that
could be played by torchlight, and it was all to please the kind little
woman who had saved the life of their master.

The merry little woman sat and clapped her hands at all their feats, and
she laughed until she cried. Then she wiped her eyes and sang them her
one little song.

The men shouted and cheered, and cheered and shouted, and the woods
echoed so long and so loud that one would have thought they, too, were
trying to shout.

By and by the company all set out together to carry the little old woman
to her cottage. She was put upon their very best and safest horse, and
Robin Hood would have none lead it but himself. After the horse came a
long line of good bowmen and true. One carried a new cloak of the finest
wool. Another bore a whole armful of silken kerchiefs to make up for the
one that Robin had worn away. There were "shoon and hosen," and there
was cloth of scarlet and of blue, and there were soft, warm blankets for
her bed. There were so many things that when they were all piled up in
the little cottage, there was no chance for one tenth of the men to get
into the room. Those that were outside pushed up to the window and
stretched their heads in at the door: and they tried their best to pile
up the great heap of things so she could have room to go to bed that
night and to cook her breakfast in the morning.

"And to-morrow's sweeping day," cried Robin. "'Thursday I brew and
Friday I sweep,' and how'll she sweep if she has no floor?"

"We'll have to make her a floor," declared Friar Tuck.

"So we will," said Robin. "There's a good man not far away who can work
in wood, and he shall come in the morning and build her another room."

"Oh, oh!" cried the merry little old woman with delight, "I never
thought I should have a house with two rooms; but I'll always care for
this room the most, for there's just where Master Robin stood when he
came in at the door, and there's where he sat when he was spinning the
flax. But, Master Robin, Master Robin, did any one ever see such a
thread as you've left on the spool!"

It was so funny that the merry little old woman really couldn't help
jumping up and dancing.

"Hey down, down, an a down!"

And then the brave men and true all said good-night and went back to the
forest.

414

All attempts to prove the historical existence
of Robin Hood have been unsuccessful. His story
has come down to us in a group of old folk