Falstaff's recommendation is for Hal to emulate his friend Falstaff, 'for.I see virtue in his looks' (2.5.388). He further tells Hal that the company he keeps is like tar, which defiles everything it touches. Falstaff assumes his 'throne,' actually a wooden stool, and chastises his 'son' for being a thief. He then tells Prince Harry that his father wants to meet with him the next morning as a result of the trouble brewing in Scotland and Wales.ДЇalstaff and Hal then enact a play in which Falstaff is King Henry, meeting his son the next morning. A man sent by King Henry arrives at the pub, and Falstaff goes to find out what he wants. Hal reveals the entire story to Falstaff, who immediately covers it up by claiming that he ran away to avoid harming the Prince Regent. Falstaff then stands up and claims to have fought at least fifty men during the fighting, and by the time he is done speaking he claims to have received over nine piercings. Against these odds they unfortunately were unable to succeed. Hal then asks Gadshill to tell him what really happened, and he informs them that after the thieves had bound over a dozen of the travelers, about six or seven other men attacked them and simultaneously set the travelers free. He pretends that he was attacked by a hundred men, and that after fighting for two hours he was finally overcome and had to run away.

However, Falstaff first is made to tell them the story of how he was robbed of the money. Hal imitates Hotspur for a second, and decides it would be fun to make Falstaff pretend to be Lady Percy. He then informs Hal that Falstaff and the other thieves have arrived. The innkeeper enters and yells at Francis for doing such a poor job taking care of the guests. Hal and Poins succeed in making poor Francis not know to which man he should go. Hal meanwhile starts to question Francis, who is unable to go to Poins because it would be inexcusable to ignore the Prince of Wales. Poins goes into another room and calls, 'Francis,' a signal that he wants the man to come and take his order. He and Poins decide to have some fun with one of the tapsters, named Francis. Hal finds Poins and tells him he was speaking with some tapsters in the inn. She finally gives up and agrees that whatever is making him leave must be out of necessity. Lady Percy presses her husband to tell her, but he only teases her.

She asks her husband what he is so excited about, but he refuses to tell her, instead saying that he must leave on horseback that night. His wife, Lady Percy, whom he addresses as Kate, enters the room. Hotspur is reading a letter telling him that his rebellion against King Henry is too dangerous, and that the author of the letter will therefore not join him. After a few blows Falstaff also runs away, leaving the money behind. Together they leap out and demand the money from Falstaff, at which point the other three men run away. Hal and Poins, hiding out close by, watch as Falstaff and the other three men decide to share the money amongst themselves. He soon seizes the gold and binds up the men, including the two carriers from the previous scene. The travelers arrive shortly thereafter, and Falstaff attacks them. Thus, if anything goes wrong, Hal and Poins will be positioned to rob the travelers. Hal and Poins quickly get Falstaff to lead the other men in a frontal attack in the narrow lane, while together they hide in a lower lane. Gadshill arrives with the information that the travelers are directly behind him, with the money being taken to the king. They finally emerge, but make him remain standing rather then allowing him to mount his horse. Falstaff enters the stage and rails against them, saying he cannot walk more than a few yards without becoming tired, as a result of his being so overweight. Hal, Poins, Peto and Bardolph play a trick on Falstaff by stealing his horse and hiding it.

Gadshill thanks him and offers him a small portion of the bounty once he and his friends have stolen it. The Chamberlain informs him that a wealthy small landowner is traveling through the area with three hundred marks in gold. They leave to find the Ostler, but Gadshill remains and calls for the Chamberlain. They refuse, correctly thinking he is a thief. While they further complain about how terrible the fleas were in the tavern, Gadshill arrives and asks them for a lantern so he may find his horse. Two carriers are in an innyard in Kent yelling for the Ostler to come and get their horses for them.

Henry iv part 1 act 2 scene 4