diff --git a/file.c b/file.c
index 6c46b908440..995111e89d8 100644
--- a/file.c
+++ b/file.c
@@ -2946,26 +2946,28 @@ chmod_internal(const char *path, void *mode)
 
 /*
  *  call-seq:
- *     File.chmod(mode, *paths) -> integer
+ *    File.chmod(mode, *paths) -> integer
  *
- *  Changes the mode (i.e., permissions) of the entries of each the given +paths+;
- *  see {File Permissions}[rdoc-ref:File@File+Permissions].
- *  Returns the count of the given +paths+:
+ *  Changes the modes of each of the entries at each the given +paths+;
+ *  returns the count of the given +paths+.
+ *  See {Filesystem Modes}[rdoc-ref:file/filesystem_modes.md]
+ *  and especially {Setting a Mode}[rdoc-ref:file/filesystem_modes.md@Setting+a+Mode].
  *
- *    filepath = 't.tmp'
- *    File.write(filepath, 'foo')
- *    dirpath = 'tempdir'
- *    Dir.mkdir(dirpath)
- *    File::Stat.new(filepath).mode.to_s(8) # => "100664"
- *    File::Stat.new(dirpath).mode.to_s(8)  # => "40775"
- *    File.chmod(0775, filepath, dirpath)   # => 2
- *    File::Stat.new(filepath).mode.to_s(8) # => "100775"
- *    File::Stat.new(dirpath).mode.to_s(8)  # => "40775"
- *    File.chmod(0664, filepath, dirpath)   # => 2
- *    File::Stat.new(filepath).mode.to_s(8) # => "100664"
- *    File::Stat.new(dirpath).mode.to_s(8)  # => "40664"
- *    File.delete(filepath)
- *    Dir.rmdir(dirpath)
+ *  These examples use
+ *  a {helper method}[rdoc-ref:file/filesystem_modes.md@Helper+Method], +mode+,
+ *  that displays a mode both in octal digits and in characters:
+ *
+ *    dirpath = 'doc/foo'
+ *    filepath = File.join(dirpath, 't.tmp')
+ *    Dir.mkdir(dirpath)          # Create directory.
+ *    mode(dirpath)               # => "040775 drwxrwxr-x"
+ *    File.write(filepath, 'bar') # Create file.
+ *    mode(filepath)              # => "100664 -rw-rw-r--"
+ *    File.chmod(0755, filepath)  # Change file mode.
+ *    mode(filepath)              # => "100755 -rwxr-xr-x"
+ *    File.chmod(0664, dirpath)   # Change directory mode.
+ *    mode(dirpath)               # => "040664 drw-rw-r--"
+ *    FileUtils.rm_rf(dirpath)    # Clean up.
  *
  */
 
@@ -3005,15 +3007,25 @@ rb_fchmod(struct rb_io* io, mode_t mode)
 
 /*
  *  call-seq:
- *     file.chmod(mode_int)   -> 0
+ *    chmod(mode) -> 0
  *
- *  Changes permission bits on <i>file</i> to the bit pattern
- *  represented by <i>mode_int</i>. Actual effects are platform
- *  dependent; on Unix systems, see <code>chmod(2)</code> for details.
- *  Follows symbolic links. Also see File#lchmod.
+ *  Changes the mode of +self+;  returns '0'.
+ *  See {Filesystem Modes}[rdoc-ref:file/filesystem_modes.md]
+ *  and especially {Setting a Mode}[rdoc-ref:file/filesystem_modes.md@Setting+a+Mode].
+ *
+ *  These examples use
+ *  a {helper method}[rdoc-ref:file/filesystem_modes.md@Helper+Method], +mode+,
+ *  that displays a mode both in octal digits and in characters:
+ *
+ *    filepath = 'doc/t.tmp'
+ *    File.write(filepath, 'foo')
+ *    file = File.new(filepath)
+ *    mode(filepath)      # => "100664 -rw-rw-r--"
+ *    file.chmod(0775)
+ *    mode(filepath)      # => "100775 -rwxrwxr-x"
+ *    file.close
+ *    File.delete(filepath)
  *
- *     f = File.new("out", "w");
- *     f.chmod(0644)   #=> 0
  */
 
 static VALUE
diff --git a/pathname_builtin.rb b/pathname_builtin.rb
index 6b8108ce087..e538408ff62 100644
--- a/pathname_builtin.rb
+++ b/pathname_builtin.rb
@@ -1503,31 +1503,28 @@ class Pathname    # * File *
   # call-seq:
   #   chmod(mode) -> 1
   #
-  # Changes the mode (i.e., permissions) of the entry represented by `self`;
-  # see {File Permissions}[rdoc-ref:File@File+Permissions]:
+  #  Changes the mode of the entry at the path in `self`;  returns `1`.
+  #  See {Filesystem Modes}[rdoc-ref:file/filesystem_modes.md]
+  #  and especially {Setting a Mode}[rdoc-ref:file/filesystem_modes.md@Setting+a+Mode].
+  #
+  #  These examples use
+  #  a {helper method}[rdoc-ref:file/filesystem_modes.md@Helper+Method], `mode`,
+  #  that displays a mode both in octal digits and in characters:
   #
   # ```ruby
-  # # Pathname for a (non-existent) directory.
-  # dir_pn = Pathname('doc/foo') # => #<Pathname:doc/foo>
-  # # Create the directory and fetch its mode.
-  # dir_pn.mkdir
-  # dir_pn.stat.mode.to_s(8) # => "40775"
-  # # Change the directory mode and fetch the new mode.
-  # dir_pn.chmod(0777)
-  # dir_pn.stat.mode.to_s(8) # => "40777"
-  #
-  # # Pathname for a (non-existent) file in the directory.
-  # file_pn = dir_pn.join('t.tmp') # => #<Pathname:doc/foo/t.tmp>
-  # # Create the file and fetch its mode.
-  # file_pn.write('foo')
-  # file_pn.stat.mode.to_s(8) # => "100664"
-  # # Change the file mode and fetch its new mode.
-  # file_pn.chmod(0777)
-  # file_pn.stat.mode.to_s(8) # => "100777"
-  #
-  # # Clean up.
-  # file_pn.delete
-  # dir_pn.rmdir
+  # dirpath = 'doc/foo'
+  # dir_pn = Pathname(dirpath)
+  # dir_pn.mkdir         # Create directory.
+  # mode(dirpath)        # => "040775 drwxrwxr-x"
+  # filepath = File.join(dirpath, 't.tmp')
+  # file_pn = Pathname(filepath)
+  # file_pn.write('bar') # Create file.
+  # mode(filepath)       # => "100664 -rw-rw-r--"
+  # file_pn.chmod(0755)  # Change file mode.
+  # mode(filepath)       # => "100755 -rwxr-xr-x"
+  # dir_pn.chmod(0644)   # Change directory mode.
+  # mode(dirpath)        # => "040644 drw-r--r--"
+  # dir_pn.rmtree        # Clean up.
   # ```
   #
   def chmod(mode) File.chmod(mode, @path) end