Summary
Robin and John enter the church and are helped by the sacristan to enter the tower and climb to the top so they can give the signal to Sir Hugh’s army. It is an arduous climb up and Robin is exhausted by the time they make it to the top. They are going to wait until an hour after curfew to signal the companies.
An hour passes and John says it is time for the alarm. He tells Robin to cover his ears and then there is a tremendous “Bong!” sound. Robin can see from above what looks like part of the landscape moving below, composed of “tiny moving figures.” Then they see “a hail of arrows” coming from the charging yeomen, striking down the enemy sentries. The army takes the Welsh guards as prisoners.
John and Robin are delighted to witness their plan unfold successfully. They exclaim that they have won and that the Welsh are defeated. There is a “peal of bells” that echoes throughout town. John and Robin watch the lifting of the siege and the people of Lindsay rejoicing at their freedom. The Welsh march out of town.
Robin is so overcome with joy that he feels tears coming, but he tries to resist them, believing that it is wrong to cry. John carries Robin back down the church tower and they make their way through the town square. Sir Peter and Lady Constance embrace Robin, and Sir Peter tells him that he is the “true son of thy noble father.” John-go-in-the-Wynd is rewarded with his own plot of land, a portion of sheep, and perpetual rights for hunting and fishing. Robin is reunited with Brother Luke, and the friar takes the boy to his chamber for sleep.
It becomes winter; Robin has to take a break from swimming, so he finds different ways to exercise instead. He practices archery and carpentry, finally finishing his harp. He learns to sing a carol for the Feast of Christmas. Robin hopes that he will see his father and mother for the Christmas holiday.
Robin takes it upon himself to go to the top of the castle to scan the countryside for oncoming horsemen. He is there on Christmas Eve with Adam Bowyer when he sees a company of knights riding toward the castle, with the King and Queen at the head. Robin then knows that the Scottish wars are over and that his father and mother have arrived. He rushes to tell Sir Peter the good news. Robin wants to run to meet the party at the gate, but he feels a bit timid about seeing his parents after so long.
Robin is embraced by his parents who are surprised by how much their son has grown. They do not mention his “misshapen legs.” The noblepeople retire into the castle and there is an evening of “merrymaking” for Christmas Eve. Robin kneels before the King, who gives Robin a jeweled collar as a token for his courage. Robin does not know what to say and offers instead to sing a Christmas carol. He is applauded by everyone in the Hall and called “Sir Robin.”
Robin finally asks his father if he does not mind that he now has to walk on crutches. His father, Sir John responds that Robin’s courage and craftsmanship make him so “bright a light” that he cannot even notice his handicapped legs. His mother says she is relieved because it means he will never have to go to war. She announces that Robin will now come home to London and Brother Luke will come to be his tutor. Robin falls asleep that night; when he wakes up, Brother Luke reminds him that he is safe and “hast found the door in thy wall.”
Analysis
Marguerite de Angeli brings a sense of heightened anticipation and action to these pages with rich literary elements such as simile and metaphor. For instance, on Page 106, she describes the “hail of arrows” of the English army that shot like “dark rain.” On Page 109, she helps the reader see through Robin’s eyes by describing the scene below the church tower as a “toy village set in a toy landscape." The black-and-white illustrations that appear throughout also give the reader a better sense of the characters and the Medieval setting of the story.
Robin and John-go-in-the-Wynd bravely ascend the church tower to signal Sir Hugh’s army to attack the Welsh troops. Robin is not able to fight or help out in the traditional way a young man might, but it is his ingenuity and courage that makes him the hero of the castle, saving the town of Lindsay from starvation and potential capture by the foreign army.
Throughout the story, Robin wrestles with the idea of trying to be strong and knight-like despite his setbacks and insecurities. There is a certain image of how a young man should be, such as the notion that boys should not cry. That is why, when overcome with joy at their victory, Robin tries to suppress his tears, feeling it is wrong to show such emotion.
This internal dilemma comes to a head when, finally meeting his father and mother again for the first time in months, Robin is rather worried about how his parents will perceive him now that he has “misshapen” legs. He asks his father point-blank whether his disability will be a problem, and his father responds in the same way that Brother Luke and Sir Peter have: Robin’s virtuous character is the most important thing. This approval brings much reassurance to the boy, and he can finally feel truly hopeful for the future.
It is a happily-ever-after ending for young Robin as he is reunited with his parents and given a high honor by the King on Christmas Eve. Finally, Robin will be taken back home to London where he can start life anew with his family and Brother Luke at his side. We are shown how Robin’s disability has actually lead to a whole new set of possibilities, or doors in the wall: not having to worry about wartime duty, Robin will have the time to work on his studies and craftsmanship.
