The Gingerbread Man

Once upon a time there was a little old woman and a little old man. They lived all alone and were very happy together, but they wanted a child. Since they had none, they decided to make one out of gingerbread. One day the little old woman made a little gingerbread man, and put him in the oven to bake.
When the gingerbread man was done, the little old woman opened the oven door and pulled out the pan. Out jumped the little gingerbread man - - and away he ran. The little old woman and the little old man ran after him as fast as they could, but he just laughed and said,
"Run, run, as fast as you can. You can't catch me! I'm the Gingerbread Man!" And they couldn't catch him.
The gingerbread man ran on and on until he came to a cow. "Stop, little gingerbread man," said the cow. "I want to eat you." But the gingerbread man said, "I have run away from a little old woman and a little old man, and I can run away from you, too. I can, I can!" And the cow began to chase the gingerbread man, but the gingerbread man ran faster, and said,
"Run, run, as fast as you can. You can't catch me! I'm the Gingerbread Man!" And the cow couldn't catch him.
The gingerbread man ran on until he came to a horse. "Please, stop, little gingerbread man," said the horse. "I want to eat you." And the gingerbread man said, "I have run away from a little old woman, a little old man, and a cow, and I can run away from you too. I can, I can!" And the horse began to chase the gingerbread man, but the gingerbread man ran faster and called to the horse,
"Run, run, as fast as you can. You can't catch me! I'm the Gingerbread Man!" And the horse couldn't catch him.
By and by the gingerbread man came to a field full of farmers. "Stop," said the farmers. "Don't run so fast. We want to eat you." But the gingerbread man said, "I have run away from a little old woman, a little old man, a cow, and a horse, and I can run away from you, too. I can, I can!" And the farmers began to chase him, but the gingerbread man ran faster than ever and said,
"Run, run, as fast as you can. You can't catch me! I'm the Gingerbread Man!" And the farmers couldn't catch him.
The gingerbread man ran faster and faster. He ran past a school full of children. "Stop, little gingerbread man," said the children. "We want to eat you." But the gingerbread man said, "I have run away from a little old woman, a little old man, a cow, and a horse, a field full of farmers, and I can run away from you, too. I can, I can!" And the children began to chase him, but the gingerbread man ran faster as he said,
"Run, run, as fast as you can. You can't catch me! I'm the Gingerbread Man!" And the children couldn't catch him.
By this time the gingerbread man was so proud of himself he didn't think anyone could catch him. Then he met a sly old fox."Stop little gingerbread man, I want to talk to you!" he smiled. But the Gingerbread man ran away singing...
Run, run, as fast as you can. You can't catch me! I'm the Gingerbread Man!"
But the sly fox said: "I don't want to eat you. I'm your friend."
Just then the gingerbread man came to a river. He would melt if he tried to swim across, and he had to keep running. "Jump on my tail," said the fox. "I will take you across." So the gingerbread man jumped on the fox's tail, and the fox began to swim across the river. When he had gone a little way, he said to the gingerbread man, "you are too heavy on my tail. Jump on my back." And the gingerbread man did. The fox swam a little further and said, "I am afraid you will get wet on my back. Jump on my shoulder." And the gingerbread man did. In the middle of the river, the fox said, "Oh, dear, my shoulder is sinking. Jump on my nose, and I can hold you out of the water."
So the little gingerbread man jumped on the fox's nose. The fox threw back his head and snapped his sharp teeth.
And that was the end of the Gingerbread man!

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