Robin Hood Rescuing Three Squires or Robin Hood and the Widow's Three Sons is a traditional ballad about Robin Hood, listed as Child ballad 140 and Roud 70.[1]
Synopsis
editRobin meets an old woman lamenting that her sons will hang for poaching the king's deer. He persuades an old man to trade his ragged clothing for Robin's fine clothes, and in this disguise, offers to be the sheriff's hangman. He blows on his horn, and his men arrive. In some variants, they hang the sheriff instead of the three young men; in all, they all escape back to the greenwood.
Influences
editFrancis James Child believed this to be the source of Robin Hood Rescuing Will Stutly.[2]
Adaptations
editHoward Pyle retold this story in The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood with the hero as Little John; he used trickery to get the three young men away, and his bow broke, resulting in his own capture.[3] Robin Hood, having just killed Guy of Gisbourne, disguises himself as Guy to carry out the rescue.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Francis James Child, English and Scottish Popular Ballads, Robin Hood Rescuing Three Squires
- ^ Robin Hood Rescuing Three Squires (Child 140)
- ^ ROBIN HOOD RESCUING THREE SQUIRES No. 140, VERSION B
External links
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