Hardly a man in the country but would have trembled at the name. But John Little, the strange youth, was afraid of no man. "If there is any man among you who can shoot a better shaft than I, I will," he said. "Well, I will try," said Robin. He sent Will Stutely to set up a piece of white bark four fingers in breadth on an oak eighty yards away. "Now choose any of our bows and arrows to shoot with," he said. The stranger chose the very stoutest bow. Then he aimed his arrow carefully and sent it down the path and it struck the very center of the mark. All Robin Hood's followers caught their breaths in amaze. "That is a fine shot indeed," said Robin Hood heartily. "No one could better it; but perhaps I may mar it." Then he shot an arrow; and so true and swift it sped that it struck the stranger's arrow and splintered it into pieces. And all who saw it cried out that there never was such shooting before. "Now, will you not come into my band?" said Robin Hood with a smile. "With all my heart," answered the stranger; and from that minute he loved Robin as his dearest friend. "What is your name?" said Will Stutely, taking out a tablet as though he would enroll it. "John Little," answered the stranger youth. "I like not the name," said merry Will. "This fellow is too small to be called John Little. Let us christen him over, Little John." And so they had a christening and great sport; and from that day Little John was Robin's right hand man and second in command over the band. True and faithfully did he serve Robin for many years and loved him better with every year. ALLEN-A-DALE AND FRIAR TUCK This is the story of a merry friar and how he came to belong to Robin Hood's band. But it begins with the story of a sad youth with a harp in his hand, who could sing as sweetly as a thrush but who thought that he would never sing again for his heart was breaking. Robin Hood and his men found him in the forest, lying prone on the ground and sobbing as if he would weep his eyes out. "Get up! Get up!" shouted Will Stutely, poking him with his foot. "I do hate to see a tall young fellow snivelling like a girl of fourteen over a dead bird." But Robin Hood bade the others stand back, and touched the boy kindly. "You are in trouble," he said. "Do not mind what these fellows say. They are rough, but their hearts are kind. Come with me and tell me what is wrong." "Everything is wrong," said Allen-a-Dale miserably, and it was true that things were going very badly with him. For his true love and promised bride had been forced to give him up and promise her hand to a rich old knight who won her father's favor by means of his money. "She will marry the old knight if her father bids her," cried Allen-a-Dale, "for she thinks it right to be an obedient daughter; but I know it will break her heart and she will die." "Now this thing shall not be," cried Little John, starting forward. "Master, can we not prevent such a wrong?"