--- title: Other Wise Men of Gotham. — Fifty Famous Stories Retold · full text with trees description: Other Wise Men of Gotham., «Fifty Famous Stories Retold» by James Baldwin: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: One day, news was brought to Gotham that the king was coming that way, and that he would pass through the town. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [Fifty Famous Stories Retold](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/) / Other Wise Men of Gotham. # Other Wise Men of Gotham. Other Wise Men of Gotham. of «Fifty Famous Stories Retold» by James Baldwin: the whole text, 69 sentences and 942 words. Every sentence has its own page with its syntax tree and pragmatics, parsed by Mova itself. - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/1/) — One day, news was brought to Gotham that the king was coming that way, and that he would pass through the town. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/2/) — This did not please the men of Gotham at all. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/3/) — They hated the king, for they knew that he was a cruel, bad man. - [4](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/4/) — If he came to their town, they would have to find food and lodg-ing for him and his men; and if he saw anything that pleased him, he would be sure to take it for his own. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/5/) — What should they do? - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/6/) — They met together to talk the matter over. - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/7/) — "Let us chop down the big trees in the woods, so that they will block up all the roads that lead into the town," said one of the wise men. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/8/) — "Good!" said all the rest. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/9/) — So they went out with their axes, and soon all the roads and paths to the town were filled with logs and brush. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/10/) — The king's horse-men would have a hard time of it getting into Gotham. - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/11/) — They would either have to make a new road, or give up the plan al-to-geth-er, and go on to some other place. - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/12/) — When the king came, and saw that the road had been blocked up, he was very angry. - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/13/) — "Who chopped those trees down in my way?" he asked of two country lads that were passing by. - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/14/) — "The men of Gotham," said the lads. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/15/) — "Well," said the king, "go and tell the men of Gotham that I shall send my sher-iff into their town, and have all their noses cut off." - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/16/) — The two lads ran to the town as fast as they could, and made known what the king had said. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/17/) — Every-body was in great fright. - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/18/) — The men ran from house to house, carrying the news, and asking one another what they should do. - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/19/) — "Our wits have kept the king out of the town," said one; "and so now our wits must save our noses." - [20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/20/) — "True, true!" said the others. " - [21](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/21/) — But what shall we do?" - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/22/) — Then one, whose name was Dobbin, and who was thought to be the wisest of them all, said, "Let me tell you something. - [23](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/23/) — Many a man has been punished because he was wise, but I have never heard of any one being harmed because he was a fool. - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/24/) — So, when the king's sher-iff comes, let us all act like fools." - [25](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/25/) — "Good, good!" cried the others. " - [26](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/26/) — We will all act like fools." - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/27/) — It was no easy thing for the king's men to open the roads; and while they were doing it, the king grew tired of waiting, and went back to London. - [28](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/28/) — But very early one morning, the sheriff with a party of fierce soldiers rode through the woods, and between the fields, toward Gotham. - [29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/29/) — Just before they reached the town, they saw a queer sight. - [30](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/30/) — The old men were rolling big stones up the hill, and all the young men were looking on, and grunting very loudly. - [31](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/31/) — The sheriff stopped his horses, and asked what they were doing. - [32](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/32/) — "We are rolling stones up-hill to make the sun rise," said one of the old men. - [33](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/33/) — "You foolish fellow!" said the sheriff. " - [34](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/34/) — Don't you know that the sun will rise without any help?" - [35](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/35/) — "Ah! will it?" said the old man. " - [36](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/36/) — Well, I never thought of that. - [37](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/37/) — How wise you are!" - [38](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/38/) — "And what are \_you\_ doing?" said the sheriff to the young men. - [39](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/39/) — "Oh, we do the grunting while our fathers do the working," they answered. - [40](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/40/) — "I see," said the sheriff. " - [41](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/41/) — Well, that is the way the world goes every-where." - [42](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/42/) — And he rode on toward the town. - [43](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/43/) — He soon came to a field where a number of men were building a stone wall. - [44](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/44/) — "What are you doing?" he asked. - [45](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/45/) — "Why, master," they answered, "there is a cuck-oo in this field, and we are building a wall around it so as to keep the bird from straying away." - [46](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/46/) — "You foolish fellows!" said the sheriff. " - [47](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/47/) — Don't you know that the bird will fly over the top of your wall, no matter how high you build it?" - [48](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/48/) — "Why, no," they said. " - [49](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/49/) — We never thought of that. - [50](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/50/) — How very wise you are!" - [51](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/51/) — The sheriff next met a man who was carrying a door on his back. - [52](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/52/) — "What are you doing?" he asked. - [53](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/53/) — "I have just started on a long jour-ney," said the man. - [54](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/54/) — "But why do you carry that door?" asked the sheriff. - [55](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/55/) — "I left my money at home." - [56](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/56/) — "Then why didn't you leave the door at home too?" - [57](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/57/) — "I was afraid of thieves; and you see, if I have the door with me, they can't break it open and get in." - [58](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/58/) — "You foolish fellow!" said the sheriff. " - [59](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/59/) — It would be safer to leave the door at home, and carry the money with you." - [60](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/60/) — "Ah, would it, though?" said the man. " - [61](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/61/) — Now, I never thought of that. - [62](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/62/) — You are the wisest man that I ever saw." - [63](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/63/) — Then the sheriff rode on with his men; but every one that they met was doing some silly thing. - [64](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/64/) — "Truly I believe that the people of Gotham are all fools," said one of the horsemen. - [65](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/65/) — "That is true," said another. " - [66](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/66/) — It would be a shame to harm such simple people." - [67](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/67/) — "Let us ride back to London, and tell the king all about them," said the sheriff. - [68](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/68/) — "Yes, let us do so," said the horsemen. - [69](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/15/69/) — So they went back, and told the king that Gotham was a town of fools; and the king laughed, and said that if that was the case, he would not harm them, but would let them keep their noses. - ← previous: [Three Men of Gotham.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/14/) - next →: [The Miller of the Dee.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/16/) - ↑ back to [Fifty Famous Stories Retold](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg18442/)