Gingerbread Man fairy tale written by Joseph Jacobs. A story for children about a cookie-man who thought he can outrun anyone, except the sneaky old fox.

Once upon a time there was an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy. One morning the old woman made a Gingerbread Man, and put it in the oven to bake. “You watch the Gingerbread Man while your father and I go out to work in the garden.” So the old man and the old woman went out and began to hoe potatoes, and left the little boy to tend the oven.

But he didn’t watch it all the time, and all of a sudden he heard a noise, and he looked up and the oven door popped open, and out of the oven jumped Gingerbread Man, and went rolling along end over end, towards the open door of the house. The little boy ran to shut the door, but Gingerbread Man was too quick for him and rolled through the door, down the steps, and out into the road long before the little boy could catch him. The little boy ran after him as fast as he could clip it, crying out to his father and mother, who heard the uproar, and threw down their hoes and gave chase too. But Gingerbread Man outran all three a long way, and was soon out of sight, while they had to sit down, all out of breath, on abank to rest.

On went Gingerbread Man, and by-and-by he came to two well-diggers who looked up from their work and called out: “Where ye going, Gingerbread Man?”

He said: “I’ve outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and I can outrun you too-o-o!”

“Ye can, can ye? we’ll see about that?” said they; and they threw down their picks and ran after him, but couldn’t catch up with him, and soon they had to sit down by the roadside to rest.

On ran Gingerbread Man, and by-and-by he came to two ditch-diggers who were digging a ditch. “Where ye going, Gingerbread Man?” said they. He said: “I’ve outrun an old man, and an old woman, and a little boy, and two well-diggers, and I can outrun you too-o-o!”

“Ye can, can ye? we’ll see about that!” said they; and they threw down their spades, and ran after him too. But Gingerbread Man soon outstripped them also, and seeing they could never catch him, they gave up the chase and sat down to rest.