Adapted b y Fiona Beddall

Publisher: Jacquie Bloese

Editor: Cheryl Pelteret
Designer: Mo Choy
Picture research: Emma Bree
Photo credits:
Cover and interior images © Tiger Asper I Produc lloir. /'()()(>
Pages 28 & 29: The Art Archive, The Barnes Inundation/
Corhis; M.ny Evans/Alamy

Based on tho original sloiy by Richard Kuili Л Bev Doyle.

Based on Hie television series created by Foz Allan and
Dominic Mlnghella.
BBC Hi logo © and ™ BBC 1996
Robin Flood logo ™ and ©Tiger Aspect'Productions 2006.
I icensed by BBC Worldwide Ltd.
All rights reserved.

Published by Scholastic Ltd. 2008

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Printed in Singapore
Contents

The Taxman

Fact Files

Self-Study Activities

New Words inside back cover

R O B IN HOOD is from a rich family
with a big house. But now Sir Guy of
Gisborne lives in Robin's house and
Robin lives in Sherwood Forest. Robin
takes money from rich people and gives
it to poor people.

with Robin in Sherwood Forest, They help him in his work,

 M A R IA N is from a rich
family. She and Robin are
old friends. She likes helping
people and hates the Sheriff
and Sir Guy.

THE
THE SHERIFF governs the
town of Nottingham. He takes
OF RUFFORD
arrives suddenly at
lots of taxes from poor people
Nottingham Castle
so they don't have money for
after an attack in
food. He hates Robin Hood.
Sherwood Forest.
But can he stop Robin's work?

S IR GUY works for the

Sheriff. Many people are dead
because of him. He hates
Robin Hood but he loves
Marian.

FLAXTON
EDWARD is Marian's father. and CEDRIC
He isn't happy because
Flaxton is a
Marian is working with Robin
taxman. His son,
Hood and his men. It is very
Cedric, works
dangerous for Marian, and for
with him.
Edward too.

The Sheriff and his guards live here.

The road to Nottingham goes И Д Д И И Д
through this big forest. Robin lives Marian and her father, Edward, live
here with his men. in this big house.
 'О
К 11
Г
X)

A t N o ttin g h a m C a s tle , th e
S h e r iff is ta lk in g
to tw o Don’t make any
теп. mistakes or you’re dead

Here’s some money

now. You can have
£ 5 0 0 when I’ve got
Robin Hood.

A nun a rrive s a t th e c a s tle .

An attack! Men in
Guards! Take her
the forest! I ..
into the castle and
find a doctor.

О
R obin’s frie n d s a re in S h erw o o d F o rest.
We are poor. We’ve
Stop! We’re taking your money. got some food, but
no money.

That is the Sheriff’s.

Put it'back.

He’s a
taxman!

Come here, taxman!

Please, no! He
isn’t a taxman!
Please, Marian. I want to be your friend
... maybe one day your husband.

don’t want a
husband, S ir Guy.
 It is dangerous for a woman
without a husband, Marian.
Men in Sherwood Forestare
attacking women on the road
to Nottingham. There is an
abbess a t the castle today ...
I want to talk to her about
the terrible attack ...

Then go to her now. You have

important work, Sir Guy. Please, go

Sir Guy is leaving. Secause I don’t want a

Why is he angry, Marian? husband ... I don't v^ant him.

Sir Guy is an important man,

Marian - a good husband for you

О
 I hate Sir Guy ... Maybe I can be a
nun. Nuns don’t have husbands.

i don’t understand you, Marian. You don’t want a husband.

You 0 0 out every night and help Robin Hood and his men. It’s
dangerous. Do you want to be dead soon? Stop this, now!

5 top, or
can’t stop. People have leave this
no food. Without my help, house.
their children don’t eat.

Where are you going?

Marian? Marian!
 5o, who
have we
got here?

A taxman. His
name’s Flaxton.
Look a t his book.

Very interesting. W hat does this

mean, Flaxton?

Г U U rurri C A U W f l l

Please! Put my
father down!

He’s your father? ... John: Not my son! PIease!

put Mr Flaxton down.

Now, let’s try again.

Then tell us.
What does this mean?
S ir G u y is back a t N o ttin g h a m C a s tle . H e ’s
te llin g th e S h e r iff a b o u t th e abbess.

An attack in Sherwood Forest. Robin

Flood, I think. The poor woman is very
tired after a night in the forest.

Well, we don’t want her here. I hate

nuns. Who pays for their expensive
food and beautiful homes? We do!
Bu t they never say thank you to us.
They only say thank you to God.

Don’t worry. I’m leaving tomorrow.

And I can pay you for today’s food.

Now, 1want to talk

to God. Where is
your chapel?

The chapel is God’s

^^^Welf, I can talk to the guards
house, Sheriff. You can’t
close God’s house.
ф
 So, what can you tell us, Flaxton?
Or do you want a dead son?

The tax money from fifty towns

is in Nottingham Castle.

towns?! B u t why?
£
I don’t know. Bu t the
money goes to the castle
every September.

That’s true. My father always makes new

tax chests for the Sheriff in September.

But you can’t take the

money. There are hundreds
I want th a t money. of guards a t the castle.
Will’s mother is dead because of your
taxes. Lots of people are dead. They
haven’t got any money for food. VJe’re
giving the money back to the people.

Where in the castle

is the money?

In the strongroom.
B u t you can’t go in ..

ф
 Hello, Abbess, You are locking me into the chapel?! God is
Now, when you watching you, Sheriff. Remember that.
want to leave the
chapel, tell the
guards. They can
open the doors
for you.

God doesn’t govern

Nottingham, Abbess.
I do. Goodbye.
F la x to n a n d Will g o t o th e c a s tle .

want to be a nun.
Can I live with you
a t Rufford ... ?
 n and h p e th e

Aaaarrrggh!
The strongroom
is down here.

' Right, this is

the door to the
strongroom
Where’s Cedric?
Tell mel Where’s
\ my son?
 I’ve got an idea! Listen
(5
Will looks a t th e locks
on th e c h e s ts . They
a re n 't his fa th e r ’s work.
They a re th e s a m e a s
th e locks on th e d o o rI
H e ta k e s th e locks fro m
th e c h e s ts a n d ...

ф
... Will opens th e
d o o r! Robin a n d ! V 4 Г'''" V |
his frie n d s leave \ Щ
th e s tro n g ro o m .
W vS

1 Ч-- ■ \

В1
i W 1 v 1
Ш]
i _ * V I
The S h e r iff s ee s Robin.
. *

The g u a rd s a tta c k Robin H o o d a n d h is men.

 Come here, men. Right, Sheriff. You1
IVe got the Sheriff! with us. Stop you

Not much. He
isn’t expensive,
but he’s very
good. Why are
you so stupid?!

We’ve got Flaxton’s son.

Doesn’t he want him?

The boy isn’t important.

You can kill him.

You are a terrible man And what about you, Robin?

| You attack women in the forest!
i You take money from abbesses!
 W hat? I don’t No! We don’t
know about this. attack women.
Much? John?

Now, Sir Guy, we want to leave.

Then you can have your Sheriff back,

Guards! They can go.

The taxman isn’t a taxman. Maybe

the abbess isn’t an abbess, Sheriff.
Maybe she’s working with the taxman
... Sheriff, why are you so stupid?!
Guards! G et them!

The 5 h e r if f goes to t he chapel.

Oh no! The Abbess’s clothes!

l!
B u t she isn’t here ... and the
tax money isn’t here!
ф
M a ria n is back a t K nighton H all.
So you are leaving to n ig h t^

am meeting the Abbess

of Rufford in one hour.

I Idp me, Help me in my work with poor people. It is

, And don't leave me in the same room as Sir Guy. dangerous.
1can’t ....

Wait, Marian.
I don’t want
to live without
you. You can
 D jag is w a itin g in S herw o od
F o re s t w ith Cedric. S he
h e a rs h e r frien d s.

Where’s Cedric?

He’s there.

Look!
He’s going!

Let

Have you got

the tax money?

No, you aren’t! Stop! We’r e '

Yes! It’s in these taking those chests.
chests! We’re rich!
A famous Englishman in a beautiful English forest. Right?
Wrong! You aren't looking at England when you watch Robin Hood.
They make Robin Hood in Budapest, Hungary. There's a big forest
there, and a castle from a 1980s film.

TV work is easy. Right?

Wrong! One day of filming makes only five minutes of Robin Hood on TV.
And the days are very long.

©
A DAY OF FILMING
I he make up artists start
win к I hey work on every
.к lor lor 25 minutes. Black
ry<", and wounds can take
many hours,
oo ЦЧ hioakfasl lime.The
■и Ion. eat on a bus.
/ II nneramen start work.
•» meras and lights are
iearly. I ilming starts.
I get up at 5.45 every day. Then I
ИЧ lime for lunch on have three hours with my make-up
die bus, and lots of nice artist before filming. I love my job,
Hungarian food. but in August it's very hot under
Il\ die end of a long day these clothes!
ol work. The actors have a Lucy G riffiths (Marian)
drink in Budapest, or they
go lo bed - they're starting
We do the fights lots of times before
work again before seven
filming. Sometimes the fights are
lomorrow morning!
dangerous for the actors. I haven't got
one ofmy teeth now!
Keith Allen (the Sheriff)

We're in Hungary for six months of

the year. It's fun, but I don't often see
.i my family. My children don't recognise
me when I come home!
Ш G ord on Kennedy (Little John)

Do you w a n t a job in TV? W hy / W hy not?

W h a t job do you w ant?

W h a t do these w ords mean? You can use a dictionary,

film ing m ake-up artist actor wound cam era(m an) fight recognise
Time travel: - t n g i c m O
U le llo , time travellers! England in 1200 is a very different
place from England today. Come and meet some of the
children from the time of Robin Hood.

CECILY doesn't go to
school - there aren't
any schools in her
town. She helps her
mother with her work.
They make cloth and
work in their garden.
She's twelve years old
- ready for marriage.
She likes a boy in her
town, but he's from
a very poor family.
She can't be his wife.
Marriage isn't about
love, it's about money.
Her father is looking
for a good husband
for her.

W h a t is good and
bad about life for
Marian in Robin Hood is 21. That's very old for
teenagers in Robin
a girl with no husband.
Hood's England?

©
 1200
EDWARD is eleven and he comes
from an important family. He
wants to be a knight. He doesn't
live with his family. He lives in a
castle and has lessons there. He
can read, but his important lessons
are horseriding and swordfighting.
There are very young boys at the
castle with him. Some are
only seven.

1 11 ANOH is fourteen years old. She

lives In a convent and wants to be a
nun She sees her family every month,
Inn she can never leave the convent.
She i mi read and write - she has
lessons from the nuns. But nuns can't
dniice or eat nice food, and they can't
have husbands or children. Eleanor
11 to the chapel at 2 o'clock every
nn(lit, and five times every day. She
helps in the convent hospital too.

An abbess governs the nuns in Robin Hood and Sir Guy of

a convent. In 1200, it is the only Gisborne are knights. They are
good job for a woman without an good at swordfighting after years
Important husband. of lessons like Edward's.

W h at do these w ords mean? You can use a dictionary.

travel(ler) cloth m arriage knight convent horseriding swordfighting

©
SELF-STU D Y ACTIVITIES

PA G ES 6 -1 1
Before you read
You can use your dictionary for these questions.

1 This story is about Robin Hood. W hat do you know about him?

2 Discuss these questions.

a) Are there any castles in your country? W hat are they like?
b) W hat can you see in a forest?
c) Is your town dangerous at night? Are there sometimes attacks
in the streets?
d) Who governs your country?
e) W hat jobs do the very rich people in your country do?

3 Which two people live in the same place? W hat job do the other
people do?
an abbess a taxman a nun a guard

4 Read 'People and Places' on pages 4 and 5. Who takes lots of money
from the Sheriff in this story, do you think?

After you read

4 Write the names.
Robin the Sheriff Marian Edward Flaxton Sir Guy
a) .. gives money to two men at the castle.
b) .. helps the Abbess after an attack in the forest.
c) .. helps Robin at night.
d) .. doesn't understand his daughter.
e) .. is a taxman.
f) .. asks Flaxton about his book.

5 Who says this? W ho to? W hat are they talking about?

a) 'Don't make any mistakes or you're dead.'
b) 'That is the Sheriff's. Put it back.'
c) 'Then go to her now. You have important work.'
d) 'Do you want to be dead soon?'

6 Does Marian leave home in this story, do you think?

 PA G ES 1 2 -1 8
llnlom you rend
/ WHt** Ihe words,
i lirnl god chapel lock strongroom
u) I don't want people in my room so I always ... the door.
Ii) Nun1, go to ... every day.
<) Ills money is in a ... . No one can go in there without a guard,
d) 'W hen1.ire the papers?' 'In the ... under the window.'
«) Allah is the Arabic word for ... .

N ( aiess the answers to these questions. Then read and check,

a) Robin and his men go to the castle. W hy?
Ii) M.u Ian goes to the castle too. W hy?
i) Does Flaxton help Robin?

Alim you read

U A le those sentences right (/) or wrong (Л)? Change any mistakes,
a) the Sheriff likes helping nuns.
Ii) there is a lot of tax money in Nottingham Castle,
i) Will's mother lives in London,
d) Will goes into the castle with Flaxton.
a) Marian is sad.
I) Robin helps Marian.
q) Robin doesn't find any money in the strongroom.

1(1 M. 11<Ii the places with the sentences a-d.

Kufford the chapel (x2) the strongroom the castle
a) I here are a lot of guards here.
Ii) The tax chests are here.
<) Robin and his men can't get out of here,
d) Marian wants to live here.
(•) The Abbess wants to talk to God here.

11 What do you think?

a) Why does Will want the taxes?
b) Why does Flaxton lock the door of the strongroom?
c) Why aren't the tax chests in the strongroom?

Ф
 M SCHOLASTIC

STA R TER L E V E L

Robin Hood and his men live in Sherwood Forest. The taxman comes to see the
Sheri// of Nottingham, and the men are not happy! They hate taxes and they
hate the Sheriff. Can Robin and his men give back the taxes to the people о/
Nottingham? Or does the Sheriff win ... again?

W ith Fact Files on th e BBC TV show, and 'England in the y e a r 1200’.

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