Robin Hood And His Audio Books

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Welcome back to Chapter XIIIb for the continuation of Robin Hood by J. Walker McSpadden,

There have been many books written about Robin Hood and McSpadden has been one that I have really enjoyed. I hope you like it as much.

If you would like to find more books on Robin Hood go to the upper right corner of this site and click on the link that says “history of audio books” or you can read along as I will bring as many as I can to this blog. It will take a while though as I have no intention of boring you with long selections from the books.

Each selection I put on the blog will be no more than 20 minutes and most will be between 10 and 15 minutes for a fairly quick read. Enjoy and let me know what you think by using the comments below each selection.

Titled “Robin Hood”

Please make sure you BOOKMARK this sight for easy access. If you are not sure how to do it,
go to the page titled “How to Bookmark” at the top right hand of this page.

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CHAPTER XIII

Part 2 of 4

HOW THE OUTLAWS SHOT IN KING HARRY’S TOURNEY

…”By my halidom!” said the King, “these must be hardy men to pit themselves against my archers!”

“Think you that your ten chosen fellows are the best bowmen in all England?” asked the Queen.

“Aye, and in all the world beside,” answered the King; “and thereunto I would stake five hundred pounds.”

“I am minded to take your wager,” said the Queen musingly, “and will e’en do so if you grant me a boon.”

“What is it?” asked the King.

“If I produce five archers who can out-shoot your ten, will you grant my men full grace and amnesty?”

“Assuredly!” quoth the King in right good humor. “Nathless, I tell you now, your wager is in jeopardy, for there never were such bowmen as Tepus and Clifton and Gilbert!”

“Hum!” said the Queen puckering her brow, still as though lost in thought. “I must see if there be none present to aid me in my wager. Boy, call hither Sir Richard of the Lea and my lord Bishop of Hereford!”

The two summoned ones, who had been witnessing the sport, came forward.

“Sir Richard,” said she, “thou art a full knight and good. Would’st advise me to meet a wager of the King’s, that I can produce other archers as good as Tepus and Gilbert and Clifton?”

“Nay, Your Majesty,” he said, bending his knee. “There be none present that can match them. Howbeit,”–he added dropping his voice–”I have heard of some who lie hid in Sherwood Forest who could show them strange targets.”

The Queen smiled and dismissed him.

“Come hither, my lord Bishop of Hereford,” quoth she, “would’st thou advance a sum to support my wager ‘gainst the King?”

“Nay, Your Majesty,” said the fat Bishop, “an you pardon me, I’d not lay down a penny on such a bet. For by my silver mitre, the King’s archers are men who have no peers.”

“But suppose I found men whom _thou knewest_ to be masters at the bow,” she insisted roguishly, “would’st thou not back them? Belike, I have heard that there be men round about Nottingham and Plympton who carry such matters with a high hand!”

The Bishop glanced nervously around, as if half expecting to see Robin Hood’s men standing near; then turned to find the Queen looking at him with much amusement lurking in her eyes.

“Odds bodikins! The story of my misadventure must have preceded me!” he thought, ruefully. Aloud he said, resolved to face it out,

“Your Majesty, such tales are idle and exaggerated. An you pardon me, I would add to the King’s wager that his men are invincible.”

“As it pleases thee,” replied the Queen imperturbably. “How much?”

“Here is my purse,” said the Bishop uneasily. “It contains fifteen score nobles, or near a hundred pounds.”

“I’ll take it at even money,” she said, dismissing him; “and Your Majesty”–turning to the King who had been conversing with the two princes and certain of the nobles–”I accept your wager of five hundred pounds.”

“Very good,” said the King, laughing as though it were a great jest. “But what had minded you to take such interest in the sport, of a sudden?”

“It is as I have said. I have found five men whom I will pit against any you may produce.”

“Then we will try their skill speedily,” quoth the King. “How say you, if first we decide this open target and then match the five best thereat against your unknown champions?”

“Agreed,” said the Queen. Thereupon she signed to Maid Marian to step forward, from a near-by booth where she sat with other ladies-in-waiting, and whispered something in her ear. Marian courtesied and withdrew.

Now the ten chosen archers from the King’s bands came forth again and took their stand; and with them stood forth the twelve untried men from the open lists. Again the crowd was stilled, and every eye hung upon the speeding of the shafts. Slowly but skilfully each man shot, and as his shaft struck within the inner ring a deep breath broke from the multitude like the sound of the wind upon the seashore.

And now Gilbert of the White Hand led the shooting, and ’twas only by the space of a hairsbreadth upon the line that Tepus tied his score. Stout Elwyn, the Welshman, took third place; one of the private archers, named Geoffrey, come fourth; while Clifton must needs content himself with fifth.

The men from the open lists shot fairly true, but nervousness and fear of ridicule wrought their undoing.

The herald then came forward again, and, instead of announcing the prize-winners, proclaimed that there was to be a final contest. Two men had tied for first place, declared His Majesty the King, and three others were entitled to honors. Now all these five were to shoot again, and they were to be pitted against five other of the Queen’s choosing–men who had not yet shot upon that day.

A thrill of astonishment and excitement swept around the arena. “Who were these men of the Queen’s choosing?” was upon every lip. The hubbub of eager voices grew intense; and in the midst of it all, the gate at the far end of the field opened and five men entered and escorted a lady upon horseback across the arena to the royal box. The lady was instantly recognized as Mistress Marian of the Queen’s household, but no one seemed to know the faces of her escort.

Four were clad in Lincoln green, while the fifth, who seemed to be the leader, was dressed in a brave suit of scarlet red. Each man wore a close fitting cap of black, decked with a curling white feather. For arms, they carried simply a stout bow, a sheaf of new arrows, and a short hunting-knife.

When the little party came before the dais on which the King and Queen sat, the yeomen doffed their caps humbly, while Maid Marian was assisted to dismount.

“Your Gracious Majesty,” she said, addressing the Queen, “these be the men for whom you sent me, and who are now come to wear your colors and service you in the tourney.”

The Queen leaned forward and handed them each a scarf of green and gold.

“Lockesley,” she said in a clear voice, “I thank thee and thy men for this service. Know that I have laid a wager with the King that ye can outshoot the best five whom he has found in all his bowmen.” The five
men pressed the scarfs to their lips in token of fealty.

The King turned to the Queen inquiringly…

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This concludes Chapter XIIIb. A 4 part chapter.

Next post will be Chapter XIIIc.

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To Get the various collections of Robin Hood Audio Books,
CLICK on Robin Hood Audio Books web site.

For even more great Audio Books Like this, go to the
GREAT AUDIO BOOKS LIST store for more enjoyment.

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