his host.

“Who would lend it to a broken-down knight, when the reason he needs it is to pay off a debt?” he asked.

Robin was silent for a moment.

“I believe your story”, he said, at last. “It is a misfortune that might have come to anybody. You must go to the Abbot tomorrow and beg him to give you more time to pay”.

“The Abbot is a hard man, Robin Hood”, said Sir Richard. “He will merely laugh in my face”.

“Then you will laugh right back in his!” said Robin. “If he refuses you any more time, you must pay him the money in full. I should love to see his face change colour at that!”

“Very amusing!” said Sir Richard sarcastically. “A good joke! But I tell you I haven’t the money”.

“I will lend it to you”, was Robin’s answer. “I trust you to pay it back to me when you can”. He turned to Little John. “Go to our treasure-chest and bring to me – er – how much, Sir Richard?”

“Four hundred pounds!” said the knight.

“Bring me”, went on Robin to Little John, “four hundred pounds and have it placed in a bag”.

The knight was overcome with gratitude.

Before long he was seated again on his horse. Robin had asked his men to put a new saddle and bridle on the horse, while the knight was given new clothes and had his shield and helmet brightly polished.

Sir Richard was a happy man as he trotted away through the greenwood that sunny afternoon.

<== попередня сторінка	\|	наступна сторінка ==>
Chapter 7. The Outlaw Code	\|	Chapter 9. Tricking the Abbot

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