The television's light penetrated my sleeping eyes with the presentation of this warning.
ATTENTION! THREE MEN LOST AT SEA.
As I slowly began to wake up, I read the channel's "Breaking News" text scroll fly across the screen. Although this was interesting news, it didn't warrant my full attention as it was requesting. That was until I heard the reporter describe the situation at hand.
"Today, around 4:30 p.m., three men have been reported as missing after trying to escape Batman and Gotham City Police. The three men are being reported as The Joker, Penguin, and Two-Face. The men were last seen leaving the coastal waters in a hand-made bowl. Yes, we said a bowl. No news as to whether or not the bowl has any special use or whether it was the first thing they could get their hands on before escaping. We will let you know any new information on this breaking news as we receive it."
I was a little startled by the news. Even though I did not live anywhere near a coast, knowing that Gotham's worst villains had escaped the wrath of the law and knowing that they were all together out there made me nervous.
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| The Penguin with The Joker and Two-Face. Source: DC Animated Universe |
About an hour later, the "Breaking News" banner flies across the screen again. I had been anxiously waiting for this moment.
"After several hours after the villains escaped following a crime at the state bank, they have been captured. As stated before, the men fled the scene and were later seen off the coast in a large hand-crafted bowl. The three men were finally captured once they were discovered clinging onto pieces of ceramic left over from the bowl which had broken while they were at sea. The three men were sent to the hospital to make sure that they are in okay condition before being taken into custody."
I felt a sigh of relief as I turned the television off. However, I couldn't help but fear that these notorious criminals may get away with the crime in some way.....
Author's note: This story was based off of a nursery rhyme titled "The Three Wise Men of Gotham".
"Three wise men of Gotham
Went to sea in a bowl:
And if the bowl had been stronger,
My song would have been longer."
The idea behind my version of the story is the connection to the Gotham many people know from popular culture. The original story behind the rhyme was that the villagers of Gotham acted insane in order to escape taxes and the control of King John. In other words, the inhabitants of the village were wise for acting like fools. Although I ended the story with the men of Gotham in the hospital, anyone that knows these characters would know that they are notorious for their escape plans. Perhaps that is what would have occurred next time my narrator turned the news on.
Source: "The Three Wise Men of Gotham", n.a., The Nursery Rhyme Book. 2008. Web. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/26197/26197-h/26197-h.htm#Page_265
Haha I love this story! The Batman reference is very clever. I love the very clear reference to the original rhyme and to Batman. I also like how you let the ending of the story open. The chance that the characters might escape again leaves the reader wanting more. I love open ended endings to stories like this especially when Batman is involved.
ReplyDeleteYes, Batman! I was quite surprised to see the length of the story that you had wrote about. These three villains are quite insane and crafty at escapes. I wonder what the whole deal was with their hand made bowl that is real strange. Great story though, these characters are near and dear to my childhood and now still.
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