The Gingerbread Man

This is a story from The United States of America. Once upon a time there was an old woman. Her children had all grown up and left home so sometimes she felt a bit lonely. One day, she decided to bake a gingerbread man for her tea.

When the dough was ready, she rolled it out thinly. She cut out the round head and then the neck. Next, she cut out the two arms, then the little fat body and finally the legs. After that, the old woman put two currants for his eyes, two currants for his nose, three currants for his little mouth and four for the buttons on his coat. She put him on a baking tray and then put the tray in the oven.

Twenty minutes later, the old woman took the tray out of the oven. The gingerbread man looked fantastic. “Mmm, you smell delicious, gingerbread man. I’m going to eat you for my tea,” said the old woman.

“No way!” answered the gingerbread man and he stood up, jumped off the table and ran towards the open door.

“Stop! Stop!” screamed the old woman. When the little gingerbread man got to the door, he turned around and laughed at the old woman. The old woman said to him in an angry voice, “Gingerbread man, when I catch you, I’m going to eat you for my tea.”

The gingerbread man replied in a squeaky voice, “Run, run, as fast as you can. You can’t catch me. I’m the gingerbread man.” The gingerbread man laughed again and ran down the garden path. The old woman chased after him.

Soon, the gingerbread man met a cow in a field. The cow licked its nose. “Moo. You smell delicious. I’m going to eat you for my tea.”

“No way,” answered the gingerbread man and he ran towards the fence.

“Stop! Stop!” mooed the cow. When the little gingerbread man got to the fence, he turned around and laughed at the cow. The cow said to him in an angry cow voice, “Gingerbread man, when I catch you, I’m going to eat you for my tea.”

The gingerbread man replied in a squeaky voice, “Run, run, as fast as you can. You can’t catch me. I’m the gingerbread man.” The gingerbread man laughed again, jumped over the fence and ran down the road. The cow and the old woman chased after him.

Soon, the gingerbread man met a horse in the next field. The horse snorted. “Ney. You smell delicious. I’m going to eat you for my tea.”

“No way,” answered the gingerbread man and he ran towards the fence.

“Stop! Stop!” neyed the horse. When the little gingerbread man got to the fence, he turned around and laughed at the horse. The horse said to him in an angry horse voice, “Gingerbread man, when I catch you, I’m going to eat you for my tea.”

The gingerbread man replied in a squeaky voice, “Run, run, as fast as you can. You can’t catch me. I’m the gingerbread man.” The gingerbread man laughed again, jumped over the fence and ran down the road. The horse, the cow and the old woman chased after him.

The horse was fast, so the cheeky gingerbread man really had to run very very quickly. Soon, the gingerbread man arrived at a river. “Oh no!” said the gingerbread man. “How can I cross the river? Water is bad news for biscuits." He could hear the old woman, the cow and the horse shouting “Stop! Stop!” and they were getting nearer and nearer.

“Biscuit boy,” a voice said. The gingerbread man turned around and saw a fox.

“Oh no!” said the gingerbread man.

“I can help you cross the river,” said the fox.

“How?” said the gingerbread man. He wasn’t laughing now.

“Jump on my back and we can swim across the river to the other side.”

“Thank you,” said the gingerbread man and he jumped on the fox’s back and the fox jumped into the river just as the old woman, the cow and the horse arrived at the river bank.

“Phew,” said the gingerbread man.

“Mmm,” said the fox. “You smell delicious. I’m going to eat you for my tea.”

And that was the end of the biscuit.

THE END