Robin Hood and the tanner

Trad. inglese, XVI sec. (?)

Il personaggio di Robin Hood è protagonista in decine di ballate popolari, che narrano i piccoli fatti della vita quotidiana di un bandito dei boschi. Il racconto qui presentato, che narra di un duello farsesco fra Robin e Arden il conciapelli, è contenuto nella raccolta di C. Sharp dell’inizio di questo secolo.

Bold Arden went forth one summer’s morning for to view the merry green woods
For to hunt for the deer that run here and there and there he spied Robin Hood.

"What a fellow art thou?", quoth bold Robin Hood, "And what is thy business here?
I’ll tell thee now brief, thou dost look like a thief and thou com’st for to steal the King’s deer".

"No, I am the keeper of this parish and the King hath a - put me in trust;
And therefore I pray thee to get on thy way or else upstand’ ee I must".

"And thou must be more in particular of store before thou canst make me stand,
For I have a staff he’s made out of ground graffe and I warrant he shall do my deed".

"And I have another", said bold Robin Hood, "He’s made of an oaken tree.
He’s eight feet and a half and would knock down a calf, and why wouldn’t a’ knock down thee?"

"Let us measure our staffs", said bold Robin Hood, "Before we begin and away,
For if mine should be half a foot longer than thine then that will be counted foul play".

Then at it they went for bang for bang the space of two hours or more.
Every blow they swung made the grove for to ring and they played their game so sure.

Then bold Robin Hood drew forth his bugle horn and he blew it boith loud and shrill,
And direct thereupon he espied Little John come running down the hill.

"O what is the matter?", then said Little John, "You are not doing well", he said;
"O", says bold Robin Hood, "here’s a tanner so good, and I warrant he’s tanned my hide".

"If he’s such a tanner", then says Little John, "A tanner that tans so true,
We’ll make a no doubt but we’ll have a fresh bout and I’ll warrant he’ll tan my hide too".

"That thing shall not be", says bold Robin Hood, "For he is a hero bold;
For he has best played, he is master of his trade and by no means shall he be controlled".

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ultimo aggiornamento: 11 gennaio 1999