The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
Howard Pyle
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
FictionAdventureClassicsMyths, Fairy Tales & FolkloreChildren’s Books
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"The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood" by Howard Pyle is a novel published in 1883. This retelling transforms traditional Robin Hood ballads into a unified adventure story for young readers. Follow Robin Hood as he becomes an outlaw, recruits his Merry Men through legendary encounters, and battles corrupt authorities in Sherwood Forest. Pyle reimagined Robin as a noble hero who robs the rich to help the poor, creating an enduring version of the legend that influenced countless adaptations and established the Robin Hood story as beloved children's literature.
Contains spoilers for the entire book
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About the book
Published in 1883 and illustrated by its author, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood of Great Renown in Nottinghamshire retells the legends of the outlaw of Sherwood Forest. Howard Pyle follows Robin as he gathers his band, among them Little John, Will Scarlet, Allan a Dale and Friar Tuck, and repeatedly gets the better of the Sheriff of Nottingham. Pyle drew on the old ballads and wrote in a deliberately archaic style, full of feasting, archery contests, disguises and good-humoured quarterstaff fights. The book helped fix the popular image of Robin Hood and his merry men for generations of young readers.
Characters
Robin Hood — Outlaw leader
An archer in Sherwood Forest whose adventures challenge corrupt authority and reward loyalty.
Little John — Robin's companion
A formidable fighter whose encounter with Robin begins a lasting friendship.
Friar Tuck — Companion
A combative friar whose appetite and courage make him an unconventional ally.
Will Scarlet — Member of the band
One of Robin's companions, distinguished by his fighting skill and elegant appearance.
Allan a Dale — Minstrel
A young singer whose troubled courtship brings him into Robin's company.
The Sheriff of Nottingham — Adversary
A local official repeatedly frustrated in his attempts to capture Robin and his followers.
About the author
Howard Pyle (1853–1911) was an American illustrator and author, born in Wilmington, Delaware. He made his name with drawings for Harper’s magazines, and then with books he both wrote and illustrated, beginning with The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (1883). His other books include Otto of the Silver Hand (1888), Men of Iron (1891) and a four-volume retelling of the Arthurian legends, starting with The Story of King Arthur and His Knights (1903). His paintings of buccaneers did much to fix the popular image of pirates. Pyle was also an influential teacher, first at the Drexel Institute in Philadelphia and then at his own school in Wilmington and at Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, where his students included N. C. Wyeth and Jessie Willcox Smith; they came to be known as the Brandywine School. He died in Florence, Italy, in 1911.