Printable Scholar
The Gingerbread Man: the whole story
Read it aloud straight from the screen, or print the read-aloud storybook.
Once upon a time, there was a little old woman and a little old man, and they lived all alone in a little old house. They didn’t have any little girls, or any little boys, at all.
So one day, the little old woman made a boy out of gingerbread.
She gave him a chocolate jacket with cinnamon buttons, eyes of fat currants, a mouth of rose-pink sugar, and a little cap of orange candy.
“There! Now I shall have a little boy of my own,” said the little old woman.
Soon, a wonderful smell filled the little old house.
When it was time, the little old woman opened the oven door, and pulled out the pan.
And out jumped the Gingerbread Man! Out of the door he ran.
“Stop! Stop! Come back!” called the little old woman.
But the Gingerbread Man only laughed and shouted, “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, by the roadside.
“Stop, little Gingerbread Man! I want to eat you!” said the cow.
“I have run away from a little old woman, and a little old man, and I can run away from you, I can!” said the Gingerbread Man. “Run! Run! As fast as you can! You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”
And the cow couldn’t catch him.
He ran on, and on, and on, till he came to a horse, in the pasture.
“Please stop, little Gingerbread Man. You look very good to eat!” said the horse.
“Oho! Oho! I have run away from a little old woman, a little old man, a cow, and I can run away from you, I can!” said the Gingerbread Man. “Run! Run! As fast as you can! You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”
And the horse couldn’t catch him.
Then he ran faster than ever, until he came to a field full of mowers.
“Wait a bit! Wait a bit! Little Gingerbread Man! We want to eat you!” called the mowers.
“Oho! Oho! I have run away from a little old woman, a little old man, a cow, a horse, and I can run away from you, I can!” said the Gingerbread Man. “Run! Run! As fast as you can! You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!”
And the mowers couldn’t catch him.
By now, the Gingerbread Man was so proud, he didn’t think anybody could catch him.
Just then, the Gingerbread Man came to a river. He could not swim across, and he wanted to keep running away. And everyone was getting closer and closer.
Then he saw a fox.
“You can’t catch me! I have run away from a little old woman, a little old man, a cow, a horse, a field full of mowers, and I can run away from you, I can!” said the Gingerbread Man.
“Why, I would not catch you if I could. I would not think of disturbing you,” said the fox. “But jump on my tail, and I will take you across.”
So the Gingerbread Man jumped on the fox’s tail, and the fox swam into the river.
“You are too heavy on my tail, little Gingerbread Man. I fear I shall let you get wet. Jump on my back,” said the fox.
“I’m afraid the water will cover you there. Jump on my shoulder.”
“Oh, dear! My shoulder is sinking. Jump on my nose, and I can hold you out of the water.”
So the Gingerbread Man jumped on his nose.
The minute the fox got on shore, he threw back his head, and gave a snap!
And after that, the little Gingerbread Man never said anything more at all.
The end.