Why do individuals pass down stories orally instead of by writing? Before the time period that writing even existed, individuals had no choice, but to express themselves orally. During this time, they passed down these stories from generation to generation, but there may have been some minor changes because of the misinterpretation of the readers of the stores. Another reason is that people love to hear and tell stories. There has not been a culture anywhere, at any time, in which individuals did not want to tell stories to one another. They told many different types of stories, ranging from: legends, fables, parables, tall tales, and ballads. "Robin Hood and Allen a Dale" is a ballad. A ballad is a simple narrative poem in four line stanzas, usually meant to be sung and usually rhyming, even though it has been passed down to generation to generation throughout the years (oral transmission). Like most ballads, "Robin Hood and Allen a Dale" uses the ABCB Rhyme Scheme. A Rhyme Scheme is a pattern of rhymes in a poem. In traditional ballads, the rhyme scheme is ABCB. In short, the second and fourth lines rhyme. Here is an example of the ABCB rhyme scheme:.

             And when he came bold Robin before,.

             Robin asked him courteously,.

             "O hast thou any money to spare.

             For my merry men and me?".

             As you can see from the example above (stanza 30, page 7), the second and fourth lines rhyme. During the story you will find this rhyme scheme to be very common. This ballad, like many uses Incremental Repetition which is the use of a line with some slight variation. An example is:.

             "I have no money", then quoth the young man,.

             "No ready gold nor fee,.

             But I will swear upon a book .

             Thy true servant for to be.".

             The statement "No ready gold nor fee" (stanza 50, page 8) is a fine example of Incremental Repetition because the way it advances the statement.

             "Robin Hood and Allen a Dale" has many characteristics that are common to all folk ballads, and most notable to myself is the ABCB Rhyme Scheme.