I was not familiar with this nursery rhyme, so when I saw the illustration, I assumed it was “Rub-a-dub-dub, three men in a tub.” Wikipedia has an interesting article about the history of this rhyme, and the connection between New York City and the “Gotham City” of Batman fame.
One of the wise men looks like he has Kyphosis (Dowager’s Hump), which is something that could have happened to me. After my first bone scan, I was surprised to learn I had osteoporosis because I had no family history or other risk factors. So . . . ladies in your sixties, please get tested.
Mother Goose Quiltie Pattern #14
Three wise men of Gotham
Went to sea in a bowl.
If the bowl had been strong,
My tale had been longer.
People are not always as wise as they look. What do you think of three men who would go to sea in a bowl? One good thing, they are only going to sail on your quilt, and of course they will not upset there. They ought not get lonesome because there are three of them and they are all great cronies.
I too thought this was Rub-a-Dub-Dub. Guess we learn something new this time.
There’s an interesting Wikipedia article about the origin of “Wise Men of Gotham”:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wise_Men_of_Gotham
I agree Dottie — we both linked to the same article.
if you substitute the word coracle for the word bowl the rhyme becomes less about nonsense
and more a warning to children about the dangers of riverboats.
(coracles are bowl/tub shaped river skiffs still found in Ireland, Scotland and Wales – known for carrying the inexperienced away, far far away down stream)