Page:The art of story-telling, with nearly half a hundred stories, y Julia Darrow Cowles .. (IA artofstorytellin00cowl).pdf/216

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

hood; but the monk was not so courteous, and did not return the greeting.

Then Robin summoned his yeomen, and they prepared the meal, and served the monk with his dinner; and afterwards Robin asked, as was his custom, how much his guest had in his coffers.

"Sir," said the monk, "but twenty pounds, as I hope to prosper."

"If there is no more," said Robin, "I will not take a penny; and if thou hast need of more I will lend it thee. But if I find more than twenty pounds thou wilt have to give it up."

So Robin sent Little John to search the monk's mantle and there he found over eight hundred pounds. At this Robin rejoiced, for it was twice the sum that he needed to repay him for what he had generously lent the knight.

But the monk was very wroth, and cried:

"By Heaven, 'tis no courtesy to bid a man to dinner and then treat him so ill."

"Nevertheless it is an old custom of ours to leave but little behind for our guests to take away with them," said Robin.

Then the monk put spurs to his horse, for