constrained (to avoid the complaints) to take him with her to market, or
wheresoever she went or rode. But this helped little or nothing, for if he
rode before her, then would he make mouths and ill-favoured faces at those
he met; if he rode behind her, then would he clap his hand on his tail; so
that his mother was weary of the many complaints that came against him, yet
knew she not how to beat him justly for it, because she never saw him do
that which was worthy blows. The complaints were daily so renewed that his
mother promised him a whipping. Robin did not like that cheer, and
therefore, to avoid it, he ran away, and left his mother a heavy woman for
him.

HOW ROBIN GOOD-FELLOW DWELT WITH A TAILOR

After that Robin Good-fellow had gone a great way from his mother's house,
he began to be hungry, and going to a tailor's house, he asked something
for God's sake. The tailor gave him meat, and understanding that he was
masterless, he took him for his man, and Robin so plied his work that he
got his master's love.

On a time his master had a gown to make for a woman, and it was to be done
that night: they both sat up late so that they had done all but setting on
the sleeves by twelve o'clock. This master then being sleepy said, "Robin,
whip thou on the sleeves, and then come thou to bed; I will go to bed
before." "I will," said Robin. So soon as his master was gone, Robin hung
up the gown, and taking both sleeves in his hands, he whipped and lashed
them on the gown. So stood he till the morning that his master came down:
his master seeing him stand in that fashion asked him what he did? "Why,"
quoth he, "as you bid me, whip on the sleeves." "Thou rogue," said his
master, "I did mean that thou shouldst have set them on quickly and
slightly." "I would you had said so," said Robin, "for then had I not lost