The Jolly Pindar of Wakefield
No: 124; variant: 124A
- IN Wakefield there lives a jolly pinder,
In Wakefield, all on a green;
In Wakefield, all on a green;
- 'There is neither knight nor squire,' said the pinder,
'Nor baron that is so bold,
'Nor baron that is so bold,
Dare make a trespasse to the town of Wakefield,
But his pledge goes to the pinfold.'
But his pledge goes to the pinfold.'
- All this beheard three witty young men,
'Twas Robin Hood, Scarlet, and John;
With that they spyed the jolly pinder,
As he sate under a thorn.
- 'Now turn again, turn again,' said the pinder,
'For a wrong way have you gone;
For you have forsaken the king his highway,
And made a path over the corn.'
- 'O that were great shame,' said jolly Robin,
'We being three, and thou but one:'
The pinder leapt back then thirty good foot,
'Twas thirty good foot and one.
- He leaned his back fast unto a thorn,
And his foot unto a stone,
And there he fought a long summer's day,
A summer's day so long,
Till that their swords, on their broad bucklers,
Were broken fast unto their hands.
- 'Hold thy hand, hold thy hand,' said Robin Hood,
'And my merry men euery one;
For this is one of the best pinders
That ever I try'd with sword.
- 'And wilt thou forsake thy pinder his craft,
And live in [the] green wood with me?
. . . .
. . . .
- 'At Michaelmas next my covnant comes out,
When every man gathers his fee;
I'le take my blew blade all in my hand,
And plod to the green wood with thee.'
- 'Hast thou either meat or drink,' said Robin Hood,
'For my merry men and me?
. . . .
. . . .
- 'I have both bread and beef,' said the pinder,
'And good ale of the best;'
'And that is meat good enough,' said Robin Hood,
'For such unbidden guest.
- 'O wilt thou forsake the pinder his craft,
And go to the green wood with me?
Thou shalt have a livery twice in the year,
The one green, the other brown [shall be].'
- 'If Michaelmas day were once come and gone
And my master had paid me my fee,
Then would I set as little by him
As my master doth set by me.'