The Gingerbread Man  (Listen)

Adapted from the Joseph Jacobs story by Tom Quigley

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Once upon a time there was an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy. One morning the old woman made gingerbread in the shape of a man, and put it in the oven to bake. "You watch the gingerbread while your father and I go out to work in the garden." So the old man and the old woman went out and began to hoe potatoes, and left the little boy to tend the oven. But he didn't watch it all the time, and all of a sudden he heard a noise, and he looked up and the oven door popped open, and out of the oven jumped the gingerbread man, and went running towards the open door of the house. The little boy ran to shut the door, but the gingerbread man was too quick for him and it ran through the door, down the steps, and out into the road long before the little boy could catch him. The little boy ran after him as fast as he could clip it, crying out to his father and mother, who heard the uproar, and threw down their hoes and gave chase too. But the gingerbread man outran all three a long way, and was soon out of sight, while they had to sit down, all out of breath, on a bank to rest.  

On went the gingerbread man, and by-and-by he came to two well-diggers who looked up from their work and called out: "Where ye going, gingerbread man?"  

He said: "I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and I can outrun you too-o-o!"  

"Ye can, can ye? We'll see about that?" said they; and they threw down their picks and ran after him, but couldn't catch up with him, and soon they had to sit down by the roadside to rest.  

On ran the gingerbread man, and by-and-by he came to two ditch-diggers who were digging a ditch. "Where ye going, gingerbread man?" said they. He said: "I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and two well-diggers, and I can outrun you too-o-o!"  

"Ye can, can ye? We'll see about that!" said they; and they threw down their spades, and ran after him too. But the gingerbread man soon outstripped them also, and seeing they could never catch him, they gave up the chase and sat down to rest.  

On went the gingerbread man, and by-and-by he came to a bear. The bear said: "Where are ye going, gingerbread man?"  

He said: "I've outrun an old man, and an old woman and a little boy, and two well-diggers, and two ditch-diggers, and I can outrun you too- o-o!"  

"Ye can, can ye?" growled the bear, "we'll see about that!" and trotted as fast as his legs could carry him after the gingerbread man, who never stopped to look behind him. Before long the bear was left so far behind that he saw he might as well give up the hunt first as last, so he stretched himself out by the roadside to rest.  

On went the gingerbread man, and by-and-by he came to a wolf. The wolf said:-- "Where ye going, gingerbread man?" He said: "I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and two well-diggers, and two ditch- diggers and a bear, and I can outrun you too-o-o!"  

"Ye can, can ye?" snarled the wolf, "we'll see about that!" And he set into a gallop after the gingerbread man, who went on and on so fast that the wolf too saw there was no hope of overtaking him, and he too lay down to rest.  

On went the gingerbread man, and by-and-by he came to a fox that lay quietly in a corner of the fence. The fox called out in a sharp voice, but without getting up: "Where ye going gingerbread man?"  

He said: "I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and two well-diggers, and two ditch-diggers, a bear, and a wolf, and I can outrun you too-o-o!"  

The fox said: "I can't quite hear you, gingerbread man, won't you come a little closer?" turning his head a little to one side.  

The gingerbread man stopped his race for the first time, and went a little closer, and called out in a very loud voice _"I've outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and two well-diggers, and two ditch-diggers, and a bear, and a wolf, and I can outrun you too-o- o."_  

"Can't quite hear you; won't you come a _little_ closer?" said the fox in a feeble voice, as he stretched out his neck towards the gingerbread man, and put one paw behind his ear.  

The gingerbread man came up close, and leaning towards the fox screamed out: I'VE OUTRUN AN OLD MAN, AND AN OLD WOMAN, AND A LITTLE BOY, AND TWO WELL-DIGGERS, AND TWO DITCH-DIGGERS, AND A BEAR, AND A WOLF, AND I CAN OUTRUN YOU TOO-O-O!"  

"You can, can you?" yelped the fox, and he snapped up the gingerbread man in his sharp teeth in the twinkling of an eye.