The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood.

Into the greenwood of Sherwood, with its longbows and laughter, Howard Pyle invites every reader to join the merriest band of outlaws ever to defy a sheriff.

What it's about

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood retells the beloved English legend of the outlaw who robs from the rich to give to the poor. Pyle draws together the great episodes, Robin's first meeting with Little John on the log bridge, the quarterstaff bouts, the archery contest for a golden arrow, the endless outwitting of the Sheriff of Nottingham, and binds them into a single spirited narrative. It is a world of feasts and forest, wit and fair play, where courage is always answered with cheer.

Themes

The stories celebrate justice against corrupt authority, loyalty and fellowship, and a rough, generous fairness that sides with the common folk. Yet Pyle's Robin is never merely a rebel; he is a figure of mirth and largeness of heart, and the book prizes good humour and good company as much as any blow struck for the downtrodden.

Why it still matters

Pyle's version, with its lovely archaic language and his own illustrations, did much to fix the image of Robin Hood in the modern imagination. It remains the definitive storybook telling of the legend, still fresh and rollicking, and a formative pleasure for readers young and old more than a century on.

Who it's for

Families and young readers, lovers of adventure and legend, and anyone who wants to spend a while in the leafy, generous world of Sherwood.