The Gingerbread Man

The Birth of the Gingerbread Boy

Once upon a time there was a little old woman and a little old man, and they lived all alone in a little old house. the couple had no children, and being lonely, the woman decided to make a boy of gingerbread. she carefully mixed the batter, rolled out the dough, and cut out a very nice gingerbread boy. she added sugar icing for his hair, mouth, and clothes, and she used candy chips for buttons and eyes.

what a fine looking gingerbread man he was. the woman put him in a pan, then she put the pan in the oven and shut the door. now I shall have a little boy of my own, she thought. when it was time for the gingerbread boy to be done she opened the oven door and pulled out the pan.out jumped the little gingerbread boy onto the floor, and away he ran, out of the door and down the street. the little old woman and little old man ran after him as fast as they could, but he just laughed and shouted. run, run, as fast as you can. you cannot catch me, I am the gingerbread man. and they couldn't catch him.

the little gingerbread boy ran on and on, until he came to a cow by the roadside,stop, little gingerbread boy, said the cow, I want to eat you. the little gingerbread boy laughed and said, I have run away from a little old woman, and a little old man, and I can run away from you, I can. and, as the cow clashed him, he looked over his shoulder and cried, run, as fast as you can, you cannot catch me, I am the gingerbread man. and the cow couldn't catch him.

You Look Delicious

The little gingerbread boy ran on and on and on, till he came to a horse in the pasture.please stop, gingerbread boy, said the horse, you look very good to eat. but the liitle gingerbread boy laughed out loud, he said, I have run away from a little old woman, a little old man, a cow. and I can run away from you, I can. and as the horse chased him, he looked over his shoulder and cried, run, as fast as you can. you cannot catch me, I am the gingerbread man.

and the horse couldn't catch him. by and by the little gingerbread boy came to a barn full of threshers. when the threshers smelled the gingerbread boy, they tried to pick him up, and said, don't run so fast, little boy, you look very good to eat. but the little gingerbread boy ran harder than ever, and as he ran he cried out. i have run away from a little old woman, a little old man, a cow, a horse, and I can run away from you, I can. and when he found that he was ahead of the threshers, he turned and shouted back to them, run, as fast as you can. you cannot catch me, I am the ginerbread man.

and the threshers couldn't catch him. then the little gingerbread boy ran faster than ever, he ran and ran untile he came to a field full of mowers. when the movers saw how fine he looked, they ran after him, calling out, wait a bit, wait a bit, little boy, we wish to eat you. but the little boy laughed harder than ever, and ran like the wind, he said. I have run away from a little old woman, a little old man, a cow, a horse, a barn full of threshers, and i can run away from you , I can. and when he found that he was ahead of the mowvers, he turned and shouted back to them.run, as fast as you can. you cannot catch me, I am the gingerbread man. and the mowvers couldn't catch him.

The Cunning Fox

By this time the little boy was so proud that he didn't think anybody could catch him. pretty soon he was a fox coming across a field, the fox looked at him and began to run. but the little boy shouted across to him, you cannot catch me. the fox began to fun faster, and the little boy ran faster, and as he ran he chucked.why, said the fox, I would not catch you if I could, I would not think of disturbing you . just then, the boy came to a river.he could not swim across, and he wanted to keep running away from the cow and the horse and the people. jump on my tail, and I will take you across. said the fox. so the little boy jumped on the fox's tail, and the fox awam into the river.

when he was a little way from shore, he turned his head and said, you are too heavy on my tail, I fear I shall let you get wet, jump on my back. the little boy jumped on his back. a little farther out, the fox said, I am afraid the water will cover you , there, jump on my shoulder. the little boy jumped on his shoulder. in the middle of the stream the fox said, oh, dear, my shoulder is sinking, jump on my nose, and I can hold you out of water.

so the little boy jumped on his nose. the minute the fox got on shore he threw back his head, and gave a snap. dear me, said the boy, I am a quarter gone. the next minute he said, why, I am half gone. the next minute he said, my goodness gracious, I am three quarters gone. and after that, the little boy never said anything more at all.