Evening star., 1925-06-02

Robin Hodys sole, and safe all god
yemanry.' That is how many ballads
end"
Today, in the United States of
America, far across the seas. across
oceans of time even more vast, we
love this bold Robin Hood. Some way
or other he warns our blood. 1t
does us good to venture with him, to
hear again the foulys sing, as he did
in merry Sherwood forest.
Last year. and no doubt this Spring
again, Washington public school
children presented little dramas of
Robin Hood, for all the world such as
the archers In green gave on the stage
from which the good bishop was
chased
The positive virtues of Robin are
so many. so partaking OF the open air
that children are but the better for
| knowing about them, especially ir
such versions as those Of Howard
| Pyle.
Few children there are who do not
know something of Robin Hoods his
tory, it's ups and downs, his death ir
| old age-87 years-as he shot his ar
row out the window; his friends and
enemies, ranging from Little John tC
the Sheriff of Nottingham.
A splendid and true comic opera
Reginald de Koven, book and lyrics
by Harry E. Smith. has done yeomar
service in preserving to the American
people this old English legend
1t is a pleasing thought, that of al
| the American comic operas of the
past 80 or 40 years, this one abou,
Robin Hood is the surest to live. Its
fascination is perennial, not only be
cause of its subject, but also because
| il was so we'll done.
| While the late Victor Herbert wrote
many more melodies, he never com
posed an operetta that had the power
OF endurance of de koven's "Robir
| Hood" This musical show will b,
given entire a century from now
when Herbert's tunes will remaiI
only as individual efforts.
| X Il X
| Robin Hood plays a part in Scott.
most famous novel, 'Ivanhoe," anC
also in a drama by Tennyson called
! The Foresters.
The earliest mention OF Hood Il
contained in the famous (but uninter
| esting) Vision of Piers Plowman n
about 1877. Perhaps the best sourc.
of the original ballads is Ritson'
edition. Robin Hood Ballads" tn,
1892 edition of which was used b,
Taine. but which has since been SUI
perseded by the edition of 1885.
| While these ballads can scarcely b,
called literature" In any sense. the,
do belong to that great list of sourc,
material. those early strvings of
crude, great people, from which no
only great moral strength was to b,
evolved, but also a great literature.
IL these people had not been TIL
best archers in the world, and ha,
not been able to withstand the blows
| of stout oak slaves eight feet long
how would their ancestors, centurte
later, have Jared in the World War
II Robin Hood and his merry mel
had been less capable and less merry
where. think you. would Georg
Washington and his men have foun,
themselves after the disastrous Win
ter at Valley Forge?
Robin Hood fights a stranger, and
after a couple of hours Of battle, ask
the man his name.
Il am a tanner" bold Arthur replyd.
| In Nottingham long / have wrought:
Ana II thouR come there. / vow and swear
/ VIII tan thy hide for nought."
God q mercy. good fellow" said jolI
Since, thou art so kind and free:
And II thou wilt tan my hide for nought,
/ viii do as much for thee"
Even nowadays boxers give eacI
other friendly grip before settinj
to- says Taine. They knock on
another about in this country honor
ably, without malice. fury or shame