There was once a little old man and a little old woman, who lived in a little old house. They would have been a very happy old couple but they were a bit at sea because they had no little child. One day the old woman got a funny look on her face. Her husband said that he would give a penny for her thoughts. The old woman said that she had a great idea. The husband said he was all ears. The little old woman was baking gingerbread, and she cut it one in the shape of a little boy, and put it into the oven. She said to her husband that she would pray that the gingerbread turns out to be a real boy but she didn't want to try such a thing behind his back.

When she went to the oven to see if it was baked and as soon as the oven door was opened, a little gingerbread boy hopped up, and began to run away as fast as he could go.

The little old woman called her husband, and they both ran after him. But they could not catch him. And soon the gingerbread boy came to a barn full of farm hands.

He called out to them as he went by, saying:

I've run away from a little old woman,

A little old man,

And I need to catch a train and run away from you I can! He was chasing rainbows!

The old man and woman asked the farm hands to lend them a free hand and the barn full of farm hands set out to run after him. But, though they ran fast, they could not catch him. And he ran on till he came to a field full of mowers. He called out to them:

I've run away from a little old woman,

A little old man,

A barn full of farm hands,

And I can dust you, I can!

Run, run as fast as you can!

You can't catch me. I'm the Gingerbread Man!

The gingerbread boy thought that he was a real word smith .

Then the mowers decided to lend them a free hand, but they couldn't catch him either. And he ran until he came to a cow. He called out to her:

I've run away from a little old woman,

A little old man,

A barn full of farm hands,

A field full of mowers,

Run, run as fast as you can!

You can't catch me. I'm the Gingerbread Man!

The cow who was not tied up or doing anything in particular joined the chase but she couldn't catch him. And soon he came to a pig. He called out to the pig:

I've run away from a little old woman,

A little old man,

A barn full of farm hands,

A field full of mowers, wait up I've also run from a silly old cow!

And I can run away from you, I can!

Run, run as fast as you can!

You can't catch me. I'm the Gingerbread Man!

Hold up, you thought the gingerbread boy was going to escape. You are wrong. He came upon a fox!

Now foxes can run very fast, and so the fox soon caught the gingerbread boy and began to eat him up.

Soon the gingerbread boy said, " Oh dear! I'm quarter gone!" He caught on that he was in trouble. And then, " Oh, I'm half gone!" No doubt he was getting really worried. And soon, " I'm three-quarters gone!" And at last, " ten four!" and never spoke again. It turned out that the gingerbread boy was just a flash in the pan.

Moral of the Story:

Just because you feel that you can do whatever you want, it doesn't mean that it is a good thing to do.

Idioms in the story:

a bit at sea catch on a free hand catch a train dust hold up tied up wait up flash in the pan all ears penny for your thoughts cheek no doubt ten four word smith chasing rainbows hop up behind your back