The Sheriff of Nottingham

The Sheriff of Nottingham hated Robin Hood more than any other lord hated him. The Sheriff was a cruel man with no kindness in his heart. He wanted nothing more than to catch Robin Hood and hang him.

Time after time, Robin got away, and the Sheriff only grew angrier and more spiteful. One day he sent a stout guard with a warrant to catch Robin Hood. Robin met the guard on the road and led him to a feast in the forest. The guard ate so much, he fell asleep with a belly full of food and drink. While the guard slept, Robin stole the warrant right out of his pocket. Without a warrant the guard couldn't arrest Robin Hood and his men, and he had to go back to the Sheriff empty handed. Still, the furious Sheriff of Nottingham would not give up his hunt for Robin.

He knew it was no use sending more guards, no matter how strong they were. The Sheriff had no choice but to trick Robin into leaving the forest.

“I've got it,” said the Sheriff of Nottingham, wearing a sour look on his face. “I'll catch him by trickery. I'll hold a great archery festival and have the best archers in England come here to shoot for the prize of a gold-covered arrow. Surely that will draw Robin Hood and his men so I can arrest and hang them.”

Robin Hood and his men prepared to go to the archery contest, but they didn't wear the green suits they wore in the forest. Instead they dressed in disguise. Some dressed as barefoot monks, some as traders, others as farmers and peasants. Robin Hood was the hardest to recognize, dressed from head to toe in tattered beggar's clothes.

Yet his loyal men were worried and begged Robin not to go. “This archery contest is just a trap for the Sheriff to lure you to your death. The Sheriff of Nottingham and his guards will know you by your hair and eyes, even if you wear different clothes. Please, please don't go to the contest, Robin Hood.”

Robin Hood just laughed at his band's concern for him. “Why, as to my yellow hair, I can color that with walnut stain. As to my eyes, I can cover one of them with a patch so my face will not be seen in the crowd. The Sheriff of Nottingham and his guards don't scare me—in fact, a bit of danger will make it all the more fun.”