Chapter 20. Robin Hood at Court

The men of Robin Hood’s band who went with him to London expected to live a life of ease and plenty whilst in the King’s service.

“We shall have a place to live in, plenty of food, and regular wages”, they said. What more could they want?

They had not been at the King’s court long before they saw how wrong they had been. When Robin applied for money to pay the wages of his men, he told that he would be expected to pay them himself.

“All the nobles do it”, explained one knight, “and so do the knights. If a man is too poor to pay his men then he has no right to be here at all!”

Robin had brought with him a tremendous chest filled with gold coins. He was able to pay his men their proper wages from it. Yet he. Knew that the gold would not last for ever. He soon learnt that few of the knights paid their men anything at all.

Robin was light-hearted and happy at first. He paid his men their wages, and free with his money. Other knights took advantage of his happy-go-lucky spirit to borrow from him.

“Robin Hood”, one would say, “I am short of money. I want to pay my men, who are beginning to grumble. I beg you to lend me enough to pay them, or there will be trouble amongst them”.

Robin always was kind-hearted. He knew, also, that there might come a day when he would need the friendship of the knights. So he gave them money from his chest.

“I’m beginning to see the wood at the bottom of the chest”, he murmured to himself one day. “It will not be long before the chest is empty”.

His words came true. There came a day when he had no money left. Now would be his chance, he thought, to borrow back from the many knights who had so long been borrowing from him. He asked some of them to repay their debts. None could. Knights who were once his best friends now spurned him. With money, Robin found that everyone was his friend. Without it only his old comrades stood loyally by him. He called all his men to him and told them honestly of the state of affairs. They were sympathetic, but they could not live without pay, and before long most of them left the court and returned to their homes. Once there, they found the attraction of their old forest habits too strong for them, and they lived once more under the greenwood trees.

Robin Hood bore the life at court as long as he could. Few friends were with him now. He was lonely. He talked to Maid Marian of his great urge to return to Sherwood Forest. Marian knew that he would never be happy away from his beloved greenwood, so she said that she was willing to return to the forest with him.

“You must first ask the King, Robin” she said. “He would never forgive you if left without his permission”.

“I will”, agreed Robin.

He sought permission from the King’s Chamberlain to see the King. When he was at last admitted to the royal presence, he told of the hunter in his heart to see the greenwood once more.

“It is a kind of homesickness, sire”, said Robin. “Until I have again seen my greenwood home, and until I have stayed there for a time, I’m sure I shall not be able to settle down to anything”.

The King considered Robin’s plea.

“Hm!” he murmured, after a short silence. “I think there is something in what you say, Robin Hood”. He was a just man and present state of mind. A refreshing holiday in his greenwood home might work wonders. “I will grant you your wish”, he said at length. “You may visit Sherwood Forest again; but you must return to me in two weeks’ time. Not a day longer than that must you stay”.

Robin left the King’s room in a happy frame of mind. He ran straight to Maid Marian and told her the good news. He left for Sherwood Forest that day, arranging for Maid Marian to follow a week later by horse and wagon. She could never have undertaken the journey on foot, and Robin found that no one could be persuaded to start out in less than a week. Thus he set out alone on the long journey.

<== попередня сторінка	\|	наступна сторінка ==>
Chapter 19. Robin Hood and the King	\|	Chapter 21. Robin’s Homecoming

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