Question

read the excerpt from \the merry adventures of robin hood.\
\ay, marry, will i join with you all,\ quoth the tinker, \for i love a merry life, and i love thee, good master, though thou didst thwack my ribs and cheat me into the bargain. fain am i to own thou art both a stouter and a slyer man than i; so i will obey thee and be thine own true servant.\
so all turned their steps to the forest depths, where the tinker was to live henceforth.
what universal theme does this excerpt represent?
○ money is everything.
○ rebels inspire loyalty.
○ obedience is better than rebellion.
○ cheating will get you everywhere.

Explanation:

The Tinker chooses to join Robin Hood's group (rebels of the forest) out of admiration, stating he will be a loyal servant. This shows his loyalty is sparked by the rebel group's way of life and their leader. The other options do not fit: money is not mentioned, the Tinker chooses to follow not rebel against the group, and cheating is referenced as a past action not a universal theme.

Answer:

Rebels inspire loyalty.