Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (March 7, 1908)
itia UXC'JUll JLATUH : vrUXULAPlU, M1UIU;ai CtUuilU, .turtle inn g , ... ROBIN HOOD iiarens ones i Tla-fc Never Grrooa Old. , V " 111 1 fe Ju 1 1 , s I N England, many yearf thert Hve3 a very good sun. called Earl of Huntingdon, whohad i ton named Robert. lie vu always called Robin, and wai A favorite wita everybody. Robin wu taflf strong and handsome and full of fun. He wu brave and fearless, too, and there wu no better archer in all tie country. One day while Robin wu bunting in the forest be "met a most beautiful lady. She wu dressed all in green velvet, and looked like a queen. Robin had never seen any one in all his life half so lovely. She was the daughter of a noble earl, and her name .was Marian. Marian and Robert met each other very often, and tbey often hunted together In the forest They grew to love each other very deeply, and when Robin asked Marian to marry him. and she said "yes," Robin thought he wu the happiest man in the world. ALL plans were made for a fine wedding But just at this time enemies of the earl, Robin's father, came one day with many, soldiers, and. after a fierce and terrible fight, slew the earl and took all his lands. The earl's, house was burned to the ground and all bis money stolen. Robin alone wu spared, for no soldier dared go near him, because he was such a splendid archer. He fought bravely until the last, but his father dead, and his home in flames, he had no heart to fight arty longer, St), taking "his bow and arrows, he fled to the great forest of Sherwood, His fury was great far the cruel men who robbed him of bis father, his bdtne, servants, cattle, lands, money, and cveri his name. All weref gone. Robin loved the forest, and felt s if it were s tender mother who opened her arms to him. Here his .bitterness .and .soger left him, though still he was sad. L i ROBIN, in the dim evening light, knelt, bare headed, otrthe green grass and prayed. Then he stood up and swore an oath. "I swear to honor God and my king. To help the weak and fight the strong. To take from the rich and give to the poor. HeCod will help me with His power," He no longer was called Robert of Huntingdon, but Robin of Sherwood Forest. He became captain of -a band of- merry men. Next- in- command- was Lit tde John, called so because he was so tall. Robin loved Little Jphn best of all his friends. In sadness, Robin said to himself: "I cannot ask a gentle lady to come and live this rough life with, me In the greenwood ; I must say good-bye to Marian forever. So he wrote a sad letter, telling, her all thex ter rible misfortunes that had befallen him. "I shall love you always," he wrote, "but a lady could not live this severe life. I shall never see you again, my 'dear. Good-bye." M 5. ARIAN, for of course it was she. was very frightened; Robin's voice sounded so gruff that she did not know him, as his face was hidden by the visor. "Ah" Mid Robin, "you refuse to answer. Fight-, then, false kwightf" , He drew his swordT nl a fight began. Though Robin was taller and stronger than Marian, she used he. sord so deverly that he found it hard to get the better of her. "It is wonderful that a knight o young and slender should have such strength and quickness," he uid to himself. They fought for more than an hour. Marian was wounded in the arm, and Robin's cheek was cut. Marian, however, was growing tired, and Robin, for getting for a moment that lie was pretending to be a rough Norman knight, spoke in his own voice. When .Marian heard his voice, she dropped her sword with a cry of delight. 'Robin! Robin!" was all that she could say. J" v ' !l tk ARIAN was very sad when she read Robin's letter, and all the world seemed dark and dreary. At last she could bear it no longer. "I must go jnto the greenwood and search for ' Robin," she said. It was a long way to Sherwood Forest, and Marian knew that it was not safe for a beautiful lady to travel so far alone. So she put on the shining armor of a knight, and thus, dressed as a man, she thought to safely reach the forest One day Robin, in the armor of a Norman knight, and his visor over his face, went out ihto the Sher wood Forest He had not gone far when he met an other knight in shining armor, with a crest of white. In a deep and terrible voice, he called out: "Stop, air; no one passes through this forest without my leave! "What is your name, and where are you going?' "M ARIAN!" he cried. "Can it be you 1 I greatly fear I have hurt you. When Marian took off bet helmet, they laughed and cried together, and kissed each other, again and again. Marian told Robin how sad she had been, and that she had come to him and would stay and live ia the greenwood with him. p At last Robin consented to let her stay, and u. they were walking along under the trees they met Little John. Great was his surprise to see his master with a strange young knight, walking arm in arm. "Ho, Little John!" called Robin, as soon as he saw him; "come, help me. This fair knigh has pierced my heart so that I fear I shall never recover." Little John turned pale. "Master, arc you, in-, deed, wounded?" "Friend." he said, "I do but. jest. This knight is my love. Maid Marian. ITTLE JOHN knelt on one kuee, andtaking Marian's band, kissed it as if she had been a queen. "Now, master," said Little Jphn.'we" -must have., a feast. This shall he a great day in the" greenwood "' He took his bow and arrows and -went into the forest to kill a deer in preparation for the feast. Robin and Marian.stqpped under the trysting tree, and Robin blew his horn, at which all his men came forth, marching in a row. As they passed Robin, every man bowed. Then each one knelt in honor to Marian, who stood, blushing and smiling, as they passed. Then the merry feast began, and they all drank a health to Maid Marian, queen of the green wood. It wu afine sight to see all his men as they answered their master's hom. They looked very hand some andZlall in their coats of Lincoln green as they waved their hats and" cheered for Maid Marian. V J "H ERE'S to fair Maid Mian and bold Robin Hood!" they cried. "Long may they live! and happy may iliey be!" And the forest rang with their cheers. Then came a fat and jolly friar, carrying his big book. . A hush fell upon very one, wlu'Ie Rubin and Marian knelt together under the green waving branches and were married. They lived together" ii the greenwood ever after, and were very happy. "In solid content together they lived With all their yeomen gay. They lived by their hand, - Without imy lands,! . t A Anil so they did many day ; ' ' ' '- 41.- ". r. f Copyright, 90fl, by J VV. Lang.
