✦ The Rhyme ✦
The Three Wise Men of Gotham
Traditional English nursery rhyme. Public domain.
Three wise men of Gotham Went to sea in a bowl; And if the bowl had been stronger, My song had been longer.
✦ A Nursery Rhyme ✦
Three wise men of Gotham went to sea in a bowl. And if the bowl had been stronger, my song had been longer!
Read aloud by Storyland Classics ✦ 24 seconds ✦ Watch on YouTube
✦ The Rhyme ✦
Traditional English nursery rhyme. Public domain.
Three wise men of Gotham Went to sea in a bowl; And if the bowl had been stronger, My song had been longer.
✦ About the Rhyme ✦
Gotham is a real village in Nottinghamshire, England. For hundreds of years, funny stories have been told about the “wise men of Gotham” who did foolish things, and this rhyme was printed in the 1760s.
The joke is in the last line: the bowl sank, so the song had to end. Gotham later became a nickname for New York City, which is where Batman’s Gotham City got its name.
✦ Talk About It ✦