“Why, how now,” quoth the King wrathfully.  “What wouldst thou have me do?  Comest thou not to me with a great array of men-at-arms and retainers, and yet art not able to take a single band of lusty knaves without armor on breast, in thine own county!  What wouldst thou have me do?  Art thou not my Sheriff?  Are not my laws in force in Nottinghamshire?  Canst thou not take thine own course against those that break the laws or do any injury to thee or thine?  Go, get thee gone, and think well; devise some plan of thine own, but trouble me no further.  But look well to it, Master Sheriff, for I will have my laws obeyed by all men within my kingdom, and if thou art not able to enforce them thou art no sheriff for me.  So look well to thyself, I say, or ill may befall thee as well as all the thieving knaves in Nottinghamshire.  When the flood cometh it sweepeth away grain as well as chaff.”

Then the Sheriff turned away with a sore and troubled heart, and sadly he rued his fine show of retainers, for he saw that the King was angry because he had so many men about him and yet could not enforce the laws.  So, as they all rode slowly back to Nottingham, the Sheriff was thoughtful and full of care.  Not a word did he speak to anyone, and no one of his men spoke to him, but all the time he was busy devising some plan to take Robin Hood.

“Aha!” cried he suddenly, smiting his hand upon his thigh “I have it now!  Ride on, my merry men all, and let us get back to Nottingham Town as speedily as we may.  And mark well my words:  before a fortnight is passed, that evil knave Robin Hood will be safely clapped into Nottingham gaol.”

But what was the Sheriff’s plan?

As a usurer takes each one of a bag of silver angels, feeling each coin to find whether it be clipped or not, so the Sheriff, as all rode slowly and sadly back toward Nottingham, took up thought after thought in turn, feeling around the edges of each but finding in every one some flaw.  At last he thought of the daring soul of jolly Robin and how, as he the Sheriff knew, he often came even within the walls of Nottingham.

“Now,” thought the Sheriff, “could I but persuade Robin nigh to Nottingham Town so that I could find him, I warrant I would lay hands upon him so stoutly that he would never get away again.”  Then of a sudden it came to him like a flash that were he to proclaim a great shooting match and offer some grand prize, Robin Hood might be overpersuaded by his spirit to come to the butts; and it was this thought which caused him to cry “Aha!” and smite his palm upon his thigh.

So, as soon as he had returned safely to Nottingham, he sent messengers north and south, and east and west, to proclaim through town, hamlet, and countryside, this grand shooting match, and everyone was bidden that could draw a longbow, and the prize was to be an arrow of pure beaten gold.

When Robin Hood first heard the news of this he was in Lincoln Town, and hastening back to Sherwood Forest he soon called all his merry men about him and spoke to them thus: