Robin Hood
what a sly idea! who'd've ever thunk it! someone lost to history did and the idea "immediately" became a folk idea. suppose a hero, a hero from the impossibly rich class of course - aren't they all? whoever heard of a hero from the untouchables? the ordinaries? no, a hero is a prince, a knight at least, the unacknowledged son of a wealthy warrior. those are the rules. now suppose a hero who is a traitor to his class. yes! gasp! that is the secret appeal of Robin Hood. a rich man who turns against the sheriff, against the church, against his fellow rich men! a hero with enough moxie to get away with it, and enough charisma to draw other disgruntled rich men to him. think of that! a disgruntled rich man! a disgruntled rich man - whatever does a rich man have to be disgruntled about? - who decides to become an outlaw! now so far, it's not really such a shocking story. actually, in every land and in every age, some rich man has been upset about the laws that didn't favor him personally enough. here's the trick though. this disgruntled rich man invents a motto that makes him seem a hero for everyone. yes, this disgruntled rich man will steal from the rich and give to the poor. the poor! the poor? why, that's you and me! what a wonderful idea! let's go stand in line! don't be stupid! (as usual, that phrase comes too late.) "the poor" doesn't mean you and me! of course not, silly! "the poor" means other rich people who are somehow on the raggedy, threadbare edge of rich! what? "the poor" really means the rich? of course it does! who else could it mean? who else would a disgruntled rich man at his most generous even notice? so Robin Hood helps a "poor" landowner, a "poor" knight, a "poor" former official. he does rob the rich, people who had so much money that only an accountant could show them that the theft disturbed them. "look! Robin Hood stole almost as much as you spent on lunch last Thursday! almost as much as you lost at roulette on your third spin last Friday!" yes, Robin steals a bag of gold from a person who has a castle-ful or a church-ful of gold. sheesh! then he gives it to a rich person who is having trouble paying his taxes. aw! or to a rich person late on her rent. her rent? what in the hell is a rich person doing paying rent? yes, you have to not pay much attention to detail to be taken in by these stories. how big a deal is a disgruntled rich man who turns outlaw and steals from the really rich to give to the threadbare rich? the king comes looking for him! yes, the king! in disguise, but still the king! and talks him into giving up his outlawry and rejoining his class of very rich, so he can have his castle back and join the king's army. not bad, huh? amazing how I loved that story as a child, and have never been able to completely give it up. Robin Hood stays a hero to us common folk even when we see that he never is even aware of us! bless him! bless that phrase "steal from the rich to give to the poor"! even after we know what it really means. Robin Hood! may his hero-ness upset rich people forever! viva Robin Hood!
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