Legend · Adventure
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
Reading level: we suggest CEFR B2 for reading The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. Length: about 110,000 words.
- Suggested levelB2
- Lengthabout 110,000 words
- Original languageEnglish
The story
Young Robin of Locksley kills a royal forester in self-defence and becomes an outlaw in Sherwood Forest. There he gathers a band of merry men — Little John, Will Scarlet, Friar Tuck — who take from rich travellers and give to the poor.
Each chapter is a new adventure: a fight on a log bridge, an archery contest for a golden arrow, a disguise as a butcher, and endless tricks played on the Sheriff of Nottingham.
Themes: justice, friendship, outlaws and authority, merry England.
Why it's a good book for language learners
Howard Pyle wrote in a deliberately old-fashioned style (full of “thee”, “thou” and “quoth he”), which makes the book a fun introduction to older English forms like thee and thou. Every chapter is a complete episode, so it is easy to read in short sessions.
How hard is the English in The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood?
- Flesch Reading Ease79.0
- Flesch–Kincaid grade7.8
- Words per sentence22.5
Measured by PageWalker on the full English text of the book. Flesch Reading Ease runs from 0 to 100 (higher is easier; 60–70 is plain English) and the Flesch–Kincaid grade is a US school grade. These formulas only count sentence and word length, so they miss old-fashioned vocabulary, wordplay and style. That is why our CEFR level, which takes those into account, can be higher than the formula suggests.
What you'll practise
- Archaic forms: thou, thee, thy, hath, doth
- Medieval vocabulary: forest, archery, feasts
- Tricks, disguises and dialogue
- Ballad-like storytelling
Reading tip
Translate one archaic sentence per chapter into modern English — it is great grammar practice.
Did you know?
Pyle illustrated the book himself, and his drawings shaped how Robin Hood has been pictured ever since.
The PageWalker adventure
In the adventure you live in Sherwood, and your choices decide whether the Sheriff finally catches you. You can try the first page in your browser, and the adventure is available in 13 languages with click-to-translate.
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood in other languages
- EnglishThe Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
- العربيةمغامرات روبن هود المرحة
- DeutschDie lustigen Abenteuer des Robin Hood
- EspañolLas Alegres Aventuras de Robin Hood
- FrançaisLes Joyeuses Aventures de Robin des Bois
- हिन्दीरॉबिन हुड के रोमांच कारनामे
- ItalianoLe allegre avventure di Robin Hood
- 日本語ロビン・フッドの愉快な冒険
- 한국어로빈 후드의 모험
- PortuguêsAs Aventuras de Robin Hood
- РусскийВеселые приключения Робин Гуда
- TürkçeRobin Hood'un Neşeli Maceraları
- 简体中文罗宾汉的快乐冒险
Questions about The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
What reading level is The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood?
We suggest CEFR B2 for reading The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. Howard Pyle wrote in a deliberately old-fashioned style (full of “thee”, “thou” and “quoth he”), which makes the book a fun introduction to older English forms like thee and thou. On readability formulas the English text scores a Flesch Reading Ease of 79.0 and a Flesch–Kincaid grade of 7.8, with an average of 22.5 words per sentence.
How long is The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood?
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle (1883) is about 110,000 words.
Can I play The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood as an interactive adventure?
Yes. In the adventure you live in Sherwood, and your choices decide whether the Sheriff finally catches you. You can try the first page in your browser, in 13 languages.
Updated 16 October 2026
