The Gingerbread Man

The Gingerbread Man

Once upon a time, an old man and an old woman lived in a little house at the edge of a field. In the mornings, the old man worked in the garden, while the old woman baked bread, pies, and sweet buns.

One day the old woman said:

“I think I’ll bake something special today.”

She mixed a fragrant dough with honey and spices, rolled it out, and cut out a little man. She gave him raisin eyes, a smile of sugar icing, and three round buttons.

“What a handsome little fellow!” the old woman said happily.

She placed the gingerbread man on a baking tray and put him in the oven.

Before long, the kitchen was filled with the warm scent of cinnamon and honey.

“He must be ready by now,” said the old woman, opening the oven door.

And then something unbelievable happened.

The Gingerbread Man sprang up, jumped from the tray straight onto the floor, and cried:

“You won’t eat me!”

He raced across the kitchen, dashed out the door, and ran down the path.

“Stop!” shouted the old woman.

“Come back!” called the old man.

But the Gingerbread Man only looked over his shoulder and sang merrily:

“Run, run, as fast as you can,

You’ll never catch the Gingerbread Man!”

And away he went.

Soon he met a cow grazing beside the road.

“Moo! You smell delicious!” said the cow. “Wait just a minute.”

“Not a chance!” laughed the Gingerbread Man.

And he sang again:

“I ran from the old woman,

I ran from the old man,

And I’ll run away from you as well!

Run, run, as fast as you can,

You’ll never catch the Gingerbread Man!”

Now the old woman, the old man, and the cow were all running after him.

The Gingerbread Man was light, small, and very fast. He loved the fact that no one could catch him.

A little farther on stood a horse.

“Neigh! Where are you rushing off to?” the horse asked.

“Somewhere no one can catch me!”

“Wait a moment!”

The Gingerbread Man laughed even louder:

“I ran from the old woman,

I ran from the old man,

I ran from the cow,

And I’ll run away from you as well!

Run, run, as fast as you can,

You’ll never catch the Gingerbread Man!”

And the horse joined the chase.

Farther along, people were working in the fields. Some were threshing grain, while others were cutting grass.

“Hey, little fellow!” they called. “Where are you going?”

But by then the Gingerbread Man was so proud of his speed that he did not even stop.

“I ran from the old woman,

I ran from the old man,

I ran from the cow,

I ran from the horse,

And I’ll run away from all of you!”

He ran and ran, with a whole cheerful procession stretching out behind him.

“Run, run, as fast as you can,

You’ll never catch the Gingerbread Man!”

At last he reached a wide river.

The Gingerbread Man stopped.

The water was deep and fast.

“Now I’m in trouble,” he whispered. “If I jump in, I’ll turn soggy. If I go back, they’ll catch me.”

A fox was sitting on the riverbank.

He gazed calmly at the water, as though he had not even noticed the little runaway.

“Why do you look so worried?” the fox finally asked.

“I need to get to the other side,” replied the Gingerbread Man. “But I can’t swim.”

“I can carry you across,” said the fox. “Sit on my tail.”

The Gingerbread Man narrowed his eyes.

“You won’t eat me, will you?”

“Why would I?” the fox replied gently. “I’m only trying to help.”

The voices of the pursuers could already be heard behind them.

The Gingerbread Man hurriedly climbed onto the fox’s tail.

The fox stepped into the river.

Halfway across, he said:

“You’re too low on my tail. The water will soak you. Move onto my back.”

The Gingerbread Man did as he was told.

The water grew deeper.

“Now climb onto my shoulder,” said the fox. “You’ll stay drier there.”

The Gingerbread Man obeyed.

A moment later, the fox said:

“Better yet, sit on my nose. Then the water won’t touch you at all.”

They were almost at the opposite bank, and the Gingerbread Man thought everything had worked out perfectly.

He climbed onto the fox’s nose and cried happily:

“You see? I even outsmarted the river!”

At that very moment, the fox tossed his nose into the air.

The Gingerbread Man flew upward.

“Oh!” was all he had time to say.

The fox snapped his jaws, and the Gingerbread Man’s journey came to an end.

For a long while afterward, the riverbank smelled faintly of honey and cinnamon.

The old woman, the old man, the cow, the horse, and everyone else reached the river, but the Gingerbread Man was already gone.

“What a pity,” sighed the old woman. “But he believed too strongly that quick feet could save him from every danger.”

The old man nodded.

“And he forgot that not everyone who speaks kindly means you well.”

From then on, whenever the old woman baked gingerbread cookies, she gave them especially watchful eyes.

And she told the children the story of the little runaway who could run faster than everyone else, but who once forgot to stop and think.

Being quick can be useful.

But sometimes caution runs even faster.

But sometimes caution runs even faster.