Page:Bold Robin Hood.jpg/1





OLD Robin Hood ranged the forest all round &emsp;The forest all round ranged he, And there he did meet with a gay lady, &emsp;Come weeping along the highway.

Oh why do you weep, my gay lady, &emsp;Do you weep for gold or fee? Oh why do you weep for any thing else, &emsp;That was taken from any body?

I do not weep for gold she said, &emsp;Nor do I weep for any fee, Nor do I weep for any thing else, &emsp;That was stolen from any body.

Then why do you weep, said Jolly Robin, &emsp;I pray come tell unto me, Why I do weep for my three sons, &emsp;For they're all condemned to die.

What church have they robbed said Jolly Robin, &emsp;Or what parish priest have they slain. What maid have they forced against her own will &emsp;Or with other men's wives have they lain

No church have they robbed, the lady replied &emsp;Nor no parish priest have they slain, No maid have they forced against her own will, &emsp;Or with other men's wives have they lain.

Then what have they done said Jolly Robin &emsp;I pray come tell unto me, They have killed 16 of the kings fallow deer, &emsp;And they're all condemned to die.

O go your ways said Jolly Robin, &emsp;Go your ways home said he, And I will go to fair Nottingham town, &emsp;For the sake of the squires all three.

Then Robin Hood went to fair Nottingham &emsp;To fair Nottingham went he, And there did he meet with an old begger man, &emsp;Come weeping all on tbethe [sic] highway.

What news, what news my old begger man &emsp;What news hast thou brought unto me There's weeping and wailing in fair Nottingham &emsp;For the sake of the squires all three.

The old beggar man had a coat on his back &emsp;That was patched both yellow and red. And Robin Hood thought it would be no disgrace &emsp;To dress in the beggar man's dress.

Robin Hood went to fair Nottingham, &emsp;To fair Nottingham town went he, And there he did meet with the master sheriffs &emsp;Likewise the squires all three.

One boon, one boon says Jolly Robin, &emsp;One boon I beg on my knee, That is for the three squires sake, &emsp;There hangman I might be.

Soon granted, soon granted says the master sheriff, &emsp;Soon granted unto thee, And you shall have their gay clothing, &emsp;And all their white money.

I'll have none of their gay clothing, &emsp;Nor none of their white money, But I'd have three blasts of my bugle horn &emsp;As their souls into heaven may flee.

Then Robin Hood mounted the gallows so high He &emsp;blew both loud and shrill, Ten hundred and ten of bold Robin Hoods men, &emsp;Came tripping all down the green hill.

Whose men are all these said the master sheriff, &emsp;I pray thee come tell unto me, Why they are all mine, and none of them thine. &emsp;For they are come for the squires all three.

Go take them, go take them says the master sheriff, &emsp;Go take them along with thee, There's never a man in fair Nottingham &emsp;Shall borrow three more of me.