music of bagpipes and harps. But long before this merrymaking had begun,
the Sheriff and his new servant Reynold Greenleaf were in the Castle of
Nottingham.




How Little John Lived at the Sheriff's

THUS LITTLE JOHN entered into the Sheriff's service and found the life
he led there easy enough, for the Sheriff made him his right-hand man
and held him in great favor. He sat nigh the Sheriff at meat, and he ran
beside his horse when he went a-hunting; so that, what with hunting and
hawking a little, and eating rich dishes and drinking good sack, and
sleeping until late hours in the morning, he grew as fat as a stall-fed
ox. Thus things floated easily along with the tide, until one day when
the Sheriff went a-hunting, there happened that which broke the smooth
surface of things.

This morning the Sheriff and many of his men set forth to meet certain
lords, to go a-hunting. He looked all about him for his good man,
Reynold Greenleaf, but, not finding him, was vexed, for he wished to
show Little John's skill to his noble friends. As for Little John, he
lay abed, snoring lustily, till the sun was high in the heavens. At
last he opened his eyes and looked about him but did not move to arise.
Brightly shone the sun in at the window, and all the air was sweet with
the scent of woodbine that hung in sprays about the wall without, for
the cold winter was past and spring was come again, and Little John lay
still, thinking how sweet was everything on this fair morn. Just then he
heard, faint and far away, a distant bugle note sounding thin and clear.