Little he was not; in fact, he was huge, over six feet tall and as broad as an ox. And his strength was legendary. He was something of a vagabond who travelled from one country fair to another, winning the strong man feats. He had no equal and was called the strongest man on earth. Robin Hood's meeting with John was a rather wet one. Robin was travelling along a pathway and came upon a tree trunk that bridged a stream. Little John was standing on the fallen tree and, disinclined to let the stranger pass, he invited Robin to knock him off the tree trunk with a stout wooden stave.
   Battle commenced and each showed a high degree of expertise and adroit footwork on the slippery tree bark. Little John fended off Robin's plunging assaults with deft experience until his patience expired and he ignobly dumped poor Robin into the brook. It was obvious to Robin that such a tower of strength would be invaluable in his fight against the Sheriff of Nottingham and Prince John, so he offered his hand in friendship. Thus began what became a legendary fighting parnership. Both were intuitive soldiers. Word soon spread that the number of outlaws in the forest had doubled, even though only Little John had joined up.