Robin Hood and the Potter
Little John first met the potter in Wentbridge while he was collecting pavage tax. The potter refused to pay back then. Instead, he gave Little John a good thrashing with his two-handed quarterstaff. With that in mind, Little John bet Robin 40 shillings he couldn't do better. When Robin told the potter he owed three years back tax, the potter went berserk. He got off his cart, smashed the buckler out of Robin’s hand with his quarterstaff and hit Robin's neck on the backstroke. It was an “awkward stroke” (difficult to counter). Robin recognised a good man-at-arms when he saw one and offered the potter a fellowship. (A business associate, line 94).
The two men exchanged clothes and Robin made haste to Nottingham market with the pots. He fed the horse with oats and hay and then set up the stall. The pots sold like the proverbial hotcakes due to their low price. The sheriff’s wife arrived just in time to buy the last five. Taking a liking to Robin, she invited him to dine with her and her husband. The two men got on well. After dinner, the sheriff challenged the ‘potter’ to a shooting match. Robin won even though, as he said, “the sheriff’s bow was not as strong as the bow Robin Hood gave him.” The sheriff’s ears pricked up, and he asked the ‘potter’ if he knew Robin. “Yes,” said the ‘potter,’ “I shoot with him all the time if you want I will take you to meet him.”
The next day Robin thanked the sheriff's wife for her hospitality and gave her a gold ring as a present. The two men rode into the sunlit forest where Robin blew his horn. Straightway the sheriff found himself surrounded by archers. Robin was gentle with the sheriff because of his wife’s hospitality. He promised to send her a white Palfrey provided he walked home in bare feet. The sheriff had no choice. He had already lost his horse to Robin in the shooting match, and anyway, Robin had confiscated his boots. He ran for home before Robin could think of any more tricks to play on him. When he told his wife she laughed out loud. “By him, that died on a tree, your horse has paid for the pots many times over,” she said. Robin had got the pots cheap, anyway. He humiliated the sheriff by making him walk home in bare feet, he won the sheriff’s horse, and he beat the sheriff at archery twice. All-in-all Robin had “beaten and bound” the sheriff. Robin returned to Barnsdale a happy man.
(* Those outside the city had to wait until the afternoon so as to give the local traders the best business. This was the custom everywhere.)
NEXT Copyright © 2014, Graham Kirkby
The two men exchanged clothes and Robin made haste to Nottingham market with the pots. He fed the horse with oats and hay and then set up the stall. The pots sold like the proverbial hotcakes due to their low price. The sheriff’s wife arrived just in time to buy the last five. Taking a liking to Robin, she invited him to dine with her and her husband. The two men got on well. After dinner, the sheriff challenged the ‘potter’ to a shooting match. Robin won even though, as he said, “the sheriff’s bow was not as strong as the bow Robin Hood gave him.” The sheriff’s ears pricked up, and he asked the ‘potter’ if he knew Robin. “Yes,” said the ‘potter,’ “I shoot with him all the time if you want I will take you to meet him.”
The next day Robin thanked the sheriff's wife for her hospitality and gave her a gold ring as a present. The two men rode into the sunlit forest where Robin blew his horn. Straightway the sheriff found himself surrounded by archers. Robin was gentle with the sheriff because of his wife’s hospitality. He promised to send her a white Palfrey provided he walked home in bare feet. The sheriff had no choice. He had already lost his horse to Robin in the shooting match, and anyway, Robin had confiscated his boots. He ran for home before Robin could think of any more tricks to play on him. When he told his wife she laughed out loud. “By him, that died on a tree, your horse has paid for the pots many times over,” she said. Robin had got the pots cheap, anyway. He humiliated the sheriff by making him walk home in bare feet, he won the sheriff’s horse, and he beat the sheriff at archery twice. All-in-all Robin had “beaten and bound” the sheriff. Robin returned to Barnsdale a happy man.
(* Those outside the city had to wait until the afternoon so as to give the local traders the best business. This was the custom everywhere.)
NEXT Copyright © 2014, Graham Kirkby