Epilogue

           THUSENDtheMerryAdventuresofRobinHood;for,inspiteofhispromise,itwasmanyayearerehesawSherwoodagain.

           AfterayearortwoatcourtLittleJohncamebacktoNottinghamshire,wherehelivedinanorderlyway,thoughwithinsightofSherwood,andwhereheachievedgreatfameasthechampionofallEnglandwiththequarterstaff.WillScarletafteratimecamebacktohisownhome,whencehehadbeendrivenbyhisunluckykillingofhisfather’ssteward.Therestofthebanddidtheirdutyasroyalrangersrightwell.ButRobinHoodandAllanaDaledidnotcomeagaintoSherwoodsoquickly,forthusitwas:

           Robin,throughhisgreatfameasanarcher,becameafavoritewiththeKing,sothathespeedilyroseinranktobethechiefofalltheyeomen.AtlasttheKing,seeinghowfaithfulandhowloyalhewas,createdhimEarlofHuntingdon;soRobinfollowedtheKingtothewars,andfoundhistimesofullthathehadnochancetocomebacktoSherwoodforevensomuchasaday.AsforAllanaDaleandhiswife,thefairEllen,theyfollowedRobinHoodandsharedinallhisupsanddownsoflife.

           Andnow,dearfriend,youwhohavejourneyedwithmeinallthesemerrydoings,Iwillnotbidyoufollowmefurther,butwilldropyourhandherewitha"goodden,"ifyouwishit;forthatwhichcomethhereafterspeaksofthebreakingupofthings,andshowshowjoysandpleasuresthataredeadandgonecanneverbesetupontheirfeettowalkagain.