Then all shouted with laughter as they saw the good brown ale stream over Little John's beard and trickle from his nose and chin, while his eyes blinked with the smart of it. At first he was of a mind to be angry but found he could not, because the others were so merry; so he, too, laughed with the rest. Then Robin took this sweet, pretty babe, clothed him all anew from top to toe in Lincoln green, and gave him a good stout bow, and so made him a member of the merry band.
John Little joins Robin Hood's band in the very first chapter of the novel. Will Stutley decides that rather than going by his name, John Little, he should be know as Little John. The men roar with laughter and whole-heartedly agree, as the quote depicts. Little John at first feels he should be mad, or offended, but the company is so filed with joy that he cannot bring himself to be mad at his new name. This gives the audience their first glimpse of the demeanor of Robin Hood and his aptly named Merry Men.
Then bitterly the Sheriff rued the day that first he meddled with Robin Hood, for all men laughed at him and many ballads were sung by folk throughout the country, of how the Sheriff went to shear and came home shorn to the very quick. For thus men sometimes overreach themselves through greed and guile.
The Sheriff of Nottingham is outwitted by Robin Hood and his men on more than one occasion. This infuriates the Sheriff, largely because he is widely mocked for losing so frequently to Robin Hood. This quote gives the audience a glimpse into the Sheriff of Nottingham's true motivation for defeating Robin Hood. He far more concerned with how he looks in the pubic's eyes than who is right or wrong. This is a direct contrast to the jovial ways of Robin and his men. They revel in jokes and laughter and are each often the butt of someone's joke. Robin and his men are able to take these moments in stride unlike the Sheriff of Nottingham whose anger is fueled by mockery.
To all this the yeomen listened in silence, the clatter of many voices, jesting and laughing, sounding around them, and the red light of the fire shining on their faces and in their eyes. So simple were the poor boy's words, and so deep his sorrow, that even Little John felt a certain knotty lump rise in his throat.
Robin Hood and his Merry Men are largely shown as a boisterous, joyful group, but they are also deeply compassionate. When Robin and his band meet the distraught Allan a Dale, they listen to his every word without making a single joke or trivializing his feelings. Robin and his men have similar interactions with Will Scarlet and Sir Richard of Lea, each time taking the troubled man under their wings and vowing to help them with their problem. This manifests in different ways each time, but ultimately always shows the altruistic and caring nature of Robin and his Merry Men.
