132THE BOLD PEDLAR AND ROBIN HOOD
J. H. Dixon, Ancient Poems, Ballads, and Songs of the Peasantry of England, p. 71, Percy Society, vol. xvii, 1846.
“An aged female in Bermondsey, Surrey, from whose oral recitation the editor took down the present version, informed him, that she had often heard her grandmother sing it, and that it was never in print; but he has of late met with several common stall copies.”
Robin Hood and Little John fall in with a pedlar. Little John asks what goods he carries, and says he will have half his pack. The pedlar says he shall have the whole if he can make him give a perch of ground. They fight, and John cries Hold. Robin Hood undertakes the pedlar, and in turn cries Hold. Robin asks the pedlar’s name. He will not give it till they have told theirs, and when they have so done says it still lies with him to tell or not. However, he is Gamble Gold, forced to flee his country for killing a man. If you are Gamble Gold, says Robin, you are my own cousin. They go to a tavern and dine and drink.
Stanzas 11, 12, 15 recall Robin Hood’s Delight, No 136, 19, 20, 24; 13, 14 Robin Hood Revived, No 128, 17, 18. As remarked under No 128, this is a traditional variation of Robin Hood Revived.
1There chanced to be a pedlar bold,A pedlar bold he chanced to be;He rolled his pack all on his back,And he came tripping oer the lee.Down a down a down a down,Down a down a down2By chance he met two troublesome blades,Two troublesome blades they chanced to be;The one of them was bold Robin Hood,And the other was Little John so free.3‘O pedlar, pedlar, what is in thy pack?Come speedilie and tell to me:’‘I’ve several suits of the gay green silks,And silken bow-strings two or three.’4‘If you have several suits of the gay green silk,And silken bow-strings two or three,Then it’s by my body,’ cries Little John,‘One half your pack shall belong to me.’5‘O nay, o nay,’ says the pedlar bold,‘O nay, o nay, that never can be;For there’s never a man from fair NottinghamCan take one half my pack from me.’6Then the pedlar he pulled off his pack,And put it a little below his knee,Saying, If you do move me one perch from this,My pack and all shall gang with thee.7Then Little John he drew his sword,The pedlar by his pack did stand;They fought until they both did sweat,Till he cried, Pedlar, pray hold your hand!8Then Robin Hood he was standing by,And he did laugh most heartilie;Saying, I could find a man, of a smaller scale,Could thrash the pedlar and also thee.9‘Go you try, master,’ says Little John,‘Go you try, master, most speedilie,Or by my body,’ says Little John,‘I am sure this night you will not know me.’10Then Robin Hood he drew his sword,And the pedlar by his pack did stand;They fought till the blood in streams did flow,Till he cried, Pedlar, pray hold your hand!11Pedlar, pedlar, what is thy name?Come speedilie and tell to me:‘My name! my name I neer will tell,Till both your names you have told to me.’12‘The one of us is bold Robin Hood,And the other Little John so free:’‘Now,’ says the pedlar, ‘it lays to my good will,Whether my name I chuse to tell to thee.13‘I am Gamble Gold of the gay green woods,And travelled far beyond the sea;For killing a man in my father’s landFrom my country I was forced to flee.’14‘If you are Gamble Gold of the gay green woods,And travelled far beyond the sea,You are my mother’s own sister’s son;What nearer cousins then can we be?’15They sheathed their swords with friendly words,So merrilie they did agree;They went to a tavern, and there they dined,And bottles cracked most merrilie.
1There chanced to be a pedlar bold,A pedlar bold he chanced to be;He rolled his pack all on his back,And he came tripping oer the lee.Down a down a down a down,Down a down a down2By chance he met two troublesome blades,Two troublesome blades they chanced to be;The one of them was bold Robin Hood,And the other was Little John so free.3‘O pedlar, pedlar, what is in thy pack?Come speedilie and tell to me:’‘I’ve several suits of the gay green silks,And silken bow-strings two or three.’4‘If you have several suits of the gay green silk,And silken bow-strings two or three,Then it’s by my body,’ cries Little John,‘One half your pack shall belong to me.’5‘O nay, o nay,’ says the pedlar bold,‘O nay, o nay, that never can be;For there’s never a man from fair NottinghamCan take one half my pack from me.’6Then the pedlar he pulled off his pack,And put it a little below his knee,Saying, If you do move me one perch from this,My pack and all shall gang with thee.7Then Little John he drew his sword,The pedlar by his pack did stand;They fought until they both did sweat,Till he cried, Pedlar, pray hold your hand!8Then Robin Hood he was standing by,And he did laugh most heartilie;Saying, I could find a man, of a smaller scale,Could thrash the pedlar and also thee.9‘Go you try, master,’ says Little John,‘Go you try, master, most speedilie,Or by my body,’ says Little John,‘I am sure this night you will not know me.’10Then Robin Hood he drew his sword,And the pedlar by his pack did stand;They fought till the blood in streams did flow,Till he cried, Pedlar, pray hold your hand!11Pedlar, pedlar, what is thy name?Come speedilie and tell to me:‘My name! my name I neer will tell,Till both your names you have told to me.’12‘The one of us is bold Robin Hood,And the other Little John so free:’‘Now,’ says the pedlar, ‘it lays to my good will,Whether my name I chuse to tell to thee.13‘I am Gamble Gold of the gay green woods,And travelled far beyond the sea;For killing a man in my father’s landFrom my country I was forced to flee.’14‘If you are Gamble Gold of the gay green woods,And travelled far beyond the sea,You are my mother’s own sister’s son;What nearer cousins then can we be?’15They sheathed their swords with friendly words,So merrilie they did agree;They went to a tavern, and there they dined,And bottles cracked most merrilie.
1There chanced to be a pedlar bold,A pedlar bold he chanced to be;He rolled his pack all on his back,And he came tripping oer the lee.Down a down a down a down,Down a down a down
1
There chanced to be a pedlar bold,
A pedlar bold he chanced to be;
He rolled his pack all on his back,
And he came tripping oer the lee.
Down a down a down a down,
Down a down a down
2By chance he met two troublesome blades,Two troublesome blades they chanced to be;The one of them was bold Robin Hood,And the other was Little John so free.
2
By chance he met two troublesome blades,
Two troublesome blades they chanced to be;
The one of them was bold Robin Hood,
And the other was Little John so free.
3‘O pedlar, pedlar, what is in thy pack?Come speedilie and tell to me:’‘I’ve several suits of the gay green silks,And silken bow-strings two or three.’
3
‘O pedlar, pedlar, what is in thy pack?
Come speedilie and tell to me:’
‘I’ve several suits of the gay green silks,
And silken bow-strings two or three.’
4‘If you have several suits of the gay green silk,And silken bow-strings two or three,Then it’s by my body,’ cries Little John,‘One half your pack shall belong to me.’
4
‘If you have several suits of the gay green silk,
And silken bow-strings two or three,
Then it’s by my body,’ cries Little John,
‘One half your pack shall belong to me.’
5‘O nay, o nay,’ says the pedlar bold,‘O nay, o nay, that never can be;For there’s never a man from fair NottinghamCan take one half my pack from me.’
5
‘O nay, o nay,’ says the pedlar bold,
‘O nay, o nay, that never can be;
For there’s never a man from fair Nottingham
Can take one half my pack from me.’
6Then the pedlar he pulled off his pack,And put it a little below his knee,Saying, If you do move me one perch from this,My pack and all shall gang with thee.
6
Then the pedlar he pulled off his pack,
And put it a little below his knee,
Saying, If you do move me one perch from this,
My pack and all shall gang with thee.
7Then Little John he drew his sword,The pedlar by his pack did stand;They fought until they both did sweat,Till he cried, Pedlar, pray hold your hand!
7
Then Little John he drew his sword,
The pedlar by his pack did stand;
They fought until they both did sweat,
Till he cried, Pedlar, pray hold your hand!
8Then Robin Hood he was standing by,And he did laugh most heartilie;Saying, I could find a man, of a smaller scale,Could thrash the pedlar and also thee.
8
Then Robin Hood he was standing by,
And he did laugh most heartilie;
Saying, I could find a man, of a smaller scale,
Could thrash the pedlar and also thee.
9‘Go you try, master,’ says Little John,‘Go you try, master, most speedilie,Or by my body,’ says Little John,‘I am sure this night you will not know me.’
9
‘Go you try, master,’ says Little John,
‘Go you try, master, most speedilie,
Or by my body,’ says Little John,
‘I am sure this night you will not know me.’
10Then Robin Hood he drew his sword,And the pedlar by his pack did stand;They fought till the blood in streams did flow,Till he cried, Pedlar, pray hold your hand!
10
Then Robin Hood he drew his sword,
And the pedlar by his pack did stand;
They fought till the blood in streams did flow,
Till he cried, Pedlar, pray hold your hand!
11Pedlar, pedlar, what is thy name?Come speedilie and tell to me:‘My name! my name I neer will tell,Till both your names you have told to me.’
11
Pedlar, pedlar, what is thy name?
Come speedilie and tell to me:
‘My name! my name I neer will tell,
Till both your names you have told to me.’
12‘The one of us is bold Robin Hood,And the other Little John so free:’‘Now,’ says the pedlar, ‘it lays to my good will,Whether my name I chuse to tell to thee.
12
‘The one of us is bold Robin Hood,
And the other Little John so free:’
‘Now,’ says the pedlar, ‘it lays to my good will,
Whether my name I chuse to tell to thee.
13‘I am Gamble Gold of the gay green woods,And travelled far beyond the sea;For killing a man in my father’s landFrom my country I was forced to flee.’
13
‘I am Gamble Gold of the gay green woods,
And travelled far beyond the sea;
For killing a man in my father’s land
From my country I was forced to flee.’
14‘If you are Gamble Gold of the gay green woods,And travelled far beyond the sea,You are my mother’s own sister’s son;What nearer cousins then can we be?’
14
‘If you are Gamble Gold of the gay green woods,
And travelled far beyond the sea,
You are my mother’s own sister’s son;
What nearer cousins then can we be?’
15They sheathed their swords with friendly words,So merrilie they did agree;They went to a tavern, and there they dined,And bottles cracked most merrilie.
15
They sheathed their swords with friendly words,
So merrilie they did agree;
They went to a tavern, and there they dined,
And bottles cracked most merrilie.
31, 51, 52. Oh.
31, 51, 52. Oh.
31, 51, 52. Oh.