The Gingerbread Man

Once upon a time, in a cozy little cottage on the edge of a forest, there lived an old woman and her husband. They had no children, and sometimes the house felt very quiet. One day, the old woman decided to bake something special to brighten their home. She said to herself, “I’ll bake a gingerbread man! That will be fun.”

She mixed the dough with care, added spices like cinnamon and ginger, and rolled it out on her table. She cut the dough into the shape of a little man and gave him raisins for eyes, a cherry for a nose, and a line of sugar for a smile. For buttons, she used shiny candies.

The old woman placed the gingerbread man on a tray and slid him into the oven. As the delicious smell of baking filled the house, she smiled, eager to see her creation. After some time, she opened the oven to check. The gingerbread man was perfectly baked, golden brown, and smelled heavenly.

But as soon as she opened the oven door, something extraordinary happened. The gingerbread man leapt up and out of the oven, running toward the door! He was alive!

“Stop!” cried the old woman. “You’re not supposed to run away!”

But the gingerbread man laughed and sang:
“Run, run as fast as you can!
You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”

And with that, he dashed out the door and into the open field.

The old woman, determined not to lose her gingerbread man, ran after him as fast as she could. But the gingerbread man was too quick. He laughed as he ran, his little feet barely touching the ground.

Soon, the gingerbread man came across an old man chopping wood by the side of the road. The man looked up in surprise and called out, “Where are you off to, little fellow?”

“Run, run as fast as you can!
You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”

The old man, intrigued, joined the chase, but neither he nor the old woman could catch the swift gingerbread man.

As the gingerbread man sped down the road, he passed a cow grazing in a meadow. The cow looked up, sniffed the air, and said, “Mmm, you smell delicious! Stop and let me eat you!”

But the gingerbread man only laughed and sang:
“Run, run as fast as you can!
You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”

The cow began to run after him, her hooves pounding the ground. But the gingerbread man was too fast and kept ahead, leading the cow, the old man, and the old woman in a merry chase.

Further down the road, the gingerbread man encountered a horse pulling a cart. The horse snorted and said, “You’d make a fine snack! Stop right there!”

But the gingerbread man laughed and sang:
“Run, run as fast as you can!
You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”

The horse neighed and galloped after him, joining the growing group of pursuers. Now the gingerbread man was being chased by the old woman, the old man, the cow, and the horse.

As the gingerbread man approached a river, he paused. The water was wide and swift, and he didn’t know how to swim. For the first time, he felt a little worried. Just then, a sly fox appeared, stepping out from the bushes.

“Why, hello there,” said the fox with a cunning smile. “You look like you’re in a bit of a pickle. Can I help you?”

“I need to cross this river, but I can’t swim,” said the gingerbread man, glancing nervously at the water.

The fox’s eyes gleamed. “I can help you. Climb onto my tail, and I’ll carry you across.”

The gingerbread man hesitated but saw no other option. He hopped onto the fox’s bushy tail, and the fox waded into the river.

As the water grew deeper, the fox said, “You’d better climb onto my back to stay dry.” The gingerbread man scrambled onto the fox’s back.

When the water grew deeper still, the fox said, “The water’s rising! Climb onto my nose, and I’ll keep you safe.” The gingerbread man cautiously climbed onto the fox’s nose, balancing carefully.

But just as they reached the middle of the river, the sly fox flipped his head back and opened his jaws. Snap! The gingerbread man was caught in the fox’s sharp teeth.

And so, the clever fox enjoyed a delicious snack, while the old woman, the old man, the cow, and the horse all stopped at the riverbank, realizing they had been outwitted.

As for the gingerbread man, his adventurous spirit and catchy song were remembered by everyone who heard the tale. And the moral of the story? Even the fastest runner must be wary of sly tricks!