IN MERRY ENGLAND in the time of old, when good King PERSONS NAME the ADJECTIVE ruled the land, there lived within the green glades of PLACE , near COUNTRY , a famous outlaw whose name was Robin Hood. No archer ever lived that could speed a NOUN with such skill and cunning as his, nor were there ever such yeomen as the NUMBER merry men that roamed with him through the greenwood shades. Right merrily they dwelled within the depths of PLACE , suffering neither care nor want, but passing the time in merry games of VERB or bouts of VERB play, living upon the King's FOOD , washed down with draughts of DRINK .
Not only Robin himself but all the band were outlaws and dwelled apart from other men, yet they were beloved by the NOUN round about, for no one ever came to jolly Robin for help in time of need and went away again with an empty fist.
And now I will tell how it came about that Robin Hood fell afoul of the law.
When Robin was a youth of AGE , stout of sinew and ADJECTIVE of heart, the Sheriff of Nottingham proclaimed a shooting match and offered a prize of a PLURAL NOUN to whosoever should shoot the NOUN in Nottinghamshire. "Now," quoth Robin, "will I go too, for fain would I draw a string for the bright eyes of my lass and a NOUN." So up he got and took his good stout yew bow and a score or more of broad clothyard arrows, and started off from PLACE through PLACE to Nottingham.
As thus he walked along with a quick VERB and a ADJECTIVE whistle, he came suddenly upon some PLURAL NOUN seated beneath a great oak tree. Fifteen there were in all, making themselves merry with feasting and drinking as they sat around a huge pie, to which each man helped himself. Each man was clad in COLOR, and a fine show they made, seated upon the sward beneath that fair, spreading tree. Then one of them, with his mouth full, called out to Robin, "Hulloa, where goest thou, little lad, with thy one-penny bow and thy farthing shafts?"
Then Robin grew angry, for no stripling likes to be taunted with his young age.
"Now," quoth he, "my bow and mine arrows are as ADJECTIVE as thine; and moreover, I go to the shooting match at Nottingham Town, which same has been proclaimed by our good Sheriff of Nottinghamshire; there I will shoot with other stout archers, for a prize has been offered of a ADJECTIVE NOUN."
Then one who held a horn of DRINK in his hand said, "Ho! listen to the lad! Why, boy, thou hast barely left home, and yet thou boast of standing up with good stout men at Nottingham, thou who art scarce able to draw one string of a two-stone bow."
"I'll bet you LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY ," quoth bold Robin, "that I hit the clout at DISTANCE , by the good help of Our Lady fair."
At this all laughed aloud, and one said, "Well boasted, thou fair infant, well boasted! And well thou knowest that no target is nigh to make good thy wager."
At this Robin grew right ADJECTIVE . "Hark ye," said he, "yonder, at the glade's end, I see a herd of deer, even more than threescore rods distant. I'll hold you EVEN BIGGER AMOUNT OF MONEY that, by leave of Our Lady, I cause the best hart among them to die."
Then Robin took his good yew bow in his hand, and raising the bow, drew the gray goose feather to his ear; the next moment the bowstring rang and the arrow sped down the glade. High leaped the noblest hart of all the herd, only to fall dead, reddening the green path with his heart's blood.
"Ha!" cried Robin, "how likest thou that shot, good fellow? I wot the wager were mine, an it were three hundred pounds."
Then all the foresters were filled with EMOTION , and he who had spoken the first and had lost the wager was more EMOTION than all.
"Nay," cried he, "the wager is none of thine, and get thee gone, straightway, or, by all the saints of heaven, I'll THREAT ."
"Knowest thou not," said another, "that thou hast killed the King's deer, and, by the laws of our gracious lord and sovereign King PERSONS NAME , you shalt be PUNISHMENT ENDING IN ?"
"Catch him!" cried a third.
"Nay," said a fourth, "let him e'en go because of his tender years."
Never a word said Robin Hood, but he looked at the foresters with a ADJECTIVE face; then, turning on his heel, VERB away from them down the forest glade. But his heart was bitterly angry.
Now, well would it have been for him who had first spoken had he left Robin Hood alone; but his anger was ADJECTIVE , because the youth had gotten the better of him. So, of a sudden, without any warning, he sprang to his feet, and seized upon his bow and fitted it to a shaft. "Ay," cried he, "and I'll hurry thee anon." And he sent the arrow whistling after Robin.
The arrow whistled within NUMBER inches of his head. Then he turned around and quickly drew his own bow, and sent an arrow back in return.
"Ye said I was no NOUN," cried he aloud, "but say so now again!"
The shaft flew straight; the archer fell forward with a cry, and lay on his face upon the ground, his arrows rattling about him from out of his quiver, the gray goose shaft wet with his; heart's blood. Then, before the others could gather their wits about them, Robin Hood was gone into the depths of the greenwood. Some started after him, but not with much heart, for each feared to suffer the death of his fellow; so presently they all came and lifted the dead man up and bore him away to Nottingham Town.
Meanwhile Robin Hood ran through the greenwood. Gone was all the POSITIVE ADJECTIVE and POSITIVE ADJECTIVE from everything, for his heart was NEGATIVE ADJECTIVE within him, and it was borne in upon his soul that he had PAST TENSE VERB a man.
