Robin Hood and the Monk

Robin Hood and the Monk is a Middle English ballad and one of the oldest surviving ballads of Robin Hood. The earliest surviving document with the work is from around 1450, and it may have been composed even earlier in the 15th century. It is also one of the longest ballads at around 2,700 words. It is considered one of the best of the original ballads of Robin Hood.

In Robin Hood and the Monk, Robin goes to Nottingham for mass, but has a dispute with Little John on the way. In Nottingham, he is spotted by a monk and captured. Little John, Much the Miller's Son, and other Merry Men intercept the monk, kill him, and launch a successful plot to free Robin from prison. Robin and Little John are reconciled. The King and Sheriff are left frustrated at Robin's escape, although they are impressed at Little John's loyalty.