{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch123.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch123.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch123.htm","text":"123A.1 BUT how many merry monthes be in the yeere?\nThere are thirteen, I say;\nThe midsummer moone is the merryest of all,\nNext to the merry month of May.\n123A.2 In May, when mayds beene fast weepand,\nYoung men their hands done wringe,\n* * * * *\n123A.3 \u2018I\u2019le . pe . . .\nOver may noe man for villanie:\u2019\n\u2018I\u2019le never eate nor drinke,\u2019 Robin Hood sa[id],\n\u2018Till I that cutted friar see.\u2019\n123A.4 He builded his men in a brake of fearne,\nA litle from that nunery;\nSayes, If you heare my litle horne blow,\nThen looke you come to me.\n123A.5 When Robin came to Fontaines Abey,\nWheras that fryer lay,\nHe was ware of the fryer where he stood,\nAnd to him thus can he say.\n123A.6 A payre of blacke breeches the yeoman had on,\nHis coppe all shone of steele,\nA fayre sword and a broad buckeler\nBeseemed him very weell.\n123A.7 \u2018I am a wet weary man,\u2019 said Robin Hood,\n\u2018Good fellow, as thou may see;\nWilt beare [me] over this wild water,\nFfor sweete Saint Charity?\u2019\n123A.8 The fryer bethought him of a good deed;\nHe had done none of long before;\nHe hent up Robin Hood on his backe,\nAnd over he did him beare.\n123A.9 But when he came over that wild water,\nA longe sword there he drew:\n\u2018Beare me backe againe, bold outlawe,\nOr of this thou shalt have enoughe.\u2019\n123A.10 Then Robin Hood hent the fryar on his back,\nAnd neither sayd good nor ill;\nTill he came ore that wild water,\nThe yeoman he walked still.\n123A.11 Then Robin Hood wett his fayre greene hoze,\nA span aboue his knee;\nS[ay]s, Beare me ore againe, thou cutted f[ryer]\n* * * * *\n123A.12 . . . .\n. . . .\n. . . good bowmen\n[C]ame raking all on a rowe.\n123A.13 \u2018I beshrew thy head,\u2019 said the cutted friar,\n\u2018Thou thinkes I shall be shente;\nI thought thou had but a man or two,\nAnd thou hast [a] whole conuent.\n123A.14 \u2018I lett thee haue a blast on thy horne,\nNow giue me leaue to whistle another;\nI cold not bidd thee noe better play\nAnd thou wert my owne borne brother.\u2019\n123A.15 \u2018Now fute on, fute on, thou cutted fryar,\nI pray God thou neere be still;\nIt is not the futing in a fryers fist\nThat can doe me any ill.\u2019\n123A.16 The fryar sett his neave to his mouth,\nA loud blast he did blow;\nThen halfe a hundred good bandoggs\nCame raking all on a rowe.\n123A.17 . . . .\n. . . .\n\u2018Euery dogg to a man,\u2019 said the cutted fryar,\n\u2018And I my selfe to Robin Hood.\u2019\n123A.18 \u2018Over God\u2019s forbott,\u2019 said Robin Hood,\n\u2018That euer that soe shold bee;\nI had rather be mached with three of the tikes\nEre I wold be matched on thee.\n123A.19 \u2018But stay thy tikes, thou fryar,\u2019 he said,\n\u2018And freindshipp I\u2019le haue with thee;\nBut stay thy tikes, thou fryar,\u2019 he said,\n\u2018And saue good yeomanry.\u2019\n123A.20 The fryar he sett his neave to his mouth,\nA lowd blast he did blow;\nThe doggs the coucht downe eiery one,\nThey couched downe on a rowe.\n123A.21 \u2018What is thy will, thou yeoman?\u2019 he said,\n\u2018Haue done and tell it me;\u2019\n\u2018If that thou will goe to merry greenwood,\n* * * * *\n123B: Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar\n123B.1 IN summer time, when leaves grow green,\nAnd flowers are fresh and gay,\nRobin Hood and his merry men\nWere disposed to play.\n123B.2 Then some would leap, and some would run,\nAnd some would use artillery:\n\u2018Which of you can a good bow draw,\nA good archer to be?\n123B.3 \u2018Which of you can kill a buck?\nOr who can kill a do?\nOr who can kill a hart of greece,\nFive hundred foot him fro?\u2019\n123B.4 Will Scadlock he killd a buck,\nAnd midge he killd a do,\nAnd Little John killd a hart of greece,\nFive hundred foot him fro.\n123B.5 \u2018God\u2019s blessing on thy heart,\u2019 said Robin Hood,\n\u2018That hath [shot] such a shot for me;\nI would ride my horse an hundred miles,\nTo finde one could match with thee.\u2019\n123B.6 That causd Will Scadlock to laugh,\nHe laughed full heartily:\n\u2018There lives a curtal frier in Fountains Abby\nWill beat both him and thee.\n123B.7 \u2018That curtal frier in Fountains Abby\nWell can a strong bow draw;\nHe will beat you and your yeomen,\nSet them all on a row.\u2019\n123B.8 Robin Hood took a solemn oath,\nIt was by Mary free,\nThat he would neither eat nor drink\nTill the frier he did see.\n123B.9 Robin Hood put on his harness good,\nAnd on his head a cap of steel,\nBroad sword and buckler by his side,\nAnd they became him weel.\n123B.10 He took his bow into his hand,\nIt was made of a trusty tree,\nWith a sheaf of arrows at his belt,\nTo the Fountains Dale went he.\n123B.11 And comming unto Fountain[s] Dale,\nNo further would he ride;\nThere was he aware of a curtal frier,\nWalking by the water-side.\n123B.12 The fryer had on a harniss good,\nAnd on his head a cap of steel,\nBroad sword and buckler by his side,\nAnd they became him weel.\n123B.13 Robin Hood lighted off his horse,\nAnd tied him to a thorn:\n\u2018Carry me over the water, thou curtal frier,\nOr else thy life\u2019s forlorn.\u2019\n123B.14 The frier took Robin Hood on his back,\nDeep water he did bestride,\nAnd spake neither good word nor bad,\nTill he came at the other side.\n123B.15 Lightly leapt Robin Hood off the friers back;\nThe frier said to him again,\nCarry me over this water, fine fellow,\nOr it shall breed thy pain.\n123B.16 Robin Hood took the frier on\u2019s back,\nDeep water he did bestride,\nAnd spake neither good word nor bad,\nTill he came at the other side.\n123B.17 Lightly leapt the fryer off Robin Hoods back;\nRobin Hood said to him again,\nCarry me over this water, thou curtal frier,\nOr it shall breed thy pain.\n123B.18 The frier took Robin Hood on\u2019s back again,\nAnd stept up to the knee;\nTill he came at the middle stream,\nNeither good nor bad spake he.\n123B.19 And coming to the middle stream,\nThere he threw Robin in:\n\u2018And chuse thee, chuse thee, fine fellow,\nWhether thou wilt sink or swim.\u2019\n123B.20 Robin Hood swam to a bush of broom,\nThe frier to a wicker wand;\nBold Robin Hood is gone to shore,\nAnd took his bow in hand.\n123B.21 One of his best arrows under his belt\nTo the frier he let flye;\nThe curtal frier, with his steel buckler,\nHe put that arrow by.\n123B.22 \u2018Shoot on, shoot on, thou fine fellow,\nShoot on as thou hast begun;\nIf thou shoot here a summers day,\nThy mark I will not shun.\u2019\n123B.23 Robin Hood shot passing well,\nTill his arrows all were gone;\nThey took their swords and steel bucklers,\nAnd fought with might and maine;\n123B.24 From ten oth\u2019 clock that day,\nTill four ith\u2019 afternoon;\nThen Robin Hood came to his knees,\nOf the frier to beg a boon.\n123B.25 \u2018A boon, a boon, thou curtal frier,\nI beg it on my knee;\nGive me leave to set my horn to my mouth,\nAnd to blow blasts three.\u2019\n123B.26 \u2018That will I do,\u2019 said the curtal frier,\n\u2018Of thy blasts I have no doubt;\nI hope thou\u2019lt blow so passing well\nTill both thy eyes fall out.\u2019\n123B.27 Robin Hood set his horn to his mouth,\nHe blew but blasts three;\nHalf a hundred yeomen, with bows bent,\nCame raking over the lee.\n123B.28 \u2018Whose men are these,\u2019 said the frier,\n\u2018That come so hastily?\u2019\n\u2018These men are mine,\u2019 said Robin Hood;\n\u2018Frier, what is that to thee?\u2019\n123B.29 \u2018A boon, a boon,\u2019 said the curtal frier,\n\u2018The like I gave to thee;\nGive me leave to set my fist to my mouth,\nAnd to whute whutes three.\u2019\n123B.30 \u2018That will I do,\u2019 said Robin Hood,\n\u2018Or else I were to blame;\nThree whutes in a friers fist\nWould make me glad and fain.\u2019\n123B.31 The frier he set his fist to his mouth,\nAnd whuted whutes three;\nHalf a hundred good ban-dogs\nCame running the frier unto.\n123B.32 \u2018Here\u2019s for every man of thine a dog,\nAnd I my self for thee:\u2019\n\u2018Nay, by my faith,\u2019 quoth Robin Hood,\n\u2018Frier, that may not be.\u2019\n123B.33 Two dogs at once to Robin Hood did go,\nThe one behind, the other before;\nRobin Hoods mantle of Lincoln green\nOff from his back they tore.\n123B.34 And whether his men shot east or west,\nOr they shot north or south,\nThe curtal dogs, so taught they were,\nThey kept their arrows in their mouth.\n123B.35 \u2018Take up thy dogs,\u2019 said Little John,\n\u2018Frier, at my bidding be;\u2019\n\u2018Whose man art thou,\u2019 said the curtal frier,\n\u2018Comes here to prate with me?\u2019\n123B.36 \u2018I am Little John, Robin Hoods man,\nFrier, I will not lie;\nIf thou take not up thy dogs soon,\nI\u2019le take up them and thee.\u2019\n123B.37 Little John had a bow in his hand,\nHe shot with might and main;\nSoon half a score of the friers dogs\nLay dead upon the plain.\n123B.38 \u2018Hold thy hand, good fellow,\u2019 said the curtal frier,\n\u2018Thy master and I will agree;\nAnd we will have new orders taken,\nWith all the haste that may be.\u2019\n123B.39 \u2018If thou wilt forsake fair Fountains Dale,\nAnd Fountains Abby free,\nEvery Sunday throughout the year,\nA noble shall be thy fee.\n123B.40 \u2018And every holy day throughout the year,\nChanged shall thy garment be,\nIf thou wilt go to fair Nottingham,\nAnd there remain with me.\u2019\n123B.41 This curtal frier had kept Fountains Dale\nSeven long years or more;\nThere was neither knight, lord, nor earl\nCould make him yield before.","title":"The Child Ballads: 123. Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar","type":"page"}