Lady Patricia pointed out that, while "The Hunt is Up" starts on a pickup, not every line in "Robin Hood and the Potter" does. I think this is readily solved by dropping the pickup for those verses that don't have it.
This does present a problem for the instruments - or it would, if they were echoing the melody. Glancing over the ballad, it's very typical in that, to make everything fit, the pickup will sometimes be dropped and other notes will sometimes be subdivided. Plus, "The Hunt is Up" contains a few melismas, and it's not always going to be clear where they ought to go. My intuition is to give the instruments a simpler accompaniment, more like guitar chords, that won't get hung up on the singer(s) or speaker(s) fiddling with the melodic particulars here and there.
Now, the text needs two adjustments: it could probably stand to be cut down a bit, firstly, and secondly, the parts with speech by John, Robin and the potter should be rewritten so that the narrator and characters aren't intercutting each other.
Fitt 1
In summer, when the new leaves spring
The blooms on every bow
So merry do the birdies sing
In woods all joyful now
Hearken, all you good yeomen,
So comely, courteous, good // slur it “court-tyus” and it’ll fit
One of the best that e’re bore bow
His name was Robin Hood
But as the good yeoman stood there
Among his merry men
He was aware of a proud potter
Come wand’ring through the glen
ROBIN:
“Look, here’s a potter with cart and horse
“That long has passed this way;
He never was so courteous a man
A penny of toll to pay”
LITTLE JOHN:
“Alas, I met him upon a time,
“A curse upon the git!
Such three strokes he gave to me
My sides, they still are split!”
“It's twenty shillings and twenty more
“To pay it this same day
I’ll bet there’s not one ‘mong us all
Who makes that potter pay”
ROBIN:
“I'll see your forty, good Little John,
“And more, if you want to play,
And I shall make that proud potter
Our road-toll for to pay.”
Hands upon his horse he laid
Bade potter stand full still
The potter shortly to him said,
POTTER:
“So, fellow, what’s your will?”
ROBIN:
“All these three years, and more, potter,
“You’ve often come this way
Yet ne’er you were so courteous a man
A penny of toll to pay.”
POTTER:
“And who are you? What is your name?
“For toll you ask of me?”
ROBIN:
“My own true name is Robin Hood
“And payment you’ll give to me.”
POTTER:
“You think I will? Know well I won’t!
“Nor road-toll will I pay,
Take your hand from off my horse!
Or I’ll beat you, by my faith.”
The potter, to his cart he went
That had his pots all heaped
A two-handed staff he there did find
And he at Robin leaped
Together crashed these two yeomen
A good sight for to see
The sight made all Robin’s men laugh
Where they stood under a tree
Robin’s men, they saw all that,
They saw it with dismay
LITTLE JOHN:
“Let’s help our master,” Little John said,
“The potter we will slay.”
These strong yeomen did quickly rush
To their master they run
Little John to his master said,
LITTLE JOHN:
“Who has the wager won?”
“Shall I have your forty shillings,”
“Or master, shall you have mine?”
ROBIN:
“If they were a hundred, Little John,
“In faith, they’d be all thine.”
POTTER:
“It is full little courtesy,
As I have heard men say,
“If a poor yeoman comes down the road,
To hinder him on his way.”
ROBIN:
“By my troth, you’re right, good man
You speak good yeomanry;
And if you drive forth every day
You’ll not be stopped by me.”
(This could be a stopping point if we're not going to do the other 2 fyttes. Or, if we think we can have the rest by say Performer's Revel...)
“I’ll ask of you, good potter friend,
A fellowship will you have?
Give me your clothing, and you shall have mine
And I’ll go to Nottingham.”
POTTER:
“A fellowship I'll grant thereto,
For I’m a fellow good
But if you can’t my pots all sell
Don’t come back to this wood.”
ROBIN:
“Nay, worry not, and by my troth,
And I beshrew my head
I’ll not a single pot return
I’ll sell them cheap instead!”
Then spoke up bold Little John
And all the merry men
LITTLE JOHN:
“Master, beware Nottingham’s sheriff
For he is not our friend.”
ROBIN:
“Through the help of Our Lady,
I will not come to woe
Hey-la-houte! Way-a-lay!
To Nottingham will I go.”
So Robin hastened on his way
A merry tune he hums
But wait, there’s more! and as they say
The best is yet to come
FIN
Props
Two bags of coins for John and Robin; a hobby-horse for the potter, or person acting as a horse and cart; a staff; a sword and buckler.
Costume
A "Robin Hood hat" for Robin Hood; a linen cap and messy apron for the potter. They can exchange these for the costume change at the end. All else is optional.
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