“’Tis strange,” muttered Robin to himself after a space, when the voices had ceased their talking, “surely there be two people that spoke the one to the other, and yet methinks their voices are mightily alike.  I make my vow that never have I heard the like in all my life before.  Truly, if this twain are to be judged by their voices, no two peas were ever more alike.  I will look into this matter.”  So saying, he came softly to the river bank and laying him down upon the grass, peered over the edge and down below.

All was cool and shady beneath the bank.  A stout osier grew, not straight upward, but leaning across the water, shadowing the spot with its soft foliage.  All around grew a mass of feathery ferns such as hide and nestle in cool places, and up to Robin’s nostrils came the tender odor of the wild thyme, that loves the moist verges of running streams.  Here, with his broad back against the rugged trunk of the willow tree, and half hidden by the soft ferns around him, sat a stout, brawny fellow, but no other man was there.  His head was as round as a ball, and covered with a mat of close-clipped, curly black hair that grew low down on his forehead.  But his crown was shorn as smooth as the palm of one’s hand, which, together with his loose robe, cowl, and string of beads, showed that which his looks never would have done, that he was a friar.  His cheeks were as red and shining as a winter crab, albeit they were nearly covered over with a close curly black beard, as were his chin and upper lip likewise.  His neck was thick like that of a north country bull, and his round head closely set upon shoulders e’en a match for those of Little John himself.  Beneath his bushy black brows danced a pair of little gray eyes that could not stand still for very drollery of humor.  No man could look into his face and not feel his heartstrings tickled by the merriment of their look.  By his side lay a steel cap, which he had laid off for the sake of the coolness to his crown.  His legs were stretched wide apart, and betwixt his knees he held a great pasty compounded of juicy meats of divers kinds made savory with tender young onions, both meat and onions being mingled with a good rich gravy.  In his right fist he held a great piece of brown crust at which he munched sturdily, and every now and then he thrust his left hand into the pie and drew it forth full of meat; anon he would take a mighty pull at a great bottle of Malmsey that lay beside him.

“By my faith,” quoth Robin to himself, “I do verily believe that this is the merriest feast, the merriest wight, the merriest place, and the merriest sight in all merry England.  Methought there was another here, but it must have been this holy man talking to himself.”

So Robin lay watching the Friar, and the Friar, all unknowing that he was so overlooked, ate his meal placidly.  At last he was done, and, having first wiped his greasy hands upon the ferns and wild thyme (and sweeter napkin ne’er had king in all the world), he took up his flask and began talking to himself as though he were another man, and answering himself as though he were somebody else.