The Adventures of Robin Hood Page #4

Me lord. Here is your raiment

for the banquet.

When you've done with them,

give them to Prince John.

To the tables, everybody,

and stuff yourselves!

May I serve you, my lady?

I'm afraid the company

has spoiled my appetite.

Misfortune.

Now, mine is excellent.

Ah.

- A little mutton, my lady?

- I said I'm not hungry.

Why, so you did. I'd forgotten.

Well, you will let me know

if you regain your appetite, won't you?

Friends! Friends!

I'd supposed, with you, that this Sir Guy

of Gisbourne was a scurvy fellow...

...and a bitter enemy of ours.

And yet, look!

He provides us with this tasty supper.

And is this the end of his beneficence?

Why, no!

For in his train today...

...he's brought us half a score

of boxes full of jewels and silks...

...and more, about 30,000 golden marks

wrested from the northern shires.

- You wouldn't dare.

- Sit down!

Some of you might think our host...

...intended this treasure

for the coffers of Prince John...

...instead of to ransom the king.

And you would be right.

But a strange thing happened.

A change of heart overtook him in the

forest, and there it is, safe and sound!

- You speak of loyalty.

- Yes. Why not?

I suppose you and your cutthroats

intend to send this treasure to Richard?

You wouldn't dream

of keeping it yourselves.

Friends! What shall we do with this

treasure? Divide it amongst ourselves?

- Hold it for Richard!

- It belongs to the king!

- Convinced?

- I may have been hasty...

But why you, a knight...

...should live here like an animal,

robbing, killing, outlawed...?

Are you really interested in learning

why I turned outlaw?

Or are you afraid of the truth?

Or of me, perhaps?

I'm afraid of nothing. Least of all of you.

Good. Then come with me.

Oh, so you are afraid.

Sit down! Sit down!

- Well, men.

- Hi!

Hardly an inspiring sight

for such pretty eyes as yours, I'm sure.

But these poor devils

have all had their homes burned.

Their families beaten and starved

to death by your tax gatherers.

- Bless you. We'll never forget you.

- Our humble thanks, master.

- May we be worthy, Robin.

- You are, mother, you are.

- Have you eaten well, friend?

- Yes, thanks, Robin Hood.

We humbly thank you, master.

I'm sorry to have to show you that.

But once these poor people

were happy and contented.

Just simple villagers

who never harmed a soul.

And now... Tortured, eyes put out,

tongues slit, ears hacked off.

They come to me for protection

against your Norman friends.

But you've taken Norman lives.

Yes, those that deserved it.

The cruel and unjust.

You're a strange man.

Strange? Because I can feel for beaten,

helpless people?

No, you're strange because you want

to do something about it.

You're willing to defy Sir Guy,

even Prince John himself.

To risk your own life.

- And one of those men was a Norman.

- Norman or Saxon. What's that matter?

- It's injustice I hate, not the Normans.

- But it's lost you your rank, your lands.

It's made you a hunted outlaw...

...when you might have

lived in comfort and security.

What's your reward for all this?

Reward?

You just don't understand, do you?

I'm sorry.

I do begin to see a little now.

If you do, then that's reward enough.

Now that you've robbed us and had your

fill of insulting us, we wish to leave.

- Come, Lady Marian.

- My men will escort my lady.

But before you leave, it might be well

if you thanked her for saving your life.

My life?

Do you think you'd have

left this forest alive...

...if it hadn't been

for her presence here?

- Peter! Harold!

- Master?

Take six men and guide our loyal host

and his nervous friend...

...to the Nottingham Road.

- But our horses, our clothes.

You'll return to Nottingham

as you are, on foot.

This, Sir Guy, will at least be a lesson

to you in humility, if not in mercy.

- Your people will be returned tomorrow.

- But the lady Marian.

You'd best be started

before I have a change of mind.

I think we'd better go.

Now, my lady.

Friar Tuck! Little John!

Take the lady

to the Abbey of the Black Canons...

...so tomorrow the bishop

can escort her the rest of the way.

- Oh, master, may I go too?

- With your permission, my lady?

Goodbye, my lady.

Goodbye.

- He took everything you collected?

- Every silver penny.

And you two nincompoops sat there

and let him do it.

- Oh, we resisted as well as we could.

- Where are your wounds? Your bruises?

- And where are your men?

- What did Your Highness expect?

With the Lady Marian in our company

and Locksley's men outnumbering us.

And not an arrow wound to divide

among them, I suppose.

And more than 30,000 marks

in the hands of that wolf's head.

That fellow's got to be taken.

Understand?

And how does Your Highness suggest

that he be taken?

- If I may be so bold as to inquire?

- Mind your words, Gisbourne.

You're fortunate not to be paying

for this with your head.

Your Highness, sir, I could muster

an army and surround Sherwood.

- You couldn't capture him...

- Mind your words.

...if he sat in your lap

shooting arrows at a crow.

Arrows! Arrows!

- He said shooting arrows at a crow.

- Take that silly looking bonnet off.

That stirs something in my mind.

Perhaps we can't take him by force.

He's too well protected. Knows

Sherwood's hidden paths well. But...

- But what?

- We'll outwit him.

We'll hold an archery tournament!

Archery tour...

And have him fly in on the end of one

of his own arrows? That's marvelous.

He's the finest archer in the North.

Think he'd forgo shooting...

...against the archers of all England?

We'll give a prize. Say, a golden arrow.

And ask him to risk his neck for that?

That won't be the only bait...

...with the Lady Marian presenting

the arrow herself.

What do you mean?

When they came out of the forest,

she seemed very friendly.

And didn't you notice

how his eyes never left her?

- Yes, yes, I noticed.

- Well, then!

- Well, then, how do we get word to him?

- Get word to Robin...

...who has an eye in every bush

and ears in every wall?

But even if he comes,

won't he be disguised?

Whether he be dressed as priest,

beggar, knight...

...palmer, what disguise can conceal

the finest archer in England?

The man who wins the golden arrow

will be Robin Hood.

Will you take that bonnet off?

I hope our little golden hook

will catch the fish.

- You hope?

- Oh, it will if he's here.

If he's not, we'll stick your head

upon the target and shoot at that.

- Are your men sure of their orders?

- Yes.

They're stationed all around the field.

Even a worm couldn't get through.

You talk as if this were a trap.

No, my dear. Just a precaution in case

the Saxons create a disturbance.

By orders of His Highness Prince John...

...the champions

of Sir Guy and the knights...

...will be limited to three flights

of arrows for the eliminations.

The winning team will meet all comers.

- You know it's a trap.

- A golden arrow, from the lady herself.

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