THE BALLAD OF THE OYSTERMAN..Oliver Wendell Holmes 165 One Hundred Narrative Poems 1 ROBIN HOOD AND LITTLE JOHN1 When Robin Hood was about twenty years old, Tho he was calld Little, his limbs they were large, How they came acquainted, I'll tell you in brief, For this very jest, amongst all the rest, Bold Robin Hood said to his jolly bowmen, And see that you all observe well my call, 1. Robin Hood. The famous outlaw whose deeds have been the theme of many tales. He is the hero of a number of ballads, of which this is a good example. Robin Hood is traditionally said to have lived in the reign of Richard I of England, 1189-1199. The Robin Hood Ballads were in circulation a good while before 1377. For an example of Robin Hood's appearance in later literature see Ivanhoe, where he goes by the name of Locksley. This ballad and the following, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Kittredge-Sargent edition of English and Scottish Popular Ballads. 11 |