When Robin Hood became an outlaw, he decided to resist the authorities and aid his fellow man. Recruiting the help of Friar Tuck, Little John and Will Scarlet, Robin Hood fights to maintain justice until the return of King Richard the Lionheart. In the company of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, there is never a lack of action, adventure or for that matter - ale, as they outsmart the villainous Sheriff of Nottingham in Sherwood Forest. Written and illustrated by Howard Pyle, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood solidified the image of a heroic outlaw who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Having taken his material from old ballads, Pyle wove them into a cohesive story, in a colourful, invented old English idiom which preserves the flavour of the original ballads. The novel is responsible for turning Robin Hood into a staunch philanthropist, influencing writers, artists, and filmmakers ever since.