THE GINGERBREAD BOY
Once upon a time a little old man and
a little old woman lived all alone.
They wanted to have a child,
so they decided to make one,
out of
gingerbread.
They mixed the dough and rolled out a gingerbread boy and popped
him in the oven.
When the gingerbread boy was finished baking they opened the oven
and out he hopped.
Run,
run,
as fast as you can,
you can't catch me,
I'm the gingerbread
man, he said.
The little old woman and the little old man ran after the gingerbread
boy,
but they could not catch him.
On and on ran the gingerbread boy until he came to a cow.
Stop, said the cow.
I want to eat you, but the gingerbread boy said.
I have run away from a little old woman and a little old man,
and I can run away from
you too, I can, I can.
The cow chased the gingerbread boy,
but she couldn't catch him.
Run,
run,
as fast as you can,
you can't catch me,
I'm the gingerbread man,
he cried.
Soon he came to a horse.
Please stop,
little gingerbread boy,
said the horse.
I want to eat you.
The gingerbread boy did not stop.
He said,
I have run away from a cow,
a little old woman,
and a little old man,
and I can
run away from you too, I can, I can.
The horse chased the gingerbread boy.
Run,
run,
as fast as you can,
you can't catch me,
I'm the gingerbread man,
and the horse
couldn't catch him.
The gingerbread boy ran on until he reached a field full of farmers.
Stop now, we can eat you, said the farmers,
but the gingerbread boy didn't stop.
I have run away from a horse,
a cow,
a little old woman,
and a little old man,
and I can
run away from you too, I can, I can.
The farmers ran,
but the gingerbread boy ran faster.
Run,
run,
as fast as you can,
you can't catch me,
I'm the gingerbread man.
By and by,
he came to a fox sitting on a riverbank.
The gingerbread boy ran past the fox.
I have
run away from a field full of farmers,
a horse,
a cow,
and a little old woman,
and a little
old man,
and I can run away from you too,
I can,
I can.
You can't catch me, I'm the
gingerbread man.
The fox smiled and said,
I do not want to catch you.
I will help you
run away.
Hop on my back and I will help you cross this river.
The gingerbread boy hopped
on the fox's tail,
and the fox began to swim.
You are too heavy on my tail, said the fox.
Jump on my back, the gingerbread boy did.
The fox swam a little farther,
then he said,
I am afraid you will get wet on my back,
jump on my shoulder.
So the gingerbread boy did.
The fox swam on, then he said, dear,
my shoulder is sinking.
Jump on my nose and I will hold you out of the water.
The gingerbread boy hopped onto the fox's nose,
and snip,
snap,
the fox opened and closed his strong jaws.
And that was the end of the gingerbread boy.