And so befell, that once upon a day,
This Sumner, prowling ever for his prey,
Rode forth to cheat a poor old widowed soul,
Feigning a cause for lack of protocol,
And as he went, he saw before him ride
A yeoman gay under the forest side.
A bow he bare, and arrows bright and keen;
And he was clad in a short cloak of green,
And wore a hat that had a fringe of black.

"Sir," quoth this Sumner, shouting at his back,
"Hail, and well met."--"Well met," like shouteth he;
"Where ridest thou under the greenwood tree?
Goest thou far, thou jolly boy, to-day?"
This bully Sumner answered, and said, "Nay,
Only hard-by, to strain a rent."--"Hoh! hoh!
Art thou a bailiff then?"--"Yea, even so."
For he durst not, for very filth and shame,
Say that he was a Sumner, for the name.
"Well met, in God's name," quoth black fringe; "why, brother,
Thou art a bailiff then, and I'm another;
But I'm a stranger in these parts; so, prythee,
Lend me thine aid, and let me journey with thee.
I've gold and silver, plenty, where I dwell;
And if thou hap'st to come into our dell,
Lord! how we'll do our best to give thee greeting!"
"Thanks," quoth the Sumner; "merry be our meeting."
So in each other's hand their troths they lay,
And swear accord: and forth they ride and play.