Robin was walking through Sherwood Forest one day. Marian and Little John were with him. A pony and cart came up the road, and Robin stood in front of it.
'Stop!' he said to the driver. 'Lend me your pony and cart. I want to go to Nottingham in it.'
The driver was a potter. Robin and the potter changed clothes. Robin went to Nottingham and pretended to be a potter. The next morning, there was an archery competition, and Robin went to watch it. The Sheriff of Nottingham was there, but he did not know Robin because Robin was wearing the potter's clothes. Several soldiers shot their arrows, but they all missed the target.
'They do not shoot very well,' said Robin to the Sheriff.
'You try to shoot better,' replied the angry Sheriff. Robin pulled his bow and shot an arrow. It hit the target. He won the prize.
'You shoot well,' said the Sheriff. 'Who taught you?'
'A man called Robin Hood,' replied Robin, pretending to be a potter.
'Robin Hood!' cried the Sheriff. 'Take me to him. I want to take him prisoner.' Robin slept in the Sheriff's house that night, but the Sheriff did not know he was Robin Hood.
The next morning Robin set off in his pony and cart. The Sheriff went with him riding a black horse. Twenty of the Sheriff's men went with them. They rode for several miles, and then they walked along a path through Sherwood Forest.
There were a lot of trees, and it was very dark. The Sheriff and his men were afraid.
'Where are we going?' they asked. Robin Hood laughed. He blew his bugle three times and eighty of his men came running out of the forest.
'Well, Sheriff,' laughed Robin, 'you will not take me prisoner this time.'
The Sheriff and his men ran away, but the outlaws stopped them.
'Do not hurt them,' said Robin, 'but take the Sheriff's gold chain and ring.' The outlaws took the gold chain and ring, and all the Sheriff's money.
'We shall give the money to some poor people,' said Robin.
'I want your big black horse,' said Robin. They took the Sheriff's big black horse and gave him a small white one. Robin helped him to get on the small white horse.
'Now take the Sheriff and his men to the road,' said Robin to Little John. Twenty outlaws and Little John took the Sheriff and his men through the forest. When they were near the road, Little John said, 'Goodbye, Sheriff.'
The Sheriff was angry and shouted,'Robin Hood will be hanged for this.'
