Weary of the same company, Robin once despatched his men into the forest with orders to arrest any one they met and bring him to their nightly banquet.  Robin himself sallied out too, and soon met a dejected knight, who declared he felt too sad to contribute to the outlaw’s amusement.  When Robin questioned him in regard to his dejection, Sir Richard of the Lee explained that his son, having accidentally wounded his opponent in a tournament, had been obliged to pay a fine of L600 in gold and make a pilgrimage to Palestine.  To raise the money for the fine, the father had mortgaged his estates, and was now about to be despoiled of them by the avaricious prior of Emmet, who demanded an immediate payment of L400 or the estate.

Robin, ever ready to help the poor and sorrowful, bade the knight cheer up and promised to discover some way to raise the L400.  Meantime Little John and Friar Tuck—­who had joined Robin’s band—­caught the Bishop of Hereford, travelling through the forest with a train of pack horses, one of which was laden with an iron-bound chest.  After entertaining these forced guests at dinner, Robin had them witness his archers’ skill and listen to Allan a Dale’s music, ere he set forth the knight’s predicament and appealed to the bishop to lend him the necessary money.  When the bishop loudly protested he would do so gladly had he funds, Robin ordered his baggage examined and divided into three equal shares, one for the owner, one for his men, and one for the poor.

Such was the value of the third set aside for the poor that Robin could lend Sir Richard L500.  Armed with this money—­which he promised to repay within a year—­Sir Richard presented himself before the prior of Emmet, who had hired the sheriff and a lawyer to help him despoil the knight with some show of law and justice.  It was therefore before an august board of three villains that Sir Richard knelt begging for time wherein to pay his debt.  Virtuously protesting he would gladly remit a hundred pounds for prompt payment—­so great was his need of money—­the prior refused to wait, and his claim was duly upheld by lawyer and sheriff.  Relinquishing his humble position, Sir Richard then defiantly produced 300 pounds, which he forced the prior to accept in full payment!  Soon after, the happy knight was able to repay Robin’s loan, and gratefully bestowed fine bows and arrows on all the outlaws.  Little John, garbed as a friar, once set out for a neighboring fair, and, meeting three pretty girls with baskets of eggs, gallantly offered to carry their loads.  When merrily challenged to carry all three, Little John cleverly slung one basket around his neck by means of his rosary, and marched merrily along carrying the two others and singing at the top of his lungs, while one of the girls beat time with his staff.