FOR THE LITTLE ONES

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 129, 2 June 1934, Page 3 (Supplement)

FOR THE LITTLE ONES

THE LOST BOYS' FAVOURITE TALE. ROBIN HOOD AND THE SHERIFF. My Dear Little Friends, Thi s wet weather is very tiresome *„A l • • • j makes the Lost Boys so «•«. Mr ®*°™ e ' and having to rema.n indoors thai Wendy can keep themfcLf- dlsc Really the only way who is the=r favn?,l?£ V happy ls to tell them stories. Can you guess Sherwood Forest w„„ JL ,j the ° ne tel »«»g b°w the merry outlaw of d h ° reSt W ° n Ae.BoMen arrow from the Sheriff of Nottingham. Robin Hood i y ° U may ™ me ™i»er, was always trying his best to capture kJline thelbS J" 8 kind t0 the P oor » •»«* broke the laws by cruel and wfckL xT **t h °' d " B Up the rich baro » s . who were usually in need MCheS * aken Were 2 Jven *° P*°p!e who were really h. co% m^i er h ° W , hard fhe sheriff tried to take Robin Hood prisoner, scornful • JSL™ H I&St the Kin S began to speak harsh and * °™ W °^ B : T h!S »rged the sheriff to make an extra special effort. one Ir f t r? »? catch the outlaw in his own forest," he said, "but matLi "" , A S j m mS,de the wal,s oi this '"wn hi 3 arrest will be an easy «n» m" M . S °t' VCry . CUnning! y- he arranged a shooting contest and rtP,\Tf!^ g a - nd Wide P roc,a iniing the news that whosoever won »rrh«! A" rece,ve » S° lde n arrow and wou!d be considered the best ZZIZ X ' • Ct T tr y- As **» »he»«f expected, Robin Hood was anxious to win the pr,ze, but he was far too clever to fall into the trap set for him. -I, »" W *^ U a " end - the shootin S match," he said to his merry men, JXt Zf T • f° m d,s 2 uise -" And so the band of outlaws cast off their Suits or Lincoln green and tramped to Nottingham in the clothes of peasants and friars. The outlaw chief stained his beard a dark brown, and he e.ppeared as a ragged beggar with a patch over one eye. Watching closely as they did. the sheriff and his men could find BO_ trace of Robm Hood, and so the shooting match was begun. Great sk.ll was shown by the archers, but two men stood out above all others; one was Gilbert o Hie Red Cap, a soldier of the sheriff, and the other the gagged beggar. At last it came to the finals and Gilbert and the disguised iKobin had to fire their last shots to decide who should be the winner of the golden arrow. Gilbert took careful aim and his arrow hit the bullseye, just a little to one side of the centre mark. "Well done Gilbert," cried the sheriff joyfully Now, ragged knave, let us see if you canst shoot a tetter shaft than that. Hitherto Robin had shot so swiftly that one could scarcely take breath between the drawing of the bow and the firing of the arrow. Now, however, he paused a second to take aim, then let go the string. The arrow cut the air, clipped some of the feathers from the end of) Gilbert's shaft, and clove the nail that held the target in position—Robin Hood's arrow had lodged in the very centre < f the target. •it " H . ere ', *°od fellow," quoth the sheriff, as he stepped down in silks and velvets to where the tattered archer stood. "Teke thou the prize, for well and truly hast thou won it. I trow thou drawest better bow than that same coward knave Robin Hood, that dared not show his face here to-day." • Like all strong men Robin resented being called a coward and he badly wanted to let the sheriff know who it was that won the polden arrow. Accordingly that night Little John went to Nottingham "Town and shot a blunt arrow through the sheriff's window. To it was ntUched & note which read: "Now Heaven bless thy grace this day, Say all in sweet Sherwood, For thou didst give the prize away To merry Robin Hood." And whilst the sheriff fretted and fumed, Little John hastened back to Sherwood Forest to join the merry S~*\ men, who were celebrating in grand style _-*^ — ** the victory of their beloved chief. r\J t^^^HC^^^ 00^'^ No wonder the Lost Boys like this (VJ QaS^^^"^ tale. It is a splendid story, isn't it, little V//*^^*^**^ ones ?