“If I talk like an ass you talk like a coward,” replied the stranger.  “Do you call it fair to stand with your bow and arrow ready to shoot at me when I have only a stick to defend myself with?  I tell you, you are a coward.  You are afraid of the beating I would give you.”

Robin was not a coward, and he was not afraid.  So he threw his bow and arrows on the bank behind him.

“You are a big, boastful bully,” he said.  “Just wait there until I get a stick.  I hope I may give you as good a beating as you deserve.”

The stranger laughed.  “I won’t run away; don’t be afraid,” he said.

Robin Hood stepped to a thicket of trees and cut himself a good, thick oak stick.  While he was doing this, he looked at the stranger, and saw that he was not only taller but much stronger than himself.

However, that did not frighten Robin in the least.  He was rather glad of it indeed.  The stranger had said he was a coward.  He meant to prove to him that he was not.

Back he came with a fine big stick in his hand and a smile on his face.  The idea of a real good fight had made his bad temper fly away, for, like King Richard, Robin Hood was rather fond of a fight.

“We will fight on the bridge,” said he, “and whoever first falls into the river has lost the battle.”

“All right,” said the stranger.  “Whatever you like.  I’m not afraid.”

Then they fell to, with right good will.

It was very difficult to fight standing on such a narrow bridge.  They kept swaying backwards and forwards trying to keep their balance.  With every stroke the bridge bent and trembled beneath them as if it would break.  All the same they managed to give each other some tremendous blows.  First Robin gave the stranger such a bang that his very bones seemed to ring.

“Aha!” said he, “I’ll give you as good as I get,” and crack he went at Robin’s crown.

Bang, smash, crack, bang, they went at each other.  Their blows fell fast and thick as if they had been threshing corn.

  “The stranger gave Robin a knock on the crown,
     Which caused the blood to appear,
  Then Robin enraged, more fiercely engaged,
     And followed with blows more severe.

  “So thick and so fast did he lay it on him,
     With a passionate fury and ire,
  At every stroke he made him to smoke,
     As if he had been all on fire.”

When Robin’s blows came so fast and furious, the stranger felt he could not stand it much longer.  Gathering all his strength, with one mighty blow he sent Robin backwards, right into the river.  Head over heels he went, and disappeared under the water.

The stranger very nearly fell in after him.  He was so astonished at Robin’s sudden disappearance that he could not think for a minute or two where he had vanished to.  He knelt down on the bridge, and stared into the water.  “Hallo, my good man,” he called.  “Hallo, where are you?”