Pride Goeth before a Fall by Joseph Jacobs
In a village, ten cloth merchants return home after a successful trading trip, only to encounter three robbers in a dense forest. The robbers, armed and confident, demand the merchants' possessions, stripping them of everything except for their loincloths. The robbers, feeling victorious, order the merchants to dance for their amusement. Among the merchants, one clever individual devises a plan. Observing the robbers' complacency and their weapons left unattended, he leads a dance while singing a coded song. The song uses trade language, allowing the merchants to communicate their numbers and strategy without the robbers understanding. The leader's lyrics indicate that they are ten men and the robbers only three, suggesting a coordinated attack. As the song is repeated, the merchants split into groups, each targeting a robber. They successfully overpower the thieves, binding them with strips of cloth. The merchants reclaim their belongings and take the robbers' weapons. Upon returning to their village, they share their tale of triumph, highlighting the importance of cleverness and teamwork in overcoming adversity. The story illustrates the theme of pride leading to downfall, as the robbers' arrogance ultimately leads to their defeat.
By Joseph Jacobs · First published 1898 · Genre: Fable, Adventure, Folklore · 822 words
First lines
In a certain village there lived ten cloth merchants, who always went about together. Once upon a time they had travelled far afield, and were returning home with a great deal of money which they had obtained by selling their wares. Now there happened to be a dense forest near their village, and this they reached early one morning. In it there lived three notorious robbers, of whose existence the traders had never heard, and while they were still in the middle of it the robbers stood before them, with swords and cudgels in their hands, and ordered them to lay down all they had. The traders had no weapons with them, and so, though they were many more in number, they had to submit themselves to the robbers, who took away everything from them, even the very clothes they wore, and gave to each only a small loincloth a span in breadth and a cubit in length.
What this Textopian page supports
Pride Goeth before a Fall is listed on Textopian as a short story by Joseph Jacobs, dated 1898 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Joseph Jacobs
- Date: 1898 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Fable, Adventure, Folklore, Comedy, Drama
- Length: 822 words
- Structure: 1 section, 11 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Pride Goeth before a Fall by Joseph Jacobs
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
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- A Lac Of Rupees For A Bit Of Advice by Joseph Jacobs
- The Hare And The Hedgehog by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm
- Emelian And The Empty Drum by Leo Tolstoy
- The Golden Goose by Jacob And Wilhelm Grimm
- The Shoemaker And The Devil by Anton Chekhov
Genres
- Fable — The story conveys a moral lesson through anthropomorphized characters and a simple plot.
- Adventure — The narrative involves a journey and a conflict with robbers, highlighting themes of bravery and cleverness.
- Folklore — The tale reflects cultural storytelling traditions and incorporates elements typical of folklore.
- Comedy — The humorous elements arise from the robbers' misunderstanding and the cleverness of the merchants.
Tags
Folk Tale · Short Story · English Folklore · Moral Lesson · Cautionary Tale · Pride and Hubris · Consequences of Pride · Fall from Grace · Humility · Self-Importance · Social Commentary · Satire