G'day,
From the Penguin Book Of English Folk Songs, Ed Pellow's rendition of the tune of Robin Hood And The Pedlar (Child #132) can be found here.

ROBIN HOOD AND THE PEDLAR

It's of a pedlar, pedlar bold
A pedlar bold there chanced to be.
He took his pack all on his back,
And merrily trudged o'er the lea.

By chance he met two troublesome men,
Two troublesome men they chanced to be;
The one of them was bold Robin Hood,
And the other was Little John so free.

'O pedlar, pedlar, what's in thy pack?
Come speedily and tell to me.'
'I've several suits of the gay green cloth,
And silken bowstrings by two and three.'

'If you've several suits of the gay green cloth,
And silken bowstrings two or three,
Then by my body,' cries Little John,
'One half your pack shall belong to me.'

'Oh no, oh no,' says the pedlar bold,
'Oh no, oh no, that never can be,
For there's never a man from fair Nottingham
Can take one half my pack from me.'

Then the pedlar he pulled off his pack,
And put it a little below his knee
Saying: 'If you do move me one perch from this,
My pack and all shall go with thee.'

Then Little John he drew his sword,
The pedlar by his pack did stand,
They fought until they both did sweat,
And John cried: 'Pedlar, pray hold your hand.'

Then Robin Hood he was standing by,
And he did laugh most heartily,
'I could find a man of smaller scale,
Could thrash the pedlar and also thee.'

'Go you try, master,' says Little John,
'And go you try most speedily,
For by my body,' says Little John,
'I'm sure this night you will know me.'

Then Robin Hood he drew his sword,
And the pedlar by his pack did stand;
They fought till the blood in streams did flow,
Till he cried: 'Pedlar, pray hold your hand.

'Oh pedlar, pedlar, what is thy name?
Come speedily and tell to me.'
'Well now, my name I never will tell
Till both your names you have told me.'

'The one of us is bold Robin Hood,
And the other is Little John so free.'
'Now,' says the pedlar, 'it lays to my good will
Whether my name I choose to tell thee.

'I'm Gamble Gold of the gay green woods,
And travelled far beyond the sea.
For killing a man in my father's land,
Far from my country I was forced to flee.'

'If you're Gamble Gold of the gay green woods,
And travelled far beyond the sea,
'You are my mother's own sister's son,
What nearer cousins can we be?'

They sheathed their swords with friendly words,
So merrily they did agree.
They went to a tavern and there they dined,
And cracked bottles most merrily.

Sung by Mr Verrall, Horsham, Sussex (R.V.W. 1906)

Click here and here for other versions.

Previous song: The Red Herring.
Next song: Rounding The Horn.

Cheers,
Alan