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IV . Robin Turns Butcher For almost a year after that , Robin and his men stayed quietly in the forest . But at last Robin grew tired of the quiet life , and he went out to look for an adventure . At the edge of Sherwood he met a young butcher in a new cart full of meat . The butcher was whistling happily . “ You look happy today , ” said Robin . “ Why not ? ” said the Butcher . “ I have the prettiest girl in the county , and I’m going to marry her next Thursday in Locksley . ” “ Locksley ! ” said Robin . “ I was born there . ” “ And who are you ? ” asked the Butcher . “ People call me Robin Hood . ” The Butcher went pale . “ Please don’t take anything from me , ” he said . “ I’m an honest man . ” “ I won’t take a penny from you , ” said Robin . “ But how much do you want for your meat , your horse and your cart ? ” “ They are worth four marks . ” “ Here are six marks , ” said Robin . “ I’d like to be a butcher for one day . ” The Butcher took the money happily and went home to his girl . Robin put on the Butcher’s apron and drove the cart to the market in Nottingham . There Robin set up his stall and began to call out , “ Come , buy my meat ! Three pennies ’ worth for one penny ! ” And that was how he sold it . Fat , rich friars paid a high price , because he did not want them as customers . Poor women and widows got their meat for nothing . And if a pretty girl gave him a kiss , she did not pay at all . Soon a big crowd stood around his stall , and the other butchers could not sell anything . “ He’s some rich young fool , ” they said to each other . “ He sold his father’s land , and now he wants to spend the money quickly . ” The chief butcher came to Robin . “ Brother , ” he said , “ today the Sheriff is giving a dinner for all the butchers in the Guild Hall . Will you come with us ? ” The Guild Hall was the big hall where the craftsmen of the town met . “ Of course ! ” said Robin . At the dinner , the Sheriff heard about the rich young fool . He did not recognise Robin in his butcher’s clothes . “ Maybe I can get some of this young man’s money , ” he thought . So he asked Robin to sit next to him and was very friendly . Before the meal , Robin said a prayer . “ Heaven bless us all , ” he said , “ and may all butchers be as honest as I am ! ” Everybody laughed , and the Sheriff laughed loudest . “ You are a jolly young fellow , ” said the Sheriff , “ and I like you very much . ” “ Yes , I know you like jolly fellows , ” said Robin . “ Didn’t you give jolly Robin Hood a golden arrow ? ” The Sheriff stopped laughing , but Robin only called for more wine . “ Be merry ! ” he cried . “ Nobody will pay for this dinner but me , even if it costs two hundred pounds ! ” “ You must have a lot of cattle and land , ” said the Sheriff , “ because you spend your money so freely . ” “ My brothers and I have five hundred horned beasts , ” said Robin , “ but we can’t sell them . ” Beasts are animals , and the Sheriff thought of cows and bulls . The Sheriff’s eyes shone . “ I’ll buy them , ” he said . “ I’ll give you three hundred pounds for them all . ”
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