How Robin Hood met the Maid

A whimsy of the first meeting of Robin & Marion

Part the First

Robin Hood was out arching one day
When acrost the meadow
He did spy a lady.

A lady, riding swiftly
upon a milk-white palfrey
her green wimple flying free.

She was fleeing from
The sheriff of Nottingham.
you see

In the sun her dark hair shone
bright and as a shard of
glazed Grecian pottery .

Fast as an arrow Robin did fly
and mounted his destrier*
hitched nearby.

Acrost the greening
meadow he rode
Until he slowed to cross a ford

Where he spotted Friar Tuck, his face a glower
guiding o'er the sward a strange contraption
called a lawnmower.

But it did the job, it chopped the grass
Though Tuck did look funny, worn and wary
As he finished the main yard of the monastery.

Robin had paused
for only an instant but by now
the lady was far distant.

He knew that dark
was fast approaching and his
merrie fellows were done the day's poaching.

Hurrying to the night's camp
His mouth it moistened as he thought
to sup upon roast venison.

On the morrow he would find the lady,
bring her to the bower shady, inviting
her to sup on wild boar chitlings and kidney.

Part the Second

Alas the next day she could not
be found. Indeed for a senight *
she seemed to be nowhere around.

Then a rumor reached Sherwood
That the evil sheriff had locked her
In the slam-er.

It was as bait though Locksley
could not know that the sheriff was
in love with Robin's new yew bow!

He lusted for that bow
as men lust for riches
Because the only bow he had

was crafted from the flimsy limbs
of beeches. Now beech arrows
They do shine

But beech bow limbs
were,
not the best.

Forgive me for I digress
'cause Robin had to figure how
to get that lady from the hoosegow.

To storm the Keep* would be fun
However, it would be near
impossible to get to the dungeon!

Another way had to be found
to bring her above the
ground.

Robin then learned what
many knew, the sheriff
lusted for his bow of yew.

So he boldly went to Nottingham
and in front of the gaol Robin
made his stand.

The sheriff did then come forth to treat.
They reached agreement in the middle
of the street.

The lady, the sheriff would let go
If Robin Hood surrendered
his fine yew bow.

The rest is history as they say.
For Robin did meet Marion that day
And to Sherwood they did away.

Robin had the last laugh you see
For in Sherwood there stood many
A fine yew tree.

And soon fashioned
into a new bow a yew tree
bough would be.