First the stranger measured Robin with his eye , and then he measured the oaken staff . " " Thou Thou art art right right , , good good fellow fellow , , " " said said he he presently , , " " truly truly , , my my sword sword is is no no match match for for that that cudgel cudgel of of thine thine . . Bide thee awhile till I get me a staff . " So So saying saying , , he he threw threw aside the the rose rose that that he he had had been been holding holding all all this this time time , , thrust thrust his his sword sword back back into into the the scabbard scabbard , and and , , with with a a more more hasty hasty step step than than he he had had yet used used , , stepped stepped to to the the roadside roadside where where grew grew the the little little clump clump of of ground ground oaks Robin Robin had had spoken spoken of of . . Choosing among them , he presently found a sapling to his liking . He He did not not cut cut it it , , but but , , rolling rolling up up his his sleeves sleeves a a little little way way , , he he laid laid hold hold of of it it , , placed placed his his heel heel against against the the ground ground , , and and , , with with one one mighty mighty pull pull , , plucked plucked the the young young tree tree up up by by the the roots roots from from out out the the very very earth earth . . Then he came back , trimming away the roots and tender stems with his sword as quietly as if he had done nought to speak of .
Сначала незнакомец смерил Робина взглядом, а затем измерил дубовый посох. -Ты прав, добрый человек, - сказал он наконец, - воистину, мой меч не сравнится с твоей дубиной. Подожди немного, пока я достану себе посох." С этими словами он отбросил розу, которую все это время держал в руке, сунул меч обратно в ножны и более поспешным шагом, чем когда-либо, подошел к обочине дороги, где росла небольшая группа дубов, о которых говорил Робин. Выбрав один из них, он вскоре нашел саженец по своему вкусу. Он не срезал его, а, немного закатав рукава, ухватился за него, уперся пяткой в землю и одним могучим рывком вырвал молодое дерево с корнями из самой земли. Затем он вернулся, обрезая корни и нежные стебли своим мечом так тихо, как будто он не сделал ничего, о чем стоило бы говорить.
