The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood
1: Robin Hood and the Pedlar
[an error occurred while processing this directive] VERSIONS FROM THE SINGING TRADITION
1: Robin Hood and the Pedlar
As sung by Denny Smith, Gloucester
As sung by Denny Smith in the Tabard Bar, North Street, Gloucester 27 April 1966 [Spr 66.4.23] and at Walham Tump, Gloucester 8 May 1966 [Spr 66.5.9]. Collected and recorded by Peter Shepheard. Denny Smith was an English romany traveller, uncle of Biggun Smith and great uncle to Wiggy Smith. Denny Smith's recording of the ballad is available on Musical Traditions CD - Wiggy Smith and other Smith Family members: Band of Gold (MT CD 307).

O its of of a pedlar, and a pedlar bold,
O some fine pedlar he seemed for to be;
He put his pack all at his back,
And away went whistling right over the lea.

O the first two men, O that he met,
Was two quarrelsome men seemed for to be,
There was one of them called Bold Robin Hood,
And the other callèd Little John so free.

'Now what brings you there all in your pack?' cried Little John,
'Come tell to me right speedilee.'
['O I have three yards of the gay green cloth,
And silken bowstrings by two and three.'

'Now if you have three yards of the gay green cloth,
And silken bowstrings by two and three;
Then by my life,' cried Little John,
'Your pack and all shall go along with me.']

'O no, O no,' said the pedlar bold,
O no, O no, that never shall be;
For there's never a man from fair Nottingham town,
Shall take one half of my pack from me.'

Then the pedlar he set down his pack,
He lowered it right a-past his knee,
Saying, 'If you can make me fly three yards from this,
Then my pack and all shall go along with thee.'

Then Little John, O he drew his sword,
And the pedlar by his pack did stand;
They fought until they both did sweat,
When Little John cried, 'Pedlar pray hold your hand.'
They fought until they both did sweat,
Crying, 'Pedlar, pedlar, you're too good a man.'

Now Bold Robin Hood was standing by,
And at the joke he laughed quite free;
Saying, 'There's many a man from fair Nottingham town,
Could beat both the pedlar and also thee.'

Then Bold Robin Hood he drew his sword,
And the pedlar by his pack did stand;
They fought until the blood did run,
When Bold Robin Hood cried, 'Pedlar, pray hold your hand.'
They fought until the blood did run,
Crying, 'Pedlar, pedlar, you're too good a man.'

'Now what is your name?' cried Bold Robin Hood,
'Come tell to me right speedilee.']
'O no,' said the pedlar, 'that never could be,
But it's your name you will tell unto me.'

['O the one of us is called Bold Robin Hood,
And the other's callèd Little John so free.'
'Then by my life,' said the pedlar bold,
'It's my name I will tell unto thee.']

'Now my name is Bill Scarlet from a foreign part,
An a many a long mile beyond the sea;
For killing a man on my father's land,
My own native country I forced to fly.'

'O if your name is Bill Scarlet from a foreign part,
And a many a long mile beyond the sea;
Then it's me and you is two sister's sons;
O what nigh first cousins, O can we be?'

O they goes in the alehouse though it being close by,
They cracked bottles by two by three;
[They goes in the alehouse that was close by,
And they drank bottles by two by three.]

Note: Bracketed lines added from elsewhere to complete the text.
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