ADVENTURES OF ROBIN GOODFELLOW
From Merry England
Onceupon a time, when men did eat more and drink less, when men did know no knavery, there were wont to walk many harmless sprites called Fairies, dancing in brave order in Fairy Rings on green hills, to sweet music. These sprites would make themselves invisible, and many mad pranks would they play, pinching careless housemaids black and blue, and turning ill-kept houses topsy-turvy. But lovingly they would use neat housemaids, giving them silver and other pretty toys which they left in the maids’ shoes and pockets, or in bright kitchen pans.
Now, in those Fairy days there was born on earth a tiny Elfin boy whom folk called Robin Goodfellow. And wonderful were the gifts from Fairyland that came to Robin when he was a baby. In his room suddenly would appear rich embroidered cushions, delicate linen garments, and all sorts of delicious things to eat and drink. So he was never in want.
Now, when Robin was grown to six years, hewas so mischievous that the neighbours all complained of his pranks until he was forced to run away.
He wandered about until he began to get hungry; then, going to a tailor, he took service with him. He remained there until he grew so mischievous that he was obliged to run away again.
After he had travelled a good day’s journey from the tailor’s house, he sat down by the wayside and, being weary, fell asleep. No sooner had he closed his eyes than he fancied he saw tiny beings tripping on the grass before him, to the sound of sweet music. And when he awoke, he found, to his surprise, a scroll lying near by on which were these verses, written in letters of gold:—
“Robin, my only son and heir,For food and drink take thou no care.Wish what thou wilt, and thou shalt haveThe power to tease both fool and knave.Change when thou wilt thine Elfish shape,To horse, or hog, or dog, or ape;And scare each idle dirty maid,And make all wicked men afraid.But love thou those that honest be,And help them in necessity.“Do thus, and all the world shall knowThe pranks of Robin Goodfellow.If thou’lt observe my just command,One day thou shalt see Fairyland.”
“Robin, my only son and heir,For food and drink take thou no care.Wish what thou wilt, and thou shalt haveThe power to tease both fool and knave.Change when thou wilt thine Elfish shape,To horse, or hog, or dog, or ape;And scare each idle dirty maid,And make all wicked men afraid.But love thou those that honest be,And help them in necessity.“Do thus, and all the world shall knowThe pranks of Robin Goodfellow.If thou’lt observe my just command,One day thou shalt see Fairyland.”
“Robin, my only son and heir,For food and drink take thou no care.Wish what thou wilt, and thou shalt haveThe power to tease both fool and knave.Change when thou wilt thine Elfish shape,To horse, or hog, or dog, or ape;And scare each idle dirty maid,And make all wicked men afraid.But love thou those that honest be,And help them in necessity.
“Robin, my only son and heir,
For food and drink take thou no care.
Wish what thou wilt, and thou shalt have
The power to tease both fool and knave.
Change when thou wilt thine Elfish shape,
To horse, or hog, or dog, or ape;
And scare each idle dirty maid,
And make all wicked men afraid.
But love thou those that honest be,
And help them in necessity.
“Do thus, and all the world shall knowThe pranks of Robin Goodfellow.If thou’lt observe my just command,One day thou shalt see Fairyland.”
“Do thus, and all the world shall know
The pranks of Robin Goodfellow.
If thou’lt observe my just command,
One day thou shalt see Fairyland.”
Robin, having read this, was very joyful, for he perceived that he had Fairy power. He straightway wished for something to eat, and it appeared before him. Then he wished himself a horse, and no sooner did he say so than he became a handsome colt, curveting and leaping about. He wished himself a dog, and was one. After that he turned himself into any shape he liked. Then taking his own form again, he once more started on his travels.
And from that time forward many were the merry tricks Robin played on those he met.
Once, seeing a rude and clownish fellow searching for a lost horse, Robin turned himself into a horse, and led the rude man a chase over field and briar, until he allowed the man to catch him and mount his back. Then Robin jumped into a stream and, turning into a fish, swam to the shore and ran away, laughing, “Ho! Ho! Ho!”—leaving the man to get out of the water as best he could.
At night Robin often visited farmers’ houses, and helped the neat housemaids with their work,breaking their hemp, dressing their flax, and spinning their yarn. One night he came to a house where there was a good and handsome maid. And while she slept Robin did her work, more than she could have done in twelve hours. The maid wondered the next morning to see all done so finely, and that night she watched to see what would follow.
At twelve of the clock in came Robin and, singing, fell to work breaking her hemp and doing her spinning, and as he worked he sang a mad song:—
“Within and out, in and out, round as a ball,With hither and thither, as straight as a line,With lily and germander, and sops of wine,With sweetbriar,And bonfire,And strawberry wire,And columbine!”
“Within and out, in and out, round as a ball,With hither and thither, as straight as a line,With lily and germander, and sops of wine,With sweetbriar,And bonfire,And strawberry wire,And columbine!”
“Within and out, in and out, round as a ball,
With hither and thither, as straight as a line,
With lily and germander, and sops of wine,
With sweetbriar,
And bonfire,
And strawberry wire,
And columbine!”
The maid, seeing that he had no clothes, pitied him, and the next night she laid out a little suit that she had cut and sewed during the day. Robin, coming in, spied the clothes, whereat he started, and said:—
“’Tis not your garments new or oldThat Robin loves. I feel no cold.Had you left me milk or cream,You should have had a pleasant dream,Became you left no drop or crumb,Robin never more will come.”
“’Tis not your garments new or oldThat Robin loves. I feel no cold.Had you left me milk or cream,You should have had a pleasant dream,Became you left no drop or crumb,Robin never more will come.”
“’Tis not your garments new or old
That Robin loves. I feel no cold.
Had you left me milk or cream,
You should have had a pleasant dream,
Became you left no drop or crumb,
Robin never more will come.”
And with that he ran out of the door, laughing loudly, “Ho! Ho! Ho!”
And many other mad pranks did Robin Goodfellow play. At times he turned himself into a will-o’-the-wisp, misleading lovers who came over the heath; at other times he punished knaves and idle maids, or rewarded good and worthy people. And always he ran laughing, “Ho! Ho! Ho!”
At length Oberon, King of Fairyland, seeing so many honest and merry tricks, called one night to Robin as he lay sleeping in the green-wood:—
“Robin, my son, come, quickly rise!First stretch, then yawn, and rub your eyes.For you must go with me to-nightTo dance with Fairy, Elf, and Sprite.Come quickly now, my roguish son,’Tis time our sports were well begun.”
“Robin, my son, come, quickly rise!First stretch, then yawn, and rub your eyes.For you must go with me to-nightTo dance with Fairy, Elf, and Sprite.Come quickly now, my roguish son,’Tis time our sports were well begun.”
“Robin, my son, come, quickly rise!
First stretch, then yawn, and rub your eyes.
For you must go with me to-night
To dance with Fairy, Elf, and Sprite.
Come quickly now, my roguish son,
’Tis time our sports were well begun.”
Robin, hearing this, woke and rose hastily, and, looking about, saw in the moonlight King Oberon, and many Fairies with him dressed in green silk. And all these did welcome Robin Goodfellow into their company.
King Oberon took Robin by the hand and led him a dance. And near by sat little Tom Thumb, the Fairy piper, no bigger than a plum. His bagpipe was made of a wren’s quill and the skin of a tiny bug. This pipe made music so shrill and sweet, that naught might be compared to it.
Then all the Fairies for joy did circle Robin around, and in a ring did dance about him; and Robin Goodfellow danced in the midst of them, and sang this song:—
“Quick and nimble!Quick and nimble!Round about little ones!In and out, wheel about,Run, hop, or amble!“Elves, Urchins, Goblins all, and little Fairies,Who do pinch black and blue, idle maids in dairies,Make a ring on the grass, with your quick measures.Tom shall play, and I will sing, for all your pleasures.“Quick and nimble!Quick and nimble!Round about little ones!In and out, wheel about,Run, hop, or amble!”
“Quick and nimble!Quick and nimble!Round about little ones!In and out, wheel about,Run, hop, or amble!“Elves, Urchins, Goblins all, and little Fairies,Who do pinch black and blue, idle maids in dairies,Make a ring on the grass, with your quick measures.Tom shall play, and I will sing, for all your pleasures.“Quick and nimble!Quick and nimble!Round about little ones!In and out, wheel about,Run, hop, or amble!”
“Quick and nimble!Quick and nimble!Round about little ones!In and out, wheel about,Run, hop, or amble!
“Quick and nimble!
Quick and nimble!
Round about little ones!
In and out, wheel about,
Run, hop, or amble!
“Elves, Urchins, Goblins all, and little Fairies,Who do pinch black and blue, idle maids in dairies,Make a ring on the grass, with your quick measures.Tom shall play, and I will sing, for all your pleasures.
“Elves, Urchins, Goblins all, and little Fairies,
Who do pinch black and blue, idle maids in dairies,
Make a ring on the grass, with your quick measures.
Tom shall play, and I will sing, for all your pleasures.
“Quick and nimble!Quick and nimble!Round about little ones!In and out, wheel about,Run, hop, or amble!”
“Quick and nimble!
Quick and nimble!
Round about little ones!
In and out, wheel about,
Run, hop, or amble!”
Thus they danced for a good space, then sat themselves down upon the grass, and the Fairies told Robin of many Elfish tricks and merry capers; until, the time passing, a shepherd in a field near by blew his pipes so loudly that he frightened little Tom Thumb.
The Fairies punished the shepherd by the loss of his pipes, so that they presently broke in his hand, to his great amazement. Hereat Robin Goodfellow laughed, “Ho! Ho! Ho!”
The morning being come, at cock-crow the Fairies hastened away to Fairyland, where I think they yet remain.