Chapter 14. Trapping the Sheriff.

Early the next day Robin and Little John sat together over their breakfast.

“I wonder how long it will be before my joke is found out” said Little John.

“Not long”, was Robin’s reply.

“Somehow me must think of a way to forestall the Sheriff”, the giant said. “We must stop him before he can take too stern a revenge on us. Ah, I have a merry notion!”

He jumped up from the table.

“Master, can you arrange to have the Sheriff’s dishes set out neatly on the table, ready for a meal?”

“I can”, agreed Robin, “but why?”

“And see that the Sheriff’s old cook is their to wait on him?”

“That can be arranged also”, said Robin. “But I don’t understand why, Little John”.

“But you will, master”, said the giant smiling, “and before the day is out!”

With that, Little John ran off into the forest, dressed once again in the clothes that the Sheriff of Nottingham had given him whilst he was in his service.

“The Sheriff is bound to return to his castle today”, Little John told himself as he ran through the greenwood. “I must be sure to meet him before he reaches his home”.

He reached the Nottingham road and waited. Soon, round the bend in the road, he saw the Sheriff riding ahead of his men. Little John ran from the side of the road and dropped on one knee in front of the Sheriff.

“What are you doing here?” demanded the Sheriff roughly, as he recognized his servant.

“May it pleas you, sire,” said Little John respectfully, “I heard that you would be coming back from your journey today, and I knew that, while you were traveling through the forest, you would be pleased to do some hunting”.

“That is for me to say”, grunted the Sheriff.

“True, sire”, said Little John, “but when I tell you what I have seen I think you will forgive me for coming to meet you”.

“Well, varlet, what is it?”

“I saw the largest hart that I have seen in all my life”, replied the outlaw. “He was followed by a great herd of deer, which seemed to look upon him as their lord and master”.

“Hm!” said the Sheriff thoughtfully. “Where did you see all this?”

“It was only a mile away from here”, said Little John. “If you give me your permission, I shall be pleased to take you to the spot”.

“I will go with you”, said the Sheriff.

“I can promise fine sport, sire”, Little John assured him.

“I shall come alone”, said the Sheriff. “My men can return to the castle”.

Little John had guessed from the beginning that the Sheriff would not be able to resist hunting this great stag, for he was well known as a keen hunter.

“I shall be glad to see this great beast!” said the Sheriff. “Lead the way, Reynold Greenleaf!”

While the rest of his men went back to the castle, the Sheriff rode forward with Little John.

The outlaw took him through the forest. He ran swiftly, while the Sheriff followed on horseback. Presently they came to a glade, where, under a great tree, sat Robin Hood and his Merrie Men. The Sheriff turned upon Little John when he realized how he had bee trapped; but it was too late. Robin’s men came forward at once and demanded that the Sheriff should dismount.

“This is an honour!” exclaimed Robin delightedly. “You are very welcome, sire”.

“This is an outrage, you mean!” stormed the enraged Sheriff. “You shall pay for this, Robin Hood”.

Robin ignored his remark. He was polite in the extreme, but there was a gleam in his eye that made the Sheriff feel very uncomfortable. Robin showed him the great feast that had been set for him. The Sheriff could do nothing but sit down and eat and drink. He wondered in his heart what Robin Hood would do with him, for it was well known that he had many times vowed to kill Robin Hood.

When the Sheriff saw that all the silver dishes used in the meal were his own he groaned loudly. Then, to make matters worse for him, he looked up and saw his own cook serving out the meal for him. He had a poor appetite that day.

“You have trapped me”, he said to Robin Hood. “You have robbed me of my silver, and my own cook has joined you. What are you going to do with me?”

“I think I shall make you wear the same dress as my Merrie Men”, laughed Robin.

He ordered his men to take off the Sheriffs clothes and to dress him in Lincoln green. Then he insisted that the Sheriff should stay with them and see how they lived. The Sheriff’s protests were of no use. As evening came, Robin made the Sheriff lie down with the men on the hard ground.

The Sheriff turned and twisted all night and could get no sleep. By the time the morning came again he was ready to make Robin any promise he chose.

“You shall stay with us for a year!” declared Robin.

“Robin Hood”, replied the Sheriff, “I will do anything but that. I must ask you for mercy”.

“Would you have shown me any mercy if you had caught me?” asked Robin pointedly.

“None at all!” said the Sheriff honestly.

“Well, at least you are frank!” smiled the outlaw. He turned to his men. “What shall we do with this man?” ha called to them. “We don’t want his money, and we don’t want his life, as he did ours”.

Many of the men said that the Sheriff should be treated as he would have treated Robin if the tables were turned. But Little John stepped forward and addressed the crowd.

“If he had wandered our way and had been caught by us, it would have been different”, he said. “But he was brought here through a trick, and we should not kill a man I have led into a trap. We have his silver, and we have his cook. He has learned what merry men we are. Why not make him promise to leave us alone in the future and let him go free?”

They all agreed that this was fair. Robin turned to the Sheriff.

“You came here as our enemy; but we do not wish to take your life. We would rather turn you into a friend. You are in our power, and, as you can see, we could easily kill you; but we will spare you. Yet we think it fair that you should swear friendship to us for ever if we let you go free”.

The Sheriff was astonished and relieved.

“It is more than I would have done for you!” he said. “But I see that you are a man, and I will be your friend, as you ask. I shall seek your life no more”.

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Chapter 13. Little John’s Trick.	\|	Chapter 15. Rescue from the Rope

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