The Adventures of Robin Hood 21: A Surprising Invitation
Little John and Will Scarlet were sitting outside the Blue Boar Inn. A young man arrived on a beautiful white horse. The man was dressed in silk and velvet clothing, which was trimmed with gold and jewels.
He hurried toward Little John and Will. "Do you know where I can find Robin Hood?" he asked.
"What do you want with him?" Will demanded. He was suspicious of any stranger asking about Robin.
"I have a message from Queen Eleanor," the young man said. "It's important. I'm her page."
Will and Little John looked at each other, unsure of what to do.
Little John shrugged. "This page seems harmless," he said. "I think we can take him to Robin."
Will nodded, and soon the two men were guiding the page through Sherwood Forest.
Robin was sitting under a tree with several of his men. Alan of Dale was playing his harp and singing.
Robin got to his feet when he saw the men coming. He was surprised to see the finely dressed page deep in the woods.
"Tell me, what brings you to Sherwood Forest?" asked Robin.
The page climbed down from his horse and bowed to Robin. "I bring greetings from Queen Eleanor," he said. "King Henry is holding a very large shooting match in London in four days. All the best archers in England will be there. Queen Eleanor would like you and some of your men to compete."
"I'm honored." Robin bowed his head.
"The queen promises to protect you and send you safely home." The page held out a gold ring. "She gives you this ring as a sign of her promise."
Robin placed the ring on his little finger. "Get ready, Will and Little John! We're going to London!"
After several days of travel, the three men arrived at the palace. Queen Eleanor looked happy to see them. She greeted them with a smile and made sure they had plenty to eat.
"I've heard so much about you," she said. "But I'd like to hear more. Tell me about your adventures."
So Robin and his men told her many tales. She especially liked the story about the Bishop of Hereford and the feast.
"We made him stay with us in Sherwood Forest for three days!" said Little John.
The queen laughed at that. "I hope you're as good at archery as you are at telling stories!" She lowered her voice and explained her plan.
***
The next morning was bright and sunny. Hundreds of archers gathered on a large field, ready to compete. King Henry and Queen Eleanor sat on thrones trimmed in silver and gold. A trumpet sounded, and the archers lined up in neat rows.
Robin, Little John, and Will Scarlet hid themselves among the people watching. Instead of their usual green clothes, the three men wore blue to disguise themselves.
"Queen Eleanor will tell us when it's time to appear," said Robin. "For now let's enjoy the shooting match."
In the first round, each archer shot seven arrows.
"Wow!" exclaimed Will. "This is the biggest shooting match I've ever been to!"
It took a long time to get through that first round. And then there were several more rounds. As the day wore on, more archers were eliminated. At last only three men remained.
Queen Eleanor turned to King Henry. "Do you think those are the best archers in England?"
The king gazed at the archers proudly. "Those men are from my guard," said the king. "They're the best in the world!"
"Well, I know three men who are better archers," said the queen.
The king laughed. "What do you know about archery?"
The queen smiled. "You might be surprised by my knowledge. The three men will enter the contest, but you must promise not to harm them. After the contest you must allow them to travel freely for forty days."
King Henry looked puzzled. "Those are strange conditions, but I promise."
The queen motioned for her page. She whispered in his ear, "Tell Robin and his men it's time for their match."
"My dear," said the king. "You have such an interest in archery now. Shall we bet on this match? I'll bet two hundred fine bows and arrows."
"I'll bet this beautiful belt." The queen pointed to her waist. "Its jewels are worth far more than your bows and arrows."
People began whispering, wondering what the queen was up to. One thing was certain: this promised to be an interesting match!
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