Then did he shake hands with his merry men all, And bid them at present good b’w’ye; Then, as near a brook his journey he took, A stranger he chancd to espy.
They happend to meet on a long narrow bridge, And neither of them would give way; Quoth bold Robin Hood, and sturdily stood, “I’ll show you right Nottingham play.”
With that from his quiver an arrow he drew, A broad arrow with a goose-wing: The stranger reply’d, “I’ll liquor thy hide, If thou offerst to touch the string.”
Quoth bold Robin Hood, “Thou dost prate like an ass, For were I to bend but my bow, I could send a dart quite thro thy proud heart, Before thou couldst strike me one blow.”
“Thou talkst like a coward,” the stranger reply’d; “Well armd with a long bow you stand, To shoot at my breast, while I, I protest, Have nought but a staff in my hand.”
“The name of a coward,” quoth Robin, “I scorn, Wherefore my long bow I’ll lay by; And now, for thy sake, a staff will I take, The truth of thy manhood to try.”
Then Robin Hood stept to a thicket of trees, And chose him a staff of ground-oak; Now this being done, away he did run To the stranger, and merrily spoke:
“Lo! see my staff, it is lusty and tough, Now here on the bridge we will play; Whoever falls in, the other shall win The battel, and so we’ll away.”
“With all my whole heart,” the stranger reply’d; “I scorn in the least to give out;” This said, they fell to’t without more dispute, And their staffs they did flourish about.
And first Robin he gave the stranger a bang, So hard that it made his bones ring: The stranger he said, “This must be repaid, I’ll give you as good as you bring.
“So long as I’m able to handle my staff, To die in your debt, friend, I scorn:” Then to it each goes, and followd their blows, As if they had been threshing of corn.
The stranger gave Robin a crack on the crown, Which caused the blood to appear; Then Robin, enrag’d, more fiercely engag’d, And followd his blows more severe.
So thick and so fast did he lay it on him, With a passionate fury and ire, At every stroke, he made him to smoke, As if he had been all on fire.
O then into fury the stranger he grew, And gave him a damnable look, And with it a blow that laid him full low, And tumbld him into the brook.