THE GINGERBREAD BOY

The Gingerbread Boy

(From Repetitive Stories: A collection for young and old, Hella Coenen, 1997)

There was once a woman who hadn’t any children of her own and wanted one very much. One day she said to her husband, “I shall bake myself a nice gingerbread boy. That’s what I shall do.”

Her husband laughed at the idea but that very morning she mixed the dough and rolled it. Then she cut out a little boy shape with a smiling mouth and two currants for eyes. When she popped him in the oven she waited for him to bake and then she opened the door. Out jumped the gingerbread boy and he ran away through the kitchen and right outside.

“Husband, husband,” called the woman as she ran after the gingerbread boy.

The man dropped his spade when he heard his wife call and came running from the field. But when the gingerbread boy saw the woman and the man chasing him, he only laughed, running faster and faster and shouting:

“Run, run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!”

On he ran until he met a cow. “Moo! Moo!” called the cow. “Stop! Stop! I want to eat you.”

But the gingerbread boy only laughed and ran faster than ever, shouting. “I’ve run away from a woman and a man and now I’ll run away from you!”

“Run, run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!”

The cow chased after him but she was too fat and couldn’t catch him. He raced on until he came to a horse. “Neigh! Neigh!” snorted the horse. “You look good to eat. Stop and let me gobble you up.”

But the gingerbread boy only laughed and ran faster than ever, shouting. “I’ve run away from a woman, a man, and a cow and now I’ll run away from you!”

“Run, run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!”

The horse galloped after the Gingerbread boy but couldn’t catch him. He raced on faster and faster until he came to some farmers in a field. “Ho! Ho!” they cried. “Stop! Stop! And let us have a bite!”

But the gingerbread boy only laughed and ran faster than ever, shouting. “I’ve run away from a woman, a man, a cow and a horse, and now I’ll run away from you!”

“Run, run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!”

The men joined in the chase but no one could catch the gingerbread boy. He raced ahead until he came to a river and had to stop. There he met a fox who wanted very much to eat him then and there, but he was afraid the clever gingerbread boy might escape. So he said politely, “Do you want to cross the river?”

“Yes please,” said the gingerbread boy.

“Well then, jump on my back and I’ll swim across.”

“Thank you,” said the gingerbread boy and he did that.

When they were about halfway across, the fox said, “The water is deeper here. I think you’d better crawl up onto my neck.”

“Thank you,” said the gingerbread boy and he did that. When they had gone three-quarters of the way across, the fox said, “You’d better climb up onto my head. You can’t be very comfortable there.”

“Thank you,” said the gingerbread boy and he did just that. “We’re nearly there now,” said the fox a moment later. “I think you’d be safer if you get onto my nice long nose.”

“Thank you,” said the gingerbread boy. No sooner had he climbed onto the fox’s nose then the fox threw back his head and SNAP! Went his big mouth. The gingerbread boy was half gone.

SNAP! The gingerbread boy was three quarters gone.

SNAP! The gingerbread boy was all gone.

And that was the end of the gingerbread boy who had been too clever for the woman, the man, the cow, the horse and the farmers, but not clever enough for the fox.