Chapter 21. Robin’s Homecoming

Much-the-Miller’s son was now in charge of his mill, for his father had died and left him the mill. He was out of touch with the outlaws who had not gone with Robin Hood to London. His only link with the happy past was Friar Tuck. Every Sunday Friar Tuck and he would meet and stroll into the greenwood.

On one of these walks, when both were feeling a little sad, Much-the-Miller’s son turned suddenly to the friar.

“Did you hear a sound?” he asked excitedly.

“No”, said Friar Tuck. “What sound was it?”

“Perhaps it was nothing”.

“I have heard that some of the folk are back in the forest”, said Friar Tuck.

“What sort of folk do you mean?”

“Our sort”, said the Friar. He corrected himself. “I mean, the sinful sort we once were”.

“There it is again”, said the other, interrupting him.

There was no doubt about the noise this time. It was the old call of the horn that once that knew so well. The two ran in the direction of the sound. What they would meet they knew not. They hoped desperately that, by some amazing stroke of good fortune, they would meet their old master again.

Soon they came to a small opening amongst the trees, where three men were grouped. One of them was bending over another, who was lying on the ground. He appeared to be exhausted. The third was a giant in size. As soon as he saw Much-the-Miller’s son and Friar Tuck coming towards him drew a knife from his belt.

Friar Tuck recognized the man at once.

“Put away you knife, Little John”, he called. “Do you not remember us? We are your old companions, Friar Tuck and Much-the-Miller’s son”.

Little John was happy indeed to see his old friends once more.

“Who’s with you?” asked the friar.

“The one bending down”, said Little John, “is Will Scarlet. Surely he has not so changed that you fail to recognize him?”

“And who is that on the ground?” asked Much-the-Miller’s son as they walked nearer to the figure.

“The captain!” whispered Will Scarlet, turning from the prostrate from of Robin.

Friar Tuck ran forward to his old master.

“Robin! Sweet Robin!” he cried. “Look up, my master!” You remember your old chaplain!

Robin pulled himself up. After walking all the way from London, with hardly a scrap to eat, he was weak and almost worn out. It had been a hard, four-days journey. He would never have completed it if he had not been so determined to see the friendly forest once again. Now that he was back in the greenwood he knew that he would soon recover.

“It is grand to see you”, he said to Friar Tuck and Much-the-Miller’s son. “I have been given only fourteen days’ leave from the King to visit my forest haunts, and the days will soon pass, I fear”.

With a sudden effort, Robin stood on his feet. He placed his horn to his lips. The old familiar call rang out rang through the forest. Figures streaked through the greenwood towards them. Presently a crowd of Robin’s old outlaws were gathered round him once more.

Robin put away his horn, and looked happily at his old comrades. Already he felt his old gaiety and joy of life returning. Many of the outlaws facing him, he noticed, had joined him when he left Nottingham to serve the King; but one by one they had left the King’s service to go back to Sherwood Forest. This was the life they knew and loved; this was where their hearts were.

“Welcome! Welcome, my old friends!” cried Robin, “I have come again to shoot the King’s deer-but only for a short time”.

Little John and Will Scarlet sat together that evening. Robin Hood had gone to bed early, for he was still very tired.

“Our master must stay with us”, said Little John. “He needs us just as much as we need him”.

“He will never go back on his word to the King”, said Will Scarlet.

“But if he were held here by force he would not be able to keep his promise, would he?” grinned Little John.

“What do you mean?”

“Supposing you and I bound him and held him prisoner! He couldn’t possibly return”.

Little John was in earnest. He knew where his master’s heart lay. He knew also that it would only be by force that Robin would be persuaded to stay in his forest home, instead of obeying the King’s command to return after fourteen days. Together Little John and Will Scarlet worked out a plan to capture Robin and hold him captive until one of them had visited the King and explained how dear to Robin Hood was his life in the forest.

The plan was complete by the time Robin was due to start back on his long journey to London. Maid Marian had joined him some days before, and she had been told by Little John of what was afoot. She kept silent about it until the day of Robin’s departure.

As he was making ready to leave the camp, Little John and Will Scarlet pounced on him behind. Robin was unprepared, and could not understand the meaning of the outrage. He was even more mystified when he found himself tightly secured with stout ropes. Little John stepped in front of him.

“Forgive us, master”, he said apologetically. “We know that you will not stay of your own free will. We know, too, that your heart lies here in the greenwood. So we are holding you captive until a messenger returns from the King to tell us his views”.

Robin was furious at the trick that had been played on him; but he was powerless to act.

Will Scarlet left that day for London. He was gone a week. On his return from the King of England, he called Little John to him, and together they reported to Robin.

“Master”, said Will, smiling, “I explained to the King that you were held captive by your own men. I told him that this you were held captive by your own men. I told him that this was your true home and that you could never be happy at Court. I begged him to allow you to stay here with us. The King listened to all I had to say. Then, after a long silence, he replied that you could stay in Sherwood Forest on condition that you and all the Merrie Men would be at his service, if ever the country was in danger. I have him that assurance”.

“You mean, I am free to stay?” asked Robin, incredulously.

“Yes, master” answered Will Scarlet joyfully. “Let us live again the life of adventure that we once loved so well”.

Robin was overjoyed at the news. So was Little John. All the outlaws in the forest were summoned to the camp, and they made a great feast under the trees to celebrate Robin Hood’s return to the old life of freedom and adventure in the greenwood.

<== попередня сторінка	\|	наступна сторінка ==>
Chapter 20. Robin Hood at Court	\|	Chapter 22. The Death of Robin Good

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