said Little John; and
the old ballad that tells of this, adds, "So, in truth, was he a green
leaf, but of what manner of tree the Sheriff wotted not."

"Now, Reynold Greenleaf," quoth the Sheriff, "thou art the fairest hand
at the longbow that mine eyes ever beheld, next to that false knave,
Robin Hood, from whose wiles Heaven forfend me! Wilt thou join my
service, good fellow? Thou shalt be paid right well, for three suits of
clothes shalt thou have a year, with good food and as much ale as thou
canst drink; and, besides this, I will pay thee forty marks each
Michaelmastide."

"Then here stand I a free man, and right gladly will I enter thy
household," said Little John, for he thought he might find some merry
jest, should he enter the Sheriff's service.

"Fairly hast thou won the fat steers," said the Sheriff, "and hereunto
I will add a butt of good March beer, for joy of having gotten such a
man; for, I wot, thou shootest as fair a shaft as Robin Hood himself."

"Then," said Little John, "for joy of having gotten myself into thy
service, I will give fat steers and brown ale to all these good folk, to
make them merry withal." At this arose a great shout, many casting
their caps aloft, for joy of the gift.

Then some built great fires and roasted the steers, and others broached
the butt of ale, with which all made themselves merry. Then, when they
had eaten and drunk as much as they could, and when the day faded and
the great moon arose, all red and round, over the spires and towers of
Nottingham Town, they joined hands and danced around the fires, to the
music of bagpipes and harps. But long before this merrymaking had begun,
the Sheriff and his new servant Reynold Greenleaf were in the Castle of
Nottingham.

How Little John Lived at the Sheriff's

THUS LITTLE JOHN entered into the Sheriff's service and found the life
he led there easy enough, for the Sheriff made him his right-hand man
and held him in great favor. He sat nigh the Sheriff at meat, and he ran
beside his horse when he went a-hunting; so that, what with hunting and
hawking a little, and eating rich dishes and drinking good sack, and
sleeping until late hours in the morning, he grew as fat as a stall-fed
ox. Thus things floated easily along with the tide, until one day when
the Sheriff went a-hunting, there happened that which broke the smooth
surface of things.

This morning the Sheriff and many of his men set forth to meet certain
lord