In Merry Olde England outlaws were the
celebrities of their day. At the Sheriff's Court in Nottingham, a Terry Tongue-Tied of
Tunbridge Wells was up on a charge of 'Indecently propositioning a man of the Cloth in a
public place.
His defense spoke on his behalf. "Your
Honor, my client is an innocent man. He had come to Nottingham with the expressed duty of
collecting autographs of our famous outlaws. He had approached Robin Hood in the forest
and asked of him tentatively 'Hobin Rood?' to which he had been corrected and told, 'No my
friend, it's Robin Hood.' Our infamous outlaw then gave my client his esteemed signature.
The same had happened later with a Will Scarlet although he had addressed him as 'Skill
Warlet?' You see Your Honor, my client becomes completely tongue tied in the presence of
anyone famous."
At that point the Judge had decided to hear
from the plaintiff who had brought the prosecution. "Er what's the name of the
plaintiff again?" asked the Judge to the Court Clerk.
