Читать «Legends of Robin Hood. Легенды о Робин Гуде» онлайн - страница 25

If Little John saw the face of the Prioress! There was such a wicked look upon it. But he did not see.

‘Come, good Little John,’ she said, ‘I have a room for you. Take up my cousin and carry him there/

So Little John took Robin in his arms and followed the Prioress.

It was very peaceful in this little room. It was far away from where the other people in the abbey lived.

Little John wanted to stay beside Robin, but the Prioress said, ‘No, he must have perfect quietness.’

‘I will not move nor make a sound,’ said Little John, ‘if you will only let me stay.’

‘No,’ said the Prioress again, ‘I must be alone with him.’

‘When may I come back?’ asked Little John.

‘In a few hours, perhaps. Perhaps tomorrow morning,’ replied the Prioress. ‘I will call you when it is time.’

So with a very heavy heart Little John walked away. He went into the abbey garden. There he sat down under a tree. He watched the window of Robin’s room. Hour after hour he waited in the cold.

The Prioress was a bad woman. Robin was very kind to her, and she had pretended to love him. Really she hated him, and wanted to hurt him.

When Robin was well and strong she could do nothing. But now he was in her power. She wanted to kill him. That was why she sent Little John away.

Now she was alone. She made a cut in Robin’s arm so that the blood flowed out. She pretended to bind the wound up again. But she put the bandage on so badly that the blood flowed all the time. Then she locked Robin in the room and went away.

Robin was so weak that he fell asleep. He slept for many hours. And all the time Little John sat under the tree in the garden — waiting.

When Robin woke he found he could hardly move. He saw the blood was still flowing from his arm. He knew that if not to stop it he would soon die.

He tried to rise but couldn’t. Then he thought of his horn. He put it to his mouth, and blew three times.

Little John ran as fast as he could to the room in which Robin was lying. The door was locked. He put his shoulder against it and opened it. There he found Robin almost dead.

Carefully and quickly he bound up the arm. His heart was full of love for his master, and of anger against the wicked Prioress.

'Grant me one favour, master,’ he said.

‘What favour is it you would ask, dear Little John?’ replied Robin.

‘Let me gather all our men together, and bring them here to bum this abbey, and kill the wicked Prioress.’

‘I never hurt a woman in all my life. Promise, you will not do it.’

Little John promised, but his heart was full of anger against her.

‘Little John, I should like to shoot once more. Carry me to the window. Give me my bow into my hands, and hold me up while I shoot. Where the arrow falls there bury me.’

The arrow only went a very little way and fell in the garden.

‘It was a good shot, master, a very good shot,’ said Little John, though he could hardly speak for tears.

‘W&s it indeed, friend? I could not see,’ replied Robin, ‘but you will bury me where it fell.’

Little John promised to do everything as Robin asked.