would　rather　hear　thee　sing　a　song　of　love　and　battle　than　a　sad　thing　like　that。　　Moreover；　I　understand　it　not；　what　meanest　thou　by　the　words？〃
  〃I　know　not；　Your　Majesty；〃　said　Allan；　shaking　his　head；　〃for　ofttimes　I　sing　that　which　I　do　not　clearly　understand　mine　own　self。〃
  〃Well；　well；〃　quoth　the　King；　〃let　it　pass；　only　I　tell　thee　this；　Allan；　thou　shouldst　turn　thy　songs　to　such　matters　as　I　spoke　of；　to　wit；　love　or　war；　for　in　sooth　thou　hast　a　sweeter　voice　than　Blondell；　and　methought　he　was　the　best　minstrel　that　ever　I　heard。〃
  But　now　one　came　forward　and　said　that　the　feast　was　ready；　so　Robin　Hood　brought　King　Richard　and　those　with　him　to　where　it　lay　all　spread　out　on　fair　white　linen　cloths　which　lay　upon　the　soft　green　grass。　Then　King　Richard　sat　him　down　and　feasted　and　drank；　and　when　he　was　done　he　swore　roundly　that　he　had　never　sat　at　such　a　lusty　repast　in　all　his　life　before。
  That　night　he　lay　in　Sherwood　Forest　upon　a　bed　of　sweet　green　leaves；　and　early　the　next　morning　he　set　forth　from　the　woodlands　for　Nottingham　Town；　Robin　Hood　and　all　of　his　band　going　with　him。　You　may　guess　what　a　stir　there　was　in　the　good　town　when　all　these　famous　outlaws　came　marching　into　the　streets。　As　for　the　Sheriff；　he　knew　not　what　to　say　nor　where　to　look　when　he　saw　Robin　Hood　in　such　high　favor　with　the　King；　while　all　his　heart　was　filled　with　gall　because　of　the　vexation　that　lay　upon　him。
  The　next　day　the　King　took　leave　of　Nottingham　Town；　so　Robin　Hood　and　Little　John　and　Will　Scarlet　and　Allan　a　Dale　shook　hands　with　all　the　rest　of　the　band；　kissing　the　cheeks　of　each　man；　and　swearing　that　they　would　often　come　to　Sherwood　and　see　them。　Then　each　mounted　his　horse　and　rode　away　in　the　train　of　the　King。
  Epilogue
  THUS　END　the　Merry　Adventures　of　Robin　Hood；　for；　in　spite　of　his　promise；　it　was　many　a　year　ere　he　saw　Sherwood　again。
  After　a　year　or　two　at　court　Little　John　came　back　to　Nottinghamshire；　where　he　lived　in　an　orderly　way；　though　within　sight　of　Sherwood；　and　where　he　achieved　great　fame　as　the　champion　of　all　England　with　the　quarterstaff。　　Will　Scarlet　after　a　time　came　back　to　his　own　home；　whence　he　had　been　driven　by　his　unlucky　killing　of　his　father's　steward。　The　rest　of　the　band　did　their　duty　as　royal　rangers　right　well。　But　Robin　Hood　and　Allan　a　Dale　did　not　come　again　to　Sherwood　so　quickly；　for　thus　it　was：
  Robin；　through　his　great　fame　as　an　archer；　became　a　favorite　with　the　King；　so　that　he　speedily　rose　in　rank　to　be　the　chief　of　all　the　yeomen。　At　last　the　King；　seeing　how　faithful　and　how　loyal　he　was；　created　him　Earl　of　Huntingdon；　so　Robin　followed　the　King　to　the　wars；　and　found　his　time　so　full　that　he　had　no　chance　to　come　back　to　Sherwood　for　even　so　much　as　a　day。　　As　for　Allan　a　Dale　and　his　wife；　the　fair　Ellen；　they　followed　Robin　Hood　and　shared　in　all　his　ups　and　downs　of　life。
  And　now；　dear　friend；　you　who　have　journeyed　with　me　in　all　these　merry　doings；　I　will　not　bid　you　follow　me　further；　but　will　drop　your　hand　here　with　a　〃good　den；〃　if　you　wish　it；　for　that　which　cometh　hereafter　speaks　of　the　breaking　up　of　things；　and　shows　how　joys　and　pleasures　that　are　dead　and　gone　can　never　be　set　upon　their　feet　to　walk　again。　I　will　not　dwell　upon　the　matter　overlong；　but　will　tell　as　speedily　as　may　be　of　how　that　stout　fellow；　Robin　Hood；　died　as　he　had　lived；　not　at　court　as　Earl　of　Huntingdon；　but　with　bow　in　hand；　his　heart　in　the　greenwood；　and　he　himself　a　right　yeoman。
  King　Richard　died　upon　the　battlefield；　in　such　a　way　as　properly　became　a　lion…hearted　king；　as　you　yourself；　no　doubt；　know；　so；　after　a　time；　the　Earl　of　Huntingdonor　Robin　Hood；　as　we　still　call　him　as　of　old　finding　nothing　for　his　doing　abroad；　came　back　to　merry　England　again。　With　him　came　Allan　a　Dale　and　his　wife；　the　fair　Ellen；　for　these　two　had　been　chief　of　Robin's　household　ever　since　he　had　left　Sherwood　Forest。
  It　was　in　the　springtime　when　they　landed　once　more　on　the　shores　of　England。　　The　leaves　were　green　and　the　small　birds　sang　blithely；　just　as　they　used　to　do　in　fair　Sherwood　when　Robin　Hood　roamed　the　woodland　shades　with　a　free　heart　and　a　light　heel。　All　the　sweetness　of　the　time　and　the　joyousness　of　everything　brought　back　to　Robin's　mind　his　forest　life；　so　that　a　great　longing　came　upon　him　to　behold　the　woodlands　once　more。　So　he　went　straightway　to　King　John　and　besought　leave　of　him　to　visit　Nottingham　for　a　short　season。　　The　King　gave　him　leave　to　come　and　to　go；　but　bade　him　not　stay　longer　than　three　days　at　Sherwood。　　So　Robin　Hood　and　Allan　a　Dale　set　forth　without　delay　to　Nottinghamshire　and　Sherwood　Forest。
  The　first　night　they　took　up　their　inn　at　Nottingham　Town；　yet　they　did　not　go　to　pay　their　duty　to　the　Sheriff；　for　his　worship　bore　many　a　bitter　grudge　against　Robin　Hood；　which　grudges　had　not　been　lessened　by　Robin's　rise　in　the　world。　The　next　day　at　an　early　hour　they　mounted　their　horses　and　set　forth　for　the　woodlands。　　As　they　passed　along　the　road　it　seemed　to　Robin　that　he　knew　every　stick　and　stone　that　his　eyes　looked　upon。　Yonder　was　a　path　that　he　had　ofttimes　trod　of　a　mellow　evening；　with　Little　John　beside　him；　here　was　one；　now　nigh　choked　with　brambles；　along　which　he　and　a　little　band　had　walked　when　they　went　forth　to　seek　a　certain　curtal　friar。
  Thus　they　rode　slowly　onward；　talking　about　these　old；　familiar　things；　old　and　yet　new；　for　they　found　more　in　them　than　they　had　ever　thought　of　before。　　Thus　at　last　they　came　to　the　open　glade；　and　the　broad；　wide…spreading　greenwood　tree　which　was　their　home　for　so　many　years。　Neither　of　the　two　spoke　when　they　stood　beneath　that　tree。　Robin　looked　all　about　him　at　the　well…known　things；　so　like　what　they　used　to　be　and　yet　so　different；　for；　where　once　was　the　bustle　of　many　busy　fellows　was　now　the　quietness　of　solitude；　and；　as　he　looked；　the　woodlands；　the　greensward；　and　the　sky　all　blurred　together　in　his　sight　through　salt　tears；　for　such　a　great　yearning　came　upon　him　as　he　looked　on　these　things　（as　well　known　to　him　as　the　fingers　of　his　right　hand）　that　he　could　not　keep　back　the　water　from　his　eyes。
  That　morning　he　had　slung　his　good　old　bugle　horn　over　his　shoulder；　and　now；　with　the　yearning；　came　a　great　longing　to　sound　his　bugle　once　more。　He　raised　it　to　his　lips；　he　blew　a　blast。　　〃Tirila；　lirila；〃　the　sweet；　clear　notes　went　winding　down　the　forest　paths；　coming　back　again　from　the　more　distant　bosky　shades　in　faint　echoes　of　sound；　〃Tirila；　lirila；　tirila；　lirila；〃　until　it　faded　away　and　was　lost。
  Now　it　chanced　that　on　that　very　morn　Little　John　was　walking　through　a　spur　of　the　forest　upon　certain　matters　of　business；　and　as　he　paced　along；　sunk　in　meditation；　the　faint；　clear　notes　of　a　distant　bugle　horn　came　to　his　ear。　As　leaps　the　stag　when　it　feels　the　arrow　at　its　heart；　so　leaped　Little　John　when　that　distant　sound　met　his　ear。　All　the　blood　in　his　body　seemed　to　rush　like　a　flame　into　his　cheeks　as　he　bent　his　head　and　listened。　　Again　came　the　bugle　note；　thin　and　clear；　and　yet　again　it　sounded。　Then　Little　John　gave　a　great；　wild　cry　of　yearning；　of　joy；　and　yet　of　grief；　and；　putting　down　his　head；　he　dashed　into　the　thicket。　Onward　he　plunged；　crackling　and　rending；　as　the　wild　boar　rushes　through　the　underbrush。　　Little　recked　he　of　thorns　and　briers　that　scratched　his　flesh　and　tore　his　clothing；　for　all　he　thought　of　was　to　get；　by　the　shortest　way；　to　the　greenwood　glade　whence　he　knew　the　sound　of　the　bugle　horn　came。　　Out　he　burst　from　the　covert；　at　last；　a　shower　of　little　broken　twigs　falling　about　him；　and；　without　pausing　a　moment；　rushed　forward　and　flung　himself　at　Robin's　feet。　Then　he　clasped　his　arms　around　the　master's　knees；　and　all　his　body　was　shaken　with　great　sobs；　neither　could　Robin　nor　Allan　a　Dale　speak；　but　stood　looking　down　at　Little　John；　the　tears　rolling　down　their　cheeks。
  While　they　thus　stood；　seven　royal　rangers　rushed　into　the　open　glade　and　raised　a　great　shout　of　joy　at　the　sight　of　Robin；　and　at　their　head　was　Will　Stutely。　　Then；　after　a　while；　came　four　more；　panting　with　their　running；　and　two　of　these　four　were　Will　Scathelock　and　Midge；　the　Miller；　for　all　of　these　had　heard　the　sound　of　Robin　Hood's　horn。　All　these　ran　to　Robin　and　kissed　his　hands　and　his　clothing；　with　great　sound　of　weeping。
  After　a　while　Robin　looked　around　him　with　tear…dimmed　eyes　and　said；　in　a　husky　voice；　〃Now；　I　swear　that　never　again　will　I　leave　these　dear　woodlands。　　I　have　been　away　from　them　and　from　you　too　long。　Now　do　I　lay　by　the　name　of　Robert；　Earl　of　Huntingdon；　and　take　upon　me　once　again　that　nobler　title；　Robin　Hood；　the　Yeoman。〃　　At　this　a　great　shout　went　up；　and　all　the　yeomen　shook　one　another's　hands　for　joy。
  The　news　that　Robin　Hood　had　come　back　again　to　dwell　in　Sherwood　as　of　old　spread　like　wildfire　all　over　the　countryside；　so　that　ere　a　se'ennight　had　passed　nearly　all　of　his　old　yeomen　had　gathered　about　him　again。　But　when　the　news　of　all　this　reached　the　ears　of　King　John；　he　swore　both　loud　and　deep；　and　took　a　solemn　vow　that　he　would　not　rest　until　he　had　Robin　Hood　in　his　power；　dead　or　alive。　Now　there　was　present　at　court　a　c