Chapter By Chapter features me reading one chapter of the selected book at the time and reviewing it as if I were reviewing an episode of a TV show or an issue of a comic. There will be spoilers if you haven’t read to the point I have, and if you’ve read further I ask that you don’t spoil anything further into the book. Think of it as read-along book club.

Remember, the book is in public domain. Download or read the ebook online legally and for free at Project Gutenberg, Google Books or the Internet Archive among other sites, or check out the audiobook from LibriVox. You can also use a print copy. In either case my copy may not match up with yours chapter-wise. Follow along with the very-long subtitle. For this chapter:

Part Second

Recounting Three Merry Adventures That Befell Robin Hood and Certain Others, by Which He Gained Sore Bones and Three Good Merry Men All In One Day

I wonder if that means our next trio of tales all take place on the same day or if one of the tales will involve getting a whoopin but still adding to the party? Our last trio was all about the Sheriff trying and failing to seize Robin and his band so this is apparently the theme for this book. Remember that Howard Pyle and Scribbner & Sons (the publisher) had toned down the story for younger readers before it ever became this high school giveaway that I’m reviewing from. This could well be a soften collection of the Robin Hood legend from as far back as the 13th century published in the 19th century. That would explain the lack of Crusades, Prince John and presumably the future King Richard being kids and King Henry on the throne of England, and Robin of Locksley just being Robin Hood, the smartmouthed young man who got tricked into shooting the king’s deer and then killed a man in self-defense. It’s rather fascinating to see what isn’t part of the legend in this earlier book versus everything we know today thanks to movies and TV.

While Robin is part of our first tale methinks that tis Little John whom shall be our focus character for our first bonny tale. (Did I use “bonny” right?) It might be interesting if there are tales in this book (well, “these books” for me since the New York Public School system split them in two) take time to flesh out the other men besides Robin himself. Whether or not this will happen we’ll soon be finding out.

I: Little John And The Tanner Of Blythe

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