Knights were fighting men. They lived in castles and had a lot of land. Most Norman knights had a lot of money.
One morning Robin Hood was standing under a tree with some of his men.
Little John said, "Shall we eat now?"
Robin Hood answered, "I shall eat when I have found a rich knight. He can eat with me, and then he can give us gold for his food and our own food."
Little John and Midge took their bows and arrows and went to the road through the forest. They stood behind a tree and waited.
After a little time, they saw a knight. He looked very sad. He had a very old horse, and his clothes were old, too.
Little John went to him and said, "Our leader asks you to come and eat with him."
The knight said, "Who is your leader? Who asks me to eat with him? What is his name?"
"His name is Robin Hood."
"Ah! said the knight. "I have heard about him. He is a good man. So I will come with you."
Little John and Midge led the knight to Robin Hood.
Robin Hood said, "I am pleased to see you. Come and eat with us."
So they all sat down to eat. The food was very, very good. Maid Marian and Alan-a-Dale's wife cooked deer from the forest and ducks from the river. Everything was good.
The knight said, "I have not had food like this for a very long time."
"I must ask you to pay for your dinner now," said Robin Hood. "I am a very poor man, and I cannot pay for a dinner for a knight."
"I have no money," said the knight. "So I cannot pay. I have here only twenty pence."
Robin Hood said, "If that is all I will not take any. Go and see, Little John. Is that all the the money the knight has?"
Little John took the money out of the knight's money-bag and showed it to Robin Hood. There was just twenty pence.
Robin Hood said, "Why have you so little money, and old clothes and old horse? Why are your so poor? Most knights are very rich."
The knight answered, "My money has gone because my son loved fighting. In a fight he killed another knight. He did not want to kill him. They were friends. But he hit too hard and the knight died. Because of that, I had to pay a lot of money. I sold everything I had, and I got four hundred pounds more from William of Linby. I must pay it back to him tomorrow. If I do not pay the money tomorrow he can take my castle and all my land."
Robin Hood asked, "Have you no friends who will help you?"
"I had many friends when I was rich: but now I am poor, and I have no friends."
Robin Hood said to Little John, "Bring me our money-bag."
Little John brought the money-bag. Robin Hood took four hundred pounds out of the bag. He said, "We have taker this money from people who had too much money. I give this money to you because you have too little money. Go and pay William of Linby and save your land."
Then Midge came with a big piece of cloth. He said, "Your clothes are very old. Make some new clothes out of this."
Maid Marian said, "Your horse is very old. You must have a new horse." She told Little John to bring a good horse.
The knight got up on the horse. Robin Hood, Maid Marian and all outlaws went with him to the road.
The knight said, "I shall always remember the kind things that you have done today. One day I shall come back and pay you."
Robin Hood said, "Help others in the same way that we have helped you."
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