Three Men of Gotham by James Baldwin
The story revolves around three men who are tricked into buying a pig's tail for an exorbitant price, believing it to be the Lord Mayor of London's nose. The tale serves as a commentary on the gullibility and foolishness of the common people, highlighting their tendency to blindly follow authority and tradition.
By James Baldwin · First published 1657 · Genre: Fable, Humor, Folklore · 463 words
First lines
There is a town in England called Go-tham, and many merry stories are told of the queer people who used to live there.
One day two men of Go-tham met on a bridge. Hodge was coming from the market, and Peter was going to the market.
What this Textopian page supports
Three Men of Gotham is listed on Textopian as a short story by James Baldwin, dated 1657 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: James Baldwin
- Date: 1657 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fable, Humor, Folklore, Satire
- Length: 463 words
- Structure: 1 section, 23 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Very Easy (5th Grade or below)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Three Men of Gotham by James Baldwin
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
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Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering Three Men of Gotham?
- How does this short story by James Baldwin fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Fable first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Portuguese Duck by Hans Christian Andersen
- Three Wise Men Of Gotham by L. Frank Baum
- The Early Owl by Oliver Herford
- Pity The Poor Guest Of Honor by Oliver Herford
- In The Duck Yard by Hans Christian Andersen
- A Lac Of Rupees For A Bit Of Advice by Joseph Jacobs
Genres
- Fable — The story uses simple characters and a moral lesson to convey wisdom, typical of fables.
- Humor — The narrative is light-hearted and centers around the foolishness of the characters, providing comedic elements.
- Folklore — The tale is based on traditional stories about the people of Gotham, fitting the folklore genre.
- Satire — The story subtly mocks human folly and lack of common sense, characteristic of satire.
Tags
Fable · Satire · Social Commentary · Critique of Society · Allegory · Humor · Irony · Sarcasm · Absurdity · Dark Comedy · Morality Tale · Commentary on Class