Reading Notes: The Golden Prize
Robin Hood’s Golden Prize
Robin Hood, whom I have heard talk of,
Down Derry Derry
Little John of the brave,
Will Scarlet, the Fryer Tuck,
Maid Marion, and Loxley.
Derry derry hey down hey down
A tale once told before,
Never none, I think:
Little John of the brave,
Will Scarlet, the Fryer Tuck,
Maid Marion, and Loxley.
Derry derry hey down hey down
A tale once told before,
Never none, I think:
Robin Hood was disguised by himself,
And gone with the wood.
Bold Robin Hood, like to a Fryer,
He was accoutered in his array;
He had a hood, gown, beads and crucifix,
Upon the way, he pasted.
He did not go past two or three miles,
In order to spy, it was his chance;
Two priests dressed in all black,
They were gallantly riding.
‘Benedicete,’ Robin Hood said,
‘I am pitty;
Silver groat will cross your hand,
This is for the sake of Our dear Ladies.
'I have been thinking all day,
And nothing I can get,
One poor cup of a drink I can't get,
Not even a bit of bread.’
‘Now, by my holydame,’ said the priests,
‘We have no money,
This morning we were robed,
There was no time to save money.’
‘I am scared,’ Robin Hood said boldly.
‘You both are telling a lie;
And now now you to hence,
I am convinced to try.’
When as the priests listened,
Then road away,
But Robin Hood brought him to his feet,
And took them again.
Then Robin Hood had both of them,
And pulled them off their horse;
‘O spare us, fryer!’ cry’d out the priests,
‘On us have remorse!’
‘You said you had no mony,’ he said,
‘And without a delay,
On our knees, we will fall down,
And pray for our money.’
The priests they could not him gainsay,
But down they kneeled with speed.
‘Send us, O send us,’ then quoth they,
‘Some mony to serve our need.’
The priests prayed with mournful cheer,
Sometimes they'd lift their hands,
Sometimes they cried out loud,
While Robin sang.
When they had been praying for hours,
The priests stayed still.
Then said bold Robin, ‘Now let’s see
What money heaven has us sent.
‘We will be sharing the money,
Of the money we have;
And there is not one of us,
No one shall deceive.’
The priests had their hands in pockets,
But no money found.
‘We will search ourselves’ said Robin Hood,
‘One by one, for each other.’
Then Robin searched both of them,
And then he found gold:
Five hundred pieces in total
Upon the told was grass.
‘This is brave,’ said Robin Hood,
‘Storing gold I see,
And everyone gets one part,
Because you prayed with your heart.’
He gave them each a fifty pound piece,
And he kept the rest.
The priests did not say a word,
But they sighed.
The priests stood from their knees,
They wanted to part ways.
‘Please, stay,’ said Robin Hood, ’Another thing
I have to say.’
‘You have to promise,’ said bold Robin Hood,
‘Upon this holy grass,
You can't tell lies again,
No matter what.
‘The second promise you must make,
Every day of our lives
You never shall tempt sin,
Nor interact with mens wives.
‘The final oath you shall take, is:
Be promising to the poor.
Say you've met the holy fryer,
And don't desire more.’
He put them on their horses again,
And then they ran away,
And Robin Hood returned to merry green-wood,
He had great joy, mirth and pride.
And gone with the wood.
Bold Robin Hood, like to a Fryer,
He was accoutered in his array;
He had a hood, gown, beads and crucifix,
Upon the way, he pasted.
He did not go past two or three miles,
In order to spy, it was his chance;
Two priests dressed in all black,
They were gallantly riding.
‘Benedicete,’ Robin Hood said,
‘I am pitty;
Silver groat will cross your hand,
This is for the sake of Our dear Ladies.
'I have been thinking all day,
And nothing I can get,
One poor cup of a drink I can't get,
Not even a bit of bread.’
‘Now, by my holydame,’ said the priests,
‘We have no money,
This morning we were robed,
There was no time to save money.’
‘I am scared,’ Robin Hood said boldly.
‘You both are telling a lie;
And now now you to hence,
I am convinced to try.’
When as the priests listened,
Then road away,
But Robin Hood brought him to his feet,
And took them again.
Then Robin Hood had both of them,
And pulled them off their horse;
‘O spare us, fryer!’ cry’d out the priests,
‘On us have remorse!’
‘You said you had no mony,’ he said,
‘And without a delay,
On our knees, we will fall down,
And pray for our money.’
The priests they could not him gainsay,
But down they kneeled with speed.
‘Send us, O send us,’ then quoth they,
‘Some mony to serve our need.’
The priests prayed with mournful cheer,
Sometimes they'd lift their hands,
Sometimes they cried out loud,
While Robin sang.
When they had been praying for hours,
The priests stayed still.
Then said bold Robin, ‘Now let’s see
What money heaven has us sent.
‘We will be sharing the money,
Of the money we have;
And there is not one of us,
No one shall deceive.’
The priests had their hands in pockets,
But no money found.
‘We will search ourselves’ said Robin Hood,
‘One by one, for each other.’
Then Robin searched both of them,
And then he found gold:
Five hundred pieces in total
Upon the told was grass.
‘This is brave,’ said Robin Hood,
‘Storing gold I see,
And everyone gets one part,
Because you prayed with your heart.’
He gave them each a fifty pound piece,
And he kept the rest.
The priests did not say a word,
But they sighed.
The priests stood from their knees,
They wanted to part ways.
‘Please, stay,’ said Robin Hood, ’Another thing
I have to say.’
‘You have to promise,’ said bold Robin Hood,
‘Upon this holy grass,
You can't tell lies again,
No matter what.
‘The second promise you must make,
Every day of our lives
You never shall tempt sin,
Nor interact with mens wives.
‘The final oath you shall take, is:
Be promising to the poor.
Say you've met the holy fryer,
And don't desire more.’
He put them on their horses again,
And then they ran away,
And Robin Hood returned to merry green-wood,
He had great joy, mirth and pride.
Bibliography: Robin Hood: The Golden Prize
This story is part of the Robin Hood unit. Story source: The English and Scottish Popular Ballads by Francis James Child (1882-1898).
An image of Robin Hood.
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