.

"And a man-eating bishop?"

"Ay," said Little John, more sorrowfully than before.

"And a money-gorging usurer?"

"Ay," said Little John in so sorrowful a voice that it might have drawn
tears from the Dragon of Wentley.

"Alas, that these things should be!" said jolly Robin, turning to the
Bishop, "for I have ever found Little John a truthful man."

At this, a roar of laughter went up, whereat the blood rushed into the
Bishop's face till it was cherry red from crown to chin; but he said
nothing and only swallowed his words, though they well-nigh choked him.

"Nay, my Lord Bishop," said Robin, "we are rough fellows, but I trust
not such ill men as thou thinkest, after all. There is not a man here
that would harm a hair of thy reverence's head. I know thou art galled
by our jesting, but we are all equal here in the greenwood, for there
are no bishops nor barons nor earls among us, but only men, so thou must
share our life with us while thou dost abide here. Come, busk ye, my
merry men, and get the feast ready. Meantime, we will show our guests
our woodland sports."

So, while some went to kindle the fires for roasting meats, others ran
leaping to get their cudgels and longbows. Then Robin brought forward
Sir Richard of the Lea. "My Lord Bishop," said he, "here is another
guest that we have with us this day. I wish that thou mightest know him
better, for I and all my men will strive to honor you both at this
merrymaking."

"Sir Richard," said the Bishop in a reproachful tone, "methinks thou and
I are companions and fellow sufferers in this den of--" He was about to
say "thieves," but he stopped suddenly and looked askance at Robin Hood.

"Speak out, Bishop," quoth Robin, laughing. "We of Sherwood check not
an easy flow of words. 'Den of thieves' thou west about to say."

Quoth the Bishop, "Mayhap that was what I meant to say, Sir Richard; but
this I will say, that I saw thee just now laugh at the scurrilous jests
of these fellows. It would have been more becoming of thee, methinks,
to have checked them with frowns instead of spurring them on by
laughter."

"I meant no harm to thee," said Sir Richard, "but a merry jest is a
merry jest, and I may truly say I would have laughed at it had it been
against mine own self."

But now Robin Hood called upon certain ones of his band who spread soft
moss upon the ground and laid deerskins thereon. Then Robin bade his
guests be seated, and so they all three sat