The Gingerbread Man

1875 England/USA

Story

Once upon a time, a little old woman and a little old man lived in a cottage in the country. One day, the old woman decided to bake a gingerbread man. She mixed the dough, rolled it out, and cut it into the shape of a little man. She gave him raisin eyes, a cherry nose, and icing buttons. Then she put him in the oven to bake.

But when she opened the oven door, the little gingerbread man jumped out and ran away! "Stop! Stop!" cried the old woman. "Come back!" But the gingerbread man just laughed and sang:

"Run, run, as fast as you can!
You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man!"

He ran past the old man in the garden. "Stop!" called the old man. But the gingerbread man ran faster, singing his song. He ran past a cow in the field. "Stop!" mooed the cow. "I want to eat you!" But the gingerbread man just laughed and ran on.

He ran past a horse in the pasture and a pig in the pen. They all wanted to eat him, but he was too fast. "Run, run, as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man! I've run from an old woman and an old man, a cow, a horse, and a pig, and I can run from you too!"

But then the gingerbread man came to a river. He couldn't swim! A sly fox sitting by the water called out, "Jump on my tail. I'll carry you across!"

The gingerbread man hopped onto the fox's tail. As the fox waded deeper, he said, "You're getting wet! Climb onto my back." Then, "The water's rising! Climb onto my head." Then, "Climb onto my nose so you stay dry!"

And the moment the gingerbread man climbed onto the fox's nose—SNAP! The fox opened his mouth and gobbled him up! And that was the end of the gingerbread man.

History and Meaning

"The Gingerbread Man" (also known as "The Gingerbread Boy") first appeared in print in 1875 in the American magazine St. Nicholas. However, similar tales about runaway food exist in many cultures.

The story is a cumulative tale, with a growing list of pursuers that children love to recite. The repetitive structure and catchy refrain make it a favorite for reading aloud and acting out.

The tale teaches that overconfidence can lead to trouble. The gingerbread man is so proud of his speed that he doesn't recognize when someone is tricking him. The clever fox uses patience and cunning rather than speed.

The story has many cultural variations around the world: a runaway pancake in Norway, a bun in Russia, and a Johnny-cake in parts of England. All share the themes of a food item come to life, a chase, and ultimately meeting its match.