Bald Eagle, you are correct. I was concentrating on the 'GOT-ham' being pronounced, forgetting that the Americans sound the aitch. 'Goat'm' is the right way. Regarding the song. There are many versions of 'Three Men Went A-Hunting'.Cyril Tawney has one he collected in the West of England, then there is one from Jack Elliot of Birtley, and plenty of others. If I got up to search my references this post would never get finished, such is the chaos of my filing system, so I'll pass on that. But there ARE plenty. In the USA, Byrd Moore and his Hotshots recorded a string band version. I think that the 'Wise men of Gotham' song (if it ever was a song,perhaps it was just a recitation) is somewhere in the family tree of '3 Men went A-Hunting'. Somewhere in my files I've got a note about a 'Gotham' version in which the men come across an 'owlet'. "First one he ssaid 'Owlet', Second one he said 'Nay'. Third one said 'It's a Goshawk, With his bels(sic)all cut away". Make of that what you will. This is a nice thread. I'm enjoying it.