Indeed, to Robin and his Merry Men it was nothing so common as "The Shrubbery". They called it "The Forest", wherein, on high days and holidays, it was possible to have the most delightful2 adventures that ever gladdened the heart of a romantic schoolboy.
Arkness himself had gradually gathered the band of Juniors together, and his nimble wits were never at a loss for entertainment. His Merry Men voted the sport he provided "real pie", knowing themselves to be a source of envy to most of the Junior School.
A youngster needed to be sturdy and strong indeed to be admitted to the select circle of comrades who made the Forest their haunt. Sometimes a whole term went by without anyone qualifying for membership. This was a very clannish3 band of brothers indeed!
On an afternoon which was more like midwinter than autumn, so shrewdly nipped the air, the Merry Men collected fuel and lit a fire—not one big enough to attract a prefect's attention, but still sufficiently4 cosy5 to thaw6 the "cold ache" out of their fingers.
There was to be an open-air rehearsal7 for a Christmas concert, followed by a play depicting8 "The Merry Life of Robin Hood9, the Outlaw10 of Sherwood Forest".
"Now," quoth Robin, "those of ye who can sing a cheery stave or two, pray join me in the opening chorus. It is called 'Hail, Merry Men', and goes to the tune11 of 'Hail, Smiling Morn'."
"But we don't know the words, Robin," said Flenton.
Flenton was a tall, strong boy with a somewhat melancholy12 face, lacking in humour but well-liked by all. As Robin's right-hand man, he was called "Little John", and no boy amongst them could have looked the part more convincingly.
"Of course, thou knowest not the words, Little John, for of a truth it was only yesterday I wrote them. But thou shalt learn them ere long, for here is the parchment on which is written, good and fair, the ballade of which I speak. List, my men, to the first verse, which I will forthwith proceed to sing:
"'Hail, Merry Men, ye Merry Men, ye Merry Men,
With arrows of grey-goose quill,
Whose trusty fingers shoot the stag at bay,
Stag at bay, stag at bay,
Whose trusty fingers shoot the stag, the stag—at her—ay!'"
"Good!" said Little John. "I like that. It goes with a swing."
"But we don't shoot stags, Robin," demurred14 Will Ponder, known in Greenwood fashion as Will Scarlet15. "There aren't any round here. Wouldn't rabbits be better?"
"Rabbits, you fathead! I mean, a murrain on thee for thy stupidity," said Robin. "How oft must I tell thee that we are living now—or supposed to be living—in the reign16 of good King Henry the Second, when stags were plentiful17 and nobody kept rabbits—that is, nobody wasted arrows on them?"
"Don't mind him, Robin," put in Dave Storm, who, as a frequent student of Robin Hood lore18, had insisted on being called "David of Doncaster". "Ponder's mind runs on rabbits—he has some lop-eared bunnies at home, and writes by almost every post to remind the groom19 to feed them."
"Well now, no more daftness," said Robin. "This first verse has got to be learnt by heart before we can tackle the second. All together, boys:
"'Hail, Merry Men, ye Merry Men——'
"No good! You're flat, the lot of you. What we need is the schoolroom piano. Any stout20 bowmen willing to fetch it out? Marry, speak not all at once! Tinker, hast thou brought with thee thy sweet-stringed lute21?"
"I've got my mouth-organ, Robin," said he who answered to the name of Tinker, while knowing himself to be, on the school register, plain Tom Jaye.
"Good for thee, Tinker. And hast thou, Miller22, concealed23 within thy suit of Lincoln green, a mellow24 flute25?"
"I'm never without my tin-whistle, Robin," responded Alf Agers, pulling the instrument proudly from his pocket.
"Then, my stout Merry Men, ye shall blow your hardest on these instruments of torture—I mean on the mellow flute and lute, while we troll our jovial26 ditty under the greenwood tree."
Robin very much enjoyed talking in old English fashion, and had secretly spent a lot of time in reading up the correct phrases to use. Often he would forget himself and mix his old-fashioned speech with the plainest of modern language, but it all came alike to his loyal followers27, who were, as a rule, too happy to be critical.
Buoyed28 up by the strains of the mouth-organ and the whistle, they made bolder onslaughts on the opening chorus, warbling it more and more to its author's liking29 each time.
"Now, good my men, the next verse, I beg of ye. It runs thus wise:
"'Hail, Merry Men, ye Merry Men, ye Merry Men,
Who only rob the rich that they may help the poor,
Crowns of knaves, crowns of knaves!'"
"That's O.K., Robin," said Little John, in honest admiration31. "But why shouldn't it be 'crowns of Squirms'? They're the enemy, aren't they?"
"Nay32, my valiant33 John, dost want our first concert to break up in a brawl34? Admission will be free to esquires and friars, villains35 and knaves alike. With their usual cheek, some of the Squirms will wriggle36 into the front seats. Sing 'crack the crowns of Squirms' and you'll have 'em at our throats in a jiffy."
"We can look jolly hard at them as we sing it, though," said Will Scarlet, "so they will know we mean them by 'knaves'."
"Oh, rather!" agreed Robin. "Your deadly foes37 will get some sound raps ere the concert is finished, I promise ye, my Merry Men. But never must we give them cause to raid the platform. There'll be prefects present, and perhaps a master or two!"
Being too wise to weary them by endless repetition, Robin dropped the chorus there and then, and passed to the next item on the programme, which was a song by "Allan a Dale", otherwise Frank Locke, the only Merry Man who sang solos as a choirboy, though always painfully shy about using his clear voice.
"Really, Robin, you ought to sing this yourself," he pleaded. "It's mostly about you."
"Nay, Allan, wouldst have the populace say that Robin Hood loved nothing better than the blowing of his own horn?"
"I'm all of a shiver," declared Allan a Dale.
"Tune up," said David of Doncaster, encouragingly. "After all, Frank—I mean Allan—it's nice to have somebody to practise on. We shan't mind a bit, whatever it's like."
"As you're all of a shiver, Allan a Dale," said Will Scarlet, "I've thrown an armful of sticks on the fire. Stand with your back to it, and chirrup."
Thus urged on, Locke sang a ballade extolling40 the lighthearted way in which Robin Hood had cheated sheriffs, cozened friars, beaten foes black and blue at quarterstaff, outshot England's finest archers41, and generally proved himself the "star turn" in the outdoor performances of his time.
Once rid of his nervousness Allan a Dale sang well—must have acquitted42 himself excellently indeed, for boys are not usually patient listeners to vocalism, and none of them interrupted him.
"Right well wilt43 thou please the ears of them that list to thee, my worthy44 Allan. A brave sight shalt thou be withal, clad in many colours, with a lovely harp45 of gold and silver to twang as thou singest."
"A harp!" cried poor Allan. "One of those things with green cloth round it, which needs a handcart to push it about? Not for me, Robin! I couldn't play it."
"I've got an old mandoline," observed Dave of Doncaster. "I could teach Allan to pluck a few notes out of that."
Robin shook his head vigorously. "Wrong period," he said. "Folk didn't sing Alabama coon songs in those days. Don't worry, Allan; we'll cut out the gold and silver harp. It would cost a term's pocket-money, anyhow."
Came next a brisk bout38 of conundrums46, riddles48, and rhymes, covering two foolscap sheets in Robin's small, neat handwriting. The novelty of these airy trifles was that they had nothing to do with the sportive days of Robin Hood. They actually concerned Foxenby School itself, being of a saucily49 personal character which made the Merry Men first gape50 and then laugh loudly.
"I shall ask you, David of Doncaster," said Robin, "'Why should Rooke's House and Holbeck's House always be able to work together?' You will scratch your head and look silly——"
"Easy part," murmured Will Scarlet, in between.
"And then give it up," went on Robin, ignoring the interruption. "After that I shall say, 'You don't know why Rooke's House and Holbeck's House should always be able to work together? Why, because there's a Forge in one house, and a lot of bright sparks in the other.'"
"I don't see that," said Little John, rubbing his chin.
He was the only one who didn't. All the rest voted it "ripping".
"Out upon them for thin-skinned clowns if they do. There are hits at both houses. To you, Little John, I shall put the conundrum—'Why do Rooke's scholars need smoked glasses on prize distribution day?' Gaze at me in puzzled fashion, and I'll answer—'So's they can Luke at Harwood when he dazzles them with his brilliance52'."
"Tophole!" was the general verdict.
"To me it seems rather a left-handed swipe," Will Scarlet commented. "Almost as if Luke Harwood were swanking about with prizes under his arm, you know."
"An it please him to put the cap on, let none say him nay," quoth Robin. "I will hie me to the next item, which is a riddle47 in rhyme. List, good my men:
"'Forlornly I flap in the tormenting54 breeze,
Out at the elbows and out at the knees.
Never before such a figure of fun—
See how I make all the little ones run!'"
"Why," said Little John, actually smiling, "anybody knows the answer to that. It's a scarecrow."
"Of course," said a lot of the others.
"Wrong," said Robin. "Keep it dark, all you fellows, till the night of the concert. The answer is 'Fluffy55 Jim'."
"The Village Idiot at the football match!" exclaimed Will Scarlet. "Best of the bunch, I call that. Robin, old man, how in thunder did you make them all up?"
"I didn't!" said Robin.
"Then who did?"
"That's telling. I'm not allowed to say."
"Whoever put them together was a clever guy."
"He is," agreed Robin, "but you'll never guess who, so don't try. There's twenty-two of them in all and they ought to bring the house down. But now, my stout fellows," he broke off, changing again to old-time terms, "right worthily56 have ye gone through your parts, and I have a mind to reward ye for it. In yonder pack of mine there are sweet venison pasties and sundry57 cakes, with three pottles of humming ale—ginger ale. If there be any amongst ye who cares not to feast on such goodly fare, let him hang himself on yonder tree for the crows to peck at."
Generous Robin! Few, if any, of his Merry Men guessed how short he went of every other luxury in order to provide these tasty little feasts in the shade of the Forest trees. Other boys had hobbies—stamp-collecting, photography, painting—but Robin had none. For a hobby that needed pocket-money could not live beside such hospitality as Robin gave to his Merry Men. He let them assume that most of the grub came in hampers58 from home—some of it certainly did, but for the greater proportion Robin quietly paid at the Moston stores.
On logs tugged59 long ago to this particular spot, they sat in a rough semi-circle round the fire, and fell to with hearty60 good will. Some supplemented the viands61 from paper-bags held in reserve, and it seemed a thousand pities that such a jovial little picnic was doomed62 to be interrupted when the merriment was at its height. But interrupted it was, and in a manner that was both startling and odious63.
Suddenly—even more suddenly than showers come in April—there splashed into the fire two jets of liquid, followed immediately by another and yet another.
The fluid drenched64 the logs and sent up clouds of pungent65 smoke, making their eyes smart and setting them coughing and sneezing. Simultaneously66 there was the unmistakable clink of syringes against tin pails, followed by smothered67 laughter and scampering68 feet.
With angry cries the Merry Men jumped from their logs and made away from the reeking69 fire. The fumes70 had a strong suggestion of acid from the laboratory, making the vicinity of the fire an unhealthy place to stay in.
"Those caddish Squirms!" yelled Robin. "After them, my Merry Men, after them!"
Yes, Robin—a long way after them! Those quick-heeled Squirms have made the most of their start, and, run you never so fast in pursuit, you will not catch them, not even be sharp enough to see the direction they took. They have vanished mysteriously and your vengeance71 must wait until another day.
"Marry come up, but they shall pay for this!" cried Robin, shaking his fist furiously into space. "Ere this week has gone by there shall not be a bone in the bodies of the Squirms that shall not ache, and ache again, from the cudgelling we shall give them. Are ye agreed on it, my Merry Men?"
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1
robin
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| n.知更鸟，红襟鸟 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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clannish
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| adj.排他的，门户之见的 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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cosy
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| adj.温暖而舒适的，安逸的 | |
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thaw
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| v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和 | |
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rehearsal
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| n.排练，排演；练习 | |
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depicting
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| 描绘，描画( depict的现在分词 )； 描述 | |
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hood
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| n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖 | |
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outlaw
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| n.歹徒，亡命之徒；vt.宣布…为不合法 | |
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tune
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| n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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quill
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| n.羽毛管；v.给（织物或衣服）作皱褶 | |
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demurred
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| v.表示异议，反对( demur的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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scarlet
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| n.深红色，绯红色，红衣；adj.绯红色的 | |
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reign
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| n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势 | |
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plentiful
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| adj.富裕的，丰富的 | |
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lore
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| n.传说；学问，经验，知识 | |
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groom
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| vt.给（马、狗等）梳毛，照料，使...整洁 | |
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lute
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| n.琵琶，鲁特琴 | |
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miller
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| n.磨坊主 | |
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concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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mellow
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| adj.柔和的；熟透的；v.变柔和；(使)成熟 | |
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flute
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| n.长笛；v.吹笛 | |
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jovial
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| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
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followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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buoyed
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| v.使浮起( buoy的过去式和过去分词 )；支持；为…设浮标；振奋…的精神 | |
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liking
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| n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢 | |
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knaves
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| n.恶棍，无赖( knave的名词复数 )；（纸牌中的）杰克 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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brawl
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| n.大声争吵，喧嚷；v.吵架，对骂 | |
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villains
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| n.恶棍( villain的名词复数 )；罪犯；（小说、戏剧等中的）反面人物；淘气鬼 | |
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wriggle
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| v./n.蠕动，扭动；蜿蜒 | |
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foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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rustled
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| v.发出沙沙的声音( rustle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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extolling
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| v.赞美( extoll的现在分词 )；赞颂，赞扬，赞美( extol的现在分词 ) | |
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archers
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| n.弓箭手，射箭运动员( archer的名词复数 ) | |
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acquitted
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| 宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现 | |
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wilt
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| v.(使)植物凋谢或枯萎；(指人)疲倦，衰弱 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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harp
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| n.竖琴；天琴座 | |
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46
conundrums
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| n.谜，猜不透的难题，难答的问题( conundrum的名词复数 ) | |
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riddle
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| n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜 | |
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riddles
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| n.谜（语）( riddle的名词复数 )；猜不透的难题，难解之谜 | |
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49
saucily
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| adv.傲慢地，莽撞地 | |
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gape
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| v.张口，打呵欠，目瞪口呆地凝视 | |
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51
slur
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| v.含糊地说；诋毁；连唱；n.诋毁；含糊的发音 | |
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52
brilliance
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| n.光辉，辉煌，壮丽，（卓越的）才华，才智 | |
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53
smack
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| vt.拍，打，掴；咂嘴；vi.含有…意味；n.拍 | |
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54
tormenting
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| 使痛苦的，使苦恼的 | |
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fluffy
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| adj.有绒毛的，空洞的 | |
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worthily
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| 重要地，可敬地，正当地 | |
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57
sundry
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| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
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hampers
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| 妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的第三人称单数 ) | |
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tugged
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| v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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hearty
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| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
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viands
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| n.食品，食物 | |
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doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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odious
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| adj.可憎的，讨厌的 | |
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drenched
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| adj.湿透的；充满的v.使湿透( drench的过去式和过去分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体） | |
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pungent
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| adj.（气味、味道）刺激性的，辛辣的；尖锐的 | |
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simultaneously
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| adv.同时发生地，同时进行地 | |
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smothered
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| （使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的过去式和过去分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制 | |
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scampering
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| v.蹦蹦跳跳地跑，惊惶奔跑( scamper的现在分词 ) | |
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69
reeking
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| v.发出浓烈的臭气( reek的现在分词 )；散发臭气；发出难闻的气味 (of sth)；明显带有（令人不快或生疑的跡象） | |
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fumes
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| n.(强烈而刺激的)气味，气体 | |
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vengeance
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| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
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72
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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sincerity
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| n.真诚，诚意；真实 | |
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