The adventure in the first part of this story,--the encounter between Robin Hood and a sturdy fellow who proves his match or his superior--forms the subject of a large number of this circle of ballads, the antagonist being in one case a beggar, in another a tanner, a tinker, the pinder of Wakefield, &c. (See the preface to _Robin Hood and the Beggar_, p. 188.) The story of the second part is found again in _Robin Hood and the Butcher_, and, with considerable differences, in the third fit of the _Lytell Geste_. It is in the disguise of a potter that the Saxon Hereward penetrates into the Norman court, and that Eustace the Monk eludes the vengeance of the Count of Boulogne. Eustace also drew his enemy into an ambush by nearly the same stratagem which Robin employs to entice the sheriff of Nottingham into the forest. (See the romances abridged in Wright's _Essays_, ii. 108, 133, 135, 184.) In schomer, when the leves spryng, The bloschems on every bowe, So merey doyt the berdys syng Yn wodys merey now. Herkens, god yemen, 5 Comley, corteysse, and god,[L6] On of the best that yever bar bou, Hes name was Roben Hode. Roben Hood was the yemans name, That was boyt corteys and fre; 10 For the loffe of owr ladey, All wemen werschep he.[L12] Bot as the god yemen stod on a day, Among hes mery manèy, He was war of a prowd potter, 15 Cam dryfyng owyr the ley.[L16] "Yonder comet a prod potter," seyde Roben,[L17] "That long hayt hantyd this wey; He was never so corteys a man On peney of pawage to pay." 20 "Y met hem bot at Wentbreg," seyde Lytyll John,[L21] "And therfor yeffell mot he the, Seche thre strokes he me gafe, Yet they cleffe by my seydys. "Y ley forty shillings," seyde Lytyll John, 25 "To pay het thes same day, Ther ys nat a man among hus all A wed schall make hem ley."[L28] "Her ys forty shillings," seyde Roben, "Mor, and thow dar say, 30 That y schall make that prowde potter, A wed to me schall he ley." Ther thes money they leyde, They toke het a yeman to kepe; Roben befor the potter he breyde, 35 And bad hem stond stell.[L36] Handys apon hes horse he leyde, And bad the potter stonde foll stell; The potter schorteley to hem seyde, "Felow, what ys they well?" 40 "All thes thre yer, and mor, potter," he seyde, "Thow hast hantyd thes wey, Yet wer tow never so cortys a man One peney of pauage to pay." "What ys they name," seyde the potter, 45 "For pauage thow ask of me?" "Roben Hod ys mey name, A wed schall thow leffe me."