Locksley, do thou shoot; but if thou hittest such a mark, I will say thou art the first man ever did so. Howe'er it be, thou shalt not crow over us with a mere show of superior skill." 5 "I will do my best, as Hubert says," answered Locksley; "no man can do more.' So saying, he again bent his bow, but on the present occasion looked with attention to his weapon, and changed the string, which he thought was no longer 10 truly round, having been a little frayed by the two former shots. He then took his aim with some deliberation, and the multitude awaited the event in breathless silence. The archer justified their opinion of his skill: his 15 arrow split the willow rod against which it was aimed. A jubilee of shouts followed; and even Prince John, in admiration of Locksley's skill, lost for an instant his dislike of his person. "These twenty nobles," he said, "which, with the 20 bugle, thou hast fairly won, are thine own. We will make them fifty if thou wilt take livery and service with us as a yeoman of our body-guard, and be near to our person. For never did so strong a hand bend a bow, or so true an eye direct a shaft." 25 "Pardon me, noble prince," said Locksley; "but I have vowed that if ever I were to take service, it should be with your royal brother, King Richard. These twenty nobles I leave to Hubert, who has this day drawn as brave a bow as his grandsire did at Hastings. Had his modesty not refused the trial, he would have hit the wand as well as I." Hubert shook his head as he received with reluctance the bounty of the stranger; and Locksley, anxious to escape further observation, mixed with the crowd, 5 and was seen no more. QUESTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION 1. Describe the woods in Eng-13. land five hundred years How could he be both an outlaw and a hero? In what forest did he live? How many were there in his band of merry men? 3. Who was king of England 16. What did a man have to do to join the band? then? 4. Why was the king away 17. What rules did Robin Hood from home? make for his men? 5. Who acted as king while 18. Who was Robin Hood's 9. How did many really brave 23. Why did the poor people look men become outlaws? upon him as a friend? 10. How were these outlaws 24. Tell how they often called hunted? on him for help. 11. Why might anyone kill an 25. Why did the poor people What was to be done if he refused to shoot? 28. How good a shot was he 35. Why did Robin Hood think Why would he not accept service with Prince John? Did any one at the contest know that Robin Hood was there? What would have happened had it been known? Sir Walter Scott was born at Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1771. He was a boy whom you would like to have known. He began early to. take delight in books, and he read "the usual, or rather ten times the usual, quantity of fairy tales, Eastern tales, and romances." When his school days came to an end, he decided to study law, but his father told him that his long rambles through the country, talking with shepherds and farmers, were a far better training for a peddler than for a lawyer. So he gave up the law and became a poet and novelist. He wrote many poems and twenty-nine novels. Scott bought a "mountain farm" at Abbotsford, on the banks of the Tweed, near the ruins of Melrose Abbey. He lavished care and money upon his estate. The cottage grew to a mansion, the mansion to a castle, and more land was bought and forests were planted. In this beautiful home he spent his last days. He died there in 1832. He has left us a double treasure, the memory of himself and the possession of his works. JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT CLARA SMITH 66 Have you ever seen the pretty flower called Jack-in-the pulpit"? In the peculiar shape of this flower, many persons think they can see a resemblance to a pulpit, with a tiny preacher standing in it. So you see how the flower gets its name. In the following poem, the poet goes out into the woods where all kinds of flowers are blooming, and finds a Jack-in-the-pulpit under a tree. She imagines that he is going to preach a sermon, and that the flowers around him, and the squirrels and the birds, are the congregation, waiting to listen to the sermon. The lily-bells are "ringing to church." And now the poet asks us to come with her and "hear what his reverence rises to say.” You know that a preacher is addressed as "Reverend," which means "deserving to be revered, or respected." So you see what "his reverence means. In stanza 2, the poet describes the congregation. As you read the stanza, you will see how like the flowers are to different kinds of persons in a congregation in a church, some sad, some smiling, some like children, some in stylish "bonnets," some "languid," or lazy and uninterested, and so on. In stanza 3, we are ready for the sermon from Jack-in-thepulpit. But like many persons who go to church, not to hear the sermon, but to look at one another, the poet finds herself and also the whole flower-congregation, not listening to Jackin-the-pulpit, "But we looked at the people, And they looked at us. |