th,
"Pity the lame one." But although all these troubles written upon the
boards seemed so grievous, the four stout fellows sat around feasting
as merrily as though Cain's wife had never opened the pottle that held
misfortunes and let them forth like a cloud of flies to pester us.

The deaf man was the first to hear Robin, for he said, "Hark, brothers,
I hear someone coming." And the blind man was the first to see him,
for he said, "He is an honest man, brothers, and one of like craft to
ourselves." Then the dumb man called to him in a great voice and said,
"Welcome, brother; come and sit while there is still some of the feast
left and a little Malmsey in the pottle." At this, the lame man, who
had taken off his wooden leg and unstrapped his own leg, and was sitting
with it stretched out upon the grass so as to rest it, made room for
Robin among them. "We are glad to see thee, brother," said he, holding
out the flask of Malmsey.

"Marry," quoth Robin, laughing, and weighing the flask in his hands ere
he drank, "methinks it is no more than seemly of you all to be glad
to see me, seeing that I bring sight to the blind, speech to the dumb,
hearing to the deaf, and such a lusty leg to a lame man. I drink to your
happiness, brothers, as I may not drink to your health, seeing ye are
already hale, wind and limb."

At this all grinned, and the Blind beggar, who was the chief man among
them, and was the broadest shouldered and most lusty rascal of all,
smote Robin upon the shoulder, swearing he was a right merry wag.

"Whence comest thou, lad?" asked the Dumb man.

"Why," quoth Robin, "I came this morning from sleeping overnight in
Sherwood."

"Is it even so?" said the Deaf man. "I would not for all the money we
four are carrying to Lincoln Town sleep one night in Sherwood. If Robin
Hood caught one of our trade in his woodlands he would, methinks, clip
his ears."

"Methinks he would, too," quoth Robin, laughing. "But what money is this
that ye speak of?"

Then up spake the Lame man. "Our king, Peter of York," said he, "hath
sent us to Lincoln with those moneys that--"

"Stay, brother Hodge," quoth the Blind man, breaking into the talk, "I
would not doubt our brother here, but bear in mind we know him not. What
art thou, brother? Upright-man, Jurkman, Clapper-dudgeon, Dommerer, or
Abraham-man?"

At these words Robin looked from one man to the other with mouth agape.
"Truly," quoth he, "I trust I am an upright man, at