Many old women, that then had more wit than those that are now living and
have less, said that a fairy had gotten her with child; and they bid her be
of good comfort, for the child must needs be fortunate that had so noble a
father as a fairy was, and should work many strange wonders. To be short,
her time grew on, and she was delivered of a man child, who (it should
seem) so rejoiced his father's heart, that every night his mother was
supplied with necessary things that are befitting a woman in child-birth,
so that in no mean manner neither; for there had she rich embroidered
cushions, stools, carpets, coverlets, delicate linen: then for meat she had
capons, chickens, mutton, lamb, pheasant, snite[2], woodcock, partridge,
quail. The gossips liked this fare so well that she never wanted company;
wine had she of all sorts, muskadine, sack, malmsey, claret, white and
bastard; this pleased her neighbours well, so that few that came to see
her, but they had home with them a medicine for the fleas. Sweetmeats too
had they in such abundance that some of their teeth are rotten to this day;
and for music she wanted not, or any other thing she desired.

All praised this honest fairy for his care, and the child for his beauty,
and the mother for a happy woman. In brief, christened he was, at the which
all this good cheer was doubled, which made most of the women so wise, that
they forgot to make themselves unready, and so lay in their clothes; and
none of them next day could remember the child's name but the clerk, and he
may thank his book for it, or else it had been utterly lost. So much for
the birth of little Robin.

OF ROBIN GOOD-FELLOW'S BEHAVIOUR WHEN HE WAS YOUNG

When Robin was grown to six years of age, he was so knavish that all the
neighbours did complain of him; for no sooner was his mother's back turned,
but he was in one knavish action or other, so that his mother was