CHAPTER SEVEN The Silver Arrow
After his adventure in Sherwood Forest, the Sheriff of Nottingham said to his men, 'I must capture Robin Hood and destroy him. How can we capture him?' The Sheriff thought for some time. Then he said, 'I know how we can capture him. Let's have an archery competition here in Nottingham. The best archers of the region always come to the competition. The prize for the best archer is the famous silver arrow.' One of his men asked, 'But will Robin come to the competition?' 'Of course! Robin loves challenges!' said the Sheriff. 'He will come disguised and we must discover him.' The Sheriff's messengers went everywhere and told everyone about the competition. One day Friar Tuck heard the news. He immediately told Robin and the outlaws.
Robin said, 'I'm the best archer in the region. I can easily win the silver arrow!' 'Oh, Robin, don't go!' said Marian. 'It's a trap! The Sheriff wants to kill you!' 'Yes, Robin,' said Friar Tuck, 'it's a trap. It's dangerous for you to go.' 'I must go! I never refuse a challenge. I will disguise myself as a poor peasant. No one will recognise me.' 'Can we come to protect you?' asked Robin's men. 'Yes, you can come disguised as peasants too. You can stay in the crowd. But be ready to fight, if necessary.' One morning in May, Robin and his outlaws went to the archery competition. When they arrived in Nottingham, the castle square was full of people. An archery competition was a special event. There were musicians, acrobats, children, lords, and ladies. There were colorful flags everywhere. All around the castle square, there were difficult targets. There were many excellent archers at the contest. They all tried to hit the targets. But the best archer was the peasant in the red cloak and hood. He hit all the most difficult targets. The crowd shouted with joy. He was the winner! The Sheriff was silent. He knew that the peasant with the red cloak and hood was Robin. 'Guards! Stop that peasant in the red cloak!' cried the angry Sheriff. 'He is our enemy, Robin Hood, the outlaw.' The Sheriff's guards ran to capture Robin. But Robin's men attacked the guards. There was a lot of fighting. Robin and his men killed or injured most of the Sheriff's men. Then they quickly left Nottingham and returned to Sherwood Forest. When they arrived, they celebrated their victory.
