The Diverting History of John Gilpin Showing How He Went Farther Than He Intended, and Came Safe Home Again

Meet John Gilpin, a respectable London linendraper, train-band captain, and devoted husband whose twentieth wedding anniversary promises a long-awaited family outing. With his wife, children, sister, and niece packed into a chaise, John prepares to follow on horseback, carrying a sword, a red cloak, and two generous bottles of wine.

But a few last-minute customers delay his departure, and when John finally mounts his borrowed horse, the animal has ideas of its own. Soon the cautious rider is clinging to the mane as the horse gathers speed through London and beyond, while his hat, wig, cloak, and carefully packed provisions disappear in the confusion. Crowds cheer, turnpike gates fly open, and his peaceful holiday becomes an uproarious spectacle. Told in lively, rhyming verse, this classic comic adventure is full of physical humor, brisk momentum, and the escalating misfortunes of an ordinary man swept into an extraordinary ride.