the merry adventures of robin hood(罗宾汉奇遇记)-第37章

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out　to　him　ere　he　had　gone；　〃Good　den；　Sir　Knight。　　Thou　wottest
old　bones　must　alway　make　room　for　young　blood。〃　　Sir　Stephen
neither　answered　nor　looked　up；　but　passed　out　from　the　church
as　though　he　had　heard　nought；　his　men　following　him。

Then　the　Bishop　of　Hereford　spoke　hastily；　〃I；　too；　have　no
business　here；　and　so　will　depart。〃　　And　he　made　as　though　he　would　go。
But　Robin　Hood　laid　hold　of　his　clothes　and　held　him。
〃Stay；　my　Lord　Bishop；〃　said　he；　〃I　have　yet　somewhat　to　say　to　thee。〃
The　Bishop's　face　fell；　but　he　stayed　as　Robin　bade　him；
for　he　saw　he　could　not　go。

Then　Robin　Hood　turned　to　stout　Edward　of　Deirwold；　and　said　he；
〃Give　thy　blessing　on　thy　daughter's　marriage　to　this　yeoman；　and　all
will　be　well。　　Little　John；　give　me　the　bags　of　gold。　　Look；　farmer。
Here　are　two　hundred　bright　golden　angels；　give　thy　blessing；
as　I　say；　and　I　will　count　them　out　to　thee　as　thy　daughter's　dower。
Give　not　thy　blessing；　and　she　shall　be　married　all　the　same；
but　not　so　much　as　a　cracked　farthing　shall　cross　thy　palm。　　Choose。〃

Then　Edward　looked　upon　the　ground　with　bent　brows；　turning　the　matter　over
and　over　in　his　mind；　but　he　was　a　shrewd　man　and　one；　withal；　that　made
the　best　use　of　a　cracked　pipkin；　so　at　last　he　looked　up　and　said；
but　in　no　joyous　tone；　〃If　the　wench　will　go　her　own　gait；　let　her　go。
I　had　thought　to　make　a　lady　of　her；　yet　if　she　chooses　to　be
what　she　is　like　to　be；　I　have　nought　to　do　with　her　henceforth。
Ne'ertheless　I　will　give　her　my　blessing　when　she　is　duly　wedded。〃

〃It　may　not　be；〃　spake　up　one　of　those　of　Emmet。　　〃The　banns　have　not　been
duly　published；　neither　is　there　any　priest　here　to　marry　them。〃

〃How　sayst　thou？〃　roared　Tuck　from　the　choir　loft。　　〃No　priest？
Marry；　here　stands　as　holy　a　man　as　thou　art；　any　day　of　the　week；
a　clerk　in　orders；　I　would　have　thee　know。　　As　for　the　question　of　banns；
stumble　not　over　that　straw；　brother；　for　I　will　publish　them。〃
So　saying；　he　called　the　banns；　and；　says　the　old　ballad；　lest　three　times
should　not　be　enough；　he　published　them　nine　times　o'er。　Then　straightway
he　came　down　from　the　loft　and　forthwith　performed　the　marriage　service；
and　so　Allan　and　Ellen　were　duly　wedded。

And　now　Robin　counted　out　two　hundred　golden　angels　to　Edward
of　Deirwold；　and　he；　upon　his　part；　gave　his　blessing；　yet　not；
I　wot；　as　though　he　meant　it　with　overmuch　good　will。
Then　the　stout　yeomen　crowded　around　and　grasped　Allan's　palm；
and　he；　holding　Ellen's　hand　within　his　own；　looked　about　him
all　dizzy　with　his　happiness。

Then　at　last　jolly　Robin　turned　to　the　Bishop　of　Hereford；
who　had　been　looking　on　at　all　that　passed　with　a　grim　look。
〃My　Lord　Bishop；〃　quoth　he；　〃thou　mayst　bring　to　thy　mind　that　thou
didst　promise　me　that　did　I　play　in　such　wise　as　to　cause　this　fair
lass　to　love　her　husband；　thou　wouldst　give　me　whatsoever　I　asked
in　reason。　　I　have　played　my　play；　and　she　loveth　her　husband；
which　she　would　not　have　done　but　for　me；　so　now　fulfill　thy　promise。
Thou　hast　upon　thee　that　which；　methinks；　thou　wouldst　be　the
better　without；　therefore；　I　prythee；　give　me　that　golden　chain
that　hangeth　about　thy　neck　as　a　wedding　present　for　this　fair　bride。〃

Then　the　Bishop's　cheeks　grew　red　with　rage　and　his　eyes　flashed。
He　looked　at　Robin　with　a　fell　look；　but　saw　that　in　the　yeoman's
face　which　bade　him　pause。　　Then　slowly　he　took　the　chain
from　about　his　neck　and　handed　it　to　Robin；　who　flung　it　over
Ellen's　head　so　that　it　hung　glittering　about　her　shoulders。
Then　said　merry　Robin；　〃I　thank　thee；　on　the　bride's　part；
for　thy　handsome　gift；　and　truly　thou　thyself　art　more　seemly
without　it。　　Now；　shouldst　thou　ever　come　nigh　to　Sherwood　I
much　hope　that　I　shall　give　thee　there　such　a　feast　as　thou
hast　ne'er　had　in　all　thy　life　before。〃

〃May　Heaven　forfend！〃　cried　the　Bishop　earnestly；　for　he　knew
right　well　what　manner　of　feast　it　was　that　Robin　Hood　gave
his　guests　in　Sherwood　Forest。

But　now　Robin　Hood　gathered　his　men　together；　and；　with　Allan
and　his　young　bride　in　their　midst；　they　all　turned
their　footsteps　toward　the　woodlands。　　On　the　way　thither
Friar　Tuck　came　close　to　Robin　and　plucked　him　by　the　sleeve。
〃Thou　dost　lead　a　merry　life；　good　master；〃　quoth　he；
〃but　dost　thou　not　think　that　it　would　be　for　the　welfare
of　all　your　souls　to　have　a　good　stout　chaplain；　such　as　I；
to　oversee　holy　matters？　　Truly；　I　do　love　this　life　mightily。〃
At　this　merry　Robin　Hood　laughed　amain；　and　bade　him　stay
and　become　one　of　their　band　if　he　wished。

That　night　there　was　such　a　feast　held　in　the　greenwood　as　Nottinghamshire
never　saw　before。　　To　that　feast　you　and　I　were　not　bidden；　and　pity　it　is
that　we　were　not；　so；　lest　we　should　both　feel　the　matter　the　more　keenly；
I　will　say　no　more　about　it。



Robin　Hood　Aids　a　Sorrowful　Knight

SO　PASSED　the　gentle　springtime　away　in　budding　beauty；　its　silver
showers　and　sunshine；　its　green　meadows　and　its　flowers。　　So；　likewise；
passed　the　summer　with　its　yellow　sunlight；　its　quivering　heat　and　deep；
bosky　foliage；　its　long　twilights　and　its　mellow　nights；　through　which
the　frogs　croaked　and　fairy　folk　were　said　to　be　out　on　the　hillsides。
All　this　had　passed　and　the　time　of　fall　had　come；　bringing　with　it　its　own
pleasures　and　joyousness；　for　now；　when　the　harvest　was　gathered　home；
merry　bands　of　gleaners　roamed　the　country　about；　singing　along　the　roads　in
the　daytime；　and　sleeping　beneath　the　hedgerows　and　the　hay…ricks　at　night。
Now　the　hips　burned　red　in　the　tangled　thickets　and　the　hews　waxed
black　in　the　hedgerows；　the　stubble　lay　all　crisp　and　naked　to　the　sky；
and　the　green　leaves　were　fast　turning　russet　and　brown。　　Also；　at　this
merry　season；　good　things　of　the　year　are　gathered　in　in　great　store。
Brown　ale　lies　ripening　in　the　cellar；　hams　and　bacon　hang　in　the　smoke…shed；
and　crabs　are　stowed　away　in　the　straw　for　roasting　in　the　wintertime；
when　the　north　wind　piles　the　snow　in　drifts　around　the　gables　and　the　fire
crackles　warm　upon　the　hearth。

So　passed　the　seasons　then；　so　they　pass　now；　and　so　they　will　pass
in　time　to　come；　while　we　come　and　go　like　leaves　of　the　tree　that　fall
and　are　soon　forgotten。


Quoth　Robin　Hood；　snuffing　the　air；　〃Here　is　a　fair　day；
Little　John；　and　one　that　we　can　ill　waste　in　idleness。
Choose　such　men　as　thou　dost　need；　and　go　thou　east　while　I
will　wend　to　the　west；　and　see　that　each　of　us　bringeth　back
some　goodly　guest　to　dine　this　day　beneath　the　greenwood　tree。〃

〃Marry；〃　cried　Little　John；　clapping　his　palms　together
for　joy；　〃thy　bidding　fitteth　my　liking　like　heft　to　blade。
I'll　bring　thee　back　a　guest　this　day；　or　come　not　back
mine　own　self。〃

Then　they　each　chose　such　of　the　band　as　they　wished；　and　so　went
forth　by　different　paths　from　the　forest。

Now；　you　and　I　cannot　go　two　ways　at　the　same　time　while　we　join
in　these　merry　doings；　so　we　will　e'en　let　Little　John　follow　his
own　path　while　we　tuck　up　our　skirts　and　trudge　after　Robin　Hood。
And　here　is　good　company；　too；　Robin　Hood；　Will　Scarlet；　Allan
a　Dale；　Will　Scathelock；　Midge；　the　Miller's　son；　and　others。
A　score　or　more　of　stout　fellows　had　abided　in　the　forest；
with　Friar　Tuck；　to　make　ready　for　the　homecoming；　but　all　the　rest
were　gone　either　with　Robin　Hood　or　Little　John。

They　traveled　onward；　Robin　following　his　fancy　and　the　others
following　Robin。　　Now　they　wended　their　way　through　an　open
dale　with　cottage　and　farm　lying　therein；　and　now　again　they
entered　woodlands　once　more。　　Passing　by　fair　Mansfield　Town；
with　its　towers　and　battlements　and　spires　all　smiling　in　the　sun；
they　came　at　last　out　of　the　forest　lands。　　Onward　they　journeyed；
through　highway　and　byway；　through　villages　where　goodwives　and　merry
lasses　peeped　through　the　casements　at　the　fine　show　of　young　men；
until　at　last　they　came　over　beyond　Alverton　in　Derbyshire。　　By　this
time　high　noontide　had　come；　yet　they　had　met　no　guest　such　as　was
worth　their　while　to　take　back　to　Sherwood；　so；　coming　at　last　to
a　certain　spot　where　a　shrine　stood　at　the　crossing　of　two　roads；
Robin　called　upon　them　to　stop；　for　here　on　either　side　was　shelter
of　high　hedgerow