Robin Hood and the Pedlar

Peter Shepheard: On Autumn Harvest ah006: Old Songs & Bothy Ballads: Nick-knack on the Waa. Live from the Fife Traditional Singing Festival May 2007.

A rare ballad (#132 in FJ Child's collection) that has, never-the-less, been found in the living tradition both in England and in Scotland in the last decades. This version is from the singing of Denny Smith a Romany traveller from Gloucester and recorded by Pete from Denny in the Tabard Bar, North Street, Gloucester in April 1966. This is one of a large cycle of Robin Hood ballads that excited enormous public interest after they were first compiled together from early broadsheets and manuscript collections and published in two small 8vo volumes by Joseph Ritson in 1795. The original recording from Denny Smith is available on the CD Wiggy Smith: Band of Gold on Musical Traditions MTCD 307

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

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

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

4 "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,
"It's your pack and all shall go along with me."

5 "Oh no, oh no," said the pedlar bold,
"Oh no, oh no, that never could be;
For there's never a man from fair Nottingham town,
Could take one half of my pack from me."

6 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."

7 Then Little John, oh, he drew his sword,
And the pedlar by his pack did stand;
They fought until they both did sweat,
When Little John cried, "Pedlar, you're too good a man."
They fought until they both did sweat,
When Little John cried, "Pedlar, oh you're too good a man."
8 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 said, "Pedlar, you're too good a man."

9 "Now what is your name?" cried Bold Robin Hood,
"Come tell to me right speedilee."
"Oh no, oh no," said the pedlar bold,
"But it's your name you will tell unto me."

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

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

12 "Now if your name is Bill Scarlet from a foreign part,
From a many's a long mile beyond the sea;
Then it's you and I's two sister's sons;
And what nigh first cousins, oh could we be?"

13 Then they sheathed their swords with friendly words,
And at the joke they laughed quite free;
They went in an alehouse that was close by,
And they cracked bottles by two and three;
They went in an alehouse that was close by,
And they drank bottles by two and three.

c p 2008 Autumn Harvest : www.springthyme.co.uk