Once upon a time, in a cozy little house, a kind cook decided to make something special in her warm kitchen. She gathered flour and water, treacle and ginger, and mixed them all together in a big bowl. She added a little more water to make the mixture smooth, then a bit more flour to make it just right. With a pinch of salt and a sprinkle of spice, she stirred and stirred until the dough was soft and golden.
The cook rolled out the dough until it was smooth and flat. She took her square tins and cut out square cakes for the little boys, and with her round tins she made round cakes for the little girls. Then she smiled and said, “I’m going to make a little gingerbread man for Bobby.” She took a nice round piece of dough for his body, and a smaller piece for his head, gently shaping a neck. Two more pieces became his legs, which she carefully pulled into shape, making sure he had feet and even tiny toes. Two smaller pieces became his arms, with little hands and fingers.
The cook worked carefully on his head. She made a frizzy, sugary hat on top, and added two tiny ears on each side. She shaped a little nose, and for his mouth, she pressed in a big, plump raisin. For his eyes, she used two shiny burnt almonds and tiny caraway seeds, making him look bright and cheerful.
When the gingerbread man was finished, he looked so jolly and clever that the cook almost thought he might be up to some mischief. She placed the square cakes and round cakes on a tray, and then put the little gingerbread man in a far back corner of the oven, just in case he tried to get away.
After putting everything in the oven, the cook went upstairs to sweep the parlor. She swept and swept, and soon the clock struck twelve. Suddenly, she remembered the gingerbread! “Oh dear, the gingerbread will be baked to a cinder!” she cried, dropping her broom and hurrying down to the kitchen.
She opened the oven door, and there were the square cakes, baked perfectly golden brown. The round cakes were just right too. And in the corner stood the little gingerbread man, all baked and brown, with his caraway-seed eyes sparkling and his raisin mouth looking full of fun.
As soon as the oven door opened, the gingerbread man gave a hop, a skip, and a jump! He leaped right over the square cakes and the round cakes, over the cook’s arm, and before she could say a word, he was running across the kitchen floor as fast as his little legs could carry him. The back door was wide open, and he could see the garden path shining in the sun.
The cook turned around as quickly as she could, but she was a bit slow, for she was surprised and not very quick on her feet. Right across the doorway, fast asleep in the sun, lay Mouser the cat.
“Mouser, Mouser!” called the cook. “Stop the gingerbread man! I want him for little Bobby!” At first, Mouser thought she was dreaming and just rolled over lazily. The cook called again, “Mouser, Mouser!” This time, Mouser jumped up, but just as she turned to see what was happening, the gingerbread man darted right under her tail and scampered down the garden path.
Mouser spun around and chased after him, though she was still a bit sleepy and not sure what she was chasing. The cook hurried after them, moving as fast as she could.
Down the garden walk ran the gingerbread man, his little legs going as fast as they could. He called out, “Run, run, as fast as you can! You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!” Mouser the cat chased him, and behind her came the cook, but the gingerbread man was too quick for them all.
At the end of the garden path, lying in the sun against the warm stones, was Towser the dog. The cook called, “Towser, Towser, stop the gingerbread man! I want him for little Bobby!”
Towser the dog was still snoozing in the sunshine when the cook called out, “Towser, Towser, stop the gingerbread man! I want him for little Bobby!” At first, Towser just rolled over with a big, sleepy snore, thinking he was dreaming. But when the cook called again, “Towser, Towser, stop him, stop him!” Towser woke up with a start and jumped to his feet, ready to help.
But the clever gingerbread man had been watching and waiting for just the right moment. As Towser stood up, the gingerbread man quietly slipped between the dog’s legs and scampered up onto the top of the garden wall. Towser blinked in surprise, but all he saw was Mouser the cat running toward him, with the cook hurrying behind.
Towser thought the cat must have done something naughty, so he barked and dashed after Mouser. Poor Mouser didn’t have time to stop or turn away, and the two tumbled together with a flurry of barking, meowing, and scrambling paws. It was such a noisy, silly tangle that it sounded like a bunch of spinning fireworks!
The cook, who had been running as fast as she could, couldn’t stop in time either. She tripped and fell right on top of the dog and the cat, and all three rolled over and over in a big, giggling heap. Mouser tried to scratch her way out, Towser tried to wiggle free, and the cook just laughed and tried to untangle everyone.
Meanwhile, the gingerbread man stood high on the garden wall, his little hands in his pockets, watching the funny scene below. His caraway-seed eyes sparkled with laughter, and his raisin mouth bubbled with giggles. “Run, run, as fast as you can! You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!” he called out, feeling very proud of himself.
After a moment, Mouser managed to slip away, looking a bit ruffled and tired. She decided she’d had enough chasing for one day and tiptoed back to the kitchen for a nap. Towser, whose nose had been scratched, finally let go of the cook and looked up—just in time to spot the gingerbread man on the wall! With a bark, Towser dashed toward the wall, and the cook, though her dress was torn and her face was scratched, picked herself up and followed, determined not to give up.
The gingerbread man saw Towser coming and quickly jumped down the other side of the wall, landing softly in the green grass. He ran across the field, his little legs moving as fast as they could. In the middle of the field stood a tall tree, and under the tree was Jocko the monkey, who was wide awake and curious.
When the cook called, “Jocko, Jocko, stop the gingerbread man!” Jocko gave a big leap—so big that he sailed right over the gingerbread man and landed, with a surprise, on Towser’s back! Towser yelped and turned around, giving Jocko’s tail a little nip. Jocko chattered and jumped off, shaking his tail and looking very cross.
The gingerbread man giggled and hurried to the tree. “I know the dog can’t climb a tree, and I don’t think the cook can either,” he said to himself. “But I’m not sure about the monkey!” So up he climbed, hand over hand, all the way to the very top branch.
But Jocko was quick and clever, too. With one big spring, he landed on the lowest branch and scrambled up after the gingerbread man. The gingerbread man looked down and called, “Run, run, as fast as you can! You can’t catch me, I’m the Gingerbread Man!” He felt so sure of himself, he didn’t notice how close Jocko was getting.
But Jocko the monkey was just as quick as ever. With a single, swooping leap, he landed on the lowest branch of the tree, and in a flash, he scrambled all the way up to the very top, right behind the gingerbread man. The gingerbread man saw Jocko coming and scurried out to the very tip of the branch, his little gingerbread fingers gripping tightly. He dangled there, holding on with just one hand, his caraway-seed eyes wide with worry.
Jocko, being a clever monkey, swung himself underneath the branch and reached out his long, gentle arm. Before the gingerbread man could even say “Run, run, as fast as you can!” Jocko had scooped him up and was holding him high in the air. Jocko looked at the gingerbread man with big, curious eyes—and maybe, just maybe, a little bit of a hungry tummy, too.
The gingerbread man’s raisin mouth began to wobble, and his caraway-seed eyes filled with tiny, sugary tears. He had been so sure he could outrun everyone, but now he wasn’t so certain. He wished he hadn’t boasted quite so much.
Just then, something wonderful happened. Little Bobby, who had been napping upstairs, woke up with a start. In his dreams, he thought he heard voices calling, “Little Bobby, little Bobby!” He rubbed his sleepy eyes and hurried out of bed, not even stopping to put on his shoes. He ran down the stairs, his bare feet pattering softly, and peeked out the window. There, in the field beyond the garden, he saw the cook, Towser the dog, and Jocko the monkey, all gathered under the big tree.
Bobby’s heart leapt with excitement. He dashed outside, across the warm gravel path, and climbed right over the garden wall. In just a few moments, he was standing under the tree, looking up at Jocko and the gingerbread man.
“Drop him, Jocko!” Bobby called out, his voice bright and clear. Now, Jocko always listened to Bobby, so he let go of the gingerbread man right away. Down, down, down the gingerbread man tumbled—plop!—landing safely in Bobby’s soft, waiting pinafore.
Bobby picked up the gingerbread man and looked at him closely. The little raisin mouth was turned down in a sad frown, and sugary tears sparkled in the caraway-seed eyes. But Bobby was very hungry after his nap, and he couldn’t help himself. He took a big, gentle bite—munch!—and ate both legs and a piece of the gingerbread man’s body.
“Oh!” cried the gingerbread man, “I’m one-third gone!”
Bobby took another bite—crunch!—and ate the rest of the body and both arms.
“Oh!” cried the gingerbread man, “I’m two-thirds gone!”
Finally, Bobby took one last bite—nibble!—and ate the gingerbread man’s head.
“Oh!” whispered the gingerbread man, “I’m all gone!”
And that was the end of the gingerbread man’s adventure. He had run as fast as he could, and he had boasted and bragged, but in the end, his overconfidence led him right into trouble.
So, as you snuggle into bed tonight, remember: It’s fun to be clever and quick, but it’s even better to be kind and humble. Boasting and being too sure of yourself can sometimes lead to sticky situations—even for a gingerbread man with caraway-seed eyes and a raisin smile.
