With him came Allan a Dale and his wife, the fair Ellen, for these two
had been chief of Robin's household ever since he had left Sherwood
Forest.
It was in the springtime when they landed once more on the shores of
England. The leaves were green and the small birds sang blithely, just
as they used to do in fair Sherwood when Robin Hood roamed the woodland
shades with a free heart and a light heel. All the sweetness of the time
and the joyousness of everything brought back to Robin's mind his forest
life, so that a great longing came upon him to behold the woodlands once
more. So he went straightway to King John and besought leave of him to
visit Nottingham for a short season. The King gave him leave to come
and to go, but bade him not stay longer than three days at Sherwood. So
Robin Hood and Allan a Dale set forth without delay to Nottinghamshire
and Sherwood Forest.
The first night they took up their inn at Nottingham Town, yet they did
not go to pay their duty to the Sheriff, for his worship bore many a
bitter grudge against Robin Hood, which grudges had not been lessened by
Robin's rise in the world.
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