The Gingerbread Boy
an American folk tale
There was once a little old man and a little old woman, who lived in a
little old house at the edge of a wood. They would have been a very
happy old couple but for one thing—they had no little child, and they
wished for one very much.
One day, when the little old woman was baking gingerbread, she cut a
cake in the shape of a little boy and put it into the oven. Presently,
she went to the oven to see if it was baked. As soon as the oven door
was opened, the little Gingerbread Boy jumped out and began to run away
as fast as he could go.
The little old woman called her husband, and they both ran after him.
But they could not catch him.
Soon, the Gingerbread Boy came to a barn where men were threshing wheat.
He called out to the men as he went by, saying:
“I’ve run away from a little old woman,
A little old man, And I can run away from you, I can!”
Then all the men in the barn set out to run after him. But, though they
ran fast, they could not catch him.
The Gingerbread Boy ran on till he came to a field full of mowers. He
called out to them:
“I’ve run away from a little old woman, A little old man, A barn full
of threshers, A field full of mowers, And I can run away from you, I
can!”Then the mowers began to run after him, but they couldn’t catch him.
• The Gingerbread Boy ran on till he came to a cow. He called out to
her:“I’ve run away from a little old woman, A little old man,
A barn full of threshers, And I can run away from you, I can!”
Though the cow started at once, she couldn’t catch him. Soon, the
Gingerbread Boy came to a pig. He called out to the pig:
“I’ve run away from a little old woman,
A little old man,
A barn full of threshers,
A field full of mow^r^ers,
A cow,
And I can run away from you, I can!”
The pig ran after him, but couldn’t catch him.
The Gingerbread Boy ran till he came across a fox, and to him he called
out:
“I’ve run away from a little old woman, A little old man, A barn full of
threshers, A field full of mowers, A cow and a pig, And I can run away
from you, I can!”
Then the fox set out after him. Now foxes can run very fast, and so the
fox soon caught the Gingerbread Boy and began to eat him.
Presently the Gingerbread Boy said, “Oh, dear! I’m a quarter gone!” And
then, “Oh, I’m half gone!” And soon, “I’m three-quarters gone!” And at
last, “I’m all gone!” And that was the end of the Gingerbread Boy.
