Storytelling: The Merry Men vs. The Strangers

It was a beautiful mid-October afternoon and the sun could not be brighter. Robin and his band of merry men were calming walking around the playground as they always did during recess. They surveyed the perimeters to make sure all was well and everyone was having fun during this break in the day. It was custom that they patrol the edges of the playground to keep things in order when the teachers were inside having their daily meeting. Robin was pleased with the peace of the day until out of nowhere, he heard one of his mean yell at the top of his lungs.

"What is wrong Little John?" Robin anxiously asked his best friends.

"Something just hit me in my back!" Little John stated while rubbing his now sore back.

As Robin and the men looked around for the culprit, another one of the merry men yelled claiming to have been struck by a rock in the back of his head! A few more of the men were hit before Robin heard a low soft chuckling up in the top of the jungle gym.

"Who are you?" asked Robin, "And why do you keep throwing rocks at us?!"

The lad in the jungle gym said nothing, but pocked his head out a little more so his face was visible. Right next to him, two more heads popped up and snickered at Robin and his confused companions.

"You all think you are such hot shots!" yelled the one boy. "Who decided that you were the only ones who could rule the playground? Maybe we would be better at it then you all! I mean we are obviously way better fighters."

Robin and his men all gasped at such a bold claim. Who did these three boys think they were coming onto the playground that Robin and his men had defended and maintained order on all year? Little John, who had been standing next to Robin fuming at what the boys said lost his cool and charged to the front of the group.

"OH YEAH!? Well if it's a fight you want, it's a fight you will get!" declared Little John.

Without hesitation, Robin and his men picked up pebbles and wood chips and using the slingshots they always kept with them, began launching the debris up at the three boys. They were too slow though and the three boys ducked behind the wall of the jungle gym before any of the pebble or wood chips could hit them.

"Spread out!" declared Robin to his men and they all scattered, surrounding the jungle gym on all sides. They continued a relentless fire onto the jungle gym even though they could not see the boys. Eventually, they ceased firing when they heard what they thought was one of the boys yelling "We surrender." They all stopped dead and waited to see what would happen next. Then all three of the boys popped up with their own slingshots and fired away at Robin and the merry men.

"Retreat!" yelled Robin and they all tried to take cover behind a row of benches where they thought they would be out of range of the three boys slingshots. Robin grabbed a white towel and started waiving it in the air until the boys stopped shoot pebbles at them. Robin declared that he and his men surrounded and the boys came down from the top of the jungle gym to shake hands with all the merry men. They conceded that each had put up a good battle and to keep the peace, their groups would take turns guarding the playground and keeping order.

"Okay kids, recess is over!" one of the teachers announced just as the bell began to ring. Robin, his men and the three boys all went their separate ways back to class.

"Until we meet again," Robin said under his breath.

Author's Note: I chose to model this story after a reading from the story Robin Hood: Robin Hood's Delight. I guess what drew me most to this story was that unlike some of the other battles that take place in the story, Robin and his friends lose here. Even more interesting is that the entire scene takes place sort of like a game. It reminded me a lot of how young boys play on the playground. They all get really into it and take it super seriously until recess ends of the game is over with winners and losers. They still hold somewhat of a grudge but they overall know it was just a game and they will resume playing later on. This concept was very similar because Robin, Little John and Will continue to fight the strangers even after they initially lose to them. I wanted to tell the story from one point of view of the battle being very intense and real to the two groups of boys. To them this was a very serious fight and the winner mattered a lot. However, I also wanted to keep it lighthearted just like it was in the original telling, which is why I made the setting during recess at a playground. I didn't specify an age because I wanted to the reader to have some freedom.

Bibliography: The English and Scottish Popular Ballads by Francis James Child (1882-1898).