So he came to the highroad and to where a little thatched cottage stood back of a cluster of twisted crab trees, with flowers in front of it.

Here he stopped of a sudden, for he thought that he heard the sound of someone in sorrow.

He listened, and found that it came from the cottage; so, turning his footsteps thither, he pushed open the wicket and entered the place.

There he saw a gray-haired dame sitting beside a cold hearthstone, rocking herself to and fro and weeping bitterly.
Now Little John had a tender heart for the sorrows of other folk, so, coming to the old woman and patting her kindly upon the shoulder, he spoke comforting words to her, bidding her cheer up and tell him her troubles, for that mayhap he might do something to ease them.

At all this the good dame shook her head; but all the same his kind words did soothe her somewhat, so after a while she told him all that bore upon her mind.