"Nay, keep it and use it well yourself," said Robin, "and thou art right welcome under my trysting-tree. But what are all those bows for, and those finely feathered arrows?" "They are a poor present to thee," said the knight. Then Robin Hood bade Little John go to his treasury and fetch four hundred pounds, and he insisted on the knight's accepting this money as a gift. "Buy thyself a good horse and harness, and gild thy spurs anew," he said laughingly. "And if thou lack enough to spend come to Robin Hood, and by my truth thou shalt never lack while I have any goods of my own. Keep the four hundred pounds I lent thee, and I counsel thee never leave thyself so bare another time." So good Robin Hood relieved the gentle knight of all his care, and they feasted and made merry under the greenwood tree. THE GOLDEN ARROW Retold by Mary Macleod The knight took his leave and went on his way, and Robin Hood and his merry men lived on for many a day in Barnsdale. Now the Sheriff of Nottingham proclaimed a grand sport to be held--that all the best archers of the north country should come one day and shoot at the butts, and that a prize should be given to the best archer. The butts were to be set in a glade in the forest and he who shot the best of all should receive an arrow, the like of which had never been seen in England, for the shaft was to be of silver, and the head and feathers of red gold. Now all this was a device of the sheriff's to try to enthral the outlaws, for he imagined that when such matches took place Robin Hood's men without any doubt would be the bowmen there. Tidings of this came to Robin Hood in the forest, and he said: "Come, make ready, my lads, we will go and see that sport. Ye shall go with me, and I will test the sheriff's faith, and see if he be true." With that a brave young man, called David of Doncaster, stepped forward. "Master," he said, "be ruled by me, and do not stir from the greenwood. To tell the truth I am well informed yonder match is a wile. The sheriff has devised it to entrap us." "That sounds like a coward," said Robin; "thy words do not please me. Come what will of it, I'll try my skill at yonder brave archery." Then up spoke brave Little John. "Let us go thither, but come, listen to me, and I will tell you how we can manage it without being known. We will leave behind us our mantles of Lincoln green, and we will all dress differently so that they will never notice us. One shall wear white, another red, a third one yellow, another blue. Thus in disguise we will go to the sport, whatever may come of it." When they had their bows in order and their arrows well feathered there gathered round Robin seven score of stalwart young men. When they came to Nottingham they saw the butts set out fair and long, and many were the bold archers who came to shoot. The outlaws mixed with the rest to prevent all suspicion, for they thought it more discreet not to keep together.