“comest thou from Locksley Town? Well do I know that fair place for miles about, and well do I know each hedgerow and gentle pebbly stream, and even all the bright little fishes therein, for there I was born and bred. Now, where goest thou with thy meat, my fair friend?”

“I go to the market at Nottingham Town to sell my beef and my mutton,” answered the Butcher. “But who art thou that comest from Locksley Town?”

“A yeoman am I, good friend, and men do call me Robin Hood.”

“Now, by Our Lady’s grace,” cried the Butcher, “well do I know thy name, and many a time have I heard thy deeds both sung and spoken of. But Heaven forbid that thou shouldst take ought of me! An honest man am I, and have wronged neither man nor maid; so trouble me not, good master, as I have never troubled thee.”

“Nay, Heaven forbid, indeed,” quoth Robin, “that I should take from such as thee, jolly fellow! Not so much as one farthing would I take from thee, for I love a fair Saxon face like thine right well; more especially when it cometh from Locksley Town, and most especially when the man that owneth it is to marry a bonny lass on Thursday next. But come, tell me for what price thou wilt sell all thy meat and thy horse and cart.”

“At four marks do I value meat, cart, and mare,” quoth the Butcher; “but if I do not sell all my meat I will not have four marks in value.”

Then Robin Hood plucked the purse from his girdle, and quoth he, “Here in this purse are six marks. Now, I would fain be a butcher for the day and sell my meat in Nottingham Town, wilt thou close a bargin with me and take six marks for thine outfit?”

“Now may the blessings of all the saints fall on thine honest head!” cried the Butcher right joyfully, as he leaped down from his cart and took the purse that Robin held out to him.

“Nay,” quoth Robin, laughing loudly, “many do like me and wish me well, but few call me honest. Now get thee gone back to thy lass, and give her a sweet kiss from me.” So saying, he donned the Butcher’s apron, and, climbing into the cart, he took the reins in his hand, and drove off through the forest to Nottingham Town.

Robin selleth his meat in Nottingham.

When he came to Nottingham, he entered that part of the market where butchers stood, and took up his inn4 in the best placed he could find. Next, he opened his stall and spread his meat upon the bench, then, taking his cleaver and steel and clatting them together, he trolled aloud, in merry tones:—“Now come, ye lasses, and eke, ye dames,

And buy your meat from me;

For three pennyworths of meat I sell

For the charge of one penny.

“Lamb have I that hath fed upon nought

But the dainty daisies pied,

And the violet sweet, and the daffodil

That grow fair streams beside.

“And beef have I from the heathery wolds,

And mutton from dales all green,

And veal as white as a maiden’s brow,

With its mother’s silk, I ween.

“Then come, ye lasses, and eke, ye dames,

Come, buy your meat from me;

For three pennyworths of meat I sell

For the charge of one penny. ”

Thus he sang blithely, while all who stood near listened amazedly; then, when he had finished, he clattered the steel and cleaver still more loudly, shouting lustily, “Now, who’ll buy? who’ll buy? Four fixed prices have I. Three pennyworths of meat I sell to a fat friar or priest for sixpence, for I want not their customs; stout aldermen I charge threepence, for it doth not matter to me whether they buy or not; to buxom dames I sell three pennyworths of meat for one penny, for I like their custom well; but to the bonny lass that hath a liking for a good tight butcher I charge nought but one fair kiss, for I like her custom the best of all.”

Then all began to stare and wonder, and crowd around, laughing, for never was such selling heard of in all Nottingham Town; but when they came to buy they found it as he had said, for he gave good wife or dame as much meat for one penny as they could buy elsewhere for three, and when a widow or a poor woman came to him, he gave her flesh for nothing; but when a