THE DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD

(CHILD VERSION)

"I will neither eat nor drink," Robin Hood said, 
"And meat will do me no good, 
until I have been to merry Churchlees, 
To have blood drawn from my veins.' 

"That I do not advise," said Will Scarlet, 
"Master, by my assent, 
Without taking half a hundred of your best bowmen 
to go with you. 

"For at Churchlees a good yeoman lives, Red Roger, 
Who will surely quarrel with you, 
And if you should have need of us, master, 
truly we will not flee."

"If you should be afraid, William Scarlet, 
At home I advise you stay." 
"If you should be angry, my dear master, 
You shall never hear more from me."

"For no man shall go with me, 
Nor any man with me ride, 
But Little John shall be my man, 
And bear my benbow by my side." 

"You must bear your bow, master, by yourself,
And you will shoot for a penny with me." 
"To that I do assent," Robin Hood said, 
"And so, John, it shall be."

These two bold children went off together,
All day themselves in order, 
Until they came to some black water, 
over which laid a plank. 

Upon it there kneeled an old woman, 
Who was cursing(lamenting?) Robin Hoode;
"Why do you curse(lament?) Robin Hood?" said Robin, 
[ "Do you know of some evil that should befall him?"

"We women have no blessing ]
"To give to Robin Hoode; 
We weep for his dear body, 
That this day must be drawn of blood." 

"But The Dame Prioress is my aunt's daughter, 
And close to my kin; 
I know she would wish me no harm this day, 
For all the world to win." 

Then went forth these children two, 
And they did never stop, 
Until they came to merry Churchless, 
And at merry Churchlees went within. 

And when they came to merry Churchlees, 
They knocked upon a door-latch; 
Up then rose Dame Prioresse, 
And let good Robin in. 

Then Robin gave the Dame Prioresse 
Twenty pounds in gold, 
And told her to spend it while it lasted, 
And that she should have more when she wanted it. 

And down then returned Dame Prioresse, 
Down she returned into that same place,
With a pair of blood irons in her hands, 
wrapped all in silk. 

"Put a chaffing-dish in the fire," said Dame Prioresse, 
And strip up to your sleeve." 
I consider him an unwise man 
That would not take warning from this! 

She laid the blood irons to Robin Hood's vein, 
Alas, the more pity! 
And pierced the vein, and let out the blood, 
That was full red was to see. 

And first it bled thick, thick blood, 
But afterwards it bled thin, 
And well then knew good Robin Hood 
there was treason within.

"What spirits are you in, my master?" said Little John; 
"Truthfully, John, little good... 

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Nine stanzas missing
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"I have upon me a gown of green,
cut short by my knee, 
And in my hand a bright brown sword
That will wound you well."

But before out of a shuttered window
Good Robin Hood could glide, 
Red Roger took a sharpened sword
And thrust it through his milk-white side. 

But Robin was light and nimble of foot,
And thought to abate Red Roger's pride, 
And between Roger's head and his shoulders 
He made a wound full wide. 

He said, "Lie there, lie there, Red Roger, 
The dogs must thee eat; 
For I must have my last rites." he said,
"For I must go and speak them. 

"Now give me sacraments," Robin said to Little John, 
"Give me my sacraments with your hand;
I trust to God in heaven so high 
My confession will assist me."

"Now give me leave, give me leave, master," Little John said,
"For Christ's love, give leave to me 
To set a fire within this hall,
And to burn up all in Churchlee." 

"That I cannot," said Robin Hood then,
"Little John, for it may not be; 
If I should do any widow hurt, at my latter end,
God," he said, "would blame me; 

"But take me upon your back, Little John,
And bear me to yonder street,
And there make my grave full fair,
Of gravel and of grit.

"And set my bright sword at my head,
And my arrows at my feet.
And lay my yew-bow by my side,
My measuring-yard wi...

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(FOLIO VERSION)

1
When Robin Hood and Little John
Went over a bank of broom,
Said Robin Hood to Little John,
"We have shot for many a pound.

2
"But I am not able to shoot one shot more,
My arrows will not flee;
But I have a cousin who lives down below.
Please God, she will bleed me."

3
Now Robin has gone to fair Kirkley,
As fast as he could go;
But before he arrived there, as we do hear,
He was taken very ill.

4
And when he came to fair Kirkley hall,
He knocked at the ring.
There was nobody so ready as his cousin herself
to let bold Robin in.

5
"Will you please sit down, cousin Robin," she said,
"And drink some beer with me?"
"No, I will neither eat nor drink,
Till blood has been drawn from me."

6
"Well, I have a room, cousin Robin," she said,
"Which you did never see,
And if you would please to walk therein,
You blood shall be let."

7
She took him by the lily-white hand,
And led him into a private room,
And there she bled bold Robin Hood,
While he had one drop of blood in him to run.

8
She bled him in the vein of the arm,
And locked him up in a room;
There he bled all the live-long day,
Until the next day at noon.

9
He then thought of a casement door,
Thinking that he could run;
But he was so weak that he could not leap,
Nor could he get down.

10
He then thought of his bugle horn,
Which hung low down to his knee;
He set his horn to his mouth,
And blew out three strong blasts.

11
Then Little John, when he heard him,
As he sat under a tree,
Said, "I fear my master is near dead,
He blows so wearily."

12
Then Little John went to fair Kirkley,
As fast as he could go;
And when he came to Kirkley-hall,
He broke two or three locks

13
Until he came to bold Robin.
He then fell on his knee;
"A favor, a favor!" cried Little John,
"Master, I beg of thee!"

14
"What is that favor," said Robin Hood,
"Little John, you beg of me?"
"It is to burn down fair Kirkley hall,
And all the nuns within."

15
"I never hurt a fair maid in all my time,
Nor shall I at my end;
But put my ben-bow in my hand,
And my broad-arrows I'll let fly.

16
"And where this arrow is taken up,
There shall you dig my grave.
With fertile soil most neatly laid,
Sweet as the greenwood tree.

17
'And lay my ben-bow by my side,
Which was my music sweet;
And make my grave of gravel and green,
Which is most right and proper.

18
"Let me have length and breadth enough,
With green sod under my head;
That they may say, when I am dead,
HERE LIES BOLD-ROBIN HOOD"

19
These words they readily granted him,
Which pleased bold Robin;
And bold Robin Hood was buried near to Kirkleys.

20
Kirkleys was beautiful in days of old,
Like Winifrid's in Wales,
Whose strange cures are
told in legendary tales.

21
Upon his grave was laid a stone
Declaring that he died,
And though so many years ago,
Time can't hide his actions.

22
Thus he that feared neither bow nor spear
Was murdered by letting blood;
And so, loving friends, the story ends,
Of valiant bold Robin Hood.

23
Nothing remains but his epitaph now,
Which, reader, here you have
To this very day, which read you may,
As it was upon the grave.

Hey down a derry derry down.

Robin Hood's Epitaph, set on his tomb by
the Prioress of Kirkley Monastry, in Yorkshire.
	Robert Earl of Huntington
	Lies under this little stone.
	No archer was as good as he:
	He was named Robin Hood for his wildness.
	For thirteen years, and something more,
	These northern parts he angered and distressed.
	Such outlaws as he and his men
	May England never know again !