Les Joyeuses Aventures de Robin des Bois

Long ago in merry England, when good King Henry the Second ruled the land, a famous outlaw lived in the green shade of Sherwood Forest, near the town of Nottingham. His name was Robin Hood. No archer ever lived who could send an arrow so far or so true, and no leader ever had such men as the seven score merry men who lived with him in the forest. They passed their days in games of archery and in friendly fights with heavy sticks. They ate the King's deer and drank good brown ale.

All of them were outlaws, and they lived apart from other men. Yet the country people loved them, because nobody ever came to Robin Hood for help in a time of need and went away with empty hands.

This is how Robin first came to break the law.

When Robin was a young man of eighteen, strong and bold, the Sheriff of Nottingham announced a shooting match. The prize was a barrel of ale for the best archer in the county.