_In which it appears that others had wits besides Robin Hood._
One morning Robin Hood started for an adventure. He put on his
steel coat of mail, and over it his jacket of Lincoln green.
About noontime he came to the banks of a wide stream and walked
warily along until he heard a voice through the thick bushes.
Peering through he saw a stout brawny fellow sitting on the bank of
the stream eating brown bread and onions. He looked very jolly and
good-natured. Robin Hood saw by his shaven crown and a string of
beads that he must be a friar.
“Hey, my good father, will you tell me how I may cross this
stream?” said Robin Hood. The friar looked up and said:
“Yonder is the ford. The water is free to all; wade in.”
“Yes, but my clothes are new and fine. I do not care to get them
wet. I think your broad shoulders would make a good seat. Can you
find a heart to take me across?” replied Robin. The friar wiped the
bread and onions from his beard and getting up, said to Robin Hood:
“Well, and why not, friend? Come, and I will do thy bidding.” So
saying he led the way to a pebbly place laughing as if it were a
joke. Robin Hood seated himself upon the ample shoulders of the
friar and gripped him about his round head.
“Let me take thy sword under my arm, so that thou canst hold on
better,” said the friar. So Robin Hood unbuckled his sword and gave
it to the friar. Then the friar walked across the stream and Robin
Hood was landed on the other side. When he got down on the ground
he asked for his sword and prepared to depart.
“Nay, my son,” said the friar, “a sword is not good for thee, for
it is a deadly weapon, and thou must leave it with me.”
“Give me my sword, holy father, or I shall take it back. Thou hast
one of thine own; give me mine and let it be a fair battle between
us, even if thou art a friar, or else set me back on yonder bank
where I came,” said Robin Hood in anger.
The friar finally agreed to take him back across the stream, but in
so doing Robin Hood managed to slip his sword out of the possession
of the friar. In the midst of the stream the friar decided to rid
himself of the load so he tumbled Robin Hood off into the water.
When Robin reached the bank he was very angry with the friar.
Drawing his sword he rushed on him and they had a hard battle. The
friar would laugh at Robin’s plight but warded off all his blows.
Never a stroke touched him. At last the friar said:
“I think thou art Robin Hood. I know I am Friar Tuck. Come, let’s
be friends.” And so they shook hands and put up their swords.
And that is the way Robin Hood met Friar Tuck, and that was the way
that Friar Tuck joined the merry band in Sherwood Forest.