Good-fellow, hating such knavery, put a trick upon him in this manner.

Robin shaped himself like to the tapster's brewer, and came and demanded
twenty pounds which was due to him from the tapster. The tapster, thinking
it had been his brewer, paid him the money, which money Robin gave to the
poor of that parish before the tapster's face. The tapster praised his
charity very much, and said that God would bless him the better for such
good deeds: so after they had drank one with the other, they parted.

Some four days after the brewer himself came for his money: the tapster
told him that it was paid, and that he had a quittance from him to show.
Hereat the brewer did wonder, and desired to see the quittance. The tapster
fetched him a writing, which Robin Good-fellow had given him instead of a
quittance, wherein was written as followeth, which the brewer read to him--

I, Robin Good-fellow, true man and honest man, do acknowledge to have
received of Nick and Froth, the cheating tapster, the sum of twenty
pounds, which money I have bestowed (to the tapster's content) among
the poor of the parish, out of whose pockets this aforesaid tapster had
picked the aforesaid sum, not after the manner of foisting, but after
his excellent skill of bombasting[11], or a pint for a penny.

If now thou wilt go hang thyself,
Then take thy apron strings;
It doth me good when such foul birds
Upon the gallows sings.
_Per me_ ROBIN GOOD-FELLOW.

At this the tapster swore Walsingham; but for all his swearing, the brewer
made him pay him his twenty pounds.