Robin Hood did not know what to do: he had been used to live like a rich man, and did not know how to work; for he had learned no trade. He now got together a number of young men, who had been brought up like himself, and were just as poor; and they went to live what they called a merry life, in Sherwood Forest, near Nottingham. Here there was plenty of deer; and Robin Hood and his company were very excellent marksmen at shooting them with the cross-bow. But they wanted something besides meat to eat, so they at once turned robbers. After this, no man could travel alone through Sherwood Forest, without being stripped of his money. Robin Hood, and his company too, did not confine themselves to Sherwood Forest, but sometimes went to plunder other parts of England. His gang soon grew to above a hundred in number, and they were some of the tallest, finest, and boldest, men in the kingdom. Robin Hood dressed them in an uniform: he himself always wore scarlet; and each of his men had a green coat, a pair of breeches, and cap. Though Robin Hood was a robber, which to be sure is a very bad thing, yet he behaved in such a manner as to have the good word and good wishes of almost all the poor people in those parts. He never loved to rob any body but people that were very rich, and that had not the spirit to make good use of their riches. As he had lost his estate by the cunning of a popish priest, he had a great dislike to the whole set; and the popish priests at that time behaved in such a manner, that hardly any body liked them: so that Robin Hood was not thought the worse of for his usage of them. When he met with poor men, in his rambles, instead of taking any thing from them, he gave them money of his own. He never let any woman be either robbed or hurt; and, in cases of hardship, he always took the part of the weak and the injured against the strong; so that it was truely said, “that of all thieves he was the gentlest and most generous thief.” Robin Hood was fond of doing odd and strange things; and he loved a joke quite as well as he loved a good booty. One day, as he strolled in the Forest by himself, he saw a jolly butcher riding upon a fine mare, with panniers on each side filled with meat. “Good morrow, good fellow!” said Robin; “whither are you going so early?” Said the other, “I am a butcher, and am going to Nottingham market to sell my meat.” “I never learned any trade,” said Robin; “I think I should like to be a butcher. What shall I give you for your mare, and your panniers, and all that is in them?” “They are not dear at four marks,” said the butcher, “and I will not sell them for less.” Robin made no words, but counted out the money; and then made the butcher give him his blue linen coat and his apron, in exchange for Robin Hood’s fine uniform of scarlet.