Robin Meeteth the Merry Baker

The following is a literature assignment to compose an account of a short adventure of Robin and Little John. The students were asked to include an illustration and were given the liberty to create a new character.

The following day, Robin and Little John, disguised as travelers, went walking through the forest, to the road leading to Nottingham. The day was clear and the air was freshly scented with blooming flowers. “What a fine day it is!” observed Robin presently.  “Ay marry, it is, but methinks it’s near midday and I’m getting fill’d with hunger,” quoth Little John. “I concur,” said Robin, “we shall wend to Nottingham and buyeth some food. The place is rife with vittles.” So off they went, two grown men frolicing as if they were children playing in the road. Shortly after, they reached the outskirts of Nottingham, where they found a portly baker, his eyes peeping out of his bushy eyebrows, taking two steaming, sweet smelling, soft and spongy breads from an oven nearby. 

Soon after seeing this, Robin remarked, “Morrow, good fellow. Those breads smelleth of good victuals. Couldst thou per se giveth two weary travelers like us some?” quoth the baker, “Nay, thou hast to payeth me. Four pence for one loaf.” “Four pence for one loaf!” quoth Little John, observing the man’s sign. “Thou has doubled the price compared to thy placard. We cannot concur with yond.” “Cannot concur?”  the baker retorted, turning rather surly. “Then we shall fight, but with bread, instead of swords. I have invented a new kind of bread, which shalt be called ‘baguette’.” With this, he retrieved two tough, long and slender breads, a bludgeon of a thing, and gave one to Robin, while Little John stood on the side, looking wistfully at the fresh baked buns, cooling on a wooden paddle. 

“You jest!” quoth Robin. “I doth not wanteth to insult thee, but these do not look very appetizing.” “Yond’s wherefore we are not eating them, but fighting with them,” replied the baker. Quoth Robin, “Let us maketh some rules. Whoever breaketh first the other’s baguette shallt be the victor. Little John shall be our judge.” “Fine idea,” quoth the other. “Let the battle begin!” One whap, then another, and scrapings of breadcrumbs falling to the floor, but no broken baguettes. The fight was so uproarious and animated, that even Little John couldn’t help but take his eyes off the fresh bread for a moment and regard the scene. 

The struggle seemed incessant, but at last, fatigued from battling such a hefty man, Robin gradually yielded. Then snap! With a cry of triumph, the stranger raised his hands into the air as Little John watched, dismayed. Wiping his hand across his forehead, Robin exclaimed, “Thee square well! Pray telleth, what is thy name, valorous sir.” “My name is Maxime Osmond. Who art thou?” Promptly, Little John and Robin exchanged glances. “I am Robin Hood, and this is mine right-hand man, Little John.” “The legendary Robin Hood!” Unexpectedly, the baker grinned. “I have beaten the legendary Robin Hood. Couldst I join the Merry Men, sir?” “I would be obliged to. I wast about to asketh thee.” Gleefully, along with the baker, the three men raced to the evergreens of Sherwood Forest. 

Note: This story is not historically correct, since baguettes weren’t invented till 1839.