Synopsis

Robin Hood is brought news that the Sheriff of Nottingham

Sheriff of Nottingham

The Sheriff of Nottingham was historically the office responsible for enforcing law and order in Nottingham and bringing criminals to justice. For years the post has been directly appointed by the Lord Mayor of Nottingham and in modern times, with the existence of the police force, the position is...

 surprised Will Stutely

Will Stutely

Will Stutely or Will Stutly is in English folklore a prominent member of Robin Hood's Merry Men.-Ballads:He was present in two of the ballads in the Child collection, although not ones dating from the early medieval period...

, and though he killed two of the Sheriff's men, he was captured. They set out to rescue him, confirm the story from a palmer

Palmer

-People:*Palmer , a medieval European pilgrim to the Holy Land*Palmer , a surname -Places:Antarctica*Palmer Archipelago, group of islands off the northwestern coast of the Antarctic Peninsula...

, and arrive as he is being brought out. Will Stutly offers to fight the sheriff's men, with his bare hands, if need be, but the sheriff is resolved to hang him. Little John

Little John

Little John was a legendary fellow outlaw of Robin Hood, and was said to be Robin's chief lieutenant and second-in-command of the Merry Men.-Folklore:He appears in the earliest recorded Robin Hood ballads and stories...

 jumps out to cut his bonds and give him a sword. Robin's men rouse up, and the sheriff and his men flee, and Robin's men go back to Sherwood.

Adaptations

The entire tale was used by Howard Pyle

Howard Pyle

Howard Pyle was an American illustrator and author, primarily of books for young people. A native of Wilmington, Delaware, he spent the last year of his life in Florence, Italy.__FORCETOC__...

 in his Merry Adventures of Robin Hood, often with no more changes than rendering the verse as prose.

External links

• Robin Hood Rescuing Will Stutly