有趣的英文小故事:小約翰

One day, Robin Hood went hunting alone in the forest. He had told his men that if he should fall into any danger and could not escape he would blow his horn so that they might know and come to help him. When he was crossing a river by a long bridge he met a huge man at the middle. And neither of the two would give way to the other. Robin Hood got angry and put an arrow to his bow and made ready to shoot. The stranger said it was unfair for Robin Hood to shoot a man who had only a staff in his hand. Hearing this Robin Hood lay down his bow and pulled up a small tree and returned to the stranger.

They agreed to fight on the bridge, and that the one who first fell in the stream would be the loser. Robin Hood first struck the stranger a blow, but the stranger did not fall. Then the stranger gave him such a hit on the head that blood flowed. This made him so angry that he attacked the stranger violently as if he wanted to kill him. But then he received another blow and fell into the river. The stranger laughed loudly. Robin Hood swam to the bank, pulled out his horn and blew it so that the valley echoed with the sound. At this fifty men came out of the wood, all in green, and they asked Robin what had happened. Robin said the stranger had caused him to fall into the water. When his men were going to seize the stranger to duck him as well, Robin Hood stopped them. He praised the stranger for his strength and courage, and asked him what his name was and if he would be one of his men, living a merry life in the forest. The stranger said his name was John Little, and he was very glad to join them and to be true to Robin Hood.

But the merry men preferred to call the stranger Little John. Of course it was only a joke, because he was actually seven feet high and more than three round at his waist. Little John later became the leader of the band just below Robin Hood.

有一天，羅賓漢獨自到林子裏去打獵。他跟手下人說好，一旦他遇到危險無法脫身，他就吹號招呼他們前來救助。他從一條長長的窄橋上過河時，在橋的正中遇到一個大個子。兩人都不肯給對方讓路。羅賓漢發起火來，把箭搭在弓上，瞄準對方。那陌生人說，羅賓漢向手裏只有一根棍子的人射箭，未免有欠公平。於是羅賓漢放下弓箭，拔了一棵小樹回來。

兩人說定，就在橋上一比高低，先掉進河裏的就得認輸。羅賓漢先打中那人一棍，但那人身軀龐大，只晃了晃，沒掉下去。陌生人接着一棍子打在羅賓漢的頭上，打得頭破血流。這下可惹惱了羅賓漢。他發起狠來，恨不得結果那人的性命。但他急中生錯，讓對方看出破綻，一棍子把他打落在水裏。陌生人哈哈大笑。羅賓漢游上岸，吹起號角來。號角聲在山谷裏迴盪。霎時間，從林子裏冒出50個身穿綠衣的漢子，問羅賓漢爲何事召喚他們。羅賓漢說明原因，漢子們就要動手把那人按進水裏，但羅賓漢阻止了他們。他誇獎陌生人的力量和勇氣，問他是否願意入夥，在森林裏過快活日子。陌生人自稱名叫約翰•利特爾，很願意入夥爲羅賓漢效力。

但羅賓漢一夥把他的姓和名顛倒過來，改成了小約翰。這當然是開玩笑，因爲小約翰是個大個子，身高七英尺，腰圍有三英尺多。後來小約翰成了羅賓漢的副手。

題外話：中國人提起神箭手，總能想起楚國的養由基，他百步穿楊，箭無虛發。英國傳說中的神箭手，則非羅賓漢和小約翰莫屬了。