Stories about Robin Hood date back to twelfth century England. In the stories, Robin Hood was a hero who robbed from the rich and gave to the poor and who protected the weak against the strong. Under the cruel rule of King john, people had to pay had high taxes, and they suffered injustice. They were looking for a popular champion and found one in Robin Hood.
There are many versions of the legend of Robin Hood. The romantic version is that Robin Hood was a noble who became he killed one of the king’s deer. This act was against the law, and the punishment for it was death. Robin fled to Sherwood Forest. In time, he gained a band of followers: Allan a Dale, Friar Tuck, Will Scarlet, Little John, and Maid Marin, who became his wife. They made a living by stealing from rich travelers who were crossing the forest. They shared the food and riches that they took with the poor of the area. Robin’s main enemy was the Sheriff of Nottingham, who was always trying to capture him but who never succeeded.
Today the people of Nottingham like to believe that Robin Hood really existed. He is now the town’s most popular tourist attraction. In Nottingham, there is a small theme park where people can enjoy “The tales of Robin Hood” and pretend to travel back in time to the Middle Ages.
Robin Hood is one of the world’s most famous folk heroes, and he is the original “good” outlaw who inspired the stories of Batman, Zorro, and others.