Much set down his heavy load, deciding it wouldn't hurt if he took a short rest before completing his task delivering sacks of flour. After all, he'd delivered three already, and had only one more left. And it was such a bee buzzing sort of day, with the sun shining almost as warmly as it shone last summer and everything, and there would only be unpleasant work to do at the mill, if he hurried too quickly home. If only Robin were here, the day would be next to perfect!

But Much had seen Robin's mathematics tutor's horse outside Locksley Manor, which meant Robin would be cooped up indoors, working on his lessons in mathematics, whatever that was. All Much knew about mathe...whatever was, Robin always chewed his bottom lip and looked grim whenever he was due for a lesson in it. Loyally, Much hated mathe...whatever, too.

There was one good thing about it, however, Much decided. With Robin busy working away at it, there was no one here to stop Much from singing. And a day such as this called for a song.

Now, what to sing? There was that song about bewaring the witch in the woods...No. Much didn't want to sing that. It wouldn't do to summon Evil. Besides, Robin swore to him there wasn't anything to fear in Sherwood, especially not witches. And when Robin was near, Much didn't fear them. Not much, anyway.

But when Robin was away, well, that was a different matter. In spite of the warm sunshine, Much shivered.

Why had he thought of singing? Why? He hated this! First crossing himself, Much jumped to his feet, heaved the last sack of flour onto his back, looked quickly over both shoulders, and hastened away.

"I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid..." Much anxiously repeated under his breath, over and over, as he trudged along.

"I AM!" he shrieked, dropping the flour and his satchel when the bushes parted, releasing two bearded banshees running at full speed toward him, yelling, "Ambush!" at the top of their lungs.

Much was too frightened to run. His legs felt heavy as lead, and his feet frozen. He was sure he was beset upon by fey folk, for having thought of that terrible song. Besides, only fey folk could be that small and grow beards.

"This is an ambush!" the taller of the two announced, in a loud, proud tone.

"Arrrrrrr!" the smaller one added, just as loudly.

Much watched with wide, unblinking eyes as the taller one took the small one aside. "We're outlaws, not pirates! Try to get it right!"

"Get it right, yourself! Maybe my outlaw was a pirate first, who fell overboard and had to swim here. What do you say to that?"

"I say, good thinking! You're pretty amazing, do you know that? But let's get back to our raid."

The two returned, and Much was so frightened, he was speechless. He crossed his fingers behind his back, hoping to ward off evil.

"Give us all your money!" the taller one commanded.

Much couldn't let them take the money he'd collected! His family needed that money! If he came home without it, they wouldn't be able to buy food, and they'd go hungry, and Much didn't want to go hungry! Hunger was not his friend, though he knew it well! He had to do something!

"What's this then?" the tall one asked, grabbing Much's satchel.

"No!" Much managed to squeak.

"And look at that sack," the little one added. "Arrrrr! Full o' jewels, I'm thinkin'!"

"Not jewels," Much objected. "It's only..."

His voice trailed off, as he untied the rope closing the top of the flour sack, to show them it was nothing but flour.

"You see," he explained, as the tall one strode forward.

"Let's take a look at them jewels," the tall one boasted, "for they're mine now!"

Without thinking, Much flung a fistful of flour right into the fey's face, and another into his partner's, temporarily blinding them. Then, he seized back his satchel, and used it to beat the outlaw leader over his head.

"Try to take my money, will you?" Much cried, angry now. "This will teach you, you toerag, not to steal from honest working folk!"

"Much, stop!"

Much froze when he realized the voice coming from the fey he was thrashing sounded just like Robin's.

"Stop!" Robin cried again. This time, Robin's laughter bubbled over behind the command.

"Robin?" Much asked, amazed. "Marian?"

"Who else?" Robin announced, then laughed again. "We fooled you, and you fooled us!"

"Wha-wha-wha...Why?" Much demanded, sputtering furiously. "You almost made me...well, I won't say. Unbelievable!" Much cried, indignant, and unable to think of anything else to say.

"We're sorry," Marian apologized, blinking flour out of her eyes. "You weren't too frightened, were you?"

"I was...was...unbelievable! Now you've made me spill the flour, and I'll be in trouble at home! And speaking of trouble! Marian, you're supposed to be banished to your room, and you! You're supposed to be at Locksley, learning!"

"Learning what?" Robin asked, casually replacing the pennies in Much's satchel with silver coins. Much, as Robin could tell, was too distracted to notice.

"Mathe...whatever!" Much responded, still shouting. "I saw your tutor's horse in front of your house."

"Oh, no," Robin groaned, wiping flour off his face. "I completely forgot he was coming today. Now, I guess we're all in trouble."

Robin rehanded Much his satchel, and Much began to calm down, until he noticed the expression change on Robin's face.

"Oh, no!" Much cried. "That look! I know that look! That look means trouble!"

"What is it?" Marian asked eagerly. She, too, was well acquainted with the look, but to her, it spelled adventure and excitement.

"I was just thinking," Robin said slyly, "seeing as how we're all three already in trouble..."