There are many tellings and translations and variations when it comes to The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. But pretty much everyone is familiar with this outlaw who was notorious for robbing from the rich to give to the poor, in a land where the true king was gone and the deputy rulers were using their civil and religious authority for their own advantage rather than to serve the people.
Robin Hood is known for hiding out in the woods with his band of followers, impossible to find, unless he chooses to be "found" on his own terms and his own turf where he can keep the upper hand on the encounter. He loves to kidnap and host wealthy travelers to a great banquet, letting them go only when they have a full belly and an empty purse. Occasionally he'll take a risk to come into town to win an archery contest or rescue a friend, but it is usually in disguise. He is an enemy of the state, but we are rooting for him because the state is run by a corrupt network of self-interested rascals.
My favorite tale in the collection is when King Richard, who has been out of the country for a very long time, first battling, then a prisoner, returns to his land to try to figure out where the domestic loyalties lie. Some of the local authorities are supporting Richard's brother John's attempts to usurp the throne. He hears mixed stories about this outlaw in Sherwood Forest and takes wise advice to cloak himself as a monk and be "found" by the Band of Yeoman. Robin hosts a fine banquet for his guest without knowing the guest is his king. It is very satisfying when the King can be assured for himself that very few of his subjects are more loyal than this outlaw. He uncloaks himself and Robin bows before him.
It is wonderful to meet a king who is not below resorting to a trick of disguise. Someone who is truly interested in discovering the truth, and is willing to create a potentially awkward situation in which people have their guard down and say what they really think. We squirm with anticipation when a King gets to sit next to flattering pretenders who expose their own duplicity right to the King without realizing who's presence they are in. It is thrilling when that King gets a chance to test and see the authentic loyalty of those who have been falsely accused of betrayal.
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