Robin Hood

Chapter 13
Sir Richard of Lee Comes Back to the Forest
The next day, Sir Richard arrived. 
‘Robin, my good friend,’ he said, ‘I have your money, and I am also 
bringing one hundred arrows for you and your men. My wife and her 
friends made them.’ 
‘You are a good man,’ Robin answered. ‘We are very happy about 
the arrows, but I will not take your gold. The abbot took that money last 
year - and yesterday the church gave it back to me!’ 
He told Sir Richard about the two churchmen and the bags of gold 
under their clothes. 
‘Now,’ said Robin, ‘I would like to give you and your lady 
something. I would like to give your wife this beautiful white horse. 
And for you, I have some fine clothes!’ 
The two churchmen arrived at the abbey later the next day and also 
told their story. The abbot was very angry. 
‘Robin Hood is laughing now,’ he said, ‘but one day, the sheriff or I 
will kill him for this.’ 
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Chapter 14 Robin Hood and the Gold Arrow
Every day, the sheriff's men brought new stories about Robin Hood. 
Prince John heard the stories too. 
‘This man Robin Hood only has fifty men,’ he said to the sheriff.
‘You have five hundred men but you cannot catch him. People are 
laughing at you! What are you going to do?’ 
‘I have another plan, My Lord,’ said the sheriff. ‘I will have a 
contest with bows and arrows. The winner will get a gold arrow. I know 
that Robin Hood will come. Everybody says that he is the best bowman 
in England. He will win the contest and take the gold arrow. Then I will 
take him.’ 
♦
Robin and his men heard about the contest. The sheriff was right — they 
wanted to go. 
‘You will have to stay at home, Robin,’ laughed Little John. ‘We 
want to win, and we are better than the sheriff's men. But you are a 
better bowman than all of us!’ 
‘Be careful, Robin,’ said Marian. ‘The sheriff is a dangerous man. He 
knows that you will go. He only wants to find you and kill you!’ 
‘I know that,’ said Robin. ‘This is a fine adventure. I will win the 
contest, but the sheriff won't catch me ...’ 
‘Then I will come too,’ said Marian. ‘I will wear boy's clothes again, 
and my boy's hat. The sheriff will not know me, and I will play in the 
contest. Perhaps I will win the gold arrow, not you!’ 
♦
On the day of the contest, many people came. Some people played and 
other people watched. One hundred of the sheriff's men were there too. 
‘The winner of this contest will be Robin Hood,’ the sheriff told his 
men. ‘He will come to take the gold arrow from me — 
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then you can take him. But do not kill him. Prince John wants to meet 
him first!’ 
The contest began. One man was the best. 
‘That man is Robin Hood,’ thought the Sheriff. ‘People say he is 
clever. But we will catch him easily. That big man with him is Little 
John and the fat man is Friar Tuck. We will take them too. But who is 
the boy? He is very good with a bow and arrow too.’ 
The contest finished and Robin Hood was the winner. He went to the 
sheriff and smiled. 
‘The arrow is mine, I think,’ he said. The sheriff smiled coldly and 
gave him the gold arrow. Then Robin turned away. 
‘Take him now!’ shouted the sheriff to his men. 
But twenty of Robin's men took off their hoods and moved behind 
Robin. A great swordfight began. Robin's men and the sheriff's fought 
for a long time. Marian fought too this time, and she fought well. Many 
of the sheriff's men died that day. The sheriff was very angry. 
‘Where are Prince John's men?’ he shouted. ‘They are late, and Robin 
Hood is winning!’ 
Then Prince John arrived with fifty men on horses. 
‘They are too many,’ called Robin to his men, ‘and they are on 
horses. Get back to the forest! Marian, come!’ 
Then Will Scarlet called out, 'Robin, Marian! They hurt Little John!' 
‘Don't wait for me,’ said Little John. ‘It is my leg. I cannot walk. Go! 
Go!’ 
‘Never!’ said Robin. 
With Will and Marian's help, he put Little John on his back and ran to 
the forest road. Suddenly a man arrived on a white horse. It was Richard 
of Lee. 
‘Quick, Robin, put Little John on the horse and follow me. The 
sheriff and his men will not look for you in my home!’ So 
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'That man is Robin Hood,' thought the Sheriff

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Sir Richard helped his friends Robin, Marian, Little John and Will 
Scarlet. They stayed at Sir Richard's house that night. Robin told Sir 
Richard and his wife about the contest and about other adventures in the 
forest. 
‘You have many adventures, My Lady,’ said Sir Richard's wife to 
Marian, ‘but you live dangerously. You cannot go home or visit your 
father. How will these adventures end? When will you leave
the forest ?’ 
‘One day, King Richard will come home,’ answered Marian. ‘Then 
life will be better for poor people and Robin and I will go home.’