ndle,
he went off, grumbling like the now distant thunder. When he came to the
room where he was to sleep he held the light over Robin and looked at
him from top to toe; then he felt better pleased, for, instead, of a
rough, dirty-bearded fellow, he beheld as fresh and clean a lad as one
could find in a week of Sundays; so, slipping off his clothes, he also
huddled into the bed, where Robin, grunting and grumbling in his sleep,
made room for him. Robin was more sound asleep, I wot, than he had been
for many a day, else he would never have rested so quietly with one of
the friar's sort so close beside him. As for the friar, had he known who
Robin Hood was, you may well believe he would almost as soon have slept
with an adder as with the man he had for a bedfellow.

So the night passed comfortably enough, but at the first dawn of day
Robin opened his eyes and turned his head upon the pillow. Then how he
gaped and how he stared, for there beside him lay one all shaven and
shorn, so that he knew that it must be a fellow in holy orders. He
pinched himself sharply, but, finding he was awake, sat up in bed, while
the other slumbered as peacefully as though he were safe and sound at
home in Emmet Priory. "Now," quoth Robin to himself, "I wonder how this
thing hath dropped into my bed during the night." So saying, he arose
softly, so as not to waken the other, and looking about the room he
espied the friar's clothes lying upon a bench near the wall. First he
looked at the clothes, with his head on one side, and then he looked
at the friar and slowly winked one eye. Quoth he, "Good Brother
What-e'er-thy-name-may-be, as thou hast borrowed my bed so freely I'll
e'en borrow thy clothes in return." So saying, he straightway donned the
holy man's garb, but kindly left the cobbler's clothes in the place
of it. Then he went forth into the freshness of the morning, and the
stableman that was up and about the stables opened his eyes as though he
saw a green mouse before him, for such men as the friars of Emmet were
not wont to be early risers; but the man bottled his thoughts, and only
asked Robin whether he wanted his mule brought from the stable.

"Yea, my son," quoth Robin--albeit he knew nought of the mule--"and
bring it forth quickly, I prythee, for I am late and must be jogging."
So presently the stableman brought forth the mule, and Robin mounted it
and went on his way rejoicing.

As for the holy friar, when he arose he was in as