After King Richard dies on the battlefield, Robin Hood, who has become Earl of Huntingdon and fought beside the king, returns to England along with Allan a Dale and Ellen, who had served in his household. The new King John gives Robin permission to visit Sherwood Forest for three days. As they walk along familiar paths, Robin and Allan a Dale reminisce about their experiences. Filled with nostalgia, Robin blows his bugle, and Little John bursts from the forest followed by others of the Merry Men. The men have a tearful reunion. Robin announces that he will no longer be Robert, Earl of Huntingdon but will once again live in Sherwood as Robin Hood.

When King John hears of this, he plots to have Robin Hood captured. The men he sends, including the Sheriff of Nottingham, clash violently with Robin in the forest. The Sheriff is killed with an arrow through his brain.

Troubled by these events, Robin falls into a fever. Unable to shake the fever, he takes Little John with him to visit his cousin, the prioress of a nunnery in Yorkshire and skilled nurse.