| 1 |
In summer time, when leaves grow green,
Down a down a down
And birds sing on every tree,
Hey down a down a down
Robin Hood went to Nottingham,
Down a down a down
As fast as hee could dree.
Hey down a down a down |
| 2 |
And as hee came to Nottingham
A Tinker he did meet,
And seeing him a lusty blade,
He did him kindly greet. |
| 3 |
'Where dost thou live?' quoth Robin Hood,
'I pray thee now mee tell;
Sad news I hear there is abroad,
I fear all is not well.' |
| 4 |
'What is that news?' the Tinker said;
'Tell mee without delay;
I am a tinker by my trade,
And do live at Banbura.' |
| 5 |
'As for the news,' quoth Robin Hood,
'It is but as I hear;
Two tinkers they were set ith' stocks,
For drinking ale and bear.' |
| 6 |
'If that be all,' the Tinker said,
'As I may say to you,
Your news it is not worth a fart,
Since that they all bee true. |
| 7 |
'For drinking of good ale and bear,
You wil not lose your part:'
'No, by my faith,' quoth Robin Hood,
'I love it with all my heart. |
| 8 |
'What news abroad?' quoth Robin Hood;
'Tell mee what thou dost hear;
Being thou goest from town to town,
Some news thou need not fear.' |
| 9 |
'All the news,' the Tinker said,
'I hear, it is for good;
It is to seek a bold outlaw,
Which they call Robin Hood. |
| 10 |
'I have a warrant from the king,
To take him where I can;
If you can tell me where hee is,
I will make you a man. |
| 11 |
'The king will give a hundred pound
That hee could but him see;
And if wee can but now him get,
It will serve you and mee.' |
| 12 |
'Let me see that warrant,' said Robin Hood;
'I'le see if it bee right;
And I will do the best I can
For to take him this night.' |
| 13 |
'That will I not,' the Tinker said;
'None with it I will trust;
And where hee is if you'l not tell,
Take him by force I must.' |
| 14 |
But Robin Hood perceiving well
How then the game would go,
'If you will go to Nottingham,
Wee shall find him I know.' |
| 15 |
The Tinker had a crab-tree staff,
Which was both good and strong;
Robin hee had a good strong blade,
So they went both along. |
| 16 |
And when they came to Nottingham,
There they both tooke one inn;
And they calld for ale and wine,
To drink it was no sin. |
| 17 |
But ale and wine they drank so fast
That the Tinker hee forgot
What thing he was about to do;
It fell so to his lot |
| 18 |
That while the Tinker fell asleep,
Hee made then haste away,
And left the Tinker in the lurch,
For the great shot to pay. |
| 19 |
But when the Tinker wakened,
And saw that he was gone,
He calld then even for his host,
And thus hee made his moan. |
| 20 |
'I had a warrant from the king,
Which might have done me good,
That is to take a bold outlaw,
Some call him Robin Hood. |
| 21 |
'But now my warrant and mony's gone,
Nothing I have to pay;
And he that promised to be my friend,
He is gone and fled away.' |
| 22 |
'That friend you tell on,' said the host,
'They call him Robin Hood;
And when that first hee met with you,
He ment you little good.' |
| 23 |
'Had I known it had been hee,
When that I had him here,
Th' one of us should have tri'd our strength
Which should have paid full dear. |
| 24 |
'In the mean time I must away;
No longer here I'le bide;
But I will go and seek him out,
What ever do me betide. |
| 25 |
'But one thing I would gladly know,
What here I have to pay;'
'Ten shillings just,' then said the host;
'I'le pay without delay. |
| 26 |
'Or elce take here my working-bag,
And my good hammer too;
And if that I light but on the knave,
I will then soon pay you.' |
| 27 |
'The onely way,' then said the host,
'And not to stand in fear,
Is to seek him among the parks,
Killing of the kings deer.' |
| 28 |
The Tinker hee then went with speed,
And made then no delay,
Till he had found then Robin Hood,
That they might have a fray. |
| 29 |
At last hee spy'd him in a park,
Hunting then of the deer;
'What knave is that,' quoth Robin Hood,
'That doth come mee so near?' |
| 30 |
'No knave, no knave,' the Tinker said,
'And that you soon shall know;
Whether of us hath done most wrong,
My crab-tree staff shall show.' |
| 31 |
Then Robin drew his gallant blade,
Made then of trusty steel;
But the Tinker laid on him so fast
That he made Robin reel. |
| 32 |
Then Robins anger did arise;
He fought full manfully,
Vntil hee made the Tinker
Almost then fit to fly. |
| 33 |
With that they had a bout again,
They ply'd their weapons fast;
The Tinker threshed his bones so sore
He made him yeeld at last. |
| 34 |
'A boon, a boon,' Robin hee cryes,
'If thou wilt grant it mee;'
'Before I do it,' the Tinker said,
'I'le hang thee on this tree.' |
| 35 |
But the Tinker looking him about,
Robin his horn did blow;
Then came unto him Little John,
And William Scadlock too. |
| 36 |
'What is the matter,' quoth Little John,
'You sit in th' highway side?'
'Here is a Tinker that stands by,
That hath paid well my hide.' |
| 37 |
'That Tinker,' then said Little John,
'Fain that blade I would see,
And I would try what I could do,
If hee'l do as much for mee.' |
| 38 |
But Robin hee then wishd them both
They should the quarrel cease,
'That henceforth wee may bee as one,
And ever live in peace. |
| 39 |
'And for the jovial Tinker's part,
A hundred pound I'le give,
In th' year to maintain him on,
As long as he doth live. |
| 40 |
'In manhood hee is a mettle man,
And a mettle man by trade;
I never thought that any man
Should have made me so fraid. |
| 41 |
'And if hee will bee one of us,
Wee will take all one fare,
And whatsoever wee do get,
He shall have his full share.' |
| 42 |
So the Tinker was content
With them to go along,
And with them a part to take,
And so I end my song. |
