The tall friar and the short friar didn't know what to do. This strange gigantic friar in a short robe wanted to travel with them!
"You should stay here at the inn," the tall friar said to Little John.
"Yes! We don't want to wear you out," added the short friar in his nicest voice. His name was Thomas. "We'll ride our horses, but you'll be walking. It will be exhausting for you."
"Oh, don't worry about me," Little John said cheerfully. "I have very strong legs. I can run all day long."
The two friars looked at each other in despair.
"I guess we have no choice," mumbled Ambrose, the tall friar.
"Let's go!" Little John said brightly. He pushed his way between the two horses and started walking in the middle of the road. "I can talk to both of you while I run."
The two friars rode slowly at first. They didn't want anyone to think they were being unkind by running away from another friar.
But when they were farther from the inn, Friar Thomas, the short one, spoke up. "Friar Ambrose, we're traveling too slowly. We need to go faster now."
"That's right," said Little John with a pleasant smile. "We'll never get anywhere at this slow pace!"
The two friars glared at him. Then without another word, they clucked at their horses and galloped away. Still, Little John kept up with them. He wasn't even breathing hard.
But poor Friar Thomas was very fat. He didn't like bouncing in the saddle.
"We have to slow down!" he cried.
"What a shame," said Little John. "But I was afraid that this fast pace would be too much for you."
Friar Thomas stayed silent, staring straight ahead and chewing on his bottom lip.
The trio moved more slowly. Little John whistled while he walked. The two friars were silent.
Soon they met three minstrels, who were all dressed in red. The minstrels blocked the road.
Little John waved his staff to clear the way. "Make way for us!" he shouted.
At first the minstrels just stared at the friars. Then they burst into loud laughter. They'd never seen such an unusual sight as the three friars! Little John laughed too, but Friar Thomas and Friar Ambrose stayed silent. Soon the three of them were on their way again.
And so it went. Little John laughed and joked with everyone they met. Friar Thomas was too embarrassed to speak. Friar Ambrose just stared grimly ahead, trying to think of what to do.
At last they came to a crossroad and stopped.
"Listen." Friar Ambrose glared at Little John. "We've had enough of your company, and we're tired of people making fun of us. You go your way, and we'll go ours."
"Oh, I thought we were having a good time," said Little John. "But if you want me to leave, I will. I'm just a poor man, but I can tell by your horses that you're rich. Please give me a penny or two to buy bread and cheese at the next inn."
"We don't have any money," Friar Ambrose said harshly. "Let's go, Friar Thomas."
Little John caught hold of their horses' bridles. "Just a minute. If you truly have no money, we should pray about that. Let's kneel and ask for some money to help us continue on our journeys."
"I'm not kneeling in the middle of the road!" said Friar Ambrose.
Little John twirled his staff in a threatening manner. Everyone knelt in the road. Little John prayed loudly, asking for money.
"Now check your pouches," said Little John.
The friars looked inside their pouches, but there was nothing.
"Let's try again," said Little John. He began praying again, asking for each friar to receive half a pound. "That's all the friars need. But please give any extra money to me."
Little John pulled four gold coins from his own pouch. "Look!" He didn't say he'd had the coins all along. "Now you check your pouches."
The two friars checked their pouches again.
"Sorry. There's nothing in our pouches," said Friar Thomas.
"Let me check," said Little John. "Maybe you missed something."
And indeed they had. Friar Ambrose's pouch contained 110 pounds in gold coins. Friar Thomas' pouch held seventy pounds. They didn't say they'd had the coins all along.
Little John counted out half a pound for each man. "And the rest of the money is mine!"
With that, Little John left them. The friars looked at each other sadly, and then mounted their horses again.