30 ‘O what is the matter?’ then said Little John, ‘Master, I pray you tell; Why do you stand with your staff in your hand? I fear all is not well.’ 31 ‘O man, I do stand, and he makes me to stand, The tanner that stands thee beside; He is a bonny blade, and master of his trade, For soundly he hath tand my hide.’ 32 ‘He is to be commended,’ then said Little John, ‘If such a feat he can do; If he be so stout, we will have a bout, And he shall tan my hide too.’ 33 ‘Hold thy hand, hold thy hand,’ said Robin Hood, ‘For as I do understand, He’s a yeoman good, and of thine own blood, For his name is Arthur a Bland.’ 34 Then Little John threw his staff away, As far as he could it fling, And ran out of hand to Arthur a Bland, And about his neck did cling. 35 With loving respect, there was no neglect, They were neither nice nor coy, Each other did face, with a lovely grace, And both did weep for joy. 36 Then Robin Hood took them both by the hand, And danc’d round about the oke tree; ‘For three merry men, and three merry men, And three merry men we be. 37 ‘And ever hereafter, as long as I live, We three will be all one; The wood shall ring, and the old wife sing, Of Robin Hood, Arthur, and John.’ * * * * * #a.# Robin Hood and the Tanner, or, Robin Hood met with his match: A merry and pleasant song relating the gallant and fierce combate fought between Arthur Bland, a Tanner of Nottingham, and Robin Hood, the greatest and most noblest archer of England. The tune is, Robin and the Stranger. Printed for W. Gilbertson. (1640–63: _Chappell_.) 3^2. merry Forrest of. 7^2. hath. 7^3. But. 9^3. the bare. 11^1. qd.. 13^3. straff. 14^4. _Wanting in my copy, probably by accidental omission: supplied from_ #b#. 17^3. That from every side: Old Ballads, 1713, _to restore the middle rhyme_. 21^2. let your Quiver: _cf._ #b#, #c#, #d#. 21^3. thrash: to: _cf._ #b#. 22^4. good _wanting_. 26^3. the wood: _cf._ #d#. 35^2. noice. 36^1. took him by: _cf._ #d#. 37^4. Kobin. #b.# _Title as in #a#.By the same printer as #a#. Burden sometimes_ With hey, _etc._ 1^1. lives there. 1^2, 11^1, 27^3. Arthur Bland. 3^2. merry Forrest of. 6^2. he puts. 7^2. hath. 7^3. Yet. 7^4. Before that. 8^3, 12^3, 13^3. graft. 9^3. thy bare. 11^1. quoth. 13^1. I yield. 13^4. than. 14^3. to _wanting_. 14^4. For that will be called foul play. 17^2. He gave. 17^3. Hoods _wanting_. 21^2. let our quarrel. 21^3. thresh: into. 22^4. my good. 23^2. pray thee. 24^3. thou come. 25^2. kinde and free.