Robin Hood and Friar Tuck

Robin Hood and Friar Tuck. . Robin was on his way to Fountaindale Abbey when he came across a very fat friar, sitting on the bank of the river eating an enormous lunch., Robin needed to cross, so he asked the friar if he would give him a piggyback across the deep and freezing water. With a cunning look in his eye, the friar agreed out of Christian charity. As soon as they reached the other side, the fat friar demanded a fee for his services. When Robin explained he was penniless, the cheeky friar asked Robin to return the favor and carry him back across., Knowing that he was being tricked into a battle of wits, Robin heaved the heavy friar onto his back and began crossing back to the other side, sneakily stealing his sword along the way., Armed with the friar's weapon, Robin demanded another piggyback - but this time, half the way across the river Friar Tuck thew Robin into the water much to Robin's amusement., "That's another fine trick you played on me" laughed Robin. "Please do come and dine with me and my men.", Sure enough, Friar Tuck agreed, vowing to serve as priest and loyal friend to Robin and his band of Merry Men for as long as they lived in the forest., Was Robin Religious? , This story is supposedly set on the River Leen at Fountaindale, near the A60 in North Nottinghamshire. The river, which rises in the Robin Hood Hills just outside Kirkby in Ashfield, is also said to be where Robin first met and fought with Little John. Some legends claim that Robin was a devout Christian, but this tale throws that into some dispute, as he obviously thought that tricking the clergy was acceptable. Despite frequent Christian references in the ballads, Robin Hood's role in the traditional May Day games could suggest pagan connections. However, historians haven't found pre-15th century evidence for this.