the merry adventures of robin hood-第60章

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〃Yea；〃　quoth　Robin；　〃but　this　salt　is　of　an　odd　kind；　let　me　tell　thee；　for　it　can　only　be　gotten　by　boiling　down　a　quart　of　moonbeams　in　a　wooden　platter；　and　then　one　hath　but　a　pinch。　But　tell　me；　now；　thou　witty　man；　what　hast　thou　gotten　there　in　that　pouch　by　thy　side　and　in　that　pottle？〃

At　these　words　the　Cobbler　looked　down　at　those　things　of　which　merry　Robin　spoke；　for　the　thoughts　of　the　golden　bird　had　driven　them　from　his　mind；　and　it　took　him　some　time　to　scrape　the　memory　of　them　back　again。　　〃Why；〃　said　he　at　last；　〃in　the　one　is　good　March　beer；　and　in　the　other　is　a　fat　capon。　　Truly；　Quince　the　Cobbler　will　ha'　a　fine　feast　this　day　an　I　mistake　not。〃

〃But　tell　me；　good　Quince；〃　said　Robin；　〃hast　thou　a　mind　to　sell　those　things　to　me？　　For　the　hearing　of　them　sounds　sweet　in　mine　ears。　　I　will　give　thee　these　gay　clothes　of　blue　that　I　have　upon　my　body　and　ten　shillings　to　boot　for　thy　clothes　and　thy　leather　apron　and　thy　beer　and　thy　capon。　What　sayst　thou；　bully　boy？〃

〃Nay；　thou　dost　jest　with　me；〃　said　the　Cobbler；　〃for　my　clothes　are　coarse　and　patched；　and　thine　are　of　fine　stuff　and　very　pretty。〃

〃Never　a　jest　do　I　speak；〃　quoth　Robin。　　〃Come；　strip　thy　jacket　off　and　I　will　show　thee；　for　I　tell　thee　I　like　thy　clothes　well。　Moreover；　I　will　be　kind　to　thee；　for　I　will　feast　straightway　upon　the　good　things　thou　hast　with　thee；　and　thou　shalt　be　bidden　to　the　eating。〃　　At　these　words　he　began　slipping　off　his　doublet；　and　the　Cobbler；　seeing　him　so　in　earnest；　began　pulling　off　his　clothes　also；　for　Robin　Hood's　garb　tickled　his　eye。　So　each　put　on　the　other　fellow's　clothes；　and　Robin　gave　the　honest　Cobbler　ten　bright　new　shillings。　　Quoth　merry　Robin；　〃I　ha'　been　a　many　things　in　my　life　before；　but　never　have　I　been　an　honest　cobbler。　　Come；　friend；　let　us　fall　to　and　eat；　for　something　within　me　cackles　aloud　for　that　good　fat　capon。〃　So　both　sat　down　and　began　to　feast　right　lustily；　so　that　when　they　were　done　the　bones　of　the　capon　were　picked　as　bare　as　charity。

Then　Robin　stretched　his　legs　out　with　a　sweet　feeling　of　comfort　within　him。　Quoth　he；　〃By　the　turn　of　thy　voice；　good　Quince；　I　know　that　thou　hast　a　fair　song　or　two　running　loose　in　thy　head　like　colts　in　a　meadow。　I　prythee；　turn　one　of　them　out　for　me。〃

〃A　song　or　two　I　ha'；〃　quoth　the　Cobbler；　〃poor　things；　poor　things；　but　such　as　they　are　thou　art　welcome　to　one　of　them。〃　So；　moistening　his　throat　with　a　swallow　of　beer；　he　sang：

　〃_Of　all　the　joys；　the　best　I　love；　　　　　　Sing　hey　my　frisking　Nan；　O；　　And　that　which　most　my　soul　doth　move；　　　　　　It　is　the　clinking　can；　O。

　〃All　other　bliss　I'd　throw　away；　　　　　　Sing　hey　my　frisking　Nan；　O；　　But　this_〃


The　stout　Cobbler　got　no　further　in　his　song；　for　of　a　sudden　six　horsemen　burst　upon　them　where　they　sat；　and　seized　roughly　upon　the　honest　craftsman；　hauling　him　to　his　feet；　and　nearly　plucking　the　clothes　from　him　as　they　did　so。　〃Ha！〃　roared　the　leader　of　the　band　in　a　great　big　voice　of　joy；　〃have　we　then　caught　thee　at　last；　thou　blue…clad　knave？　Now；　blessed　be　the　name　of　Saint　Hubert；　for　we　are　fourscore　pounds　richer　this　minute　than　we　were　before；　for　the　good　Bishop　of　Hereford　hath　promised　that　much　to　the　band　that　shall　bring　thee　to　him。　　Oho！　thou　cunning　rascal！　thou　wouldst　look　so　innocent；　forsooth！　　We　know　thee；　thou　old　fox。　But　off　thou　goest　with　us　to　have　thy　brush　clipped　forthwith。〃　At　these　words　the　poor　Cobbler　gazed　all　around　him　with　his　great　blue　eyes　as　round　as　those　of　a　dead　fish；　while　his　mouth　gaped　as　though　he　had　swallowed　all　his　words　and　so　lost　his　speech。

Robin　also　gaped　and　stared　in　a　wondering　way；　just　as　the　Cobbler　would　have　done　in　his　place。　　〃Alack…a…daisy；　me；〃　quoth　he。　〃I　know　not　whether　I　be　sitting　here　or　in　No…man's…land！　What　meaneth　all　this　stir　i'　th'　pot；　dear　good　gentlemen？　Surely　this　is　a　sweet；　honest　fellow。〃

〃　‘Honest　fellow；'　sayst　thou；　clown？〃　quoth　one　of　the　men　〃Why；　I　tell　thee　that　this　is　that　same　rogue　that　men　call　Robin　Hood。〃

At　this　speech　the　Cobbler　stared　and　gaped　more　than　ever；　for　there　was　such　a　threshing　of　thoughts　going　on




within　his　poor　head　that　his　wits　were　all　befogged　with　the　dust　and　chaff　thereof。　　Moreover；　as　he　looked　at　Robin　Hood；　and　saw　the　yeoman　look　so　like　what　he　knew　himself　to　be；　he　began　to　doubt　and　to　think　that　mayhap　he　was　the　great　outlaw　in　real　sooth。　Said　he　in　a　slow；　wondering　voice；　〃Am　I　in　very　truth　that　fellow？　Now　I　had　thoughtbut　nay；　Quince；　thou　art　mistookyetam　I？Nay；　I　must　indeed　be　Robin　Hood！　　Yet；　truly；　I　had　never　thought　to　pass　from　an　honest　craftsman　to　such　a　great　yeoman。〃

〃Alas！〃　quoth　Robin　Hood；　〃look　ye　there；　now！　　See　how　your　ill…treatment　hath　curdled　the　wits　of　this　poor　lad　and　turned　them　all　sour！　I；　myself；　am　Quince；　the　Cobbler　of　Derby　Town。〃

〃Is　it　so？〃　said　Quince。　　〃Then；　indeed；　I　am　somebody　else；　and　can　be　none　other　than　Robin　Hood。　　Take　me；　fellows；　but　let　me　tell　you　that　ye　ha'　laid　hand　upon　the　stoutest　yeoman　that　ever　trod　the　woodlands。〃

〃Thou　wilt　play　madman；　wilt　thou？〃　said　the　leader　of　the　band。　〃Here；　Giles；　fetch　a　cord　and　bind　this　knave's　hands　behind　him。　I　warrant　we　will　bring　his　wits　back　to　him　again　when　we　get　him　safe　before　our　good　Bishop　at　Tutbury　Town。〃　　Thereupon　they　tied　the　Cobbler's　hands　behind　him；　and　led　him　off　with　a　rope；　as　the　farmer　leads　off　the　calf　he　hath　brought　from　the　fair。　Robin　stood　looking　after　them；　and　when　they　were　gone　he　laughed　till　the　tears　rolled　down　his　cheeks；　for　he　knew　that　no　harm　would　befall　the　honest　fellow；　and　he　pictured　to　himself　the　Bishop's　face　when　good　Quince　was　brought　before　him　as　Robin　Hood。　　Then；　turning　his　steps　once　more　to　the　eastward；　he　stepped　out　right　foot　foremost　toward　Nottinghamshire　and　Sherwood　Forest。

But　Robin　Hood　had　gone　through　more　than　he　wotted　of。　His　journey　from　London　had　been　hard　and　long；　and　in　a　se'ennight　he　had　traveled　sevenscore　and　more　of　miles。　　He　thought　now　to　travel　on　without　stopping　until　he　had　come　to　Sherwood；　but　ere　he　had　gone　a　half　a　score　of　miles　he　felt　his　strength　giving　way　beneath　him　like　a　river　bank　which　the　waters　have　undermined。　He　sat　him　down　and　rested；　but　he　knew　within　himself　that　he　could　go　no　farther　that　day；　for　his　feet　felt　like　lumps　of　lead；　so　heavy　were　they　with　weariness。　　Once　more　he　arose　and　went　forward；　but　after　traveling　a　couple　of　miles　he　was　fain　to　give　the　matter　up；　so；　coming　to　an　inn　just　then；　he　entered　and　calling　the　landlord；　bade　him　show　him　to　a　room；　although　the　sun　was　only　then　just　sinking　in　the　western　sky。　There　were　but　three　bedrooms　in　the　place；　and　to　the　meanest　of　these　the　landlord　showed　Robin　Hood；　but　little　Robin　cared　for　the　looks　of　the　place；　for　he　could　have　slept　that　night　upon　a　bed　of　broken　stones。　　So；　stripping　off　his　clothes　without　more　ado；　he　rolled　into　the　bed　and　was　asleep　almost　ere　his　head　touched　the　pillow。

Not　long　after　Robin　had　so　gone　to　his　rest　a　great　cloud　peeped　blackly　over　the　hills　to　the　westward。　　Higher　and　higher　it　arose　until　it　piled　up　into　the　night　like　a　mountain　of　darkness。　All　around　beneath　it　came　ever　and　anon　a　dull　red　flash；　and　presently　a　short　grim　mutter　of　the　coming　thunder　was　heard。　Then　up　rode　four　stout　burghers　of　Nottingham　Town；　for　this　was　the　only　inn　within　five　miles'　distance；　and　they　did　not　care　to　be　caught　in　such　a　thunderstorm　as　this　that　was　coming　upon　them。　Leaving　their　nags　to　the　stableman；　they　entered　the　best　room　of　the　inn；　where　fresh　green　rushes　lay　all　spread　upon　the　floor；　and　there　called　for　the　goodliest　fare　that　the　place　afforded。　After　having　eaten　heartily　they　bade　the　landlord　show　them　to　their　rooms；　for　they　were　aweary；　having　ridden　all　the　way　from　Dronfield　that　day。　So　off　they　went；　grumbling　at　having　to　sleep　two　in　a　bed；　but　their　troubles　on　this　score；　as　well　as　all　others；　were　soon　lost　in　the　quietness　of　sleep。

And　now　came　the　first　gust　of　wind；　rushing　past　the　place；　clapping　and　banging　the　doors　and　shutters；　smelling　of　the　coming　rain；　and　all　wrap