Robin Hood and the Pedlars
Encyclopedia
Synopsis
Robin HoodRobin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
, 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...
, and Will Scarlet
Will Scarlet
Will Scarlet was a prominent member of Robin Hood's Merry Men. He was present in the earliest ballads along with Little John and Much the Miller's Son....
meet up with three pedlars
Peddler
A peddler, in British English pedlar, also known as a canvasser, cheapjack, monger, or solicitor , is a travelling vendor of goods. In England, the term was mostly used for travellers hawking goods in the countryside to small towns and villages; they might also be called tinkers or gypsies...
and urge them to stay; they go on. Robin shoots at one, striking through his pack to the skin, with force enough to kill him without the pack having been in the way. They throw down their packs and await Robin, but the first, Kit o Thirske, breaks Robin's bow. Robin insists that they give them time to get staves; then they fight, hard enough that all six regret it. A blow from Kit knocks Robin down, unconscious.
Little John and Will call off the fight, saying Robin is dead. Kit offers them a balsame to heal him. The pedlars go on to Nottingham, and Little John and Will tend Robin. As soon as he regains consciousness, he vomits the balsame, and all three of them are filthy.