معرفی

Introduction

Lord Gamwell followed the man to the middle of Sherwood Forest. There, in the spring sunshine, he saw his daughter. He also saw a baby boy in her arms. Joanna looked up at her father and smiled. ‘This is Robin, your grandson,’ she said.

Robin Hood was born in the forest, and the forest was his home for much of his life. His story is hundreds of years old. At that time, in England, many Saxon people lived in small villages on the lands of important Norman lords (from Normandy, now in France). Other people lived on church lands. Life was hard for these villagers because they had to give money and food to their lord and to the church.

So village people loved to hear stories about Robin Hood. Robin Hood was clever, strong and brave. He loved adventure, and he was the best fighter in England. He took money from rich people and gave it to the poor villagers.

The most famous Robin Hood stories are in this book. They are about beautiful Lady Marian, the greedy Sheriff of Nottingham, good King Richard, and his bad brother, Prince John.

Many countries have stories about brave and clever adventurers. But is Robin Hood only a story? Perhaps Robin really did live, and perhaps not. There was a King Richard; he was king from 1189 to 1199. He left England and fought in Jerusalem. When he was away, Prince John was the most important man in England. Then, when Richard died, John was the next king.

The stories say that Robin Hood lived with his men in Sherwood Forest, near the town of Nottingham. Sherwood Forest and Nottingham are about two hundred kilometres north of London. Many people there say that Robin Hood really lived in the forest.