Folk ballads
THE BALLAD OF ROBIN HOOD
Section one
HOW ROBIN HOOD BECAME A ROBBER
Who wishes happiness to the poor fellows
And freedom-loving himself,
Sit in a circle and I’ll tell you
About Robin Hood for you.
He had the best friends
The disadvantaged of all,
And he scared the rich to death
His hunting horn.
Thirteen years
Rob lived well
In the wilderness.
He was a robber by fate
And a knight is at heart.
Who's speaking? Who is he addressing?
This happened a long time ago, even under Henry II, who, after a fierce struggle with his brothers, ascended to the throne of England. In those days, the north of the country was covered with large protected forests, in which only the king could hunt, and everyone else, on pain of death, was forbidden to kill even a single deer. These forests were guarded by the king's foresters, and the chief forester in each forest had the same authority as a sheriff in a walled city or even a bishop in his abbey.
The largest royal reserves - Sherwood and Bernesdale forests - were adjacent to two cities - Sherwood and Bernesdale. For several years the chief forester there was one man named Hugh Fitzou. He had a quiet, meek wife and a small son, Roberg. The boy, as evidenced by the entry in the deed book, was born in 1160 in the city of Loxley - for this reason he was often called Loxley or Rob and Loxley. Handsome, with an elastic and plump body, Rob, as soon as he firmly stood on his feet, immediately and most of all fell in love with wandering through the forest with his father. And when his hand matured, he learned to deftly draw a bow and shoot a powerful arrow. On long winter evenings, Rob's greatest joy was listening to his father's stories about the brave Green Villa the robber. This Willie was not at all afraid of the royal foresters and for many years he walked through the reserves, shooting deer and feasting with his friends.
When the weather was bad outside, Rob spent his days whittling straight arrows for his longbow and tying gray goose feathers to them.
Looking at how her son's face glowed when he listened to stories about the free forest life of robbers, the loving mother only sighed... She taught him to read and write, instilled in him good manners, taught him to be truthful and honest both before high-ranking lords and before ordinary people. peasants. And how pleasant his mother’s science was for the boy, however, he felt happier when, with a bow in his hands, he freely wandered through the forest wilds, listening to the mysterious language of the trees.
In those joyful and carefree days, Rob had two friends: Willie Gamewell, the son of his father's brother, who lived at Gamewell Lodge, near Nottingham, and Marian Fitzwalter, the only daughter of the Earl of Huntingdon.
Huntingdon Castle was clearly visible from one tall tree, of which there are many in Sherwood Forest, and every clear day a white Robe's scarf informed Marian from this tree that he was already waiting for her.
Rob did not go to the girl’s castle because their parents were at enmity. There were rumors among people that the supposedly legitimate Earl of Huntingdon was Hugh Fitz, but his lands were treacherously seized by Fitzwalter, the king's favorite. However, neither Rob nor Marian paid any attention to their parents' enmity, although it deepened every day. They only knew that the large green forest was open to them and that this wide, wide world was filled with the scents of flowers and full of bird songs.
The days of children's entertainment passed quickly and unnoticed, and very soon storm clouds gathered over the heads of Rob and Marian.
In Robov's father, besides Fitzwalter, there were two more irreconcilable enemies: the dry-haired sheriff of Nottingham and the smooth bishop of Hereford. These three enemies conspired among themselves and whispered such things into the queen’s ear that Hugh Fetzou immediately lost his position as royal forester. On a cold winter evening, father, mother and Rob were kicked out onto the street without warning, deprived of any rights to property. The sheriff arrested the forester for treason, which poor Hugh Fetzou had no idea about, and hid him in Nottingham prison. The first night Rob and his mother were also in prison, but in the morning they were kicked out. Then they turned for help to their only relative, Squire1 George Gamewell, who cordially provided them with refuge...
In less than two months, Rob's mother was gone. The guy’s heart seemed to break from this loss. And before the first spring flowers had time to bloom on his mother’s grave, a new grief fell on Rob: his father also passed away.
Two years have passed. Rob's cousin, Willie, attended school far from home; Marian's father sent her to the court of Queen Eleanor when he learned about his daughter's friendship with Rob. So, for two whole years the orphaned guy was completely alone.
The rudely good-natured elderly squire treated him with sincere tenderness, but could do nothing to help his nephew, who could not find a place for himself, was constantly thinking intensely about something and seemed to be looking for something lost. And Rob simply missed his old life in the forest no less than his mother’s affection and his father’s company. Every time he grabbed the trembling bowstring and sent a long arrow, he heard the whistle of gray goose feathers, happy days came to life in his imagination, which he could no longer return.
And one morning, when Rob came to breakfast, his uncle greeted him with these words:
I have news for you, my boy! - The old, sincere squire finished his last sip of beer and slammed his tin mug on the table.
What kind of news is this, Uncle George? - the young man asked with interest.
There is a good opportunity to test your bow and get a good prize! There is now a fair in Nottingham, and the sheriff has announced an archery competition. The best of them
They will become royal foresters, and the one who shoots accurately will also receive a reward - a golden arrow. Of course, you don't need such stuff. But isn’t this what the mistress of your heart needs? Ha, is it working? What do you say, my boy?
The squire laughed loudly and hit the table with his mug again.
Rob's eyes lit up.
Over the course of a few days, one fine morning, Rob set off from Loscley and traveled through Sherwood Forest to Nottingham. A long yew bow hung over his shoulder, a quiver filled to the brim with arrows swung at his side, and in his hand the young man tightly clutched a thick staff. Stately and slender, he was dressed from head to toe in all green and walked with a fast, cheerful step. His heart sang: the young man was full of great hopes and did not have a single enemy in the world. And this was the last matinee in Rob's life when he had no enemies. Making his way through the thickets of Sherwood Forest and whistling a playful melody, he suddenly ran into a group of foresters who were having a magnificent feast under the wide arches of a hundred-year-old oak tree...
Rob just looked at the leader of the foresters and instantly realized that in front of him was an enemy. This was the same man who illegally took his father’s place as the chief forester... However, Rob did not say a word to him and would have peacefully moved on if the leader of the foresters, after rinsing his throat with an incredibly large sip of beer, had not shouted:
Word of honor, the boy considers himself a shooter!
Where are you going, boy, with your toy bow and arrow? By the way, he's limping off to Nottingham for the competition!
The foresters greeted these witticisms with a thunder of insulting laughter. Rob seethed. He really considered himself a good archer and therefore shouted back angrily:
My bow is no worse than yours, and my arrows fly far and accurately, so it’s not for you to teach me!
Okay, let it be your way,” the forester answered angrily, “you’ll get your head for bragging if you don’t hit my target.”
At that moment, a herd of deer came out of the forest thicket, having eaten the grass. They were at least a hundred steps away. These were royal deer, but at such a distance it seemed that nothing could threaten them. The chief forester pointed his finger towards the animals:
If your fragile hand sends an arrow at least 6 to the surface towards them, I will lay down with you.
Enough! - Rob exclaimed. “I bet my head against twenty pennies that this handsome leader of yours is now taking his last breath!”
Without saying anything else, he touched the bowstring, nocked the arrow and pulled his right hand to his temple. A moment - and a singing arrow flashed like a beam across a wide clearing. Another moment - and the leader deer jumped high in place, and then, as if cut short, fell to the ground.
Do you know, your stupid head, what have you done? - shouted the chief forester. - You killed the royal deer! Our King Henry punished such tricks with death. Not a word about money! Get out quickly, and don't let my eyes see you again!
A wave of indignation rose in Robov's chest.
I’m going because your mug is already an eyesore, dear forester. You're wearing my father's scraps! - he exclaimed and, turning away, went his way.
The forester took these words as a threat. Filled with blood from rage, he grabbed his bow and shot Robov in the back. Luckily for the lads, at the last minute the forester, stepping on a dry branch, was sharpened: the arrow whistled right next to Rob’s ear and only tore out a few hairs on his head.
The slave trembled with anger and impulsively turned to the enemy, who stood about forty paces from him.
Ha! - he exclaimed. - You're a master at bragging, but you don't know how to shoot! Here's one from my toy bow!
An arrow shot into the air. The chief forester screamed and fell face down. With furious shouts, the foresters crowded around their boss, but saw that he no longer needed help. This is how Rob took revenge for the death of his father, although now he himself found himself outlawed.
In the evening, hungry and tired, Rob reached a hut that stood on the far edge of the forest. There lived a poor widow who knew Rob when he was a boy...
The old woman warmly greeted the guest, quickly baked him some flat cakes2, and then put him to rest and made him tell him everything that happened to him.
“The wind is blowing through Sherwood,” the old woman said, sadly shaking her head. “The rich people are completely upset and are robbing the poor, as they themselves know.”
I have three sons, and all of them were declared robbers only because they killed one royal deer last winter so as not to die of hunger. Now they are hiding in the forest. They told me that there were about four dozen other good people hiding there with them, who would not allow themselves to be offended - they always had their bows ready against the offenders.
Grandma, where are they? - Rob exclaimed. - Word of honor, I will pester them.
No, no,” the old woman began to refuse, however, thinking that there was no other advice for the guy, she said: “Tonight my sons will amaze me.” Stay here and talk to them when you need to.
The slave happily stayed, and on a dark night he already had a conversation with three girls from the village, with three brave young men who immediately took a liking to his heart.
Having made sure that all Robov’s intentions coincided with their freedom-loving impulses, they took an oath of allegiance from him and only then told him where their gangs were hidden. Rob knew this place very well.
Finally, one of the Udovichenkos said:
But we still don’t have a leader whose head works as well as his hand. And we agreed to choose for our leader such a robber who has enough brains to get into Nottingham undetected and receive a reward in archery competitions.
I. Vyshinsky. Illustration for the ballad “Robin Hood”, graphics here and below
Rob jumped to his feet.
Timely said! - he exclaimed. - So I was going to the fair, and no foresters, no sheriff
the henchmen won't stop me from hitting the bull's-eye!
Making his way through the dense crowd to the competition site, Rob entered the wide market square. The air was shaken by the inviting sounds of bugles, and streams of people quickly filled the square in front of the ancient town hall. Rob pushed his way in just as the official began to loudly read out this proclamation from the Sheriff of Nottingham County:
- “A fellow named Robert, nephew of Squire Gamewell of Gamewell Hall, has killed His Majesty the King's chief forester and is declared an outlaw. One hundred pounds sterling reward to whoever catches the above-mentioned Robert, dead or alive."
The major competitions began in the afternoon. Twenty archers took to the tournament field and prepared to fight for the golden arrow. Among them, a pitiful-looking beggar, dressed in colorful rags, with his face and hands tanned black and scratched, caught the eye. His shock of reddish hair was covered by a hood, very similar to those worn by monks. The beggar slowly walked behind the archers and leisurely took a place in their row. Cheers of derision were heard from the crowd. And, since, according to the terms of the competition, everyone could take part in them, no one demanded that the beggar be driven away.
Side by side with Rob - for, of course, it was him - stood a muscular, dark-haired boy with a green bandage on his left eye. They laughed from him too, but
he did not pay any attention to this at all and silently tested his bow with dexterous hands accustomed to small arms.
The stands for spectators, a huge horseshoe that surrounded the shooting range, were overcrowded. Small gentry and common people from surrounding villages and towns gathered there. Everyone was looking forward to the start of the competition.
In the central box sat the bony, pompous sheriff, his wife and daughter hung with jewels, who showed with all her appearance that she hoped to receive the golden arrow from the hands of the winner and thus become the queen of the day.
In the next box sat the fat Bishop of Hereford, and in the box on the other side sat a girl whose dark hair, brown eyes and refined features made Rob's heart leap with joy. It was Marian! She had come to visit from London from the Queen's court and was now shyly clinging to her father, the Earl of Huntingdon.
The trumpets sounded and the crowd froze. Heralds3 once again announced the conditions of the competition. Anyone could take part in it. The first goal will be set for thirty elіv4. Those that hit the bull's eye, shoot at another target, moved ten ells further. The third goal will be set even further, and so on until a winner is determined. He receives a golden arrow and the position of royal forester, and also wins the right to choose the queen of the day.
Rob shot sixth. A man with a green feather on his eye greeted his shot with an approving mutter. He himself fired his arrow with apparent carelessness, but also hit the middle, where there was a circle, no more than a bull's eye.
The crowd greeted the winners of the first round of the competition with a furious roar and shouts of “hurray.” The trumpets began to sing again, and the second goal was set for forty ales...
Beggar! Look what the beggar produces! - the heated crowd raged. - He was lucky again!
And indeed, Rob's arrow stuck out much closer to the middle than anyone else's. Only “One-Eye,” as the crowd dubbed the guy with the bandaged eye, fired accurately at him. The audience responded to his shot with a unanimous roar. Such shooting could not be seen every day in Nottingham.
Meanwhile, trumpets announced the beginning of the third guru - the target was set at a distance of fifty ells.
“Honestly, my young friend, you are quite good with a bow,” his strange neighbor told Robov during a rest break. - Do you want me to shoot in front of you now?
No,” answered Rob, “but you are a very good shot, and if I win, then you will certainly leave these turkeys far behind.”
And he nodded dismissively towards the three archers, around whom their fans, mainly the servants of the sheriff, the bishop and the count, crowded.
Then the product's gaze slid into the box where the beautiful Marian was sitting. It seemed that the girl was also watching him, because their eyes met; however, Marian hastily turned away. One-Eyed noticed everything at once.
Yeah, your favorite! - he said smiling. - Yes, and a golden arrow is better than that arrogant sheriff’s month.
Rob quickly looked at One-Eye and saw in his gaze only the most sincere affection.
For a moment the young man turned his gaze to the box where the dark-eyed girl was sitting. His heart skipped a beat. Marian noticed that look and smiled slightly! Roo instantly felt that she recognized him, despite his fancy attire, and with all her heart she urged him not to disgrace the glory of old Sherwood Forest. Rob drew his bow with a confident hand and, choosing a moment between the gusts of the wind, shot an arrow. She chanted across the field and pierced the very center of the target.
Beggar! Beggar! Hurray for him, hurray! - the excited crowd yelled, turning from ridicule to total devotion to Rob. - Well, will you beat him, One-Eye?
The guy with the green eyepatch smiled disdainfully and began to fight. With a relaxed, graceful movement, he pulled his bow and, as if without looking at the target, fired a winged arrow. She whizzed towards her target; hundreds of frozen eyes followed her in flight. And again the wild roar of the crowd broke the deep silence. One-Eye's arrow barely missed the middle, but stubbed the feathers on Robov's arrow. Having looked closely at the target and realizing his mistake, the unknown archer shrugged his shoulders in surprise. He did not pay attention to the variability of the wind, and the arrow drifted a little to the side. And, despite his defeat, he was the first to congratulate Rob on his victory.
I hope we will compete again someday,” he said. - But to tell the truth, I don’t need that golden tchotchke at all; I just wanted to annoy the damn sheriff. Well, now crown the chosen one of your heart.
And, suddenly turning his back, he disappeared into the crowd before Rob could say that he, too, would willingly fight with him if given the opportunity.
The Herald invited Rob to the sheriff's box, where his reward was waiting...
The Traveler does,” he said, “here is a golden arrow that belongs to the best archer of the day.” And you won this prize. Give it to someone who really deserves it.
Immediately the herald pushed Rob away with his elbow and almost by force returned him to the sheriff's daughter, who sat with a lean smile on her lips. And Rob didn't pay attention. He took the golden arrow and approached the box where the beautiful Marian was sitting.
Lady,” Rob said to her, “I ask you to accept this little gift from the poor traveler, who is always ready to serve you with the best arrows from his quiver.”
Thank you, Works in Captura5,” the girl answered, looking slyly at the edge and sticking a shining arrow into her dark hair.
The crowd shouted loudly:
Glory to our king! Glory!
The sheriff called his guards and ordered them to keep an eye on the beggar. But Rob deftly turned around and, getting lost in the crowd, quickly headed towards the city gates.
That same evening, in the middle of a wide clearing in Sherwood Forest, forty young men dressed all in green were sitting around a bright fire. They were roasting venison on the fire and chatting happily. Suddenly a branch snapped somewhere nearby. At the same moment, everyone jumped to their feet and grabbed their weapons.
Don’t be afraid, it’s a friend,” a ringing voice came from the thicket. - I'm looking for my sons.
Three Udovich girls stepped forward.
Yes, it's Rob! - they exclaimed. - Welcome to Sherwood Forest, Robe!
The rest of the goblin also came up to Rob and warmly shook his hand, because they all already knew his story.
After this, one of the widow’s three sons, nicknamed Fat Will, came forward and said:
Friends, you all know that our detachment still lacked a real leader - noble, well-mannered, intelligent, dexterous and courageous. It seems that now we have found the ataman in the person of this young man. My brothers and I told him that you will choose for your leader the one who makes a fool of the sheriff today by receiving his golden arrow. Am I telling the truth?
Rob laughed:
I can say that I really left the sheriff a fool, and in addition I also took his golden arrow. However, regarding the prize, you must take my word for it, for I gave it to one girl.
I will be glad if you accept me into your family as a simple archer. Because here, I see, there are older and more experienced people than me.
A tall, dark-skinned man stepped forward from the group of goblins, and Rob immediately recognized him as an archer with a green patch over his eye; only now he had taken off the blindfold and looked at the world with both eyes - brave and honest. He said:
Hooded Rob - that's what the lady seems to have called you - I can confirm your words... However, I, Will Stutely, declare in front of everyone that I do not recognize any other leader except you.
Three young Udovichenkos did the same, and after them, with joyful cries, all the other robbers...
The newly elected leader was called Robin Hood.
Rob didn't mind because that's what the lovely Marian called him.
That evening, for a long time, cheerful songs were heard around the fire and cheerful conversations were held. The gang gave Robin Hood a horn with which he was supposed to call his fighters. Everyone solemnly swore that, taking money and goods from the rich, they would help the poor and disadvantaged in every possible way and would never cause harm to a woman, be it a girl, a married woman or a widow. The oath was taken under a spreading hundred-year-old tree, with crimson flashes of flame, over a good dinner and a glass of beer.
So Robin Hood became a robber.
Translation from English by Yu. Yura
Offer of the heart. Tapestry of the 15th century.
Where and when did the actions take place? How are they described?
How is Rob the Child described?
What stories attracted him?
What was Rob's hobby as a child?
What did his mother teach him?
What was fun for the children?
Does the event change the life of the family? Is there justice in it?
How are Rob's father's enemies characterized? How does this characterization reveal the narrator's attitude toward them?
1Squire is a shortened form of the English title of nobility - esquire.
What does a guy dream about when he's alone?
Pay attention to the squire's speech. How is it characterized?
How is Rob's appearance described?
How has Rob's behavior changed?
Whose words of the forester are these provocations? Why?
How does Rob react to injustice?
How did Rob's fight with the forester unfold?
2Prisok - hot ash with heat.
What did the old woman say?
True message?
What did Rob find out? What is his reaction to the news?
How is an archer described?
How are rich people described?
3 Herald - manager at celebrations and knightly tournaments.
4 Spruce is an ancient measure of length, about 113 cm.
Pay attention to the rituals of the tournament.
Where does understanding archers begin?
What inspires Rob?
What influenced the result of the shooting? What is Rob's advantage?
How did the tournament end? Or have all the rituals been completed?
Was the offer fair?
5Marian says: “Koіp Noogi”, which literally translated from English means: “Rob in the hood.”
What oath did the robbers take? Where was it?
How does this action characterize Villa?
Observations
Questions and tasks
* Expressively read the translation of the English folk ballad about Robin Hood.
Pay attention to how his courage and nobility are characterized.
Confirm with quotes from the ballad that Robin Hood has a sense of self-worth and justice.
Find descriptions of Robin Hood's friends and enemies in the text. Compare them. What artistic mediums have most influenced your perception of characters?
Speech development
Determine your personal attitude to the problem of confrontation between rich and poor, which is violated in the ballad. Support your thoughts with examples and quotes from the text.
Work in pairs
Check that you read the text carefully.
3 Which inverse expression does the text begin with? What does it say about the timing of events?
Can you tell us more about the country (land) in which the events take place?
Give examples of repetitions. What is their role in the text?
Group work
Conduct a competition for notes in the school newspaper using puzzles, catchphrases, riddles based on epics and folk ballads.
First, distribute responsibilities: who selects and edits the collected material, who draws and who writes texts. Then talk to your school librarian about where and how you can find interesting material. Learn to work in pairs and small groups.
Folklore ballad (from the French ballade - to dance, to walk) is a genre of lyric-epic poetry with fantastic, historical, heroic or social content. A story depicting events and actions of characters in a work of fiction.
Look at a reproduction of a 15th century tapestry. Create a poetic accompaniment to the image using the following supporting questions:
1. What does the knight “give” to the beautiful lady?
2. How is the world around us depicted?
3. What artistic means are used to highlight the characters in the reproduction?
The ability to retell a text is a step towards the ability to communicate with other people. Telling something means not only sharing information about an event or dryly reproducing the course of events, but also trying to interest and intrigue your listener. How to do it? Here are three steps to success:
1. Think about what words you will start the story with and what intonation you will choose.
2. How to keep the listener's interest? Remember vivid facts, change intonations (lower the pronunciation, speed up the rhythm, change the emotional structure, suddenly stop in pronunciation, add the words “imagine”, make the middle of the text more emotional, bright).
3. It is very important to direct the listener’s attention so that he perceives your text with both his mind and heart.
Getting ready for a children's television announcers competition
Read silently the beginning and ending of the story of Robin Hood. Read these passages out loud expressively, choose an appropriate pace, and observe pauses.
Or will the intonation of reading the two passages be the same? Why? On behalf of whom is the story told? Who is telling it?
Who is Robin Hood? Briefly retell the beginning. How are the hero’s family and himself characterized in it?
Find and read a scene that shows the characters' equal attitude to competition. What intonation will you choose? Why?
Find key episodes in the text. How do you read them?
Find the dialogue in the text and read it behind the faces. Show intonation differences in the character of the characters. Identify the words that name the person being spoken to. Follow the rules for stressing words.
Generalization
Who is the historical Robin Hood?
What is the image of Robin Hood? Why is Robin Hood, the hero of the ballad, an ideal hero?
Creative project
Based on the text you read about Robin Hood, write your own story about a meeting between a medieval knight and noble robbers. This will be the second section of your literary work.
Ballads of Robin Hood
Robin Hood and the Foresters
Robin Hood is tall and slender.
He is fifteen,
And more fun than a daredevil
Not in the entire area.
Came to Nottingham one day
Brave Robin Hood.
Looks - fifteen foresters
They drink wine and beer.
Fifteen hefty foresters
They drink beer, ale and gin.
"All the poor are in our hands,
Not a single one will make a peep!”
“Well, tell me, foresters,
What's new in the country?
“The king calls the archers for a bet.”
“Well, I have my bow with me.”
“Your bow? - the foresters laugh. -
Who called you, young man?
Yes, boy, the bowstring
Will you pull it all the way?”
"I bet twenty gold pieces,
For an even number.
A deer five hundred paces away
My arrow will kill."
“He’s coming,” said the foresters, “
Any mortgage is good.
A deer five hundred paces away,
Even if you burst, you won’t kill.”
But none of them had time
Not a sigh, not a blink,
Like Robin in five hundred steps
Hit the deer in the chest.
One jump, another jump -
The deer lay down on the ground.
“My victory, foresters,
Shake your wallet!
“It’s not worth it, guy, our mortgage
Such a trifle.
Go away, or else, look,
We’ll pound your sides.”
Laughing with all my might, over and over again
He lowered the bowstring
And every time one forester
He fell onto the grass.
The last one started to run
I ran as fast as I could,
But keen-sighted Robin and his
Stopped it with an arrow.
Then the sheriff to his shooters
He told me to run,
For the royal foresters
Deal with the enemy.
Some were carried home without legs,
Other shooters - without hands,
And Robin Hood went into the woods,
Taking your trusty bow.
Robin Hood and the widow
Twelve months a year
There are a dozen of them, count them
But more fun than all the others
The spring month of May.
Robin Hood came out of the forest,
Goes through the village
And he sees an old widow
Sobbing at the gate.
“What’s new, widow?” -
Robin Hood told her.
"My three sons for execution
Today they will take you."
“What are these fellows doing?
Did you break the law?
Did they burn down the neighboring monastery?
Have strangers’ wives been stolen?”
“How can you, good man,
Break the law!
They did not burn the monastery,
They didn’t steal strangers’ wives.”
"Why are the king's servants
Will they be taken to execution?
"They were hunting in the forest
With you, Robin Hood!
“I swear,” exclaimed Robin Hood,
You cry early, mother!
But God knows that I could
To be forever late!”
Here's Robin to the city of Nottingham
I went straight
And a beggar met him
A completely gray-haired old man.
“What's new, father?” -
Robin Hood spoke.
"Today in the city for execution
Three brothers will be taken."
“Take off, father, your rags,
You will wear my outfit.
And here is a bag of silver,
Drink for at least a month straight.”
“Your outfit is beautiful and durable,
And mine is very skinny.
Don't hurt me, son,
Don't laugh at need."
“Take off, take off your rags,
It will suit me.
And here are twenty gold pieces -
Feast for a whole year!”
Robin Hood began to dress.
First I put on my cap.
And that cap stood like a stake,
He held on somehow.
Robin threw on an old cloak.
He hung like a sack
And was patched up at random
Both along and across.
He put on old pants
With a huge hole.
"Wow! - exclaimed Robin Hood. -
Intricate cut!
Put on stockings and shoes,
And I'm ready to go again.
“In such stockings,” he added, “
Get out of debt!
And Robin Hood laughed
Along with his:
“Yes, they will greet us by our clothes,
They guide you wisely."
Passed the Robin Hood outpost,
Covering my face with a cloak.
And now on the street he
The sheriff himself got caught.
"God bless you, sheriff,
And I have nothing to do with it.
Tell me what you will give to the one
Who will be the executioner?
“Pants made of the best cloth,”
The sheriff answers him. -
Pants made of the best cloth
And a handful of coins."
"I'm helping you, sheriff,
I won't care.
Eternal damnation to him
Who will be the executioner?
I carry a meat bag
Two bags for bread
And this little bag -
For a ringing horn.
Robin Hood knows my horn
And all the forest people,
And this music is for you
It won’t do any good.”
“Well, blow the trumpet! - said the sheriff. -
Just think, a thunderstorm.
Blast while you have it
Your eyes won't pop out!"
The horn began to sing, and the distant log
I responded to him
And a hundred horsemen gallop
Along the nearby hill.
The horn sang and the tramp of feet
Heard in the distance
And fifty dashing shooters
They run in thick dust.
“Who’s running there? - asked the sheriff. -
Where are they running?
“Go, sheriff, meet the guests!” -
Robin Hood answered.
The sheriff was preparing three nooses
To three daredevil brothers,
But on this day in one of them
He was hanged himself.
Robin Hood and the Butcher
One day on a forest path
Beautiful summer day
Robin saw the butcher
With a cart and a horse.
“Hello, hello, butcher.
Your horse is really good.
How long ago have you started trading?
And do you live well?”
“Not for the first time,” the butcher replied, “
I do trade.
How's market day going?
I’m standing in the meat aisle.”
“Well,” said Robin Hood,
Let's start another speech.
How much does your product cost?
With a cart and a horse?
“My goods are not worth much.
So as not to regret it -
Only four gold
With a cart and a horse."
“I pay on the spot for the goods,
Cart and horse.
Let's see if there are butchers
Luckier than me!”
Robin arrived in Nottingham
And he started trading.
For a penny he gave more,
Than butchers - for five.
Around the cart and horse
People are worried.
The butchers are sitting idle,
And Robin sells.
“It’s funny,” said the butchers, “
Look at the young man.
He must have decided to let go
Father's name.
Well, great, newbie!
We invite you to a feast.
Today all of us, butchers,
We’re going to the sheriff’s house.”
“Damn you,” Robin replied,
Who won't go with you?
Let's feast together, butchers,
Whether it’s a night or a whole year!”
And at the sheriff's table
Robin Hood boasted:
“I pay gold for everyone,
Who’s drinking here today!”
“He’s crazy,” the butchers whisper, “
He's delirious, he's in a fever."
“Wait,” the sheriff thinks, “
I will rob you."
“Tell me, butcher,” asked the sheriff,
Are you rich in cattle?
"Oh yes, my good sir,
And lands at that.
Five hundred heads in my herds,
God knows I'm not lying
And if you want to see
I can show you."
The sheriff mounted his horse
Armed with a wallet,
And Robin Hood got into the cart
His guide.
Here the sheriff is riding through the forest,
Ringing coins
And he says: “God bless
From Robin me!
They still passed
And past, right through,
The deer rushed by like a whirlwind,
No less than a hundred in number.
“Well, sheriff, are the cattle good,
Are the herds rich?
“Be quiet, butcher, I’m not happy myself,
Why did you come here?”
Robin approached the sheriff,
Shook him a little
And shook out a pile of gold
On a raincoat from a wallet.
The sheriff emerged from the forest
Swinging on a horse.
"Farewell, sheriff, and remember us,
Yes, bow to your wife!”
The sheriff got to the house
He told me to call my wife
And, sighing, he told her
About being in captivity.
“And rightly so,” the wife responded, “
Why did you go by yourself?
Should you catch Robin?
Yes, scour the forests?
“The robber is brave,” the sheriff sighed,
It's not up to me to catch him.
Much calmer, wife,
Stay away!
Robin Hood and the Foresters liberation of Villa Statley
It's wonderful to live in a deep forest,
And sleep in the forest, and eat.
But one day in Sherwood Forest
The bad news came:
Will Stutley's hands are tied
And imprisoned.
Trapped in broad daylight
They set it up for him.
At least two sheriff shooters
Left on the ground
But tomorrow, as soon as the day dawns,
Will will hang in a noose.
When I heard Robin Hood
That brave Will was captured,
He called the valiant shooters
And he announced the news.
And everyone swore with their heads,
That Stutli will live,
At least all your people
The sheriff gathered for the execution.
Barely the Watch Robin Hood
Placed it in the bushes
People poured out of the castle
And Stutley came out himself.
Brave Will was tightly bound,
He could barely step
And, looking around,
The forest shooter sighed.
"I beg your mercy, Sheriff,
About a mere trifle.
Not befitting a young man
Hanging on a bitch.
Tell me to untie my hands
And give me a good sword.
In battle from an honest sword
It’s not a pity to lie on the ground.”
But the sheriff shouted to the guards,
Let's go quickly.
Will will not die by the sword,
And from a tight loop.
“Tell me to untie my hands,”
Will told the sheriff. -
I'm ready to fight without a sword,
As long as I have enough strength."
"Well, yes! - the sheriff told him. -
You'll kill someone else.
If I see Robin Hood,
So I’ll hang him too.”
Approaches Will's gallows,
Surrounded by enemies.
And then from a nearby bush
Little John stands up.
"I see Will is going to heaven,
Without capturing me!
This doesn't suit a friend,
Isn't that right, Sheriff?
The big guy is familiar to me
And I take him to my prison
I’ll send it straight!”
But, jumping up to Will at once,
John cut the ropes
And someone has a sharp sword
He pulled the scabbard out.
Shoulder to shoulder, back to back
John and Will were fighting,
Meanwhile Robin Hood
He hurried to their aid.
An arrow flashed in the air
And she stuck into a tree.
“Hurry home! - said the sheriff. -
It’s not our power in the forest.”
The sheriff galloped
He pushed as hard as he could.
Behind him and his guards
They took to their heels.
“Wait, Sheriff! - Will exclaimed.
At least have pity on the horse!
You wanted to hang up Robin,
So you have to be brave!”
And now brave Will is free,
Freed from the loop.
“I will remember forever, friends,
How you saved me.
We will wander in the thickets,
In the waves of thick grass
And listen to the sonorous chirping of birds
Yes, the sound of the bowstring!”
Robin Hood and Allan E-Dale
Robin Hood wandered through the grove,
Sat down in the thick shadow
And I saw a stranger
As beautiful as day.
His wide scarlet cloak
It glowed crimson.
He walked freely and easily
And he sang songs.
Robin Hood again tomorrow
Sat down in the cold
And the same merry fellow
He passed nearby.
But his scarlet cloak was gone
No one knows where
And he, sighing, said:
“Trouble, Allan, trouble!”
And the stranger Robin Hood
He asked in the shade of the oak trees:
“Don’t you have any money?
For us, forest shooters?
"Four sidelocks and a ring
I carry it in my wallet.
I wanted to see the ring
In the sweetheart's hand.
I waited not a year, but eight years,
Yes, everything, as you can see, is in vain:
With the old knight she
Standing at the altar."
“What’s your name, poor man?” -
Robin Hood spoke.
"Call me Allan E-Dale,
That's what everyone calls me."
“Where is your beloved,
Which side?
"I'm going straight down the road,
I have five miles left."
Robin Hood started running
I ran five miles in a row.
And he sees darkness in the church,
The ritual has not started.
The bishop asked: “Who entered?
We must know you."
Robin replied: "I'm a singer.
From the North Country."
"Come in, singer, I welcome the singer
And I’m familiar with music.”
"Oh no, I'll meet you at the door
Bride and groom."
The groom entered, a rich lord,
There is gray in the beard.
And with him the beauty came in,
Sad and pale.
"Well! - exclaimed Robin Hood.
The bride is not bad.
So let her choose
According to the groom’s heart!”
And then he blew the trumpet three times,
Raising your trusty horn,
And twenty-five forest shooters
We stepped on the threshold.
They entered under the echoing vault
And silently stood in a circle,
And first came Allan E-Dale,
Clutching a longbow.
"You've waited a long time, Allan E-Dale,
And now the hour has struck:
At the altar without further ado
We will marry you!”
The bishop said: “Without me
There's no way around it.
I have to ask them three times
Do you agree to marriage?
But John took the cassock
And he dressed himself.
“Come on! - exclaimed Robin Hood.
Wipe your butt’s nose!”
And only John began the service,
The people laughed:
He asked the young people seven times,
I sang everything backwards.
Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow
The sheriff spends the night without sleep,
And the day is not ruled by the court.
Gives him no peace
Robber Robin Hood.
Here's to the city of London, to the king,
The sheriff has gone
And he spoke for a whole hour,
On bended knee.
“He is not a sheriff,” said the king,
Who misses out on power?
You don't have to wait for an attack,
And the first to attack.
Find a cunning bait
Shut the trap
And then bring the enemy to me,
I will execute him myself."
The Sheriff returned to Nottingham
And I thought along the way,
How to lure Robin Hood
And settle scores with him.
And here are the obedient messengers
They fly at full speed.
To the sheriff of valiant riflemen
They call for a bet.
Who will hit the target more accurately?
I'm standing behind the line,
Tom will get the arrow
With a golden head.
I barely heard Robin Hood
Winged rumor
He ordered every shooter
Check the string.
“Well,” said Little John,
Let's go! Good morning!
It would be nice to do this
So that they don't recognize us.
Let's shed our outfit
Forest green color.
Let each of our shooters
Dressed in his own way.
Here's a white cloak, here's a yellow cloak,
Here are the blue raincoats.
Let's mix with the crowd -
Try to find it!”
Daredevils came out of the forest,
And everyone was ready
Even if you die, you still win
Sheriff's shooters.
And to the bustling city of Nottingham
They entered one by one,
So that ahead of time
Do not give it to anyone.
Sheriff in vain on the crowd
He looked from under his hand:
Didn't catch my eye
Rebel arrows.
There was a glorious archer - a yellow cloak,
Nice and blue
But the red cloak surpassed them
Skillful shooting.
There was a sharp-sighted Robin Hood in red,
Proven shooter.
Where did he go jokingly?
Nobody could get in.
With an arrow he split the twig,
I'm standing behind the line myself.
He won the arrow fair and square
With a golden head.
While all the people were running
Look at the young man
The arrows quietly got out
From a tight ring.
Then, meeting in a deep forest,
They sat down in the shade
And then the stories began
About this glorious day.
“I love you,” exclaimed Robin Hood,
Not easy things!
It's just bad that the sheriff
He doesn’t know where the arrow is.”
“And we,” said Little John, “
Let's send him a letter.
But it will not go with a messenger,
And it will fly on its own.
I'll tie him to an arrow,
I'll let the arrow fly.
Let it go to the sheriff's house,
It will fall as if from the sky.”
The sheriff was furious
From a bold letter,
And then he himself marveled,
That you haven't gone crazy.
Robin Hood treats the sheriff
One day the shooters were arguing,
Who will hit the mark?
The sheriff watched them play
And the people were amused.
Little John came into the circle
Under screams, noise and laughter.
He hit the mark three times,
He shot better than anyone else.
"Who are you? - asked the sheriff. -
You are strong and broad-shouldered."
“My name,” answered John, “is
Reynold Greenleaf."
“Go, Reynold, serve me.
What's wrong with me?
You will receive twenty gold
And a good horse."
And here Little John is dressed
Sheriff's shooter
But even now Little John
I'm not familiar with treason.
On a fine day in a remote forest
The sheriff was hunting.
He rode off to hunt
I forgot about John.
The sheriff has been waiting for lunch for a long time,
But he still doesn’t go.
“Hey, cook, let me eat!” -
Little John said.
“You’ll be patient,” the cook answered, “
Give it to everyone at once.”
“Well, no,” said Little John, “
I’ll still eat!”
He took out a long sharp sword,
And the burly cook is his own,
And they both started spinning
Swords over your head.
Blades clashed in the air,
Without doing harm.
"Wow! - said Little John. -
You fight anywhere.
Will you come with me to Sherwood Forest?
Robin Hood will receive us."
The cook replied: “At least now!”
I'm tired of it here."
And he's out for meat and wine
I went to the basement.
He fed little John
And he himself did not lag behind.
Then he spoons and ladles
He dragged me to the kitchen.
They're a lot of silver
Hidden in a bag
And a bright golden cup
They took it at the same time.
From this sheriff's cup
Drank beer and wine.
Robin Hood met them laughing,
Famous shooter.
And that same day Little John
The sheriff was waylaid.
"Say, Reynold Greenleaf,
What were you doing in the forest?
"I was looking for you, my lord,
I bring you news.
There, beyond the stream, is the leader deer,
Unseen deer -
Green from head to toe
Like a grove on a May day!”
“I swear on my soul,” said the sheriff,
I’ll look at the deer.”
“And I,” said Little John, “
I’ll show you the way.”
The sheriff reached the stream,
And there they are waiting for the guest:
Dressed in green from head to toe
Robin Hood comes out.
The sheriff had to feast.
He sat looking to the side.
I recognized my favorite cup
And I couldn’t eat anymore.
Robin exclaimed: “Have fun!
Cut another piece!
You fed little John
Now you can eat yourself!
We will feast for a long time,
At least six hours straight.
Then you will put it on, sheriff,
Our outfit is green.
I take you as a student,
I'm taking you to robbers!
Twelve months, sheriff,
You will live in the forest.
“Swear,” replied Robin Hood, “
On this sword
Do not take revenge on the hungry poor,
Forget about the executioner!
The sheriff swore reluctantly
Don't rob poor people
And fell in love with Sherwood Forest,
Like a horse loves a whip.
Robin Hood and Richard Lee
Robin Hood was looking for prey
And here is the forest path
A knight rode by on horseback,
It's like he's blind.
He didn't spur his horse
He did not hold the reins.
The saddest knight through the forest
Haven't passed by in ages.
Robin Hood called out to him:
“Hey, traveler, good morning!
Today you are visiting us,
Have lunch with us."
The guest washed his face and hands,
Wipe off the canvas.
The forest lunch was plentiful,
And the fire was hot.
“Thank you, friend,” said the guest, “
For food and honor.
I haven't had to for a long time
Eat properly.
I recognized you, Robin Hood,
Not just the cloak.
Someday I will see you too
I’ll treat you to glory.”
Robin replied: “Okay, friend,
But now what should we do?
Is it really possible for us, simple shooters,
Should I pay for a knight?
“Alas, you won’t find me
At least a handful of coins.”
“Well, check it out, Little John!
Don't be offended, guest."
Not a penny of money was found
The guest was truly a poor man,
And Robin Hood asked him:
“But, knight, how can this be?”
"Oh, Robin Hood, in front of you
Poor Richard Lee.
I'm about to lose it forever
And shelter and land.
Know if the debt is to the monastery
I won't return it now
That's all the property of the abbot
He will take it into his treasury."
“How much do you owe?
Tell me, I want to know.”
"Four hundred gold
I won’t pay.”
Having a meal in the monastery
The abbot was waiting for the knight.
He treated the judge to honey,
And he was happy to drink.
Richard Lee entered with a bow,
And the conversation immediately stopped.
“Well, Richard Lee,” asked the abbot, “
Have you brought your debt?
“Not a penny,” the knight answered, “
I can’t get it.”
“But duty is duty,” said the abbot. -
The debt is paid. Drink, judge."
“I always paid off my debts,
I don't sin with debts
But now at the monastery
I ask for a delay."
“The law dictates,” said the judge, “
Deprive you of your land."
“Please, judge, extend my sentence,
Extend it at least for two days.”
"You are a bad debtor, Richard Lee,
You're not worth kindness.
For the last time I say
That you will become a beggar."
The abbot blushed with anger,
He fidgeted and hummed.
The judge stared at the table,
He marveled and was silent.
“I came here as a debtor,
I will not leave as a debtor.
Friends came to my aid
And they averted the trouble!”
Richard Lee was driving back
Not sad, not harsh.
With a cheerful song he hurried
Under your saved shelter.
Robin Hood, Richard Lee and the Sheriff
Robin Hood noticed long ago
That things are not good
When the sheriff calls the shooters
For fair play.
Like, who's at a distant target?
Or rather it will please
Togo with a silver arrow
The sheriff will reward you.
“Well,” thought Robin Hood, “
One game doesn't count.
The sheriff is preparing a trap
Let's see whose will take it."
The shooters arrived in Nottingham.
The leaf was fresh and green,
And from the meadow you can hear the noise of the crowd
And a long whistle of arrows.
The arrows argued with dignity,
At least the argument was cool.
But he got it more accurately than everyone else
Brave Robin Hood.
He got all the honor
All the noise from all sides,
When an arrow made of silver
He accepted the reward.
But the sheriff gave a conditional sign.
Horns roared,
And Robin Hood appeared
In a double ring of enemies.
“Damn forever, Sheriff!
Your path is deception and lies.
But the hour of reckoning is near,
You won’t leave us!”
But ten guards fell
A dozen well-aimed arrows
And the sheriff rode home,
He escaped while he was still alive.
Free shooters made their way,
Double broke the circle
And together, in a friendly crowd,
We ran across the meadow.
“More than once, it happened, Robin Hood,
We fought together.
You put me in the clutches of the sheriff
Don't give it away alive.
You are my honest sword
You will take the scabbard out,
May I accept death from him!” -
Little John said.
“Well, no,” replied Robin Hood, “
You'll have to live
At least promise me at my feet
Lay down all of England."
He put John on his back,
And moved forward
And along the way more than once
The rabble shot at the sheriffs.
Arrows came across the castle.
He was small, but he was strong
And a freshly dug ditch
Safely surrounded.
Richard Lee lived in this castle.
He's in a difficult time
Robin Hood helped with money
Saved me from ruin.
He let Robin into the castle
And his entire squad.
“Welcome, friends!
I am glad to have such guests.
Let's raise the bridge, close the entrance,
And your trail is lost.
I will repay you with a generous feast
For your forest lunch."
They sat down to feast
And they ate heartily
And in the morning a detachment of riflemen
Disappeared into the wilderness.
The sheriff cooled down from anger,
His speech returned
And he ordered the knight
To ambush.
Richard Lee was hunting
He lowered the falcon
And on the sheriff's brutes
He galloped off carelessly.
He was tied up on the ground
And lifted from the ground,
And to Nottingham prison
They took him away in custody.
And at home I was waiting for the knight
Beautiful wife.
About the fact that her husband is in prison,
She heard.
She went down the stairs
With worry on your face
And then she galloped into the forest
On a frisky stallion.
"Hurry to the rescue, Robin Hood,
As long as my husband is alive!
Because he helped you
The sheriff grabbed him."
The arrows rushed as fast as they could,
And they easily
We flew while running
Ditches and fences.
Gang to the city of Nottingham
They came in - and suddenly
They met the sheriff himself
With a detachment of hefty servants.
“I made it on time, sheriff,
I ran quickly
But it would be better for you
May I lie dead."
"You've traveled to your heart's content, sheriff,
Hold your speed.
Enough of robbing the poor
Cripple and execute!”
Free shooters chopped down
The sheriff's brutes
And with a sweeping sharp sword
The last one was struck down.
Then brave Robin Hood
He led the squad to prison.
There he untied the knight
And I helped him get up.
"Don't ride, Richard Lee,
Learn to walk
And you will become no worse than us,
A dashing forest shooter."
Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne
Also listen to the story:
One morning
Little John was hunting,
Wandered in a dense forest.
Here he came out to the edge,
He walks along the path - and suddenly
The sheriff himself is coming towards you
And with him fifty servants.
Little John would fight back
I would have gone through the bushes,
But the master's bow failed,
Broke in half.
“Damn you, old bitch,
I'll throw you away.
You ruined the whole game for me
I couldn't help."
John is tied with ropes
To the resinous trunk,
While deer are being beaten in the forest
To the sheriff's table.
Meanwhile Robin Hood
Walked on the near side
And I met a stranger
On a forest wasteland.
“Hello, hello to you, shooter,”
Robin Hood said,
Arrows like yours
They must be hitting straight."
"I've lost my way,
I can’t find the road.”
"Then tell me where you're going,
I will guide you."
“I want to catch a robber,
I'll pay for your help.
Who will find me Robin Hood?
I’ll make him rich.”
“Well, if you catch it, then catch it,
We'll see whose will take it.
But you and I are like two shooters
Let's bet ahead.
Robin Hood may come
Like thunder in broad daylight.
Who should I put up for battle?
You or me?
They dug two rods
And they stood over the line
To immediately have a glorious dispute
Decide frankly.
Here the stranger raised his bow,
The arrow hit the rod.
But the rod was split by an arrow
Brave Robin Hood.
“Lord have mercy and save,
I pushed myself to my heart's content.
And the robber Robin Hood himself
I couldn't hit it like that.
Tell me who you are, guide,
And what is your name?"
“Name yourself first,”
Robin Hood answered.
“I bear a glorious name,
My name is Guy of Gisborne,
I am a formidable enemy to robbers,
But you, shooter, don’t be a coward.”
My name is Robin Hood
And if you are looking for me,
This is extra work."
And for three whole hours straight
We hacked as hard as we could,
But none of the strongmen
He didn't ask for mercy.
Robin Hood was not careful
I didn't take care of myself.
The foot slid along the roots,
And he was wounded in the side.
“The blow is just right,” he said, “
A blow for sure
But before death, die
Disgraceful for the shooter."
He took the sword with both hands,
Gathered all the anger and ardor,
Hit straight through from above
And he killed Gisborne.
Robin Hood took off his green cloak,
He washed himself in the stream
And, putting on the cloak of the murdered man,
He pulled up his hood.
He blew the horn of Gisborne,
It's as if Gisborne is alive.
The lingering sound reached the hill,
Where did the sheriff go?
"You hear? - said the sheriff.
Guy of Gisborne gave the sign.
He defeated Robin Hood
This is true.
I hear him blowing his horn,
Tried in battle
His rich long cloak
I can tell by the color.
"I killed the leader,
But I'm still in debt.
Let me, sheriff, join me
Finish off the servant too."
“I could,” answered the sheriff, “
To make you rich
But you are asking for nothing.
Well, so be it.”
“I swear on my soul,” John thought, “
That the voice is familiar to me.
And I'm unlikely to sit
In a dungeon under lock and key."
Robin has a dagger in her sheath,
Yes, you can’t take it out of your hand:
The sheriff himself is too close
And all his arrows.
"Back! - Robin Hood shouted
Shaking my fist at them. -
To me the prisoner repents of his sins,
You can’t eavesdrop!”
Robin Hood cut the bonds
When no one was waiting
And Gisborne's reliable bow
Gave it to little John.
As soon as John took out the arrow,
As soon as he raised his bow,
How the sheriff ran away
And the whole horde of servants.
The sheriff galloped
But the arrow shot
And in his black heart
She entered without a miss.
Robin Hood and Bishop Hereford
Bishop Hereford is on his way
Through Sherwood Forest.
Brave Robin says:
“We’re going to cross!
Let's kill a fatter deer,
There is no loss in this:
Bishop with a generous hand
Will pay for lunch."
Arrows dressed as shepherds
Six of us dance
And a deer is roasting nearby,
Suspended over the fire.
The bishop asked: “What is this noise?
Where does this agility come from?
And did the king allow you
Shoot a deer?
“We herd sheep all year round,
And now, your honor,
We want to sing and dance,
And eat your fill."
The bishop said: “Well done!
Fun I love
And the whole company in chains
I’ll send it to the king.”
“Oh, have mercy! Oh mercy! -
Robin Hood groaned. -
Everywhere you do good,
Create it here too!”
"I will not spare, I will not spare,
The culprit gets a noose.
You will have to, merry fellow,
Amuse the king."
He raised the horn with its bell upward,
And to the lingering call
Fifty valiant riflemen
Came running from the bushes.
“Oh, have mercy! Oh mercy! -
The bishop groaned. -
I wouldn't go here
If only I knew."
“I won’t have mercy! I won't spare you! -
Robin Hood answered. -
Come with me, dear priest,
They are waiting for you for dinner!”
He led the priest by the hand,
And for a long time, until dark
I poured it on him with a laugh
Either beer or wine.
“I see that they will bring me in here
At an unheard of expense!
"Don't be afraid," said Little John,
I'll check the account myself."
He spread out his long cloak,
And three hundred gold
He shook the bishop
In the name of all saints.
"Look how they shine,
How they pour in, ringing.
You are a generous priest, although at heart
You do not love me!"
And goodbye arrows
They played the horns.
The bishop had to dance
In heavy boots.
Robin Hood, Old Woman and Bishop
Robin Hood on a spring morning
I was walking through the forest, and suddenly
The bishop met him
With a large detachment of servants.
"Trouble!" - thought Robin Hood. -
The end came for the shooter.
This pop will hang me
At the first bitch."
Robin took off running
And he sees a dilapidated house,
And in it there is an old woman at the window
Sits with a spindle.
"Where did you come from, shooter,
And what is your name?"
"My home is Sherwood Forest,
And the name is Robin Hood.
The bishop is chasing me
We are old enemies.
If you can't help, so goodbye
If you can, help me."
The old woman answered Robin:
"If you really are you,
Accept help, Robin Hood,
From our poverty.
Who sent me in a difficult year
And the cloak and the shoes,
I'll save him somehow
From the enemy's hand."
"Then take off your rags,
Put down the spindle
Take my green outfit
And arrows at the same time.”
Dressed up as Robin Hood
And went out the door
And, having passed the ring of enemies,
The forest shooter has disappeared.
Bishop to the widow's house
He rode up on a horse.
“Hey, quickly grab Robin
And bring it to me!”
The Bishop rides ahead
With a smile on your face,
And then the prisoner is taken
On a white stallion.
But suddenly from the forest thicket
Robin Hood comes out
And then free arrows
They walk shoulder to shoulder.
"Who are you? - the bishop groaned. -
Who did I take with me?
"My lord, I am an old widow,
And you are a mangy dog!”
The bishop wanted to gallop away,
Having gathered the rest of my strength,
But Robin Hood stepped forward
And he blocked the path.
He grabbed the priest by the collar,
Pulled him off the saddle
And tied it tightly to an oak tree
For two tight knots.
Then I felt my wallet
And cut it off the strap,
And shook out a pile of gold
On a raincoat from a wallet.
“Now we’ll let the priest go,”
Little John said,
But let him sing mass,
This is our law."
And, despite the important dignity
And your high position,
I drove backwards
Holding the ponytail.
Robin Hood and the desperate monk
Beautiful summer time
The arrows converged in the forest
And to test your strength,
We started a game.
Who started the fight with clubs,
And who crossed swords?
"Wow! - exclaimed Robin Hood.
These are strong men!”
Brave Will is laughing with all his might,
Laughs from the bottom of my heart:
“There is a stronger force,
My Robin, don't rush.
There lives a desperate monk
In the abbey across the river.
He can each of us
Take it down with one hand."
Then brave Robin Hood
Swore in the heat of the moment
Don't eat, don't drink, but find
A strong monk.
He collected the arrows and raised the bow
And then, lightly,
Jumped on a fast horse
And he galloped to the river.
Robin Hood went down to the water.
Where was a convenient ford.
Looks like a squat monk
Walking along the shore.
On the head there is an iron helmet
It shines from afar.
There is a short sword at the belt,
There is a heavy shield in his hand.
Robin Hood jumped to the ground
And tied the horse:
“Come on, shepherd, across the ford
Move me!”
The monk crawled under Robin
(And Robin was heavy).
The monk was silent while he forded
Didn't cross the river.
He carried Robin Hood,
But he just jumped off
The monk said: "Carry me
Back across the ford!
Robin Hood carried the monk
(And the monk was heavy)
And silently, with a burden on my shoulders,
He crossed the river.
Robin carried the monk
But he just jumped off
As Robin shouted, “Hey, get it!”
Back across the ford!
The knight said goodbye and galloped
On my way,
And Robin Hood is having fun
Many days with friends.I'll tell you how the sheriff
Shooters in the dense forest
A cry came from Nottingham
For a nice game.Let all the best shooters
They will meet him on time.
And he will defeat others alone,
Who is the best shooter;Who hits it best
Shooting far and high,
Where the green oaks are
They have grown widely;As a reward he will take an arrow
Cast silver,
Where is the golden tip
And the comb of the feather.Robin Hood heard it
Under a thick tree:
- Friends, let's have a nice game
Let's hurry to the sheriff.Get ready to hit the road,
We'll all go shoot.
It's good to be greeted by the sheriff
He swore in the dense forest.And they pulled the bow tight
With expensive attire
One hundred and forty young gunslingers,
Those standing in front of him.When they came to shoot
To the targets in Nottingham,
Quite a few archers with bows
It was already there.“Six people are shooting with me.”
Others in turn
Let them keep their bows ready,
Since betrayal awaits us.Having exclaimed this, he bent the bow
The fourth is Robin Hood.
The sheriff stood next to the target
Watch the arrows hit.Robin Hood shot three times
I crushed the rod three times,
And with a white hand Gilbert
He was just as clever.John Little and Will Skatelock
Good shooters
Reynold and Mook are as good as them
By the right hand.And everyone shoots well.
All arrows hit accurately.
But it hits the best
Merry Robin Hood.For this he was awarded
Silver arrow.
He politely thanked
And he went home into the forest.They threw abuse at him,
A big horn was blown.
“Traitor,” shouted Good, “wait.”
And your time will come!You will know, proud sheriff,
How to take revenge on your guests.
You promised me something else
Under a thick tree.If only you were in my forest
Under the oak tree for conversation,
You would give me the best collateral
How true is your vow?More than once the bowstring buzzed,
And many arrows sang,
And not one side in rags
I suffered from the fight.But still truer than Robin Hood,
No one could shoot:
Sheriff's people from him
Everyone was running.Having finished the job, Robin Hood
I wanted to go into the forests.
There was a lot at this hour
They shot arrows.John Little was in the knee
hit by an arrow,
Could neither go nor walk
He is in acute pain.And John said: “Mr.
Since you loved me
For the sake of the Lord Christ,
That I suffered for three days,As a reward for these days when
I was your servant -
Don't let the proud sheriff
Find me alive.But cut off my head,
Grabbing your honest sword.
I want from deep wounds
Rather lie down dead.“I don’t want you to die,”
Robin Hood exclaimed,
Let the entire English treasury
They give it to me for this.He carried John on his back.
And many times into the grass
He put it on how to pull it
There was a bowstring.Lovely castle on the way
I stood in the shadow of the forest,
It was surrounded by a double ditch,
A high wall.And there dwelt Sir Richard of Leigh,
The knight for whom
Good somehow counted out the money
At his oak tree.
He took Hood to his castle
And all his shooters.
“Come in,” he said, “Robin Hood,”
Under my sheltered roof!I thank you for everything,
Be my guest, Good.
For being polite to me
Under a thick tree,I love you with all my heart.
The sheriff is plotting revenge
Let him prowl: you have
There is a reliable shelter.Raise the bridge quickly
Close the gate
And all with weapons in their hands
Go to your seats!You will live with me, I swear
I am Saint Quentin
Will save you for twelve days
My wall for you.Covered with a tablecloth, with food
The tables are already being carried,
And feast with arrows
Robin Hood sits down.
Song Six
I will ask you, gentlemen,
Listen to my story.
The sheriff drove from Nottingham
With people's weapons.The sheriff ordered everyone to rise
To fight in our native land.
The castle's strongholds fell
They are a solid ring.“You, knight, forgot your oath,”
The proud sheriff shouts:
- You are cheating on the king,
Hiding the enemy of the law!The knight answered the sheriff:
- Sir, it's my fault.
But to the king, I swear to this,
My soul is true.What can you do to me?
Take my castle? Please,
But first you must know
What will our king say?This is how the sheriff received his answer:
True and simple
And he rode to the city of London
The road is straight.About the knight and Hood
Told the king
Then about the daring shooters
In his forest edge.“Always,” he said, “I keep
Robbers in the hands
But Robin Hood is rebellious
In the north in the forests.“Within a week,” said the king, “
I'll be in Nottingham.
And then I’ll grab the knight,
And Robin Hood is there.Go, sheriff. And my order
Be ready to do:
Get yourself some brave ones
From all over the country of shooters.The sheriff said goodbye and galloped off
On my way,
And Robin Hood went into the woods
One clear day.John's wound has healed.
He's safe again
And he is looking for Robin Hood
Under a thick tree.And Hood among the green thickets,
He's walking again.
Its a walking sheriff
Quite upset.He missed Robin Hood
And it won’t come back again,
And then he became a knight
Wait day and night.The sheriff would like to lie in wait
Sir Richard of Leigh.
Once upon a falcon hunt
Got up from the groundAnd he saw the knight,
And the knight was tied up,
In prison, brought to Nottingham,
Almost deprived of strength.That Robin Hood will be caught
The sheriff swore by Christ.
And immediately bet
I put in a hundred pounds.But the lady, the knight's wife,
More beautiful than broad daylight
Hurry to the green forests
She directed the horse.Having passed through the forest, she found
Under a thick tree
And Robin Hood and the shooters,
Always cheerful with him.“Hello,” she said, “Good,”
You in your country!
Do you love the Holy Virgin?
And you will help me.Don't let my husband
He was shamefully killed
Because of the love for you in prison
He lies tied up.And good Robin Hood asked:
-Who took him to prison?
And the lady immediately: “Sheriff,” -
She answered him:- It's all the sheriff's fault; and lies
It's not in my story.
He didn't make it another three miles
Go your own way.Good Robin Hood has risen,
Calls the shooters to come:
- Be bold, cheerful friends,
By Christ, go ahead!And who will leave us, I swear
Both God and Christ,
Don't let him meet me
He's on my way.They made arrows from twigs -
Seven times twenty -
Bushes, fences and hedges
They broke it on the way.“I am a knight,” exclaimed Good,
I would like to see you;
I swear to Christ, he is free
He will go home again.How they came to Nottingham
Along the empty streets
With a proud sheriff, I know
I had to face them.
“Wait, Sheriff,” Goode exclaimed. –
Talk to me.
What does he think, I want to know
King, my lord?So much in these eight years
I didn't walk
You will answer me for this,
I swear by the Creator himself.And, pulling the elastic bow,
Hood lowered the bowstring,
The arrow began to sing, and the sheriff
He fell to the ground exhausted.And before I could rise
Sheriff to fight the enemy,
He was hit in the head by Good
With a shining sword.And Good exclaimed: “Serves it right!”
Lie down, proud sheriff,
You couldn't keep your words
While he was still alive.The shooters grabbed their swords.
Everyone was strong and brave,
From the sheriff's servants at this hour
No one survived.And Robin went to the knight
And he removed the shackles from his hands.
And for protection I gave him
Tight, reliable bow.“Leave the horse,” said Good, “
And learn to run.
We'll go there through the rain and mud,
Where the linden trees grew.Let's go into the forests and live
Without grief and worries,
While our Edward is king
He won't send forgiveness.
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Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow
The ballad was printed in “garlands” of the 18th century, but was written much earlier. Included in the collection of J. Ritson, published in 1795.
The ballad was also translated by Ign. Ivanovsky.
A forest tramp named Dave...– in the original David is from Doncaster, a town near Barnsdale Forest. This character is not mentioned in other ballads.
Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne
The ballad was preserved in a collection printed in 1680, but was written no later than the mid-16th century. Judging by the archaic nature of the plot, its plot dates back to an even earlier time.
He was dressed in horse skin with both mane and tail...- Guy of Gisborne's strange outfit elevates his image to Guy of Warwick, a knight from medieval novels who became a hermit and lived in the forest, dressed in a skin - not a horse's skin, but a cow's skin. The village of Gisborne is located near Barnsdale.
William of Trent - this hero is unknown in folklore. Perhaps we are talking about a real guard killed by robbers - one of the prototypes of Robin Hood.
And striking from above...- from Gumilyov “and striking from behind” - Gumilyov probably wanted to convey a wide swing of the sword, in which the blade goes behind the back of the chopper. However, it sounded as if Robin Hood had stabbed Gisborne in the back; we felt it necessary to change this.
You could become rich...– in the original we are talking about 40 pounds – perhaps this is how much the sheriff promised Guy for Robin’s head.
One would recognize Guy, who was not born of a woman...- meaning the devil.
Robin Hood and the Bishop
The ballad was printed in garlands of the 17th century, but was apparently written in the previous century, when England was fighting against the Catholic Church.
The translation by M. Kantor was made specifically for this publication. The ballad was also translated by G. Ivanov (in the collection of 1919) and Ign. Ivanovsky.
The scene of the hero's flight in women's clothing can be found in Shakespeare's comedy "The Merry Wives of Windsor": Falstaff runs from Ford's house in the dress of an old woman. One might consider this a coincidence, but among the other pranks that are played on Falstaff, there is one in which Falstaff is forced to dress up as a forester and come into a dense forest at night. Falstaff likes to call his accomplices in his mischief the names of members of Robin's gang. (“Falstaff: What do you say, Scarlet and John?”).
The Jolly Pinder of Wakefield
The ballad is included in Percy's manuscript, where it is given with large abbreviations. Its hero, the shepherd George-a-Green, is a hero of English folklore and a play by playwright Robert Greene, written in 1594. In the play, the shepherd not only defeats Robin Hood, but also exposes the conspiracy against the king, becoming his confidant.
In original pinder, more correctly pinner- a shepherd who drove the community flock to pasture and back every day. Wakefield is a town in Yorkshire, near Barnsdale.
Michaelmas, celebrated on September 29, was the usual date in England for the repayment of debts and the end of the lease period.
Robin Hood and the Tanner
The translation by M. Kantor was made specifically for this publication. The ballad was also translated by V. Sergeeva.
Robin Hood and the Tinker
The ballad was published in “sheets” of the 17th century.
The translation by M. Kantor was made specifically for this publication.
This ballad, like some others, has a beginning that briefly summarizes the content. This verse precedes some ballads, but it is usually removed from translations.
Banbury is a town in Oxfordshire, famous in the old days for its fair.
Robin Hood and the Stranger
The ballad was published in “leaflets” of the 17th century under the title “Robin Hood and the Born Again” - it was meant that its hero, having joined the brotherhood of robbers, acquired a new name and a new life. In J. Ritson's 1795 collection it was published under the title "Robin Hood and the Stranger."
The translation by M. Kantor was made specifically for this publication.
Robin discovers a relative in the obstinate and pugnacious stranger; this plot also belongs to the Arthurian cycle. Sir Kay, the seneschal, a knight of obstinate disposition, is King Arthur's cousin - this circumstance is not immediately revealed.
According to legend, Will Gumwell was the son of Robin Hood's sister and a neighboring landowner. Having killed his father's steward in a quarrel, he fled to the robbers, where he received a “forest” name - Scarlet, that is, “scarlet” (bloody), or Skatelock, from the Anglo-Saxon Sherlock (blond).
Robin Hood rescuing Will Stutly
The ballad was published in “sheets” of the 17th century. The Will (Will) Stutley mentioned in it is the same person as Will Scarlet, as he is named in one of the versions of the text.
The translation by M. Kantor was made specifically for this publication. The ballad was also translated by Vs. Rozhdestvensky, Ign. Ivanovsky and V. Potapova.
Robin Hood and Allen a Dale
The ballad was published in “sheets” of the 17th century, but its prose retelling is already contained in “The Life of Robin Hood,” written in the 16th century by the antiquarian J. Sloan.
Robin, who introduces himself as a “musician from the northern country,” is an interesting detail also because the figurative parallel “harp and bow” reveals the fundamental connection between the forest dweller and the minstrel.
In The True Story of Robin Hood, this image is repeated: the robbers play music for the bishop's guard - on the string of their bows, their arrows are bows.
Alan-e-Dale ("Alan of the Valley") is mentioned only in this ballad. In the prose biography of Robin Hood, his place is taken by the same Will Scarlet. In subsequent tradition, Alan is usually portrayed as a wandering singer, a writer of ballads about Robin, but there is no indication of this in the text.
Robin Hood and Maid Marian
This late ballad is known from the “leaves” of the second half of the 17th century and was probably written at the same time. In it Robin Hood for the first time found a romantic lover, of whom there is no trace in the earlier ballads.
The translation by V. Erlikhman was made specifically for this publication.
Maid Marian is only mentioned as Robin Hood's lover in three later ballads. Probably, her image came from the “May Games”, connecting with the heroine of E. Munday’s courtly plays – Marian-Matilda, Robin’s wife.
Rosamund Clifford (c. 1150–1176) – mistress of King Henry II, Jane Shore (1445–1527) – mistress of Edward IV.
Later ballads, following the plays of E. Munday, call Robin Hood the Earl of Huntingdon, deprived of his possessions due to the intrigues of his uncle, the abbot of St. Mary's Monastery in York. This whole conflict is historically unreliable.
Robin Hood gave Marian's hand, and they left ‹…› to the green oak groves, where free people live…- According to historians, up to 10% of the robber gangs were women - they not only cooked and washed, but also took part in robberies. There were also church ministers who gave communion to the most God-fearing bandits. Thus, the detachment of “free shooters” could have included both Maid Marian and Friar Tuck, but in practice they met Robin Hood only in legend. More precisely, in the “May Games”, popular in England, the indispensable participants of which were a cheerful archer in a green caftan, a monk with a huge club and a girl of heroic build, whose role was usually played by a man. The games clearly go back to the pagan fertility festival, and the trio of their participants - to the ancient gods. Gud or Hod was the name of one of them, the blind son of Woden (Odin), who was depicted with a bow and a hood.
Robin Hood Prays to God (Robin Hood's Golden Prize)
In the original - "Robin Hood's Golden Booty". The ballad was first published in the 17th-century Garlands and reflects the then hostility of most English people to the Catholic Church, even more noticeable in The True History of Robin Hood.
The ballad was also translated by Ign. Ivanovsky.
Robin Hood's Fishing
Original: Robin Hood's Fishing. The ballad is printed in garlands of the 17th century, but was apparently written in the previous century, when English patriotism was on the rise due to the confrontation with Spain. In the collection of F. Child it is called “The Noble Fisherman”.
The translation by M. Kantor was made specifically for this publication. The ballad was also translated by Ign. Ivanovsky and V. Sergeeva.
Scarborough is a town in North Yorkshire, a fishing port and the site of a popular fair in the Middle Ages. In the 18th century, the first seaside resort in England was created here.
People called me Simon...- Apostle Peter, before he became a disciple of Christ, was called Simon (Simon).
Since the Hundred Years' War, French pirates have often attacked English ships and coastal villages. By dealing with them, Robin Hood not only saves the fishermen, but also commits a patriotic act, since the French in that era, and even later, were the traditional enemies of the British.
Homes for orphans and old people began to be established in England in the second half of the 16th century, which helps date the ballad.
Robin Hood and the Bold Pedlar (The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood)
The translation by M. Kantor was made specifically for this publication.
In the original, pedler is a traveling merchant, the same as a peddler in Russia in the 18th–19th centuries.
The strange name Gamble Gold (“bet with gold”) is most likely a corruption of “Gamwell,” and the story itself repeats the plot of the meeting between Robin Hood and Will Scarlet.
Robin Hood and the Ranger
The ballad was first published in the collection of F. Child.
The translation by M. Kantor was made specifically for this publication.
Robin Hood and the Scotchman
The ballad was first published in the collection of F. Child.
The translation by V. Erlikhman was made specifically for this publication.
Relations between the inhabitants of Scotland and Northern England had long been hostile due to frequent wars and armed raids. They warmed up only after 1603, when the two countries united under the rule of the Stuart dynasty. Obviously, the ballad was composed after this date, since the attitude towards the Scots here is quite favorable.
Robin Hood and the Beggar
The ballad was published in “sheets” of the 17th century. It is to them that its division into two parts goes back, since the ballad is too large for one “leaf”.
That ten pounds was there...– in the original two pecks; Peck is an ancient unit of volume equal to a quarter bushel or 7.6 liters. The mistake of G. Adamovich, who translated this expression as “a pair of woodpeckers,” is corrected here, although the woodpecker (pecker) is not only inedible, but also quite small.
...Where are the mills located?..– Robin hints at a fairyland where “mills of happiness” give everyone any food they want.
Robin Hood and the Shepherd
The ballad was published in “sheets” of the 17th century.
The translation by M. Kantor was made specifically for this publication.
Robin Hood's Delight
The ballad was published in “sheets” of the 17th century.
The translation by M. Kantor was made specifically for this publication.
Robin Hood and the Pedlars
The ballad was first published in the collection of F. Child. Some scholars consider it a pastiche made in the 19th century - perhaps a parody of the ballad "Robin Hood and the Daring Peddler."
The translation by V. Erlikhman was made specifically for this publication.
In the original Kit o Thirske. Keith is a diminutive form of the name Christopher, Thirsk is a town in North Yorkshire.
Little John a Begging
The ballad is included in the Percy manuscript, but with large abbreviations, which are reconstructed from a “sheet” printed around 1650.
The translation by V. Erlikhman was made specifically for this publication.
The text does not explain why the robbers had to pretend to be beggars. Perhaps Robin Hood suspected that beggars have much more money than they seem, which was later confirmed.
After the execution of a criminal, only the poor of the church parish where the execution took place received money for the commemoration of his soul. They also received small change after the funeral service for the residents of the parish, but scraps from the wake could also go to a wandering company of beggars like the one that Little John joined.
Robin Hood and the Valiant Knight
The ballad was first published in the collection of F. Child. The approximate date of its creation is the end of the 16th century.
The translation by M. Kantor was made specifically for this publication.
The text erroneously refers to Willa Loxley - this is the nickname of Robin Hood himself, which the author of the ballad could have given to Scarlet as his nephew.
Here, the role of Robin’s killer is not a nun, but a monk - probably, the writers of the ballad did not know the folklore tradition well.
Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford
The ballad was first published in F. Child's collection and is a variant of the earlier ballad "Robin Hood and the Bishop."
The translation by M. Kantor was made specifically for this publication. The ballad was also translated by Ign. Ivanovsky.
The city of Hereford (Hereford), the capital of the county of Herefordshire, is located in Western England.
The word "purse" (in the text portmantua) in the Middle Ages meant a secret purse that was worn under a cloak.
The Wedding of Robin Hood and Little John
The ballad was written in Scots in the 18th century and published in the book “The Ballads of Robin Hood” in 1847.
The translation by V. Erlikhman was made specifically for this publication.
About the glorious Robin Hood (Robin Hood’s Birth, Breeding, Valor and Marriage)
In the original, this ballad has a long title: “The Birth, Education, Valor and Marriage of Robin Hood.” It is known from the “leaflets” of the second half of the 17th century and was probably written at the same time. In style and content, it is very different from the earlier ballads, reflecting the influence of the plays of E. Munday, where Robin is presented as a gallant aristocrat.
Adam Bell, Klim (Clem) from Clue and William from Cloudsley are three robber friends, heroes of ballads, once as popular as Robin Hood.
Sir Guy of Warwick is the already mentioned hero of chivalric novels, associated here with the Gamwell family - relatives of Robin Hood on his mother's side.
An esquire or squire in medieval England was a nobleman who did not have a title or knighthood. Initially, this word, derived from the Latin scutarius (shield-bearer), was used to call the squire of a knight.
“Queen of the Shepherds” Clorinda received her name from the heroine of T. Tasso’s poem “Jerusalem Liberated,” a warlike Saracen princess.
Robin Hood and the Tanner's Daughter
The ballad was first published in the book “The Ballads of Robin Hood” in 1847.
The translation by V. Erlikhman was made specifically for this publication.
The town of Barnesley (Barnsley) is located in South Yorkshire.
Robin Hood and the Prince of Aragon
The ballad survived only in the collection of F. Child. This is probably a stylization created in the 16th century, where popular ballad heroes are inscribed in the surroundings of chivalric romances.
The translation by M. Kantor was made specifically for this publication.
A Christian knight liberating a city from a siege by a Muslim giant (Saracens, Turks, etc.) is a common plot. Compare, for example, “The Coronation of Louis” (from the cycle about Guillaume of Orange). Christian knight Guillaume saves Paris, besieged by the giant Galfar. By the way, the “Aragonese” motif is present in this gesture: under the Saracen giant is a horse from Aragon, an Aragonese.
The Kingdom of Aragon, which subsequently united with Castile, pursued an independent policy during the Hundred Years' War, cooperating, for example, with a baronial conspiracy led by Isabella, the widow of John the Landless.
The marriage alliance of the Kingdom of Aragon with England was indeed planned, but later.
Thus, in 1482, the marriage of Ferdinand of Aragon with Catherine of York, daughter of Edward IV, was discussed. After the death of the latter, the plans were upset.
It is also curious that in Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice, the Prince of Aragon is named as the unlucky suitor for Portia's hand.
The translation omitted a fragment telling about Robin's meeting with his nephew Will Skatelock and how he introduced him to his shooters - “a hundred stately fellows.”
The Sultan of Aragon is the ruler of a conditional Muslim kingdom, in no way connected with Aragon in Spain. In one of the versions of the ballad he is called Akaron - a distorted “al-Koran”.
The town of Maxfield is located in South Yorkshire, but there has never been an earldom with that name.
Robin Hood and Queen Katherine
The ballad is included in Percy's manuscript, but with major abbreviations. The full version was restored from the “Lesnikov manuscript” found in 1993.
The translation by M. Kantor was made specifically for this publication.
This ballad takes Robin Hood back to the 16th century - more precisely, to the beginning of the reign of Henry VIII and his Spanish wife Catherine of Aragon (Catherine).
Clifton is mentioned as Robin Hood's companion only in this ballad. Tempest was a royal archer who served at the court not of Henry VIII, but of his father Henry VII.
This refers to the knight Richard Lee from A Minor Gesture of Robin Hood.
Here comes the Bishop of Herdfordshire! - O A reference to the ballad "Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford".
Robin Hood's Chase
The ballad was published in the “sheets” of the 17th century as a continuation of the ballad “Robin Hood and Queen Catherine.”
The translation by I. Pisarsky was made specifically for this publication.
Robin Hood and Royal Friendship (The King's Disguise and Friendship with Robin Hood)
The ballad was published in “sheets” of the 17th century and is a late adaptation of the seventh song of the “Small Gesture”.
The translation by I. Pisarsky was made specifically for this publication.
King Richard, whose throne was seized by his brother John the Landless, wanders through the forests and meets Robin Hood.
The plot in which the younger brother seizes the throne by deception and the other brother goes into exile is popular in literature. See, for example, “As You Like It” by Shakespeare - where a brother who has lost power retires into the forest with his devoted servants (in Shakespeare, the Forest of Arden). A royal court appears in the forest - a kind of government in exile. This theme is played out in the same way by Schiller in The Robbers.
The king forgiving the robbers and using the services of the gang - this plot attracted the attention of Walter Scott. In the novel Ivanhoe, Richard the Lionheart, remaining incognito, enters into an alliance with the robber Loxley (Robin Hood) and his gang.
It is curious that the same plot was played out by Shakespeare. In the play “Henry IV,” Prince Harry (who became King Henry V in the next part) participates, along with Falstaff, Poins, Bardolph, etc., in an attack on merchants in the forest, they disguise themselves as robbers. The forest robbery is described by Shakespeare sarcastically, parading ballads about forest fellows; Prince Harry, wanting to show his difference from his fellow robbers, takes the loot from them.
This is the only ballad where the king with whom Robin communicated is named Richard - apparently Richard the Lionheart.
It is customary to associate the legendary robber with the reign of Richard the Lionheart (1189–1199). The first to do this was the playwright of the Elizabethan era, Anthony Munday, followed by Walter Scott - in his novel “Ivanhoe,” Robin of Loxley, the same Robin Hood, helps the king who returned from the crusade to restore law and justice in England. However, the realities of the ballads clearly point to a later time - only a few of them, under the influence of book tradition, mention Richard and his crusading exploits, sometimes even making Robin Hood a participant in them. Robin is sometimes considered a contemporary of Richard's successor, John the Landless (1199–1216), under whom the English barons rebelled against the cruel and cowardly king, forcing him to sign the Magna Carta. The reign of John's son Henry III (1216–1272) was also marked by uprisings, when Count Simon de Montfort defeated the king in battle and actually ruled the country until his death in another battle. In the north of England, supporters of Montfort continued to partisan for a long time, including the knight Roger Godberd from Sherwood Forest - he is often considered the main (although not the only) prototype of Robin Hood.
There was a boy Robin Hood tall
Derry, Derry Down.
Already at fifteen years old
Of those cheerful fellows,
There are none braver.
Hey, down, derry, derry down.
Once he was going to Nottingham,
Walks in the forest, and then
There are fifteen foresters in front of him
They drink beer, ale and mead.
"What's new?" - Good asked them.
“What did you know so far?
The king arranged a dispute between archers."
“I’ll go and argue.”
“It’s funny,” said the foresters, “
Such a boy suddenly
He'll go shoot in front of the king,
Taking a bow without knowing how!”
“For twenty marks,”
Robin Hood replied, argue with me,
And I’ll get to a hundred fathoms
I hit the deer with an arrow.”
“He’s coming,” said the foresters, “
And you and I argue
That you can’t get within a hundred fathoms
There's an arrow in it for you."
And Robin raised his honest bow
With a wide arrow
And laid it down a hundred fathoms
Deer in the darkness of the forest.
He broke two of his ribs
Or maybe three
The arrow pierced through the chest,
And without getting stuck inside.
The deer jumped up, the deer froze,
The deer fell into the bushes.
“I have won,” exclaimed Goode, “
Pay me pounds."
“Well, no,” said the foresters, “
Your winnings are gone
Take your bow and go
Before I’m late.”
And Robin took his arrows,
And he took his honest bow,
And smiled to himself,
Entering a wide meadow.
So he began to place arrows
To the ringing bowstring,
And out of fifteen enemies
Fourteen - in the grass.
The one who started this dispute
I was about to run away
But Robin Hood, raising his bow,
Bring it back again
And he said: “You won’t say again,
That I’m a bad shooter!”
And broke his head
He's in two like an arrow.
“I’m such a shooter,” said Good,
What made your widows
Dreaming that you
They didn’t say the words.”
The people flee, leaving their
Beautiful Nottingham,
To capture Robin Hood,
To help foresters.
One was left without an arm
And another without a leg,
And Robin, taking his bow, left
The green forest is dense.
And the Nottingham foresters,
As everyone knows about
The graves were dug up and buried
To the cemetery later.
ROBIN HOOD AND GUY OF GISBORNE
When the forests glisten in the dew
And every leaf is long,
It's so fun to wander in the forest
And listen to the bird whistle!
The thrush chirps, having found itself
Shelter among the branches,
So loud that in your own forest
Robin Hood woke up.
“I swear,” he said cheerfully, “
I dreamed of a glorious battle;
I dreamed of two strong shooters,
Fighting with me.
They overpowered me
And they took away my bow,
If I weren't Robin here in the forest,
If I spare them, two.”
John Little said:
“Like a fast wind is a dream;
Like the wind that blew today
And tomorrow, where is he?”
“Hurry, cheerful friends,
Be, John, and you are ready;
I'm going to the green forests
Look for my shooters."
Get dressed without forgetting anyone
Take the quiver and arrows.
And away, into the green forests,
We went to shoot.
They came to the green forest,
To their old meadow,
And I saw that it was worth
There is a shooter under the tree.
He has a dagger and a sword at his side
Touched mine.
He was dressed in horse skin
And with a mane and a tail.
And John said: “Mr.
Stand under the tree
And I alone will go to the shooter
Find out who he is?
“You, John, have not become a treasure at all,
And sadness takes over me,
How often, falling behind myself,
I send people forward.
It's not a trick to recognize a trickster,
Conversing with a rogue.
And if my bow had not cracked,
You should repent of that.”
We decided so and went our separate ways.
Both Robin Hood and John.
John went to Bernisdel, where
He knows all the paths.
When he came to Bernisdel,
His sigh was heavy
He is his two comrades
Found them dead.
And Scarlet ran away on foot
Among the stones and stumps,
The sheriff was chasing him
With his guards.
“I’ll shoot an arrow,” said John, “
Christ gives me a sign
I'll stop the sheriff
So that he doesn’t rush so much.”
And immediately he fired an arrow
Long John on his bow,
But there was a bow from a thin branch,
He broke.
“Why, why are you, evil branch,
Did it grow on a tree?
You didn't bring me any help,
And there is so much, so much evil.”
But the shot, even if it was accidental,
Still, it didn’t go to waste.
Among the sheriff's people
William of Trent fell.
Oh, it would be better if William were at home,
Depressed by sadness,
What to meet this morning
The arrow that John threw!
But they claim that in battle
Five is worth more than three.
John Little is taken by the sheriff
And, tied up, he lay down on the moss.
John kept us quite busy.
What did Robin Hood do?
When to the mighty shooter
Are his feet leading him?
Robin said: “Good afternoon!”
"Hello! - said another. -
Judging by your bow,
You're not a bad shooter."
“I’m free,” said the shooter, “
In my time!
Robin replied:
"I will be Your guide."
"I'm looking for an exile here,
Whose name is Robin Hood?
I would rather meet him,
Than a golden vessel."
"You will meet Robin, gunslinger,
When you come with me;
In the green grove we first
Let's have fun with the game.
First we will show our dexterity,
Having chosen this whole one.
And we will meet Robin Hood,
Perhaps here soon."
They cut the bushes
In the forest where the hops curled,
And they wove crosses from them,
Wanting to shoot at the target.
“Begin,” said Robin Hood, “
Begin, my comrade!
“Oh, no, I swear,” he replied, “
I will stand behind you."
And Hood's first shot on target
It was an inch past;
Although the stranger was clever,
But he couldn’t shoot like that.
With his second arrow the shooter
The hops slightly scratched
But Robin shot the arrow
And splits the target.
He said: “God bless you,
You shot well here,
And if the heart is like a hand,
You are no better than Gud.”
“Tell me your name?” -
The shooter asked him.
“No,” Robin answered, “not yet.”
You won’t have your say.”
He said: “I live in the mountains,
To catch Robin
And they call Guy of Gisborne when
They want to call me."
“I live in the forest,” was the answer, “
I've been teasing you for a long time,
I am Bernisdale's Robin Hood,
And you were looking for me."
Everyone could see the rootless
A treat for the eyes:
Look at the fighting shooters,
To the dark shine of swords.
How those arrows fought,
I could watch for two hours;
Neither Robin Hood nor Guy of Gisborne
We didn't think about running away.
But Robin Hood stumbled
Oh little stump,
With terrible power Guy of Gisborne
He was hit in the side.
“Save me,” cried Good,
Save, Mother of Christ.
Doesn't suit anyone
Die before your time."
Robin Hood called to Mary
And again full of strength,
And, striking from behind,
He put Guy to bed.
He grabbed the enemy's head
Stuck on a longbow:
"You've been a traitor all your life
And suddenly he stopped being one.”
And Robin took the Irish knife,
He cut his face;
One would recognize Guy, who
Not born of a woman.
And he said: “Well, lie down, Sir Guy,
Be happy with your fate;
For the evil blow of my hand
You will take my outfit."
He put his cloak on Guy,
What is greener than leaves?
Himself clothed in horse skin
From toes to head.
"Your bow and arrows and trumpet
I'll take it with me far away,
I'll visit my people
I'll go to Bernisdal."
And Robin Hood set off on his way,
Blowing Guy's horn;
Bending over John Little,
The sheriff heard the sound.
“Listen,” said the sheriff, “
Justice has been completed.
Guy's horn blows because
That Robin Hood died.
Started early today
Sir Guy of Gisborne's horn."
And here he is in horse skin
The shooter approaches them.
"Ask for what you want, Guy,
I’m happy to give you everything.”
“No need,” Robin answered, “
No awards for me.
My lord has been defeated by me,
Let me kill the servant;
And no other awards
I can’t ask.”
“Madman,” answered the sheriff, “
You could become rich.
But since you ask so little,
Can I refuse?
Heard Mr. John
And I realized that the time had come.
"With Christ's power in the heavens
I’m free,” he said.
Here's to John, untie him
Robin Hood bent down
But only the guards and the sheriff
They'll take him again.
“Go,” said Robin Hood, “
Under her from the eyes,
After all, eavesdropping on confession
It’s not accepted here.”
Robin took his Irish knife,
Cut the bonds of the hands
And legs, and then gave it to John,
Like a gift, Sir Guy's bow.
John raised his bow and
Arrow to the handle,
And the sheriff saw it
And he started to run.
Fled back to Nottingham
As soon as I could, Sheriff,
And the guards rushed after him,
Ahead of him.
But no matter how fast he ran
And no matter how he jumped,
Hit with an arrow in the back
He's happy John.
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