feltandspout
← Children’s literature

TRADITIONAL STORY

The Gingerbread Man

Watch on YouTube

An open illustrated storybook shows a cottage and a woodland landscape.

Now you shall hear a story that somebody's great-great-grandmother told a little girl ever so many years ago:

Read as one page / print

All the words and illustrations, without turning pages. You can also use the print-friendly reading page.

An open illustrated storybook shows a cottage and a woodland landscape.

Now you shall hear a story that somebody's great-great-grandmother told a little girl ever so many years ago:

01

The little old man and little old woman stand beside their cottage.

There was once a little old man and a little old woman, who lived in a little old house in 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.

02

The little old woman stands beside gingerbread-boy dough on a baking tray.

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.

03

The gingerbread boy emerges from the open cottage 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.

04

The old couple run after the gingerbread boy.

The little old woman called her husband, and they both ran after him. But they could not catch him. And soon the gingerbread boy came to a barn full of threshers. He called out to them as he went by, saying:

05

The gingerbread boy calls out to threshers beside a barn.

I've run away from a little old woman, A little old man, And I can run away from you, I can!

06

The threshers run after the gingerbread boy.

Then the barn full of threshers set out to run after him. But, though they ran fast, they could not catch him. And he ran on till he came to a field full of mowers. He called out to them:

07

The gingerbread boy calls out to workers in a field.

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!

08

The mowers run after the gingerbread boy.

Then the mowers began to run after him, but they couldn't catch him. And he ran on till he came to a cow. He called out to her:

09

The gingerbread boy stands near Cow.

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!

10

Cow chases the gingerbread boy along the path.

But, though the cow started at once, she couldn't catch him. And soon he came to a pig. He called out to the pig:

11

The gingerbread boy calls out to Pig.

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 I can run away from you, I can!

12

Pig chases the gingerbread boy.

But the pig ran, and couldn't catch him. And he ran till he came across a fox, and to him he called out:

13

The gingerbread boy meets Fox beside the path.

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!

14

Fox catches up with the gingerbread boy.

Then the fox set out to run. Now foxes can run very fast, and so the fox soon caught the gingerbread boy and began to eat him up.

15

Fox and the partly eaten gingerbread boy, with crumbs on the grass.

Presently the gingerbread boy said, "Oh dear! I'm quarter gone!" And then, "Oh, I'm half gone!" And soon, "I'm three-quarters gone!" And at last, "I'm all gone!" and never spoke again.

16

Fox sits beside crumbs on the woodland path after the chase.

And the moral of the story is: do not boast that you can run from everyone.

17