Robin Hood

Robin Hood is a legend and a hero. There are a lot of medieval ballads about Robin Hood’s life and adventures. It is probable that he really lived in Sherwood Forest at the beginning of the 13th century, but we are not sure. Today there are numerous stories, poems and films about Robin Hood and his outlaws. Robin took from the rich and gave to the poor. He created justice at a time when there was none. [...]

Robin Hood becomes an outlaw

One day Robin came to a stream1 with a small bridge.2 When he began to cross it, he heard a loud voice say, ‘I want to cross the stream first!’ Robin turned around and saw an enormous, young man. He was very tall. ‘No, I was first!’ answered Robin. ‘Can you push me off the bridge?’ asked the enormous man. He was holding a wooden staff.3 Robin cut a long branch4 from a tree and made a staff. Then he began to fight on the bridge. [...]

The Crusades is the name of the Christian military expeditions to Jerusalem and the Holy Land.1 There were eight of them between 1096 and 1270. Before the 11th century Christians visited Jerusalem and the Holy Land. These people were called pilgrims. They wanted to see the places where Jesus lived. The people who ruled this area, who were Muslims, treated the Christian pilgrims well. [...]

Will Scarlett told Robin that a big, fat man lived in a cave near a river in Sherwood Forest. One day, Robin decided to meet him. He went to the river and saw a fat friar1 who was fishing. ‘Good morning, young man,’ said the friar. ‘Good day,’ answered Robin Hood. ‘You are fishing in an outlaw river. The fish you catch are mine. You can fish here today, but only if you carry me across the river.’ The friar did not like what Robin said. [...]

The knight was an important figure in the Middle Ages. There are many stories about knights in the literature of this period. One of the most famous is the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Knights had a strict code of behaviour known as the Code of Chivalry.1 A knight started his training when he was a boy of about seven. First, he was a page and then, a squire.2 Finally, he became a knight. [...]

Some years passed and there were more than 200 outlaws living in Sherwood Forest. Robin Hood was the hero of the poor. He continued robbing the rich to give to the poor. Robin Hood called this ‘The Sherwood Tax’. All the rich travellers who passed through Sherwood Forest paid ‘The Sherwood Tax’. The Sheriff of Nottingham sent an army of soldiers to Sherwood Forest to capture1 Robin Hood. But Robin and his outlaws were in the trees. [...]

King Richard was born in Oxford on 8th September 1157. He was the third son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He was also called the Lionheart because of his great courage. Richard was tall, athletic and well educated. He spoke Latin very well. He loved music, and composed songs in French and Provençal1. He became King of England in 1189, but after only seven months in England he went to the Holy Land on the Third Crusade. [...]

Robin meets Maid Marian

The Sheriff’s ride

After his adventure in Sherwood Forest, the Sheriff of Nottingham said to his men, ‘I must capture Robin Hood and destroy him. How can we capture him?’ The Sheriff thought for some time. Then he said, ‘I know how we can capture him. Let’s have an archery competition here in Nottingham. The best archers of the region always come to the competition. The prize for the best archer is the famous silver arrow. [...]

Alan a’Dale

One evening, Robin was hunting in the forest. He saw a knight riding an old, tired horse. The knight wore the red cross of the Crusader. ‘Good evening, young man,’ said the knight. ‘What is the name of this forest?’ ‘This is Sherwood Forest, sir,’ answered Robin. ‘I have come from the Holy Land. I was there for many years. I fought many wars. Now I am very tired and hungry,’ said the knight. [...]

After the death of King Richard in 1199, King John became the King of England. He liked hunting and taking baths!1 Almost no one took baths at that time. He lost most of the lands England had in France. His people paid very high taxes. There was little justice during this rule. He never followed the laws. Nobody liked King John. His noblemen decided to change things. They made a document and forced King John to sign2 it. [...]

There are many films about Robin Hood, Maid Marian, the Sheriff of Nottingham and the other characters in this book. Here is a list of some of the most important films. Can you add any others? 1922 Robin Hood with Douglas Fairbanks. 1938 The Adventures of Robin Hood with Errol Flynn. 1973 Robin Hood by Walt Disney. 1976 Robin and Marian with Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn. [...]

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