Little John liked living with the Sheriff of Nottingham. He sat near the sheriff at meals and ate rich and delicious food. During the cold winter, he slept in a warm room with a blazing fire.
Little John grew fat and happy. He thought about returning to Robin Hood, but six months slipped away. The sheriff enjoyed having Little John in his household. He still thought Little John's name was Reynold Greenleaf. He didn't know that Little John was one of Robin's men.
One morning life at the sheriff's house changed. The sheriff and his men went hunting. Little John was supposed to go too, but he was still sleeping when everyone left. After he finally opened his eyes, he heard the sound of a distant horn.
"That reminds me of Robin's horn," murmured Little John. He began to think of his friends in Sherwood Forest and wonder what they were doing.
"Oh, I miss them and the woods!" Little John said aloud. "I'm going back there today!"
Little John got dressed and went downstairs for one last breakfast. The sheriff's property manager was in the kitchen. The property manager was a huge, fat man. A bundle of keys hung from his belt.
"What's for breakfast?" asked Little John, sitting down. "I'm hungry this morning."
The manager hated Little John because he was the sheriff's favorite servant. "Breakfast is over, Reynold. If you want something to eat, there's food in the pantry."
Little John scowled. "Then bring it here."
"Get it yourself!" snapped the manager. "I'm not your servant."
"I told you to bring it to me!" said Little John.
"And I said, get it yourself."
"Fine! I'll do that!" Little John stood up and stomped over to the pantry. He tried to open the door, but it was locked.
The manager laughed and shook his keys. "Too bad you don't have a key!"
This teasing was too much for Little John. He punched a large hole in the door! Then he stuck his head through the hole and started to enter the pantry.
The manager grabbed Little John. He punched him and hit him with his keys. Filled with rage, Little John hit the manager so hard, he knocked the man out!
"Now I can eat breakfast!" Little John entered the pantry. He saw two meat pies, a roasted chicken, and a platter of eggs. Little John placed the food on a table and sat down to begin his meal.
Meanwhile the cook had heard Little John and the manager arguing. He came running. The manager was just sitting up.
"What happened?" the cook asked.
"Reynold Greenleaf broke into our master's pantry. When I tried to stop him, he almost killed me!" The manager knew that the cook liked to fight. "You're a strong guy. I'll give you five gold coins if you get rid of him."
"No problem," the cook replied. "I'll take care of him. Go to your room and rest."
The cook reached for his sword and entered the pantry. Little John was tucking his napkin under his chin, ready to eat.
"Reynold Greenleaf!" shouted the cook. He waved his sword. "Stop eating, you thief!"
Little John put down his fork and got his sword. He was ready to fight. But suddenly he lowered his weapon. "There's some mighty good food here, Cook. It would be a shame to waste it. Why don't we enjoy a meal together first?"
"Hmm . . ." The cook didn't know what to do. He wanted the manager's reward, but he also liked to eat. Finally he took a deep breath and put away his sword. "You're right. We should eat before we fight. We need to keep up our strength."
So the two men sat down and ate a hearty meal together. They sang and ate some more. At last they were ready to fight.
For an hour they battled. They fought in the kitchen and up and down the hall. They fought until they were too tired to move.
"Whew. Let's take a break," Little John said, panting. "I can't even remember why we're fighting."
"Neither can I," said the cook. "I don't even like the property manager very much."
"Well, I certainly admire you," added Little John. "Few men fight as well as you do. I'm returning to Robin Hood and his band today. How about joining us? You would have a wonderful life in Sherwood Forest among many friends."
The cook dropped his sword and stared at Little John in surprise. "Who are you?" he cried.