And whether his men shot east or west, Or they shot north or south, The curtall dogs so taught they were, They kept the arrows in their mouth. "Take up thy dogs," said Little John, "Fryer, at my bidding be." "Whose man art thou," said the curtall fryer, "Comes here to prate with me?" "I am Little John, Robin Hood's man, Fryer, I will not lie; If thou take not up thy dogs soone, I'le take up them and thee." Little John had a bow in his hand, He shot with might and main; Soon halfe a score of the fryer's dogs Lay dead upon the plain. "Hold thy hand, good fellow," said the curtall fryer, "Thy master and I will agree; And we will have new orders taken With all the hast may be." "If thou wilt forsake fair Fountaines Dale, And Fountaines Abbey free, Every Sunday throwout the yeere, A noble shall be thy fee: "And every holliday through the yeere, Changed shall thy garment be, If thou wilt goe to faire Nottingham, And there remaine with me." This curtall fryer had kept Fountaines Dale Seven long yeeres and more, There was neither knight, lord, nor earle, Could make him yield before. FOOTNOTES: [Footnote 35: Itineraries, 161.] [Footnote 36: Willow.] [Footnote 37: So called from their being tied up at night.] THE BISHOP OF HEREFORD'S ENTERTAINMENT BY ROBIN HOOD AND LITTLE JOHN, IN MERRY BARNSDALE. "Along on the lift hond," says Leland, "a iii. miles of betwixt Milburne and Feribridge, I saw the wooddi and famose forrest of Barnesdale;[38] wher thay say that Robyn Hudde lyvid like an outlaw."[39] This ballad is supposed to be modern, from the Aldermary church-yard press, compared with the York copy. Some they will talk of bold Robin Hood, And some of barons bold; But I'll tell you how he serv'd the bishop of Hereford, When he robb'd him of his gold. As it befel in merry Barnsdale, All under the green-wood tree, The bishop of Hereford was to come by, With all his company. "Come, kill a ven'son," said bold Robin Hood, "Come, kill me a good fat deer, The bishop of Hereford is to dine with me to-day, And he shall pay well for his cheer. "We'll kill a fat ven'son," said bold Robin Hood, "And dress it by the highway side; And we will watch the bishop narrowly, Lest some other way he should ride." Robin Hood dress'd himself in shepherd's attire, With six of his men also; And, when the bishop of Hereford came by, They about the fire did go. "O, what is the matter?" then said the bishop, "Or for whom do you make this a-do? Or why do you kill the king's ven'son, When your company is so few?" "We are shepherds," said bold Robin Hood, "And we keep sheep all the year, And we are disposed to be merry this day, And to kill of the king's fat deer."