The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood Part Second Summary & Analysis

Summary

Robin Hood and his men decide to lie low in Sherwood Forest for a time, though Robin thinks of how he might take revenge on the Sheriff. One day, bored of being confined to the forest, he goes to the outskirts of Sherwood, where he meets a butcher. Robin pays the butcher to switch places and takes his meat to sell at the market. There, he sells more than the other butchers because he charges less than they do. The other butchers are suspicious, but they invite Robin Hood to join them for dinner that night. The Sheriff, fooled by Robin’s disguise, hopes to trick the new butcher into giving him some of his money. Robin agrees to sell cattle to the Sheriff for three hundred pounds and takes him to Sherwood Forest. The Sheriff grows wary as they go deeper into the forest until they meet up with Robin’s men. The men provide the Sheriff with a feast and entertainment, for which Robin demands three hundred pounds from the Sheriff. After paying, the Sheriff leaves, ashamed that he was fooled.

That October, the Sheriff offers only a meager prize for the annual fair’s archery contest, hoping Robin Hood will not show up. After learning of this, Robin persuades Little John to compete in disguise. Dressed in scarlet instead of Lincoln green, Little John participates in the cudgel-play contest and beats the renowned Eric o’ Lincoln through trickery. Then he wins the archery contest. Impressed, the Sheriff invites the disguised Little John to join his service, and Little John accepts.

Having become the Sheriff’s right-hand man, Little John enjoys his new, comfortable life. However, one day he is reminded of his friends in Sherwood Forest, and he becomes determined to return to them and never leave again. On his way out, Little John argues with the steward, who refuses to make him breakfast. Little John hits the man, knocking him unconscious. The cook comes to see what has happened and finds Little John helping himself to food. The two eat together, and the cook agrees to leave with Little John. They steal some of the Sheriff’s silverware before returning to Sherwood Forest. There Robin Hood disapproves of Little John’s thievery. Little John goes to find the Sheriff and brings him and his men to Robin Hood. The Sheriff realizes his trusted ally was Little John all along. Robin serves the Sheriff wine and food on his own silverware, which the Sheriff recognizes, but he does not say anything. Robin explains that while he takes from those who have wronged others, the Sheriff has not wronged anyone this time, and he returns the Sheriff’s silver to him.

Analysis

The character of Little John is developed in this part of the novel. Like Robin Hood, Little John enjoys adventure and good-natured trickery, as he happily participates in the competitions at the fair. However, unlike Robin Hood, Little John enjoys the comforts that Sherwood Forest lacks, so he ends up working for his master’s enemy. Rather than having to catch his food and sleep in the woods, Little John has the opportunity to eat as much as he likes, procured and made by someone else, and he can sleep indoors. He is lazier and more self-indulgent than the other members of Robin Hood’s band. Still, Little John’s sense of loyalty and love for his friends prove stronger than his enjoyment of life’s pleasures, and he ultimately returns to Sherwood and Robin Hood. However, Little John’s actions do not live up to the moral compass that Robin Hood follows — he steals the Sheriff’s silver on his way out.

Robin Hood’s reaction to his friend’s theft again shows how he distinguishes between legality and morality. Robin has never felt any compunction about deceiving the Sheriff and often does so for his own amusement. However, he draws the line at committing a crime against someone who hasn’t offended first. Robin does trick the Sheriff into following him into Sherwood, despite having no cattle to sell. However, to Robin, this deception is justified because the Sheriff initially tried to take advantage of the butcher Robin was pretending to be. Because the Sheriff did not harm Little John or the cook, Robin considers it immoral for them to have stolen from the Sheriff. Once again, while Robin Hood does not find it necessary to follow the law, he strictly adheres to his moral code. In contrast, the Sheriff is supposed to act as a legal authority, yet he uses his position to try to trick someone he believes is an innocent butcher who is trying to make a living. The Sheriff proves that those whose job it is to uphold the law are not necessarily virtuous, reinforcing Robin’s belief that the legal system is not the objective authority on morality.

Sherwood Forest acts as a symbol of the protective friendship offered by being part of Robin Hood’s band. While the men are at their camp deep in the forest, it seems nothing can harm them, even when they lead the Sheriff directly to their group twice in this part. The importance of friendship is cemented as Little John returns to his rightful place in the forest, bringing a new companion with him. Although Little John enjoyed a life of ease with the Sheriff, he finds no creature comforts can equal the joy he feels from being among his friends and the authentic pleasure from living as part of nature.

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