In Nottingham there lives a jolly tanner, With a hey down down a down down His name is Arthur a Bland; There is nere a squire in Nottinghamshire Dare bid bold Arthur stand.
And as he went forth, in a summer's morning, Into the forrest of merry Sherwood, To view the red deer, that range here and there, There met he with bold Robin Hood.
As soon as bold Robin Hood did him espy, He thought some sport he would make; Therefore out of hand he bid him to stand, And thus to him he spake:
Why, what art thou, thou bold fellow, That ranges so boldly here? In sooth, to be brief, thou lookst like a thief, That comes to steal our king's deer.
For I am a keeper in this forrest; The king puts me in trust To look to his deer, that range here and there, Therefore stay thee I must.
Then Robin Hood he unbuckled his belt, He laid down his bow so long; He took up a staff of another oke graff, That was both stiff and strong.
\"Hold thy hand, hold thy hand,\" said Robin Hood, \"And let our quarrel fall; For here we may thresh our bones into mesh, And get no coyn at all.
\"And in the forrest of merry Sherwood Hereafter thou shalt be free:\" \"God-a-mercy for naught, my freedom I bought, I may thank my good staff, and not thee.\"